through the trees as a cold chill settled in my bones. My head still buzzed from the way Connell had pulled away from me, but if he’d recently broken up with someone, it made sense. Sure, I’d discovered the chink in his armor. But desperation and despair had ripped through me when he said the word “friend.” Was that how he saw me? The way he had touched me in his Audi said differently.
And I’d thrown myself at him like a wolf in heat. I sucked in a breath and couldn’t release it … Was it possible to suffocate from embarrassment?
After my one-year
rohang
, I would return to the pack, and time with humans wouldn’t be possible. So nothing could come from being with Connell. Shoving the thoughts away, I crept closer to the house, focusing on the present issue.
Whoever had driven the van here had taken the cubs. I was convinced. The white van, the tanning smells at the institute and zoo, a shack in the middle of the woods … They all pointed to someone’s guilt, someone who probably lived here.
The breeze grew colder, bringing with it the wet-fur scent of a wolf. I scanned the area. Several paces to my right, the animal stepped from amid the shadows and trees. A growl rumbled from its throat, wolf eyes glinting in the moonlight.
“Get away from this place, boy.” I released a deep snarl, rolling it through my throat to frighten him away. Most wolves didn’t travel alone. This fellow was a regular wolf, not a shifter like me, but I didn’t stand a chance of beating a pack of them back.
Another figure moved toward me—from the shadow of the house. I froze.
“I told you to stay in the car.” Connell stepped in between me and the wolf, his gun and attention aimed at the animal.
“Stop.” I pushed past Connell and approached the creature, stretching my hand out for him to smell my scent.
The wolf backed up, hair on his neck bristling, but he sniffed me. He released a guttural whine before turning and sprinting back into the woods.
“How did you do that?” Connell whispered, now standing alongside me, staring into the dark of the night.
“Sometimes kindness can be more effective than aggression.”
“Okay. Now please return to the car.” His tone lowered an octave. He was acting protective and all that, and it turned me on. Goddess, just the memory of our time in the car had my pulse charging. I craved Connell, and every molecule in my body insisted he was mine.
“I’m coming with you. I don’t care what you say.”
The night concealed his face, but from his clipped voice, I bet he frowned. “It’s dangerous. Please, Daci, go to the car. I can’t risk you getting hurt, not to mention this is my job.”
“Daci?”
He shrugged. “Sorry. Daciana.”
“No, I like Daci. Let’s find out what’s going on.” I brushed past him and approached the side of the house. A flicker of light bounced around inside the edges of the window farther ahead.
Footfalls closed in behind me.
Connell huffed and crept ahead of me, taking the lead; his posture curled forward, and he stayed close to the building.
The wind had become brisk and howled around the corners of the building and through the trees. Branches grated against each other, and dried leaves swirled in the air. Toward our side of the house, the grass reached my thighs. Vines were halfway up the walls. Stand long enough in the woods, and the plants and Mother Nature would take over. Mowing the lawn back at the pack house was my responsibility, and I loathed it. Hadn’t missed that task these past couple of months, and I bet Radu cursed me each time he cleared the land.
Thinking of the pack, I’d almost died when Connell had suggested we visit the park ranger in the middle of the night. Me showing up with a human policeman on my pack’s doorstep would not go down well with Sandulf.
Focus on the current problem.
Once we reached the window, Connell stopped in front of me and peered inside.
“What do you see?” I asked softly. When he
And I’d thrown myself at him like a wolf in heat. I sucked in a breath and couldn’t release it … Was it possible to suffocate from embarrassment?
After my one-year
rohang
, I would return to the pack, and time with humans wouldn’t be possible. So nothing could come from being with Connell. Shoving the thoughts away, I crept closer to the house, focusing on the present issue.
Whoever had driven the van here had taken the cubs. I was convinced. The white van, the tanning smells at the institute and zoo, a shack in the middle of the woods … They all pointed to someone’s guilt, someone who probably lived here.
The breeze grew colder, bringing with it the wet-fur scent of a wolf. I scanned the area. Several paces to my right, the animal stepped from amid the shadows and trees. A growl rumbled from its throat, wolf eyes glinting in the moonlight.
“Get away from this place, boy.” I released a deep snarl, rolling it through my throat to frighten him away. Most wolves didn’t travel alone. This fellow was a regular wolf, not a shifter like me, but I didn’t stand a chance of beating a pack of them back.
Another figure moved toward me—from the shadow of the house. I froze.
“I told you to stay in the car.” Connell stepped in between me and the wolf, his gun and attention aimed at the animal.
“Stop.” I pushed past Connell and approached the creature, stretching my hand out for him to smell my scent.
The wolf backed up, hair on his neck bristling, but he sniffed me. He released a guttural whine before turning and sprinting back into the woods.
“How did you do that?” Connell whispered, now standing alongside me, staring into the dark of the night.
“Sometimes kindness can be more effective than aggression.”
“Okay. Now please return to the car.” His tone lowered an octave. He was acting protective and all that, and it turned me on. Goddess, just the memory of our time in the car had my pulse charging. I craved Connell, and every molecule in my body insisted he was mine.
“I’m coming with you. I don’t care what you say.”
The night concealed his face, but from his clipped voice, I bet he frowned. “It’s dangerous. Please, Daci, go to the car. I can’t risk you getting hurt, not to mention this is my job.”
“Daci?”
He shrugged. “Sorry. Daciana.”
“No, I like Daci. Let’s find out what’s going on.” I brushed past him and approached the side of the house. A flicker of light bounced around inside the edges of the window farther ahead.
Footfalls closed in behind me.
Connell huffed and crept ahead of me, taking the lead; his posture curled forward, and he stayed close to the building.
The wind had become brisk and howled around the corners of the building and through the trees. Branches grated against each other, and dried leaves swirled in the air. Toward our side of the house, the grass reached my thighs. Vines were halfway up the walls. Stand long enough in the woods, and the plants and Mother Nature would take over. Mowing the lawn back at the pack house was my responsibility, and I loathed it. Hadn’t missed that task these past couple of months, and I bet Radu cursed me each time he cleared the land.
Thinking of the pack, I’d almost died when Connell had suggested we visit the park ranger in the middle of the night. Me showing up with a human policeman on my pack’s doorstep would not go down well with Sandulf.
Focus on the current problem.
Once we reached the window, Connell stopped in front of me and peered inside.
“What do you see?” I asked softly. When he
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