Read Online Wolf With Benefits by Heather Long - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Heather Long
Ads: Link
“I’m sorry about that…”
A pause, the silence so audible, she swallowed any further statement.
“Why are you sorry, Shiloh?” Mason’s tone gentled, erasing any tenseness in his words.
“I know why it happened. I’ve made the pack unhappy…created more problems for you.” Lame . She drank the coffee rather than say anything else. The old adage of it’s better to be thought an idiot than open your mouth and prove it chanted through her head.
“Well.” He seemed to be pondering her declaration. “You did those things, save for the last. No one creates problems for me, Shiloh. I ordered you and your cohorts home. You obeyed the order, the first of the five to do so.”
When he spoke that way, it was hard to remember he was only a few years ahead of her in school or married—mated—to one of her oldest friends. “Yes, sir.” Still, the sir fit.
“Shiloh, I called to make sure you were all right. The incident with your tires and Kirk’s windshield are unacceptable. The Hunters will locate the perpetrators, and they will be punished.”
She frowned. “I don’t think punishment is the answer. They are lashing out. Maybe repurposing their anger would be better.” Teaching moments were as important to wolves as they were to people, right?
“How would you suggest we repurpose the anger?” Of course he asked her. It was her idea, after all. One of these days, she’d learn to shut up.
Rubbing her eyes, she considered her answer. “I’d assign them the challenge of understanding. What drives people to make decisions? How can they build a bridge between what they know and what they want to understand? How can they improve the world around them versus what they perceive? Most crimes of vandalism are predicated by boredom, anger, revenge, defiance, and unfortunately, peer pressure. You could call them a cry for help.”
“Defiance is not so easily forgiven, Shiloh.”
“You forgave mine.” The argument slipped out before she could contain it.
“Did I?” A dangerously soft taunt.
Chewing her lower lip, she stared at the television. Shut up, Shi. “Oh, what the hell. I’m already in it up to my neck. Yes, Mason, you forgave my defiance. I worked in opposition to everything the packs say is law because it’s how it’s always been done. You ordered me home and, more importantly, you’ve allowed me to stay. So, yes, I think you forgave my defiance.”
“I appreciate your faith in me, Shiloh, but I didn’t perceive your actions as defiance against me or my orders. You had no standing orders not to assist the Lone Wolves or Luciana. You acted in what you felt were the best interests of all wolves and, while I still believe you are naïve about what it means in the long run, I do not doubt for an instant that your heart was and is in the right place. You wanted to help. You did not act to cause injury.”
“Okay, when you say it that way, what I did was a lot cooler than I thought.”
His sharp bark of laughter dragged a smile from her. “Don’t get cocky, kid. What you did was pretty stupid from a lot of angles. Just because I think your heart was in the right place doesn’t mean I don’t curse you for the headache it’s left me to deal with—”
The front door opened, admitting a grinning Matt. Cold air rushed in with him, but so did the smell of donuts. Warm donuts—as in freshly made—so her stomach let out a growl.
“I am sorry about the headache, really…” She sighed, even as she stared at the boxes in Matt’s hands. He bumped the door closed and carried the food over to her. “I stand by my earlier statement. I think repurposing would be better for everyone in the long run.”
“You okay, Shi? Someone giving you a hard time?” Matt’s instant scowl didn’t prepare her for how fast he tugged the phone from her. “Leave Shiloh alone. She’s pack, and she doesn’t need your crap. You have a problem, you can take it up with me.”
She froze. “Oh my God,
A pause, the silence so audible, she swallowed any further statement.
“Why are you sorry, Shiloh?” Mason’s tone gentled, erasing any tenseness in his words.
“I know why it happened. I’ve made the pack unhappy…created more problems for you.” Lame . She drank the coffee rather than say anything else. The old adage of it’s better to be thought an idiot than open your mouth and prove it chanted through her head.
“Well.” He seemed to be pondering her declaration. “You did those things, save for the last. No one creates problems for me, Shiloh. I ordered you and your cohorts home. You obeyed the order, the first of the five to do so.”
When he spoke that way, it was hard to remember he was only a few years ahead of her in school or married—mated—to one of her oldest friends. “Yes, sir.” Still, the sir fit.
“Shiloh, I called to make sure you were all right. The incident with your tires and Kirk’s windshield are unacceptable. The Hunters will locate the perpetrators, and they will be punished.”
She frowned. “I don’t think punishment is the answer. They are lashing out. Maybe repurposing their anger would be better.” Teaching moments were as important to wolves as they were to people, right?
“How would you suggest we repurpose the anger?” Of course he asked her. It was her idea, after all. One of these days, she’d learn to shut up.
Rubbing her eyes, she considered her answer. “I’d assign them the challenge of understanding. What drives people to make decisions? How can they build a bridge between what they know and what they want to understand? How can they improve the world around them versus what they perceive? Most crimes of vandalism are predicated by boredom, anger, revenge, defiance, and unfortunately, peer pressure. You could call them a cry for help.”
“Defiance is not so easily forgiven, Shiloh.”
“You forgave mine.” The argument slipped out before she could contain it.
“Did I?” A dangerously soft taunt.
Chewing her lower lip, she stared at the television. Shut up, Shi. “Oh, what the hell. I’m already in it up to my neck. Yes, Mason, you forgave my defiance. I worked in opposition to everything the packs say is law because it’s how it’s always been done. You ordered me home and, more importantly, you’ve allowed me to stay. So, yes, I think you forgave my defiance.”
“I appreciate your faith in me, Shiloh, but I didn’t perceive your actions as defiance against me or my orders. You had no standing orders not to assist the Lone Wolves or Luciana. You acted in what you felt were the best interests of all wolves and, while I still believe you are naïve about what it means in the long run, I do not doubt for an instant that your heart was and is in the right place. You wanted to help. You did not act to cause injury.”
“Okay, when you say it that way, what I did was a lot cooler than I thought.”
His sharp bark of laughter dragged a smile from her. “Don’t get cocky, kid. What you did was pretty stupid from a lot of angles. Just because I think your heart was in the right place doesn’t mean I don’t curse you for the headache it’s left me to deal with—”
The front door opened, admitting a grinning Matt. Cold air rushed in with him, but so did the smell of donuts. Warm donuts—as in freshly made—so her stomach let out a growl.
“I am sorry about the headache, really…” She sighed, even as she stared at the boxes in Matt’s hands. He bumped the door closed and carried the food over to her. “I stand by my earlier statement. I think repurposing would be better for everyone in the long run.”
“You okay, Shi? Someone giving you a hard time?” Matt’s instant scowl didn’t prepare her for how fast he tugged the phone from her. “Leave Shiloh alone. She’s pack, and she doesn’t need your crap. You have a problem, you can take it up with me.”
She froze. “Oh my God,
Similar Books
