Page 100 of Big Bad Wolf

She flinched at his clipped answer, and he softened his tone.

“Not back, just here to talk to Knox. It’s important.”

She studied him a moment longer before nodding once and gesturing for him to follow. She spoke over her shoulder as they followed her through the camp and the whispering groups of wolves.

“Knox will be surprised to see you.”

An understatement, but his stepmother was always one to downplay whatever issues her Alpha’s sons were having.

“He’s been busy since your father died. He has big plans for the pack.”

“I’m sure he does,” Rafe muttered.

Nell turned sharply to face him. “Your brother is the Alpha, Rafe. If you’ve come to challenge that, you should leave right now.”

Rafe ground his back teeth.

“He’s here on my behalf, not his own.”

Nell’s eyes snapped to Ruby. “Oh?”

Ruby rolled her shoulders back and faced the female werewolf. “Rafe is only here to help me and my sister. I was attacked by a wolf.”

“Not one of ours.” Nell’s response was defensive.

“No. But we hope Knox might have some answers.”

Nell studied them both, her earlier smiles gone. It had always been this way with his adoptive mother. The pack came above all else. Even her sons.

“Please. We just want to talk to him.” Ruby’s voice was steady even as Rafe could smell the fear vibrating beneath her skin. He wanted to grab her and run. Far away from here.

They stopped in front of a big green army tent in the center of the camp. Tarps were hung over the outdoor kitchen space, and various mismatched chairs were gathered around the fire pit. The pack lived most of the year out here until the weather turned too cold. Then they moved into the trailers, or some left to rent places in town for the winter. They were squatters at best, drifters at worst.

Rafe’s cabin was a luxury compared to this. Whatever Knox’s big plans were, they didn’t seem to include housing upgrades, at least not yet. Not that he could do much if the pack didn’t own the land they lived on. But Rafe wasn’t here about any of that.

Nell waved a hand toward the chairs. “Knox is out hunting, but you’re welcome to stay and wait.” Her expression softened, and she laid a hand on Rafe’s arm. “I am happy to see you.”

“Me too.”

She raised up on her toes to give him another quick hug. “Be careful with that human,” she whispered.

Rafe’s heart stopped and stuttered frantically back to life.

Nell gave him a knowing smile as she pulled away. “Good luck, Rafe. Don’t stay away so long next time.”

He stared at her as she walked away, leaving him and Ruby alone at Knox’s campsite. Or as alone as they could be with wolves and people still wandering past to get a look at the former Alpha’s disgraced son.

“Well,” Ruby breathed. “That was … a lot.”

Rafe laughed despite the emotions roiling in his gut. “Sorry. I should have prepared you better. They can be very intense.”

“Which is surprising since you are so laid back,” she quipped, sinking into the closest chair.

He shook his head, wanting to scoop her up and hold her close, wanting to return to this morning when he had held her in his arms. But not here. Not with everyone watching them.

“Are you okay?” she asked, her gaze following him as he paced in front of her.

“Fine.”