The rest of the pack is waiting beside the creek, including my family. I thought my dad would try to gut Aren, but he sticks beside my mom and Carlie and seems content to curl his lip at Aren. When my dad snarls at Aren, my mom growls at him.
Which is… interesting.
When a small gray wolf bumps into me, distracting me, I let Leo’s excitement trigger my own, because it’s my first run too, and I’m determined to enjoy it.
14
AREN
Kat is laughing with Troy as the sun sets in the distance, and it’s taking everything I have not to pass my beer off to Emilio, walk over there, and gut him.
Kat is beautiful, and Troy is…
My eyes narrow. Not as ugly as I want him to be.
She’s enjoying herself at the BBQ after our run, and I don’t want to spoil her mood and chase her away.
Everyone is having a good time, spread out across the grassy clearing outside our home. Someone had the bright idea of bringing out a Bluetooth speaker and setting up a playlist to play off their phone. It’s been a mix of jazz, pop, and soft rock. Easy music to listen to.
Two large wooden tables are laden with salads, burger sides, and drinks. Most of the pack sit on the grass, while the older members prefer the foldable wooden chairs they brought out from the bunkhouse. The savory smell of roasting meat wafts from the grill. We’ll be eating pretty soon.
It’s a mild evening, perfect for a meal outdoors. Or it would be perfect if Troy were nowhere near my mate.
“The run was a good call,” Emilio says. “Everyone was wound up way too tight.”
Has Troy moved an inch closer to Kat, or is it just in my head?
“Hmmm.” I lift my bottle to my lips, trying to work out the distance between them.
When was the last time Troy laughed at a woman that long? He’s a good enforcer, but maybe I can do with five instead of six?
My wolf has no problem with our gutting him. He’s eager to show Troy that Kat belongs to us. That's the only reason I’m still here with Emilio and not currently pushing Troy into the creek.
Possessiveness is in my wolf’s nature. As Alpha, leader of the pack, I have to control myself.
And I’m going to have to get used to Kat talking to other guys. She’s Luna now. The female head of the pack. Or she will be when I bite her and fully claim her as my mate. As much as I want to kill every man who goes near her, I can’t.
“It gets easier,” Emilio says, amused.
I drag my eyes from Kat. “Huh?”
“The need to kill anyone who goes near your girl,” Emilio explains.
Joy is with another group, building herself a burger.
Emilio smiles at her as I lift my beer to my mouth.
“How long did it take you?” I ask.
“About a year,” he admits, “then I stopped viewing any guy who came near her as a threat.”
My eyes return to Kat. After the run, everyone went inside to dress, and the pack members who work in the kitchens started bringing out the food they’d prepared before the run.
Kat is wearing a blue sundress that skims her knees. Her hair is down, and she has a glossy lipstick that smells like strawberries; I want to taste it. I don’t know where the dresscame from, but she looks beautiful in it. Out of it too, but I try not to have thoughts like that when people are around.
I pulled on a pair of jeans and a wrinkled T-shirt, not bothering with shoes. Now I wonder if I shouldn’t have made more of an effort for Kat. It doesn’t help that her dad keeps glaring at me, and Carlie, Kat’s sister is back to flipping her dagger between her fingers, all while staring at me. I don’t know what I’ve done to her, but I have a feeling I know exactly where she wants to stick that dagger.
In me.
