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He reached up to touch the tip. “Why are your ears like this?”
“Because I’m a shifter.”
“I’ve never seen ears like this on any shifter,” he said. “But they’re really cute.”
“I thought we were all the same.” Her confusion was genuine. “Everyone in my pack has ears like mine.”
“Where is your pack located?”
“Um, I’d rather not say.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t want you to send me back.”
The words broke his heart a little. “You won’t get sent back to a place you don’t want to be. I can take you to my alpha and you can ask for asylum.”
Hope flared in the dark depths of her eyes. “Yes, please. Am I in Sheridan? I thought I was getting close.”
“Yes, you are.”
Excitement made her ears twitch. “I’m here looking for a woman named Esmeralda.”
“The owner of the diner?”
A blank look came over her face. “I guess. I came here so she could help me find…” She suddenly clamped her lips shut.
“Find?”
“Someone. I was told Esmeralda would know where I could find her.”
That was all sort of cryptic and confusing. He decided to move past that for now. She had secrets and he respected that, even though he didn’t like it.
“All right. Well, we don’t have rules like what you mentioned. The people in my pack shift whenever they want, as long as it’s not in front of humans.”
She bit her lip, clearly not sure what to do.
“Listen,” he said. “With your permission, Ican carry you back. I’d like our healer to check your ankle out. That way you can wait to shift until you become a member of the Sheridan Pack.”
“Thank you,” she said demurely. “I hope I don’t hurt you.”
“Pfft,” he sniffed. “You’re, like, what, a hundred pounds soaking wet?”
Heat bloomed in her cheeks. “Okay, but put me down if I’m too heavy.”
He bent and scooped her up, and she threw her arms around his neck to help steady herself. Her dark eyes were framed by thick lashes. He fought taking a deep whiff of her intoxicating scent because he didn’t think that would go over too well, but man, it was tough.
“You’re in luck,” he said as he headed back to his truck. “Jericho’s construction company just finished a new development for townhomes and single-family houses. I’m sure Payton can find you the perfect one.”
“I don’t need anything,” she said softly. “I don’t want to be a burden.”
“You’re not a burden.”
“I-I can work,” she said.
“Well, let’s get you well first. Then we can think about what your dream job is.”
He made it out of the forest and hiked the small path to his truck. Once there, he gently placed her down and instructed her to hold onto the side of his truck while he unlocked. Then he opened the door and helped her into the passenger seat. After shutting it, he hurried around to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel. Before he started the engine, he picked up his CB radio.
