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The decision wasn’t so difficult anymore. My mind decided for me. If I wanted to learn about the wolf and help solve this murder, I had no other choice. I couldn’t learn without someone to guide me because I couldn’t control the wolf. And if I left, I’d maintain suspicion as the prime suspect.
Huffing, I turned around and pulled my shoulders back and my back straight, daring Ridge to say something stupid that would give the go-ahead to refuse this preposterous idea. “Okay. You have a deal.”
Ridge’s grin covered half his face, and he reached for my hands again. “This will work. I promise.”
I hoped so, but I also doubted it. Nothing had worked out for me so far. But I shrugged; I had nothing more to lose. I was a reasonably good actress, so I could make it believable. I’d had to sell identities and personalities countless times, and this selling myself as Ridge’s fiancée wasn’t much more than that. It didn’t hurt that Ridge was also the mayor. He was in politics, so he could pull off a lie. It was part of the job description.
We were ideally made to represent a fake relationship. I believed that.
It also wouldn’t be a massive leap to portray that I was attracted to him because I hadn’t wanted much in life the way I wanted him. He was so ridiculously tempting that I no longer needed to worry that the other shifters would sniff out my appreciation. That would help sell this ruse.
Irritation rattled my nerves. I hated how pleased the monster inside me was. She had something up her sleeve; I could sense it. I’d ignored her enough not to understand what she had in mind, but my guard was up, and I clutched the chain around her metaphorical cage a little tighter.
It didn’t matter how exhausted I was. I had to do this.
Listen here, wolf, this is nothing but an act, a part to play. To rectify the mess you caused. No matter how nice he acts toward us, you’re not getting close to another beastly shifter. You’re grounded for life.
She chuffed at me but settled down. I wasn’t stupid. I was fairly certain she was biding her time, waiting for the moment she wanted. Ridge was close by, and we were staying...for now.
With everybody watching us, I let Ridge keep hold of my hand. I curled my fingers around his and savored the simplicity of the moment. If I kept refusing his touch, it wouldn’t make this ruse believable, so I needed to be comfortable with him touching and caressing me. It’d be a struggle to keep my libido in check, but farce or no farce, there was no way we were sleeping together again.
I had to draw the line somewhere. Sex led to feelings, and feelings were complicated. I didn’t need anything to be more complicated than it already was. Especially if this didn’t work and the whole damned thing went south.
“I’ll tell you everything I’ve experienced and everything I know about hunters,” I said. “You can do whatever you want with the info, but it should help you figure out how you can better protect the town.”
I didn’t know how much more I could give him that he didn’t already know. He’d lived as a shifter his whole life. There had to be more history on hunters than what I had, even if I’d survived being on the run from them for several years.
All I had was knowledge of how they hunted, or at least how they’d hunted me. I didn’t have any tricks or insights. Except for one detail, but that wasn’t something I ever wanted to share.
Ridge’s shoulders sagged in relief. “When the sheriff pulls you aside, use our engagement as the backstory for why you came into town. Tell him we’ve been engaged for a couple of months. It’s been a long-distance relationship. We’ve been together for a couple of years. He won’t get too personal with you. He’ll save that for me.” He was so confident, it was hard to doubt him.
The whole morning was a daze, from waking up covered in blood after the forced shift, discovering the bloody mess that had been Deputy Phil, and then being accused of the murder I was certain I had committed. It seemed so far-fetched that themayor, of all people, was suddenly my alibi.
“You really think that’ll work?” I cocked my head at him, disbelief dripping from every word. “Won’t it seem suspicious that nobody knew you were dating, then I’m your fiancée right when I’m the prime suspect in a murder?”
“If we say we’ve been together for a while, it won’t. Plus, people in this town know I tend to be reserved, especially when it comes to my personal life. They’ll believe it when they see us together. We’ll have to sell that.” He gave me a pointed look. “I can sell it on my end.”
He winked at me, a lusty smile lifting the corners of his lips. Rolling my eyes, I nodded in agreement even though my gut twitched.
“Okay, so last night, we ran together as wolves and went far away from the crowd for privacy. We got a little carried away with our play fighting, hence why we were both a little worse for wear and got separated,” he said.
My eyes bulged at the idea of openly confessing that I was a wolf. I’d never done that before. I hadn’t even admitted it to Ridge—he’d told me.
Ridge moved closer and wrapped his arms around me. To everyone else, he looked like he was soothing his distraught fiancée. My body stiffened at that thought because, in actuality, he was. Well, soothing his fake fiancée.
Slowly, I let my muscles relax. I had to get used to him touching me. Being skittish around him wouldn’t help people believe I was his fiancée. It also didn’t hurt that we’d slept together. I needed to remember that. Ridge knew my body, and I knew his. The lust was real. Only the relationship status was fake.
“Don’t worry, Tori. It’s going to be okay. Let Clawson know you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. You were trying to find me after we’d shifted back. Stick to the story. It’s basic and easy to remember.” He smiled at me. “You won’t be lying about too much of it, anyway. All you’re really lying about is that you remember what happened, and that you were looking for me.”
As I lifted my wary gaze to his, I was about to ask what that was supposed to mean. What couldn’t I remember? Before I could question him further, Sheriff Clawson beckoned me forward as Audrey walked away and sat on one of the benches. Her haughty prance and evil smirk gave me no illusions that she’d restrained herself from spitting her venom about me to the sheriff’s ears.
After several deep breaths, I steadied my shoulders and went to the sheriff. Ridge walked behind me, his hand still searing the skin on my lower back. I took strength from his touch as I tried to ignore the stares and glares. Many of the townsfolk had already decided on my guilt, happy to play judge, jury, and executioner.
A familiar voice shouted, and I turned to watch as Margo hurried through the crowd, yelling at people to move. She ran up and wrapped me in a tight hug. Relief flooded my body, and I returned her embrace. Tears pricked my eyes, wanting to spill just knowing someone else was in my corner, that I had a friend.
Margo raised her voice unnecessarily, ensuring everybody heard her. “Don’t worry, Tori. There’s no doubt in my mind you did nothing wrong.”
A weak smile came across my face. I didn’t have the faith in myself that she did, but it was nice to have somebody fighting for me along with Ridge.
