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I felt the urge to cup her cheek, so I did. “We need you, Raven. Your pack needs you, whether you realize it or not. Give it one more try, for us. One last shot at beating out your wolf so that you can learn our customs and how we operate.”
“You guys are damn near feral, you know that?”
I stroked her cheek with my thumb. “Only during full moons. It’s hard on all of us. Even your father struggled with it sometimes.”
“And what if I struggle with it all the time?”
I shrugged. “Practice makes perfect, right?”
She leaned against my palm a bit. “I’m so tired.”
“Which is why I’m going to take you home so you can rest.”
“That house isn’t my home, Levi.”
“It will be if you choose to stay.”
She sighed as she closed her eyes. “I’m so hungry.”
I scooped her into my arms as I stood. “Then, I’ll whip you something up once we get back to your place.”
She leaned her head against my shoulder. “How do you do it, Levi?”
I knew exactly what she was asking, and to be honest I didn’t have all the answers. I had what worked for me, but what helped to keep my wolf at bay wouldn’t necessarily help her.
“Well,” I said as I started carrying her back into the woods, “there’s a lot of arguing in my head that happens.”
“With your wolf?”
“With myself, mostly.”
“Oh,” she said softly.
Leaves crunched beneath my feet. “What works for me may not work for you. I can tell you that I have a very strict morning routine that helps keep my wolf at bay. I eat a very strict diet that fulfills both me and my wolf. I can also tell you that frequent runs help keep my wolf’s anger in check, but that won’t necessarily help you until you can gain control over your wolf in the first place.”
“Great,” she murmured.
I cradled her close. “Learning those kinds of coping mechanisms takes time. You have to learn yourself. Learn your wolf. Which means you have to give yourself the ability to fuck up.”
“I seem to have that going for me, at least.”
I growled. “I won’t have you talking about yourself like that. You’re starting at a great disadvantage trying to solve a problem you’re not even sure you’re sticking around to work out. But, even if you go back to California, you still need to know how to be in charge of your wolf.”
“I know,” she whispered.
I pressed a chaste kiss to the top of her head. “Now, come on. Let’s get you back to the house so that you can rest.”
She snickered. “You gonna tell me that’s something my wolf needs?”
He chuckled. “Wolves need more rest than most, yes. So, the more you get, the better start to your day you’re going to have.”
“Any chance I can get my hands on those eating habits of yours?”
A smirk crawled across my face. “I’ll do you one better. I’ll bring you breakfast in bed once you wake up.”
And when she didn’t fight back, I pulled my shoulders taut with pride and held my head high.
Setting my sights on her childhood home as I concocted a recipe for a nice breakfast in my mind.
