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“My pack’s feral,” I say at last. “My mom smuggled me out because she thought I was going to be killed otherwise. Or suffer a fate worse than death. But it was dangerous for her, too—” I take a deep, calming breath. This I can tell him. “And as she was leaving me, she told me she’s not even my mom.”
He goes very still. Then his thick eyebrows draw together. “Did she explain how she wound up raising you?”
“Nope.”
“I’m so sorry, girl.”
When I dare drop my other hand from my face and look at him, the pain in his eyes seems to mirror my own.
“I’m not surprised you tried to turn yourself into a river rat,” he says.
I gulp out a laugh, and suddenly, we’re both laughing easily. Two pairs of eyes fixed on each other’s, like there’s an energy force connecting us.
“You gonna tell me your name?” he says softly, when our laughter falls away. I freak out a little when I realize he’s still holding my hand, but I don’t want to make a big deal of it by pulling away. Besides, it feels too nice. I can’t help imagining how those rough hands of his would feel caressing me all over. Heat sweeps through me, leaving yearning in its wake.
“I don’t really have a last name,” I say. Only my pack name, which didn’t officially belong to me, since I was a halfling. “My first name is Vanessa. I always hated it though.”
He shrugs. “So, change it.” He looks right into my eyes. His gaze is direct and pure. My river god who dragged me out of the depths.
Reborn.
The word shudders on the air.
“My mom called me Vani—” I break off, remembering my childhood fantasies, when I used to dream of having a different life entirely. “Savannah,” I say. “I always wanted to be called Savannah.”
“I like it. A woman’s name.” He nods approvingly.
Woman.A thrill goes through me. I’ve never thought of myself as a woman before. Not even when I was about to be mated and bred. Is that how this big, sexy man sees me?
“Suits you,” he adds.
Not a halfling, or a river rat, but a woman. My skin tingles all over and I tear my eyes away, no longer brave enough to look at him.
“We’ll get you some clothes that fit you properly. Some nicer stuff.” His voice is low, lulling. I lean into it, drifting on fantasy.
“Some of those feminine toiletries.”
Then I snap back to reality. My mom stuffed ten bucks into the pocket of my backpack. Aside from that, I have no money, at all. And why is this stranger being so kind to me? Mom warned me that guys who don’t claim you as their mate are only after one thing.
I didn’t really know what she meant, but now I do. And the thought of doing that thing with Beau is more exciting than I can say. But…I’m so confused.
I shoot a panicked glance at his home, which looks so nice and fancy. What does he want with me?
“It’s a schoolie,” he says.
“A-a what?”
“Used to be a school bus.” He narrows his eyes questioningly. “They collect little kids, take them to school.”
“I knew that,” I say, and we smile at each other, because we both know I didn’t.
He leans back in his chair. “Then you’ll know they’re generally bright yellow. But sometimes, when the municipality is done with them, you can buy em’ up and convert them to your own luxury home.”
“You converted this yourself?” I take in the pretty white and powder-blue exterior.
“Yup. Every last bit. It was a hobby of mine for a good six months. Now it’s my full-time home. I’ve got a motorcycle, too. Sometimes, I take off on the bike. Other times, I hook the bike up with a trailer, and off we go to a new place.”
“You always have your home with you,” I murmur, thinking how incredible that would be.
