CHAPTER NINE
Myra needed to get off her knees. Carpet was better than wood, she was sure, but it wasn’t good for long. She pushed up on her hands, ran into Adams chest. He wrapped an arm around her and stood, supporting her until she could get to her feet and make her slightly numb legs work well enough to climb the stairs. She would never look at stairs the same way again, that was for sure.
They staggered to the top and Adam nudged her to the left. She assumed Hillary had given him specific directions because he guided her to the second door, and inside. It was probably a lovely room, but mostly she just noticed the queen-sized bed and headed straight for it. The slate-blue comforter with sunny-yellow accent pillows was charming, but she’d barely processed it when Adam’s hands were turning her, lifting her onto the bed. She scooted back against the pillows and welcomed him into her arms.
He kissed her again, as he had earlier, with no sense of urgency. That had worked out pretty well for her, so she went with it, sliding her hands into his hair, rubbing her heels up his legs. Wait, he was still wearing his jeans. She pulled her mouth free and shivered at the wanting expression he gave her.
“Take your pants off,” she suggested.
He frowned, glanced down at himself then rolled off her, off the bed. She stripped off her skirt and bra, while he shucked his shoes and jeans. She quickly pulled the bedding down, stacked the pillows and arranged herself against them. She opened her arms, wanting more of the kisses, but he wrapped his long fingers around each of her ankles instead. Kissed one knee, then the other. Slid his hands up to tickle lightly at the back of her knee.
She nearly kicked him in the nose, and he quickly changed tactics, rubbing his slightly stubbled chin along her inner thigh. The feeling was almost unbearable, but so was knowing where he was headed. He slid his hands along the outside of her legs and underneath to cup her butt. Then he lowered his head to her clit, pulled it between his lips. She ground her heels into the bed, fisted the sheet in her hands.
God, he was too much. She could feel him, feel the connection she had to him gaining ground inside her, taking hold in a way she wouldn’t have thought possible for someone who wasn’t her mate. Hell, if she hadn’t already been mated once, she would be convinced he was hers. But, though the feeling, the connection, was tremendous, it was nowhere near the level of the real thing. She couldn’t complain, though. It was amazing, feeling even this much of him inside her.
He nipped her sensitive flesh and she lost all thoughts beyond what he was doing to her. His tongue speared into her and she brought her hands to his head, holding him still as he worked his way inside her. He moaned into her flesh and she gasped. His fingers tightened on her butt, lifting her even closer to him as he devoured her. She slipped a hand free of his hair, brought it to her clit and rubbed. Her knees closed against his head as the sparkling feeling shot from her clit, to her core, then spread through her whole body. She arched and screamed, slammed both of her hands back to the bed to hold on tight as he continued to work her.
“Okay,” she panted. “No more.”
He gentled, placed soft kisses to her lips, her clit. His fingers relaxed and slid free from underneath her. He kissed his way up her belly, between her breasts, and finally reached her mouth. A long, slow kiss while she caught her breath, her legs boneless, her brain fried. Finally he kissed the tip of her nose and flopped to her side, pulling one of the pillows under his head.
She blinked at him.
“Um.”
He grinned, reached down and pulled the sheet and comforter up. He pushed one arm under his pillow and rested his head on it, watching her. Then he snaked his other hand under the blanket to rest on her breast. She managed to huff out a laugh.
“This is a nice place.”
“Is it?” she asked, cheekily.
“From what I could see. I’m not picky, anyway, so I’m sure it’s nice enough for me.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Do I strike you as high maintenance?”
“Nope.”
“Hmph.”
Her eyes drooped, and she let them close for a minute, let her mind drift. It was nice, being with him. New but comfortable. Simple but engaging. She didn’t want to waste it sleeping, so she roused herself, opened her eyes to find him watching her still.
“What’s your favorite movie?”
“Billy Jack.”
That woke her up. “Really?”
“Sure, why not?”
“Because it was released before you were born?”
“Before you were born, too.”
“And?”
“I liked it. I’ll admit, I haven’t seen it in years. But hey, I was a teacher who wanted to help kids, living in an area that experienced its share of racism.”
“All right, fair enough.”
“What about you?”
“Favorite movie? Hmm. Goonies.”
He grinned. “Good one.”
She reached out and traced his smiling lips with her fingertip. “Where’s the farthest you’ve ever traveled?” she asked.
“Canada. My parents took us to Nova Scotia when we were in high school.”
“Sounds cold.”
“We went during spring break. It was a nice change from what we were used to in Phoenix.”
“You stayed close to home. I’m surprised, after Jamey died.”
“It was a big enough place that I didn’t feel like it mattered that they were there. I had no trouble avoiding them, since we definitely did not frequent the same places. I wanted to be in the school district that I’d grown up next to. Felt as if I could do some good there.”
“I bet you were an amazing teacher.”
He didn’t quite blush, but his eyelashes swept down to his cheeks. “I like to think so.”
She traced her finger over his jaw. “I can’t believe how much more centered you feel, than the last time we were in bed together. It wasn’t just from you being sick, was it?”
“No. I’ve changed. I don’t fear myself anymore. I hadn’t, for a while, I guess, but I hadn’t stopped to realize it, either. And I don’t fear what others can do to me, anymore. It’s…freeing. Thank you, for that.”
“I don’t think it was me, really.”
“You helped.”
She smiled, ran her hand along his neck, scratching lightly. “Good.”
“No siblings for you?” he asked.
“No, just my parents. Some aunts, uncles and cousins out on the East Coast.”
She traced his shoulder, circling the muscles of his upper arm.
“Would you ever be a teacher again?” She ran her palm down his pecs to his nipple, circled it with the tip of her finger.
“I don’t think so. I don’t think I’d trust myself.”
Frowning, she met his eyes.
“Not because of the students,” he clarified. “The administration and some of the parents. I’m not sure I could compromise enough to make that work anymore.”
“Ah. If you wanted, you could get involved with the pack kids. Teach a class, or coach basketball or something. There’s always a need for more adults to take a roll.”
He didn’t say anything and she tugged her gaze from his pebbled nipple back up to his eyes, worried by what she’d find.
Warmth. Acceptance. Happiness.
“It means a lot that you would offer that.”
Surprised, she leaned in and kissed him. “Whatever role you might choose to take, I have full confidence you would do some good in people’s lives. But I don’t say that to pressure you into taking any role, if you don’t want to.”
“It’s probably too late for me to just go back to my cabin and pretend no one outside of it exists except to offer obstacles on my trips to the store.”
“Probably.” She smiled as she pulled his nipple between her thumb and finger, gave it a little twist.
“And online friends are nice and all, but turns out actually talking to people is kind of nice, too.”
“Mm, hmm. And touching people,” she added, teasing her fingers through the hair on his chest.
“That’s nicer with some more than others, but yeah. I’d read about it, the whole werewolf touch thing, but I didn’t really believe it.”
She started to nod, then frowned. “Read about it?”
He blew out a breath. “Oops.”
“You’d already been on the website.”
“Well, yeah. Are you mad?”
“Nope.” She explored the contours of his abs, tickled lightly along his side, as he’d done to her leg earlier. Every muscle in his stomach tightened delightfully. She explored his hipbone, prodding at it with her thumb, then smoothing it with her fingertips. She had to scoot down a little bit to reach farther and encircled his half-hard penis with her fingers, her grip as light as she could make it. He grunted, reached down and closed his hand over hers.
She hid her smile in the sheets, watched, enthralled, as his larger hand covered hers, slid her hand up and down his length. Feeling him harden beneath her, his hand guiding hers, was amazing. She fixed the pillow under her head better, so she could watch without straining her neck.
His breathing picked up, and so did hers, as they both watched their stroking hands. She pressed her thighs together to try to relieve the renewed need there. He gave her hand a squeeze, then pulled his away. She kept sliding hers up and down, but he used his to urge her chin up for a kiss. Happy to oblige, she lost herself in the rhythm of stroking him and being kissed by him, the hardness versus the softness. He was fully erect now and she caught a bead of pre-cum from the tip, smoothed it down over the shaft.
He growled and she knew she had no more time to indulge, gave him a good squeeze before he pulled free, rolled on top of her, urging her higher up onto the pillows. His mouth came back to her and she pulled his lip between her teeth, gave a little nip. He responded by tweaking her nipple until she gasped, freeing his lip. His fingers slid into her, two of them twisting within, testing her readiness. She bucked up to meet them, ready for more.
Pulling free of her grasping hands, he kneeled up between her legs, grabbed her ankles and brought them out to her sides, bending her nearly in half. She was spread wide open and they both watched as his cock met her entrance, slowly disappeared inside. He pushed her legs back more and she cried out as he rubbed against her insides in all the best ways. She clenched her muscles tight when he began to pull out, and he groaned. Then, it was all she could do to hang on, to take what he gave her. She put her hands above her head, braced against the wall as he pounded in, gave her everything he had, took her hard and fast and completely. She cried out, her neck arching back as she tried to process the delicious release, so much, too much, so right. So very right.
He released her legs, came down to her as the orgasm powered through him. She held his head in her hands, kissed him with everything she felt, everything she needed to give him. Gave him her love. She felt their connection, a fraction of what it would be with a mate, but a gift she treasured nonetheless. She stilled a moment, hoping he wouldn’t get scared, wouldn’t pull back.
His kiss intensified, and she relaxed, giggling with joy as she wrapped her arms around her man.
They slept tangled together, then took a hot shower that woke her up in all the right ways.
“I need food,” she groaned, pulling on her clothes when he’d retrieved their bags from downstairs. “Lots and lots of food. How far do you think it is from somewhere with food?”
He smiled at her. “Hillary promised it’s only ten minutes away.”
“Whew.”
A short trip to the local diner got them breakfast, followed by a grocery run to get them through the rest of their stay. They didn’t have much time together and she preferred to spend it at the cabin, not at restaurants where they had to watch what they talked about. And be fully clothed.
When they’d put the groceries away, she suggested a run in the woods. “Actually, this reminds me. I gave the info about your bad guys to one of my people to monitor. They haven’t reported back with any issues, so I assume everything is good. Have you been keeping track, too?” she asked as they surveyed the woods from the cabin’s porch. Nothing concerned her, so she began to undress.
“Yes. One of them tried a new email address, thinking I couldn’t monitor him that way, but I quickly disabused him of the idea. Other than that, they’ve kept out of trouble.”
He pulled her into his arms when they were naked, kissed her hard.
“Are you worried,” she asked softly, not sure what he was thinking about.
“About the hunters?”
“No, about this. Being in the woods with me. Being wolf together.”
He rubbed her back, his hand warm against the cool morning air. “No. I want to see your wolf, run with her.”
She smiled, stepped back, and let the wolf be fully present. He watched her, waited until she was furry to run his hands over her again. Not cold anymore, she luxuriated in the feel of his hands rubbing through her fur, scratching behind her ears. Not something she would let most get away with. She yipped at him, and he changed. His larger body bumped against hers, encouraging her down the steps. She nipped his neck, then took off, the exhilaration of running through the forest never old, but the joy of doing it with him by her side a new level of perfect.
They explored the area, laughing in the way of wolves when they flushed out some wild turkeys, chasing a rabbit with no intentions of catching it, eventually circling back to the cabin, where they took a nap on the edge of the woods, in a large sunny patch, curled together in their fur.
She woke to the sound of his stomach growling and was laughing as she turned back to human, watching as he did the same. He shoved his face in her belly, growling and nipping. “No laughing at me, I’m a badass alpha, haven’t you heard?”
“A badass alpha who needs to eat. Grate the cheese for me, and you can do that sooner, rather than later.”
“Deal.”
She chopped the onion first, got that cooking and added the meat while he grated cheese. There wasn’t a huge spice collection in the cabinet, but she made due, leaving behind the cumin she’d bought at the store for the next visitors. While the meat was cooking, she chopped up some cilantro and gave Adam the lettuce to deal with.
“Just so you know, if I was doing this at home, there wouldn’t be these jars of salsa and guacamole, I would have made those from scratch.”
“Good to know. Just so you know, I do cook. Not so much in that cabin, I admit, but my previous place was on the grid, and had a real kitchen.”
“What’s your specialty?”
He pondered that for a minute. “Fried chicken. It’s the only thing my mother taught me that I embraced. It was her mother’s recipe.”
“We’ll have to try that sometime.” She stirred the meat then handed him the salsa and guacamole to open and put on the table, tossing the package of tortillas over. “At home I also would have gotten corn tortillas and fried them, but we’re going for soft flour this time.”
“I can work with that.”
She smiled at him as she drained the meat and put it in a bowl and motioned him to the table. He’d already set out sodas for them, so they were good to go.
You could learn something about a man from how a man put his taco together, she mused, watching him overfill the tortilla so that he really had a burrito that barely closed. She spread the guacamole on her tortilla, then the meat, lettuce, cilantro and salsa. Damn, she’d forgotten sour cream. Ah well.
They ate in silence for a few minutes, then built their second round. She glanced over at him while he worked, debated if now was the time and place, but couldn’t get it out of her mind. She knew she couldn’t be the only one feeling this way, but… “So. I don’t want to push or anything, but I would like an idea of how you see this going forward.”
He frowned. “You shouldn’t feel as if you can’t push me. It makes it sound like it’s on me what we do next.”
“Fair enough. I think I’m falling in love with you.”
His hands stilled in the act of rolling his tortilla closed and he looked at her. It was hard to read his expression, but she didn’t sense panic or anger or anything negative, so she waited.
“Think?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Well, it’s not the norm for werewolves. Once you mate, you sort of leap into love, so it’s not like it was for me before. But I can’t imagine going through my days without knowing you’re going to be some part of them, so I’m wondering how you think that might go.”
He abandoned his plate and reached for her hand, twining his fingers with hers. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he started, making her stomach clench. “I don’t know that I’m ready to abandon my home and move to St. Louis with you. And I’m really not sure how I feel about returning to Arizona. But I do know that I want to keep seeing you. I can’t imagine going back to a life that you’re not a significant part of.”
Relief moved through her almost like an orgasm. She smiled and squeezed his hand. “That’s good enough for me.”
“But it’s not what you want.”
“Hey, if you suddenly declared that you were giving up everything and moving in with me, I’d wonder if you were sick again,” she teased. “I don’t have expectations on how we move forward, I’m just really glad to know you’re with me on wanting to move forward at all.”
“I’d be pretty happy just staying here for a while, but I know that you have responsibilities. Being alpha isn’t just a title for you.”
“No, it’s not. It comes with responsibilities. And joys.”
He grunted his understanding from around a big bite of his burrito. “It looks good on you,” he said when he’d swallowed. “I can’t think of anyone I trust more to see to building a new pack out there.” He cocked his head. “I suppose that’s not exactly a ringing endorsement when I only know a few alphas. But still.”
She smiled. “But still. Thanks.”
He took a drink of his soda, eyed her. “I think I’ve never felt like this with anyone. I think I can see myself leaving my little cabin to come visit you. Often.”
“That makes me happy.”
“Good.” He nodded, as if it was settled.
And she supposed it was. He’d come a long way in a short time, and she wasn’t going to ask him for more. Didn’t need more, for now. Knowing that he would come visit her, would welcome her visits to him, was pretty huge. Although, she wasn’t sure how long she’d be able to wait. It was his fault he was so damn good at sex. And cuddling. And napping in the sun. And entertaining her through a meal. His own damn fault.
She smiled to herself and reached to make another taco.
After lunch, she attacked him. Pushed him against the refrigerator and rode him down to the floor. Rode him to completion. They lay on the floor, spent, panting, his jeans dangling from one leg, her underwear sitting on the trashcan lid, his top pushed up to his shoulders, hers pulled down beneath her breasts.
They took another shower, managing to do so without sex, and she pulled him back downstairs into the library she’d spotted. Having seen all the books decorating his cabin, she figured she was safe in assuming he shared her love of reading. She wandered back and forth between the three bookcases, picked four novels, and joined him on the couch, where he’d stretched out.
He looked ridiculously sexy wearing only jeans and an old sweatshirt. Bare feet should not make a man look so good, but she apparently had a weakness. Still, they needed a rest, so she stretched out in front of him and offered the books.
“Pick one.”
She’d chosen a thriller, young adult fantasy, a lawyer mystery and a cozy mystery. She was going to have to discuss Peter’s library with him; she was fascinated by the single man’s variety.
Adam read the descriptions of each one, then held out the cozy mystery. She shouldn’t be surprised they were so in sync. Though she would have been happy with any of the choices, this one seemed best for whiling away a lazy afternoon. Plus, she was fairly certain there wouldn’t be sex in this one, and considering they were managing enough of that on their own, she figured it would be for the best.
She cleared her throat and began to read out loud. She attempted different voices for different characters, which had them both laughing. When she finished the first chapter, she handed the book to him. Snuggling into his chest, she listened as he continued the story. And she fell deeper into love.
How the hell could she resist this man? There was no sense in trying. She would just have to figure out a way to make it work.
Taking her turn on the next chapter, she pretended not to notice when his hand found its way to her breast and settled there. Or when his other hand began to trace a long pattern up and down her thigh. Her voice caught as he eased his hand to the inside of her thigh, closer to her center. And closer. She kept reading, wishing she’d worn her skirt instead of jeans.
He traced the seam and she thought maybe she was reading the same paragraph for the second time. Or maybe not. Who knew? She tried to spread her legs to give him better access, but there was no room. His lips found her earlobe, and she closed her eyes, her mouth open on whatever she’d been trying to say.
“Don’t stop,” he murmured. “I really like the sound of your voice.”
She forced her eyes open and started back at the top of the page, since she had no clue where she’d been. He maneuvered so that she was flat on her back, one leg hanging over the side of the couch, his body pressed against the back, and her. One of his hands was between her nape and the pillow, holding her gently. The other opened her jeans, slid inside her panties.
“Not fair,” she whispered.
“It’s your chapter,” he disagreed. His nose played along her hairline, his breath warm against her cheek. “Read,” he reminded her.
She picked a random spot, wondering how long it had been since she’d actually turned the page. She was never going to get to the end of the chapter at this rate. After a couple sentences that she couldn’t begin to recount, she remembered that she hadn’t actually agreed to follow any rules. She tossed the book to the floor, rolled off the couch and stood, facing him.
He was trying not to laugh.
“Jerk,” she pouted.
He opened his eyes wide in mock innocence. She backed up until her butt hit the desk, then eased her jeans off, kicked them at him. He caught them in one hand and tossed them onto the book as he watched her pull off her sweatshirt.
“Take your pants off,” she suggested as she eased herself up onto the desk. Spread her legs wide in invitation. He watched her as he followed her suggestion. When he was naked, he began to stroke himself, his gaze never leaving her. She swallowed the saliva pooling in her mouth as he got harder and bigger. He stepped forward, between her legs, one hand going to her hair, doing that little grip that made her weak. His other hand hooked behind her knee, pulling her leg up to rest on his ass.
She tilted her pelvis and he slid inside. His tongue traced along her neck. She brought her other leg up to cross her ankles behind him and braced herself with her hands on the desk. He smiled into her throat—her only warning before he bit the curve of her shoulder.
The shock of it, the bite that mates gave, without the mating, sent a shockwave of sorrow through her. She wanted him to be her mate, mourned that they didn’t have that ultimate connection.
He stilled, buried deep inside. She opened her eyes to meet his concerned gaze. Only then did she realize that a couple of tears had escaped. She shook her head.
“It’s okay. I’m okay.”
His hand on her nape squeezed as he searched her face for more answers. She pulled him into her with her legs, arched her back so her breasts pushed into his chest. He must have felt the truth of her statement, because he resumed his efforts, sliding into her slowly, then back out, kissing her neck, face, mouth, never staying in one place long.
“Please, Adam.”
“You please me.”
Her arms trembled and her legs squeezed, but she had no leverage to hurry things along. “I need you.”
“I’m right here,” he said on a long slide in.
“Oh god.”
“Still just me.”
She laughed. “You bastard.”
“You’re so fickle.”
“I swear, no one would believe me if I told them what a comedian you are during sex.”
He smiled into her neck again and she tensed, but instead of biting her he picked up his pace. Hard and fast, her hands slipping on the desk behind her as he powered in and out, his body pushing against her clit until she came with a long cry. He pushed through her orgasm, prolonging it, a couple more thrusts until he, too, found completion. He collapsed against her, one hand braced next to hers, his breath harsh in her ear.
They ate the leftovers and she found herself sad as she washed the dishes that they only had a breakfast left to eat together. His hand drifting over her butt as he passed by on his way to the fridge made her smile and push away the thoughts of being apart. When she was with him, she determined, she needed to be with him.
She called Cindy, using the computer. When he wandered into the room, she called him over and introduced the two. He put his hands on her shoulders and leaned in close so that he could see the monitor, gave her friend a smile. Then he patted the desk approvingly and Myra almost had a mini orgasm. When he’d gone out of the room again, Cindy waved her hand as if it was suddenly very hot in St. Louis.
When she’d packed the laptop away she found him on the living room couch, his own laptop perched on his stomach, his legs stretched out. He closed the lid and set the computer aside, holding out a hand for her. She lay down on top of him, her hands on his chest, her chin resting on her hands. His hands immediately came up to her back. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, simply enjoying the feeling of being held safe and secure.
“I like being with you,” he said.
She melted. “I like being with you, too.”
“How did the call go?”
“Great. I’m going to make an announcement after the transition, so that wolves interested in joining know to contact me. Cindy’s going to meet me in California for the transfer, then we’ll head out to meet some of the wolves, especially if they want to be hierarchy, so I have another, trusted opinion. I thought, depending on where they are, you might like to join us on some of the trips. I’ll let you know where and when so you can decide.”
“That could work. I admit I’m curious about meeting more wolves now. It’s not at all like I thought it would be, being here with Mountain Pack.”
“I’ll be curious to get your opinions on the ones you meet, too. Not just the ones interested in joining, but a fresh pair of eyes on the packs in general.”
“Then it’s a plan. Let me know when you go to LA, I haven’t been there since I took Jamey for his first college spring break.”
She scooted up to kiss him. “It’s a plan. Want to watch a movie?”
Adam dropped Myra off at the airport and tried to tell himself that he felt normal. It was too early to feel lonely, especially considering he was on his way back to a house full of people. He couldn’t have changed so much in such a short amount of time that the idea of going home to his cabin was starting to feel strange. He dismissed the idea that he wasn’t becoming a new person so much as going back to the person he’d been before the attack. He was a werewolf now, for fuck’s sake. He could never be that innocent human man again.
He turned the radio up, enjoying the station that Myra had selected. He appreciated that they were compatible outside of sex. Most of the hookups he’d had in the last ten years hadn’t been so complementary. His fault entirely; he hadn’t been interested in forming real relationships, so hadn’t made any effort to make that connection with the women he was with. It wasn’t the first time he realized what a dick he’d been, but the idea made him more uncomfortable now than it had before.
But hell, it wasn’t as if he’d been interested in forming a real relationship with Myra, either. It had just happened.
He made it back to Mountain View in good time and accepted an invitation from a few of the young adults to go for a run. It wasn’t until he was on his way with them that he understood he’d been placed as the adult in charge. One of the mothers had asked if he’d mind going, since she had an errand she needed to run…and now here he was. Trusted by the pack to look after teenagers, and trusted by the kids to see to their safety. Both were somewhat daunting, now that he realized it.
He shook off the idea. They were on pack land and both groups knew that. His presence was merely a formality. Still. He pushed his human brain away and enjoyed the run, slowing down when some of the kids lingered, speeding up to give one a good race, then circling back to check on the group.
When the smallest started to slow, he encouraged them to stop in a nice, shady spot and they rested for a while before heading back. The return trip was lazier and he gave some playful attention to those he hadn’t spent time with on the first leg. When they neared the house, the oldest let out a little howl and someone opened the door to let them in. The kids rubbed past him, their offering of thanks, he guessed, and went to the living room to rest with their friend’s watching television. He went back to his clothes, changed to human and dressed.
When he accepted an offer to stay for dinner, he texted Hillary to let her know. She responded that she and Zach would come too, so he moved to join the kids watching a movie in the living room. Jason, one of the boys he’d run into in the woods previously, pulled him aside.
“Hey, I heard you were a comp science teacher. I’m working on a school project, and I’m stuck. Any chance you could take a look real quick?”
“Sure.”
They moved to a room that had several kids studying and found a corner where they could talk quietly without disturbing the others. It didn’t take long to see that Jason had a good grasp of what he was doing and just needed to be shown a couple of tweaks to be fully on the right path.
“Looks like you have a pretty good teacher,” he commented.
“Yeah, we like her. I could have talked to her about this on Monday, but I wanted to get more done.”
“Glad to help.”
“Hey, so, I heard you’re dating the National President.”
He raised his eyebrow at the boy, who flushed.
“I just, you know, some of my friends, especially the girls, were saying how there’s no point in dating someone who’s not your mate. And I, you know, think that’s bullshit. I mean, I like this girl at school and if we like hanging out together, why not? Right?”
“Right.”
Jason blinked at him, then grinned. “Right. Cool. Thanks, man.”
Most of the kids had left for their own homes by the time Hillary and Zach arrived, but he noted how they both spent some time with those that were still around, before moving on to the adults. The pack house was where a lot of the single wolves lived before setting up their own houses, so they were mostly young adults, though he spoke to a couple of random older wolves. He questioned one who told him she’d had her own house for years, but had received a good offer to sell it, so she was staying at the pack house until she found something she felt like moving into.
It was a bit of wolf society he found interesting and he talked to Hillary about it as they shared a beer before dinner.
“It’s great, right? The pack contributes some money, especially for food, since everyone is welcome to come and eat. We pay someone a salary to be in charge, make sure there’s always someone to cook, that sort of thing. And everyone in the pack always knows they can come here and someone will be around to talk, or run with, or eat with. Sometimes you just want to sit on the couch and watch TV but have someone else be in the room with you.”
He nodded and she cocked her head at him. “You aren’t nearly as hermity as you were made out to be,” she pointed out.
“Yeah, well. I was. I just don’t seem to be anymore.”
“I’m glad. We all need people.”
“Don’t you ever want private time, though?”
“Sure. Zach and I haven’t been together long, but I know that if I asked, say, Molly and Travis, since they’re firsts, to cover us for a weekend or whatever, they totally would. That’s why the hierarchy is so important. The whole pack knows they have several people to go to if they need something, it doesn’t all just fall on our shoulders.”
“Have I mentioned how glad I am that you’re happy?” he asked, slinging an arm around her shoulders as they followed the call in for dinner. There were enough of them, but not too many, that they were all eating at the massive table he’d been told she’d built for Zach as a birthday present. He took a seat next to her and started filling his plate.
“You have. And I must say that you seem better than when you first got here.”
“How did I seem when I first got here?”
“Tense. Unsure. Prepared to be angry.”
He couldn’t exactly find fault with that, so he just shrugged as they began to eat. She laughed and jostled his shoulder with hers and turned her attention to her own plate. Aaron and Tracy showed up with Alexis, who squirmed her way onto the seat between Hillary and him.