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He was sweet, though, even if he was annoying.
I googled “ice cream,” and then started walking toward the nearest place. It was two miles, which sucked, but I was used to walking all over campus so it wasn’t a huge deal.
They opened a few minutes before I got there, so the place was still empty when I stepped inside. The door jingled though, so I figured someone would be out soon.
Sure enough, a middle-aged man stepped out of a back room.
His gaze flicked over me, and lingered on Rocky. “Mate hunt?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but Rocky bobbed his head in a yes before I could.
“What pack?” The man finally looked at me.
“Uhh…” I trailed off, looking to Rocky.
He didn’t so much as glance at me, just watching the other man closely.
“Who are the alpha and beta?” the middle-aged guy prodded.
Guess that was how packs were identified.
“Oh. Elliot, and…” I mentally ran over what I’d been told. “Ford, I think?”
Rocky nodded again.
Understanding crossed the man’s face. “The last Hughes boy is in that pack.”
“I don’t know any of their last names,” I admitted.
“He’s blond, spiky hair, teaches at the high school…”
Oh.
“Yeah, that’s probably Rocco. He’s right here.” I awkwardly patted the wolf’s head. Ryder really wasn’t wrong about everyone thinking he was dead. But why did they? What had happened?
His expression grew grave. “Don’t allow your wolf to reject him. His parents can’t take the loss of another child.”
Shock had my eyebrows raising. “I wasn’t really planning on it, but thanks.” Fighting the urge to fold my arms and get defensive, I asked, “Are you looking to hire anyone?”
He glanced back at Rocco. “Sorry, no one in town will hire a woman who’s being hunted. It inevitably leads to someone getting attacked for looking at her too long.”
I grimaced. “Thanks anyway, I guess.”
Turning, I stepped out of the shop. After that conversation, I wasn’t really in the mood for ice cream anymore. The mood would doubtlessly return, and probably soon, though.
I walked to the next ice cream shop, and got the same answer. Then I walked to another place, and another, and another. I started going into every store, every place I could find, and kept getting more and more of the same. Condolences for Rocco’s loss, apologies that they didn’t hire women who were being hunted by their mate, and warnings not to reject Rocco.
I wasn’t sure which answer I hated the most.
By the timeI stepped into the thirtieth storefront, I felt ready to rip my hair out—and ready to accept defeat. I could learn how to drive Rocco’s truck that night and drive into the nearest town, but what job could I possibly get? There wasn’t any employer who would be happy with a grumpy, possessive wolf constantly at my side.
Even if I tried to pass him off as a dog, what excuse could I possibly come up with? I wasn’t going to lie about the emotional support animal thing, like Tea had, and it wasn’t like people normally refused to be separated from their dogs.
The last store was some kind of home improvement place. For the most part, all I could see was paint, tile, and carpet samples.
“Welcome,” a friendly woman greeted me with a small, pinched smile.
Her gaze moved over me, then landed on the wolf at my side.
