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Scott looks startled at being offered a handshake by the alpha, and I watch as he hesitantly takes it. It makes me wonder just how different it must have been in his pack if he’s not used to being treated like this. That flicker of uncertainty only lasts a second, but I noticed it—and I know the others did too—although no one says anything about it.
“The council and I were already on bad terms,” Scott replies easily with a shrug, like none of this bothers him. “Lone wolves aren’t exactly looked upon favourably.”
Frowning at his comment, I mull over what he said. He might not be bothered about the council treating lone wolves poorly, but since I’ve met him, I’m beginning to wonder how accurate everything we’ve been taught about lone wolves being rabid is. Even if it is all true, Scott follows the rules and answers the council’s call, so why continue to treat him with contempt?
“So you’re the handsome wolf who helped save my girl.” Selina chuckles as she pushes her way forward, taking his hand in hers.
I can’t help but laugh at her cheek despite the blush deepening on my face by the second. Pushing my worries aside, I decide not to let the council darken my day. I have to return to the compound tonight, and the next trial begins tomorrow, so I’m going to make the most of this time we have together.
The corner of Scott’s mouth pulls up, and something sparkles in his eyes as he brings Selina’s hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on the back of her knuckles. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
“Ma’am!” she crows, mischief dancing in her expression. Turning to me, she lowers her voice conspiratorially. “I like this one, he can stay.”
* * *
Strolling towards the champions’ compound, Scott and I walk in companionable silence.
It was a great afternoon. Our whole group had gone into the forest behind the hotel and had a picnic, just enjoying spending time together. I’d been a bit worried how Scott would feel being surrounded by my pack, and if it would make him uncomfortable or feel like I was rubbing it in his face, but it seemed to be the opposite. Selina and some of the older females really took to him and spent much of their time flirting with him. Occasionally, his eyes would flash up to meet mine, and I’d see a genuine smile on his lips.
Leaving them had been hard, but my spirits feel lifted despite the fact that there’s another trial tomorrow. I’ve never been away from my pack for so long, and although it’s showing me just how much I’m capable of on my own, I won’t deny that I miss them.
“It’s nice to see how close you are with your pack,” Scott muses quietly from my side, our steps slow and measured, drawing out our freedom for as long as possible. “Selina kept calling you her girl, but she’s not your mum, right?”
That makes me laugh. Selina is almost double my father’s age, but I admire the fact that he doesn’t call her out on it. I tilt my head back to watch the setting sun. I can feel the moon waiting for her turn to shine, and it won’t be long until her brighter sister dips below the horizon.
“Selina is an old family friend, but she’s more like my surrogate grandmother.”
I feel him watching me as I speak, taking in my soft, fond smile with curiosity. However, I keep my eyes on the stunning pinks and oranges in the sky.
“I was abandoned as a baby, and my father found me and took me in, but really, the whole pack adopted me and became my family.” There’s no sadness in my explanation, just fondness for my pack. I never knew my birth mother, so it’s impossible for me to miss her, especially when I had such a great childhood with my adoptive parents.
Scott falls quiet, and when I look over at him, I find him deep in concentration, staring at the pavement as we walk. I want to ask what’s wrong and what he’s thinking to cause such a look on his face, but I hold my tongue. He’ll speak when he’s ready.
I’m not kept waiting long.
“My mother died when I was young,” he begins, lost to his memory. “My father has always been a cold, strict male, so when everything happened with my lover, he told me I deserved my fate for being so stupid.” Snorting, he shakes his head, still staring ahead. “When I left, I didn’t look back. There was nothing left for me at the pack, and I knew he wouldn’t miss me. The ironic thing is, my father was right.”
Stopping, I reach out and grab his arm, pulling him to a halt. He almost stumbles at the suddenness of it, but he catches himself at the last moment, on alert and looking around as he assumes I spotted a threat. Unable to see anything, he finally looks at me, and whatever is written on my face surprises him, causing him to take a small step back.
“No, he wasn’t,” I insist, stepping forward and closing the space between us, not letting him run away from this. “You were put in an awful situation, and you answered the best way you could at the time. It’s not your fault that your lover decided to betray you.”
I can tell by his tense muscles and the tick by his eye that he wants to keep backing away and avoid this conversation. However, he seems to force himself to hold his ground, correctly realising that I’m just going to keep following him. I don’t know why his comment made me so angry, and I’m not even mad at him really, but the situation as a whole. I really fucking hope that his father isn’t here, and if he is, that he stays well out of my way.
Finally, after staring at me for a moment, he blows out a long breath and all the tension seems to drain from him. “You’re far too gracious, Laelia.”
“And you’re too hard on yourself.”
Realising that he’s not going to win this argument with me, he rolls his eyes and gestures for me to take a left.
“Where are we going anyway?” I finally ask. I thought we were going back to the compound, but he’s now leading me in a different direction. Despite this, I follow him anyway, trusting him.
However, as soon as we round the corner and I see what’s waiting for us, I regret my decision. I back up, but I’m abruptly brought to a stop as I slam into his chest. Chuckling, he places his hands on my shoulders, squeezes them reassuringly, and steps around me.
“I thought we’d take a ride on my bike.”
His bike. Hismotorbike. A death machine on wheels, as my father would call it. A tingle goes down my spine, and my palms begin to sweat.
“You want me to get on that thing?” My voice is tight. “You know werewolves have four legs for a reason, right? It’s so we can run fast. We’re not supposed to be on wheels.”
