Page 7 of Rogue Wolf

“I can’t. You know the saying… A burden shared is a burden eased. And I can help.”

But he shook his head. “It’s pack business.”

“Then make me a part of the pack, Kodiak.”

“Tamaska…”

But she shook her head. “Don’t you want me to be changed now? Don’t you want me to be part of the pack?”

Tamaska tried to pull her hands away from his, but he tightened his grip. “I didn’t mean it like that,” he said.

“What did you fucking mean, then? Because I’ve had enough of you all keeping outside the loop when you’re risking everything for me.”

“We’re not.”

“You are,” she said lifting her chin. “You’re all keeping secrets from me.”

“We’re doing it to protect you.”

“That line’s wearing thin.”

“It’s not a line. Turning you now is dangerous, and there’s so much for you to lear. Too much to learn all at once. Until we get things sorted here, you have to wait.”

“Fuck that.” She managed to get her hands away from his.

“Tamaska.” He eased her close and nudged her cheek with his nose. “Please. We need to deal with the vampires and the opal and maybe the police. You here, wanting this change to be with me…it’s more than enough and it means everything to me.”

Crap, her heart started to melt right away.

Fuck it. Tamaska fought and held on to her rising anger. She wasn’t about to let him get away with this. Yes, she believed him but he was also putting her in her place. Treating her as the little human. And she might be weak, but she wasn’t weak of mind or will.

And perhaps they were noble and true as per their nature, but the tricky, fickle parts of humanity they didn’t like, along with the greed and meanness, well…those faults could all be manipulated.

By her. The weak little human burden.

“Keys to your car.” Tamaska, put out her hand.

His eyes narrowed into glittering slits. “No one drives my car. You know that.” Kodiak’s voice took on an edge.

“Then, drive me. We need to get industrial carpet cleaners, like the stuff the crime scene cleaners use and I know where to get them.”

His brows rose. “Is there something you need to tell me about, Tamaska?”

“No. But the places that people hold openings and galas to show off things like that bloody opal sometimes need a forensic clean down. One we did was at a grisly murder scene. Very Goth, but it needed to also be free of anything disgusting. People like the idea of crime scenes but not anything remotely linked to the reality. Of course, other places have just been plain derelict and filthy.” She sighed. “I can help us not only speed up the cleaning, but make it look like nothing happened and we decided to burn old furniture for a bonfire.”

Kodiak looked at her like she’d just sprouted another head. “You didn’t think of it earlier?”

“No.” Tamaska snapped the word. “I was too busy dealing with what happened. But now I’ve had a chance to think… I just want to fit in, do my part. Prove myself, Kodiak.”

He rubbed a hand over his chin. “And where do you get this stuff.”

“I can talk to the crew we hire, back when…” When she had a job. “I did that stuff. I’ve got a good relationship with them, I bet I can get them cheap.”

“No way. It’s too risky,” said Kodiak.

Tamaska nodded. “Okay, I understand the risks. But if we can’t get outside help, because any human would take one look at the place and call the police, then what if I bring the chemicals and machines here. They have enough, and I’ve helped them clean places before. If I can use them, so can everyone else. No one will know what happened here.”

No way Tamaska was letting go of her brilliant idea.

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