again.
“Maybe Alpha Kane is tired.” Willa offered by way of rescue once the table was cleared. “We should let him rest.” She turned to finally face him, glad that her exertion and the heat had suffused her cheeks and hid her discomfort. “You’re welcome to take a shower first. Cortez can show you where it is.” She plucked at her clingy T-shirt, longing to slink down to the lake for a cool dip.
“I don’t think I can rest just now.” He smiled, his eyes tracking Willa as she tore her eyes from his and paced to the furthest end of the table. “My wolf’s edgy. He needs…” He tilted his head as he studied Willa. “ Something .”
Keryn choked on her lemonade, and Cortez patted her on the back as he smiled at Barron and mumbled, “My wolf knows the feeling.”
Willa shot Cortez a scathing look as her cheeks—despite the heat—once again set to flaming.
“What?” Jase asked with a child’s curiosity. “What does your wolf need,” he prodded Barron, who had the decency to look repentant.
Keryn, who’d recovered from her coughing fit, was smiling knowingly at Willa.
Eyeing the girl, Willa shook her head once, all too familiar with the look Keryn got when she was up to something.
“Who wants to watch the footage from last year’s Iditarod?” Keryn asked excitedly, scooting back from the table.
Becca, who’d been slumping at the table, suddenly sat up straight. “Are you kidding?”
“No,” Keryn smiled. “I ordered the Blu-ray online. It got here today.”
The table was cleared in a second.
The kids loved the Iditarod. Most shifters did. Touted as a nine hundred and eighty-seven mile dog-sled race from Nome to Fairbanks, the event was held in Alaska each March. To shifters the event was much more than a dog-sled race. The fastest and strongest shifters throughout the world gathered to test their skill. Alphas were lead dogs, because they were the smartest. Beta’s took the swing position to help the Alpha set the pace, and were followed by the rest of their pack. Because of their strength, Enforcers typically took wheel-dog positions and familiars or humans who knew of shifters were always mushers. It kept the race fair to have a human musher; the race could be solely judged on the shifters doing all the work.
For years, Becca had begged Garner to take them to Alaska to compete. Willa knew it’d never happen. First, their pack was too small. At the very least, eleven dogs were needed and their pack was only eight. Plus, with four teenagers and one ailing Alpha, they’d have never been a match for the shifter world’s greatest runners. Still, as a pack they enjoyed watching the race every year when they could finally get their hands on some footage. The farm didn’t have cable, and there was no Wi-Fi. The kids were relegated to making trips to town to link up at the lone Computer Café where laptops were provided free for use as long as you ordered drinks from the café and kept your searches to the PG rating.
Alone in the kitchen, Willa quickly busied herself clearing everyone’s glasses. “I can show you to the shower if you’d like?”
“How about a walk?” He stood and crossed to her. Before she could think of an excuse Barron caught her wrist and was tugging her toward the door. He stopped just before exiting and barked, “Cortez!”
Cortez hurried into the room. “Yea, Alpha?”
“We’re going for a walk. Keep an eye on the pack.” Barron’s authority whipped through the room with the command. He wasn’t asking, he was telling Cortez to do a good job. The weight of his power licked over Willa, and her eyes closed briefly as she savored it. It was nice to have someone else in charge.
“Will do!” Cortez nodded with a look of seriousness that Willa had rarely seen.
Wordlessly, Barron tugged her out the door and into the bright summer light.
They walked in silence for a long
“Maybe Alpha Kane is tired.” Willa offered by way of rescue once the table was cleared. “We should let him rest.” She turned to finally face him, glad that her exertion and the heat had suffused her cheeks and hid her discomfort. “You’re welcome to take a shower first. Cortez can show you where it is.” She plucked at her clingy T-shirt, longing to slink down to the lake for a cool dip.
“I don’t think I can rest just now.” He smiled, his eyes tracking Willa as she tore her eyes from his and paced to the furthest end of the table. “My wolf’s edgy. He needs…” He tilted his head as he studied Willa. “ Something .”
Keryn choked on her lemonade, and Cortez patted her on the back as he smiled at Barron and mumbled, “My wolf knows the feeling.”
Willa shot Cortez a scathing look as her cheeks—despite the heat—once again set to flaming.
“What?” Jase asked with a child’s curiosity. “What does your wolf need,” he prodded Barron, who had the decency to look repentant.
Keryn, who’d recovered from her coughing fit, was smiling knowingly at Willa.
Eyeing the girl, Willa shook her head once, all too familiar with the look Keryn got when she was up to something.
“Who wants to watch the footage from last year’s Iditarod?” Keryn asked excitedly, scooting back from the table.
Becca, who’d been slumping at the table, suddenly sat up straight. “Are you kidding?”
“No,” Keryn smiled. “I ordered the Blu-ray online. It got here today.”
The table was cleared in a second.
The kids loved the Iditarod. Most shifters did. Touted as a nine hundred and eighty-seven mile dog-sled race from Nome to Fairbanks, the event was held in Alaska each March. To shifters the event was much more than a dog-sled race. The fastest and strongest shifters throughout the world gathered to test their skill. Alphas were lead dogs, because they were the smartest. Beta’s took the swing position to help the Alpha set the pace, and were followed by the rest of their pack. Because of their strength, Enforcers typically took wheel-dog positions and familiars or humans who knew of shifters were always mushers. It kept the race fair to have a human musher; the race could be solely judged on the shifters doing all the work.
For years, Becca had begged Garner to take them to Alaska to compete. Willa knew it’d never happen. First, their pack was too small. At the very least, eleven dogs were needed and their pack was only eight. Plus, with four teenagers and one ailing Alpha, they’d have never been a match for the shifter world’s greatest runners. Still, as a pack they enjoyed watching the race every year when they could finally get their hands on some footage. The farm didn’t have cable, and there was no Wi-Fi. The kids were relegated to making trips to town to link up at the lone Computer Café where laptops were provided free for use as long as you ordered drinks from the café and kept your searches to the PG rating.
Alone in the kitchen, Willa quickly busied herself clearing everyone’s glasses. “I can show you to the shower if you’d like?”
“How about a walk?” He stood and crossed to her. Before she could think of an excuse Barron caught her wrist and was tugging her toward the door. He stopped just before exiting and barked, “Cortez!”
Cortez hurried into the room. “Yea, Alpha?”
“We’re going for a walk. Keep an eye on the pack.” Barron’s authority whipped through the room with the command. He wasn’t asking, he was telling Cortez to do a good job. The weight of his power licked over Willa, and her eyes closed briefly as she savored it. It was nice to have someone else in charge.
“Will do!” Cortez nodded with a look of seriousness that Willa had rarely seen.
Wordlessly, Barron tugged her out the door and into the bright summer light.
They walked in silence for a long
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