“Who both have managed to stay alive without wolves up to this point.”
“Yes, but then you didn’t have wolves in your lives. Now you—”
“So if there hadn’t been wolves in the world, we’d have been perfectly safe.”
Konrad pressed his lips together and stared at him. “That’s beside the point.”
“No, it is the point. If we got rid of all fucking wolves, everyone could live calm, peaceful lives.”
Konrad’s eyes narrowed. “But you wouldn’t have a mate.”
“I don’t have a mate.”
“I’m your mate!” His voice grew growlier, and Dahy leaned back on his chair to create as much distance between them as he could. He refused to show fear, but it sizzled through him. He was alone with a wolf in a cabin. It would be hard to escape. He could shift, but unlike when he’d tricked Farris, he didn’t have any perfume to help mask his scent.
“Don’t look at me like that, Dahy. You’re mine, and I will never hurt you.” But his eyes had turned wolf. A heavy silence descended over the table, and Dahy had a hard time getting his body to take a breath.
“Dahy.” Konrad reached over the table. “Babe, I promise—”
“No pet names.”
A smile tugged at the corner of Konrad’s mouth. “No pet names, but hon…” He winked. “I’m yours, and the thought of you being in danger drives me fucking crazy. Do you understand? I know you’ve managed on your own, I know you’re capable, but please, let me…protect you.”
“If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have needed to be protected.”
“That’s not entirely true.”
No, it wasn’t. But if it hadn’t been for wolves and other predators, squirrels would’ve lived serene lives.
“Call Myka. She wants to know when you and Jyran will be meeting up. Whoever will be there will be as invisible as possible. I’m not trying to take your friends or family from you, I’m not trying to isolate you or keep you in a cage, I only want you to be safe.”
Family. Dahy had family here. Squirrel cousin. He softened a little and took a bite of the food. It was good.
* * * *
Konrad got in the car. Dahy had handed him the book right before he left and told him it wasn’t good anyway. It had to be a mistake. He couldn’t see Farris reading those kinds of books, but it mattered little.
On the way over to Farris’, he went through what they knew about what was going on in Ordbury, the bear, and the wolves coming to town, and realized they didn’t know shit. Everything was speculation, and maybe he was reading too much into a few strangers being spotted. Or scented. They didn’t know what the bear looked like. Or Farris might, but neither he nor Roan had a clue.
He’d allowed himself to get swept up in Roan’s worry, and it hadn’t gotten any better when he’d seen Gideon’s reaction to Jyran meeting up with Dahy somewhere other than at The Howling Moon.
Was he overreacting? People traveled. Myka seeing someone scary at Mildred’s didn’t mean it was a shifter, and it didn’t mean it had anything to do with them.
He heaved a sigh as he parked in front of Farris’ cabin and stepped out of the car. Lights were on, so he assumed he’d made it back okay. As he walked up the steps, the door opened, and Farris nodded a greeting.
“All good?” Konrad took off his shoes and walked into the living room.
“Yeah, he slipped into the elevator, and I didn’t see him again. I waited for half an hour.”
Konrad held out the book to him. “Dahy says it’s yours.”
Farris stared at it. “It’s not mine. I don’t have books like that.”
“It’s what I told him, but he insisted.” Konrad glanced at the book spines surrounding him. Farris had a lot of books, but they all looked to be non-fiction. Farris made no motion to accept the book, and Konrad lowered his arm.
“It’s not mine.” Farris took a small step back as if to protect himself from the book.
“Right, well, it’s yours now. Dahy doesn’t want it.” He took a step toward the bookshelf, and Farris made a strangled sound. Konrad frowned at him at the same time as he pulled a book from the shelf. When there was a thud on the floor he looked down. A bag of cashews.
