Read Online Fire Wolf: CINAED (New Scotia Pack Book 3) by Victoria Danann - Free Book Online

and was understandably terrified of them at the same time.
    Ken looked over at her. His admiration for her had grown immensely while they’d traveled together. She was efficient, agreeable, and never complained.
    “Saw who?” Brack said.
    “A mountain lion was keepin’ pace with us for the past couple of hours, just inside the tree line.”
    Brack looked angry. “And you’re just now mentioning this?”
    Taking Ken’s words out of his mouth, Loper said, “You have eyes and the same opportunity to use them as the rest of us.”
    “He’ll hesitate to approach with the fire going,” said Redruff.
    “Aye.” Ken nodded. “But two of us are goin’ to keep watch as long as he’s around. “Loper, you and Redruff shift. Wake me up in four hours or if ye hear anythin’ before then.”
    Brack huffed, shifted, and lay down on the other side of the fire with a rock wall at his back.
    Ken moved over and sat next to Star, who couldn’t have been more surprised. “I’m curious how ye came to be named as representative from New Elk Mountain.”
    “I volunteered.”
    When she offered nothing further, he said, “Is that all there was to it?”
    “No. My Uncle Windwalker vouched for me. I hunted with him a few times before we came here. He told Grey that I have a suitable temperament for exploring.”
    Ken was embarrassed when he heard his own choice of word thrown back at him. It had been hastily said without conviction. Now it was coming back to haunt him, as careless words often do.
    “I see. And what were ye hopin’ to get from the experience?”
    “Truthfully?” she asked.
    “Aye.”
    “Away from you, Cinaed.”
    He couldn’t have been more surprised. “I do no’ understand ye. We rarely saw one another before this venture.”
    She nodded. “You’re right. I meant to say away from thoughts of you.”
    He was secretly pleased at the revelation that she thought about him enough to want to escape her own mind.
    “Everyone calls me Ken.”
    “Everyone does not. I don’t.”
    “Why no’?”
    “My uncle told me your name means born of fire. That’s beautiful. Poetic. Why would you run from a name like that?”
    Ken looked puzzled. “I would no’ say I’m runnin’ from it. ‘Tis no’ unusual for people to shorten names. Likewise Starfire is beautiful. Poetic. If I called you Star, ‘twould no’ be because I do no’ think it so. ‘Twould be a show of affection.”
    “Brack calls you Ken. You think he’s being affectionate?”
    Ken laughed at her wit. “Ye have me there.”
    “Before I go to sleep, I just want to know one thing, since you seem talkative all of a sudden.”
    “What is it?”
    “Why do you dislike me so much?”
    Ken scowled. “What makes you think I dislike ye?”
    Star barked out a laugh. “Well, for one thing, you tried to reject me coming along as a team member. Called me unsuitable. Remember?”
    Ken hated that she’d gotten the impression he didn’t like her. His actions were motivated by the opposite emotion. He liked her too much. Far too much.
    “’ Twas no’ because I do no’ like ye.”
    “Oh? Well. For the past six months you’ve been doing a good job of conveying that idea.”
    “Well. That’s no’ it.”
    Star stood abruptly, said, “Whatever,” shifted into wolf form and padded over to the face of the rock wall where she curled into herself near Brack.
    Ken built up the fire before doing the same.
     
    Just before midnight Loper nudged him awake with his nose. Ken stood and stretched his back legs out straight behind him then, in turn, tried to nudge Brack awake. When Brack refused to get up for a turn at watch, Ken chomped down on the hindquarter nearest him. Brack let out a yeowl and shot straight up. He turned on Cinaed with a growl, but Ken quickly stopped the show of defiance with hair bristling, fangs bared, and eyes blazing. Brack immediately quieted and ducked his head.
    Redruff, who was rebuilding the fire in human form, laughed.