Page 45 of Rogue Wolf

She finally got the seatbelt off and stumbled out of the vehicle, the cool night air she inhaled making her lungs ache. The sharp scent of the eucalyptus trees surrounding them cleared her mind, but that wasn’t enough to help her make out a single word from Kodiak and Ash’s conversation.

Tamaska pressed one hand against the car to steady herself. The concussion still held her back, adding to her frustration. She picked her way around the back of the car, heading for Kodiak and Ash.

Now would be a good time for some magical super-hearing to kick in. Didn’t wolves have sharper hearing, or something like that?

Then again, even if she had magical super-hearing, the thumping ache in her head and the effect of the tablets would probably dampen her abilities.

Christ she was a mess.

Kodiak stood with his back to Tamaska, and Ash refused to even look in her direction.

“Hey, slow down.” Roan grabbed her arm, simultaneously steadying her and moving her away from Kodiak. “You know, you’re supposed to take it easy,” he added.

“I was.”

“Typical human wanting to rush ahead. We’re like that, too. But we heal faster. Come on.” Roan steered Tamaska away from Kodiak, toward the other side of the clearing in front of the hut. Heat from the flickering torches warmed her as they passed.

“You know, it isn’t always about you,” said Roan.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Give him some space. He needs to be ready for the ceremony,” said Roan softly. They approached some other pack members, who waited outside the fiery semi-circle of light. “It’s hard, I know, but it won’t always be. These are unusual circumstances.”

“But what am I supposed to do?” she asked. “I want to help, be proactive. And if there’s something about me—”

“We’ll find out. Until then, you’re supposed to wait.” He shrugged. “Be what he aaks.”

Tamaska sighed heavily, and Roan chuckled. “It’s hard.”

“I know, but it’s like I said. He’s got a lot to deal with right now,” said Roan, “and he needs you to be there for him. The best way to do that is to wait for him and do everything he asks of you.”

“Sounds easy when you say it,” said Tamaska, but his words just didn’t sit right in her belly. “But I want to do more. I’m not some meek little wallflower.”

“No, you’re not, and he knows that.”

Did he, though? Roan’s reassurance eased the frustration cutting through her chest and soothed the strange sensations that had stirred within her since riding in the car.

She was being unreasonable, but nothing seemed to work no matter how hard she tried. “Sitting about is counterproductive.”

“It feels like that but it’s not. It’s showing respect.”

The word how rose but she swallowed it down.

Roan put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “You’re an outsider to the pack. But patience and strength will lead to acceptance. If you put your mind to it, I believe you can show the pack that you possess those valuable qualities.”

Tamaska’s chest tightened, his words striking home in her heart. Still, those words would have been so much more special if Kodiak had spoken them. Even though she knew he couldn’t be everything at once.

“He can’t be everything but he’ll try, for us. And for you. Kodiak will be there for you.”

“What, you’re reading my mind now?” A shudder spread across her shoulders.

“You’re an open book, Tamaska. Your emotions show up on your face. It’s obvious from the…um…discussion, in the car, that you two need some quality time. But everything going on around here keeps getting in the way.”

“Does anything stay secret in this pack?” As much as she hated to admit it, maybe Kodiak was right to withhold some information from her. This was already too much to process.

And her earlier understanding, that some things can’t be explained, only experiences came back. It went against her nature, but she needed to keep that close.

“Experience is education here. We learn from when we’re born. You’re trying to do it at once, so stop, let it come, and listen. And privacy? Of course, there’s privacy—just not for you. You’re human, and Kodiak is about to become the alpha.” Roan squeezed her again as they paused beside one of the torches.

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