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As she lifted her head to look at me, her heavy sigh blew her warm breath against my neck, and I couldn’t help the raging desire that coursed through me, even in a serious moment like this. I chastised myself. This situation was critical, and protecting her was the most important thing right now.
She shook her head slightly as I gazed down at her tear-stained face. Her brows furrowed as she worked to remember the evening.
“I only remember hearing howling last night. I was in bed.” She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and closed her eyes with a soft sigh. “Then I woke up in the woods, naked and covered in blood. Clearly, I must’ve done it. You have to see how incriminating it all is.”
Of course, I could see how others mightseeit as obvious, but in my experience, what was obvious wasn’t always true. I rubbed my hands almost absentmindedly over her back, and she curled tighter into my chest. My wolf yipped at her seeking comfort from me. Luckily, I remembered the night and could speak of my whereabouts, or I’d look just as guilty as her.
She pressed her cheek to my chest, sounding defeated when she said, “I wish I could get rid of this fucking monster inside me.”
Hearing her refer to her wolf as a monster shattered my heart into smithereens. No shifter should ever have those thoughts about a part of themselves. Being a shifter was a beautiful gift, a privilege.
If it were the last thing I ever did on this earth, I’d show this fantastic creature exactly how wonderful she was, that our species wasn’t inherently bad, only that she’d been woefully misguided.
“Tori, don’t turn yourself in. I’m pretty sure you didn’t commit this heinous crime.”
Her petite body tensed against mine, then her hands pushed against my chest to escape my arms. My wolf whimpered at the impending loss. He wanted to nuzzle and lick her clean, but I reluctantly released my hold, and my body went cold the second we no longer touched.
Her eyes blazed as she scrutinized me. “Tell me why you look like you’ve been through the wringer.” She stood back, crossing her arms and jutting out her hip.
I smothered a groan of desire at her take-charge attitude.
“Can you remember what happened last night? Why were you calling my name in the woods this morning?” She cocked her head and stared at me. It was fucking adorable.
The only thing missing from this irresistible look was her tapping her foot at me. Her death glare stopped me from taking those thoughts any further. Catching a glimpse of the crowd over her shoulder doused me better than any cold shower. The reality of the situation pulled me from the pleasant memories of the previous night.
“I promise I’ll tell you everything I can remember if you come clean to me about what really brought you to Blackwood Creek.” I didn’t know if that was leverage enough to make her talk. She kept all her information on lockdown.
Tori stood a little taller and clasped her hands together so tight, her knuckles turned white.
“Tori, I’m ensuring that I’m keeping the town safe. Even though I believe you didn’t kill Phil, there could be another reason you’re here. So, I need to know. If you agree to tell me, I can give you an alibi.”
I couldn’t tell her everything, but that was the gist of it, and she needed me. But right now, I also needed to make sure she was here for the right reasons.
Please give me something to work with.
Tori’s spitfire nature had gone dormant. I’d never have thought I’d witness this woman be less than confident and demanding and certain of who she was, but here she stood, not looking me in the eye, staring down at her feet with her shoulders slumped and her fingers tapping rapidly against her thighs.
Clawson’s yell from the bar startled us both.
“I’m about to get Miss Greenthorne’s account, then I’ll speak with Tori and you, Ridge. Separately.” He lifted his brow at me, wondering if I’d challenge him.
He wouldn’t dare speak that way to an alpha in standard pack scenarios, but I nodded. This town had a murder, and he was a sheriff investigating it. To top it all off, the victim was a deputy. Nothing about this scenario was standard.
Tori groaned. “I should just run now. I probably have enough experience to avoid a murder charge for a while.”
Not knowing her well enough, I didn’t know if she was serious or joking, but my wolf and I were desperate to keep her in Blackwood Creek.
“Tori, look at me,” I demanded, but she ignored me. I stepped closer to her and lifted her chin. “Please look at me,” I said softly but with a hint of steel.
Her eyes slowly rose from my chest to my eyes.
“I know you’re slowly going feral.”
Her eyes widened but with confusion, not anger. The small moments I’d shared with her showed how little she seemed to know about our kind, which amazed me. She didn’t have the basics to function properly. Survival had been her only course of action.
“You’re a rogue. Becoming feral happens when you’re alone and away from other wolves. That’s not safe for our kind.” I needed her to hear me, to fully comprehend what I was saying. “Tori, this is only going to get worse, so if you do run, you might actually kill someone—but little wolf, I don’t think that’s happened yet. First things first, we need to get you out of this mess, and I have to know what I’m dealing with. So, I’m asking again, why are you here? If you don’t tell me what I need to know, I can’t help you.”
A long, deep breath shuddered out of her. I held my own breath, wondering what she’d do. My wolf paced, wanting to demand the answers so we could get this over with and haul her back to our den. His possessiveness was something I’d have to investigate another time. It was more than just protectiveness.
