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“A wolf?”
“Yes.” He kneeled on the grass at my feet. The raw honesty in his eyes, the silent pleading that I accept him, tore open my mind. I gripped onto his arms, closing my eyes, hoping to wake up from a dream. But nope. Still here.
His expression filled with concern. “Are you okay?”
“A wolf?” I croaked.
He half-smiled. “You followed the stories, right?”
I nodded, unable to find the words.
“Then let that part of you believe it.”
“A wolf?” I tried again.
He sat next to me, sitting astride the bench next to the table. He rubbed my back, taking my hand. I tried to piece it together, but my head hurt. It wasn’t real. Itcouldn’tbe.
But then I thought of the wolves he’d carved, what I’d seen when I’d sketched him. My inner self had known all along, and I’d witnessed him change with my own eyes.
Hadn’t I always sensed more than what the world taught? Didn’t my art flow through me like magic? Transporting me to another place and spilling my findings onto a blank canvas?
Eventually, my regular breathing returned.
A wolf. A man who turned into a wolf. It was a phenomenon. And I understood why he was so protective of his town and his people. Why he kept it off the map and hid it. And Grace. Was she a wolf? The boy who worked in her garage, Luke? Was he one?
Excitement clashed with the nerves in my stomach. And the deeper part of me, the part that felt, not thought, beamed with pleasure.
“I’m good,” I told him, swallowing hard, able to accept it. “I understand.”
My sudden change in reaction surprised him. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I nodded. “Yes. I am. Sorry for freaking out. But I expected you to make a complete ass of yourself. Not turn into a mythical animal.”
“They’re only mythical because of how the world is today. It pays for us and other creatures to stay hidden.”
“There are other creatures out there?” I gasped.
“So we believe. But they, like us, keep hidden, so we only hear rumors.” He rubbed my back again. “You’re certain you’re okay with all this?”
“I am now.” I laughed, disbelievingly. “A wolf?”
“You say that one more time, and I’m going to suggest a game of shots.”
“You just want to get me drunk so I’ll sleep with you again.”
“I don’t need to get you drunk to do that.” He leaned close, nuzzling my neck.
“Now I get why you’re an arrogant ass,” I breathed from his touch. “You’re the alpha of your pack, aren’t you?”
He chuckled against my skin. “You could say that. But you’re the kind of woman who strikes me as not settling for any less.”
“Yeah. I can handle an alpha wolf.”
“Is that right?”
“I found you, didn’t I?”
He lifted his head, his eyes drawing me in. “Yes. You did.”
