I think I just made my first true friend in Pine Falls.
Thad gestures back the way I fled, and I fall in step beside him while keeping my body angled slightly in his direction so he can see my hands. As we walk back to Main Street, the two of us make small talk as best we can. The man is kind enough to use his voice because my understanding is still slow, but words reform in my memory with every sentence he signs. Thad, unlike the other werewolves I’ve met, is exceedingly patient.
I tell him how I work at the Pine Falls Public Library, and he promises to visit me.
He explains he joined the pack a year ago, which means he left Bear Valley long before I did.
“Do you know Roderick?”
His question throws me off, and I glance across the street to where Thad is pointing.
My feet slow as I take in the sight.
Dismounting from a heavy black motorcycle is a mountain of a man. He has the appearance of a bar bouncer, with intimidating muscles, a shaved head, and an aura of strength.
That’s right. An aura. He practically glows with power.
Okay, he’s not a night-light, so there’s no actual glow. But after spending so much time around mythical creatures, I’ve started to recognize the subtle differences between them and plain old humans.
Which is why I suspect this guy, Roderick, is a pack member.
Another werewolf? Great. Couldn’t I just deal with one supernatural being a day?
My luck has to have run out by this point. I can’t be fortunate enough to run across two decent wolves. I know that Cory said the Pine Falls pack was soft, but my guess is that merely meant they weren’t as bloodthirsty as my ex was. Like they only get into bar fights every other week instead of every night.
Realizing that I haven’t responded to Thad, I shake my head. He offers an encouraging smile and waves for me to follow him across the street.
Damn it. Guess I didn’t make clear that part of me hiding means I’d rather not associate with more werewolves.
Briefly, I consider fleeing again, but Thad is carrying my groceries, and I keep my wits enough to realize that running away from a stranger would set off all kinds of alarm bells. I’m trying to pass as a completely normal, nothing-special-about-me, small-mountain-town resident.
Which, honestly, is the truth. I’m a pretty boring person, all things considered. I like books, paper crafts, the occasional outdoor activity, and keeping to myself.
The only exciting thing about me is that I’m hiding from an abusive werewolf ex-boyfriend.
But that’s not Juliet Adair,I silently remind myself.Juliet Adair has no evil exes.
Maybe Juliet Adair has no exes at all. Maybe she never figured dating out, so she hasn’t bothered with it. Maybe she’s only seen a penis on ethical porn websites and has only ever given herself orgasms.
Also, let’s stop thinking about orgasms as I look at the intimidatingly large—fine, I guess he’s handsome—almost definitely a wolf who Thad wants me to meet.
Doing my best to fully slip into my new identity, I follow after Thad, easily crossing the road that has a grand total of zero traffic. Unfortunately, my new friend almost immediately starts signing to his buddy, which means I can’t subtly ask Thad not to mention that I know werewolves exist.
Although, from what I can pick up from his hand movements, there’s no mention of wolves or pack. What I get is:
“Juliet … librarian … new … meet … ASL … me.”Thad motions me forward.
“Hello,” I say and gesture at the same time.
As I greet him, I look up. And up. And up.
Until I finally find myself staring into a set of hard eyes.
Solid.
Unforgiving.
This guy Roderick has a gaze of a sheer rock face that would terrify even a seasoned climber.
