AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Two of the most influential people in the town knew I was related to hunters. There was no shielding me from the consequences of that. I understood.
Pack first, and as I wasn’t pack, I wasn’t included in it. Unless, of course,Iwas the danger, then the pack would see me out of town, with Ridge and Clawson in the lead.
Crossing my fingers, I hoped they’d give me enough time to talk with my brother. I didn’t want to face him, let alone be in the same room as him, but if I could get him to answer some questions, then maybe I could figure out what the hunters knew about Blackwood Creek and what needed to be done to fortify it before I’d be forced to leave.
Besides, Ridge and Clawson needed to know what information Mrs. Marrow had fed to the hunters. That knowledge would be a game-changer and help them determine how best to utilize their resources.Kyle would have been privy to that information, even if he wasn’t clued into the bigger picture. My father was a paranoid asshole who didn’t trust anybody, not even his own son, and especially not the daughter he had written off years ago when she’d turned into a wolf at no fault of her own.
Anger and anguish fought to rise to the surface, but I settled myself. I couldn’t change the past. I could only help shape the future.
The countless worries and to-do lists in my head must’ve had me wandering off in my own little world for too long because Ridge sat up in the bed, letting the sheet fall from his naked body and showcasing the chiseled Adonis perfection that was Ridge Blackwood. Temptation had me desiring to pull the sheet off the rest of the way and soak him up in all his glory, but his concerned expression stopped everything from progressing to a more pleasurable activity.
I sighed. We both could have used the distraction.
“Little wolf, what has your mind running full speed in a hamster wheel?” He paused, and when I didn’t reply right away, he said, “Come on, you can tell me. Whatever it is, I’ll fix it immediately.”
An unladylike snort came out of me as I rolled my eyes. “Your hero complex is showing again, Fido.” I bumped my shoulder into his before sitting back up. “I was thinking of stopping by the jail to see Mrs. Marrow.”
Really, I wanted to see Kyle, but I didn’t want that to be so obvious. Mrs. Marrow was a solid cover story. After all, maybe I wanted to face my attempted murderer now that I was out of danger.
Ridge’s calm façade vanished, and he became solid as stone as he scowled at me.“I don’t like that idea, not one bit.” I opened my mouth to start arguing, but he held up a hand to stop me. “Why don’t you wait a day or two?”
Annoyed, I went into defense mode. “I don’t want to wait. I want to figure out how to protect Blackwood Creek better. The sooner I have the answers I need, the sooner we can implement things and prepare.”
Ridge’s bedroom smile graced his lips, and his cuddly side returned as he pulled me close to his chest and snuggled me. Joy laced his voice and lit up his eyes. “I’m so glad you’re thinking about a future here.”
I tensed, playing my words over in my head. Shit. I’d saidwe.It made it sound like I was trying to claim this place as my home, but that hadn’t been my intention. It wasn’t like I didn’t want to defend this place because I wanted to live here. This wasn’t for me; it was for Ridge, the Bogfords, the Ashworths—fuck, even the Greenthornes. They all deserved to have a safe place to live, and to shelter any shifters needing their aid. I didn’t belong here. The past few days had done nothing to disprove that.
“No, Ridge, you’re mistaken.” I had to say it quickly, like pulling off a Band-Aid. “I’m not thinking about my future here. This place can’t be my home. I won’t ever have a home. No, I’m talking about fixing everything I messed up by coming here. I have to make things right and ensure this place is safe for all the shifters here now and in the future.”
Ridge’s eyes darkened. “If you think it’s your fault the hunters showed up, you’re dead wrong, little wolf. You’ve gotta stop blaming yourself. I won’t tolerate you thinking that bullshit. From what Clawson’s found out, it’s clear that Marrow’s been working as a mole for some time. Who knows what information she was feeding them? She knows a lot about this town and its people.
“Hunters would’ve come to Blackwood Creek whether you were here or not. You’re a blessing, little wolf, don’t you see that? I wouldn’t be here right now if it weren’t for you and Clawson. Even though I’m far from thrilled that you put yourself in harm’s way.” He pinned me with a firm look.
Flustered, I felt warmth spread into my lower body. Not knowing what to do with all the conflicting emotions percolating inside me, I joked to lighten the mood and save my sanity.
“You sound so protective, Mr. Mayor, but I have one question for you. What makes you think I was there for you at all?” I shrugged nonchalantly. “Maybe I’m just head over heels for Zander and saved you because you happened to be there.”
Snarling, Ridge tackled me to the side and started tickling me. Either his sense of humor wasn’t awake yet, or he didn’t appreciate my joke.
Giggling, I said, “You must be craving your bunny food because you’re taking things too seriously.”
Ridge dropped his head to take control of my mouth, apparently wanting to silence me in any way he could. I wasn’t about to complain about his methods. We spent the next while kissing, tickling, and wrestling each other on the bed. It was the most carefree I’d felt in ages. I couldn’t even remember the last time I had a lazy, fun morning like this. It must’ve been a long time before my mother died.
Finally, after my mouth was swollen from his attention, I managed to disentangle myself and get out of bed. Ridge lay back against the pillows with his hands behind his head, watching me as I got ready. He had no shame in his nudity. Or his growing erection that showed me how much he was enjoying watching me dress.
His laid-back attitude and the hunger in his eyes made me want to drop everything, get naked, and crawl back into that bed with him, where we could forget about everything outside of this room.
“You know, right now, there are a few people in town—mostly spurred on by the wonderful Greenthornes—who will be watching us closely to see if our stories add up,” Ridge said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a group of people keeping tabs on us.”
Pausing, I looked at Ridge through the reflection in the mirror. “You really think so?”
He cocked his head and lifted a brow at me.
“Okay, yeah, you’re probably right.”
“It’ll be expected that you go to the hospital for a check-up, not hurrying your luscious ass straight to the jail right after we returned from an emergency medical trip. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt for the doctors to examine you. We need to make sure those mysterious witch pills worked properly since you won’t tell me more about them yet.”
His nonchalance didn’t fool me, but he didn’t push me. There were times he’d asked for more, but he hadn’t lately. He wanted me to come to him on my own. It made him even more of a safe place for me, which scared me to death. Because how far would that safety net hold?
