As their scents indicated, Juliet and Zoey are here together. The two women have set up a campsite, having some kind ofparty for themselves, drinking beer and singing a pop song off-key.
A dog spots Warner first, the big, furry brute approaching as if it already knows my brother. And from the way Warner greets the dog, I’m guessing it does.
“Who’s there? Show your face!” This command comes from Zoey. There’s a slurred edge to her words that convinces me she’s had more than one drink.
As Warner greets the women with his normal charm, I move as close as possible while still holding to the shadows, watching the scene unfold. Acting as spectator, I quickly pick up on the undertones of the conversation.
My brother is flirting with Zoey Gunner. And not how he normally does, where he’s friendly and goofy with everyone.
From the way Warner followed the woman’s trail in the woods, combined with the fascination he watches her with now, it’s clear this is different for him.
My brother likes the human woman. A lot.
This could be a problem.
Zoey is both outsider and not. The Gunners have lived in Pine Falls for generations. Minnie Gunner, Zoey’s grandmother, passed away a few months back. The woman was a recluse, and her relatives never visited, as far as I know. Which means Zoey Gunner never came to our town before a few weeks ago.
It’s hard to qualify where she stands in the makeup of Pine Falls. Where she belongs.
If she’ll be good for Warner or if she’ll hurt him.
And I need to take my brother into account. Tanya wasn’t lying to Juliet when she claimed that everyone liked Warner. And he, in turn, seems to like most everyone.
He’s rarely dated a woman more than a handful of times, and even then, it seemed like nothing more than a new pair of pants he was trying on.
But something, maybe his wolf communing with mine, hints this fascination he has with the Gunner woman could be more.
Another night, another setting, I might be able to concentrate. To come up with a way to approach this development. If only Juliet wasn’t standing on the other side of the campfire, adding comments to the conversation, swaying to some music only she can hear as she sips from her sweating can of Coors Light.
I bet if I kissed her, she’d taste like bonfire and cheap beer.
But I’m not going to kiss her because that would be ridiculous.
Kissing is good, my wolf insists.
“Why are you lurking, Roderick?” The sound of my name on her lips jolts me out of that train of thought. “You’re being creepy.”
She can see me?
I should be completely hidden by the shadows of the trees, but apparently, the librarian has sharper eyes than I thought. And now she thinks I’m creepy.
Well, that’s fine. Who cares? Juliet can think whatever the hell she wants about me, and it won’t matter at all.
Want her to like us, my wolf says.
Gods-damn it.
Zoey, now aware I’m here, appears only mildly interested in my presence, much more focused on my brother. She even intentionally falls into his arms, giggling and clearly drunk.
I want to hold our mate, my wolf whines.
She’s not ours.
Then the librarian speaks again, throwing another taunt my way. “Careful, Zoey. All that cutesy talk might scare these big, tough Dark Moon Riders. Roderick won’t even come out of the woods!”
A growl almost climbs out of my throat before I stifle the noise.
“Who’s Roderick?” Zoey asks.
