AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I sensed Ridge’s eyes on me, so I looked up at him. Capturing my eyes with his own, he smiled down at me. The smile that lifted my lips didn’t need to be forced. He broke the gaze, turning his attention back to his friend.
“I kept it a secret because we decided we wanted her to feel welcome on her own first. To see if she could make some genuine friends, and not just people who would use her as a connection to me. Come on, Birch, we both know that once she’s tied to me in this town, there’s no going back. Look at how she was treated once they thought we had a one-night stand. They would’ve overwhelmed her if they knew she was my fiancée.”
Ridge’s hold on me tightened when he mentioned the night we’d shared. My arousal kicked up, and he looked down at me with adoration. My heart seemed to want to break the world record for speed.
Sheriff Clawson cleared his throat and sat back in his chair.
I blushed. Our attraction would definitely help as far as selling our fake engagement, but Ridge’s easy affections startled me. I’d need to build up some sort of defense because my resolve would break under his touch. I’d also have to figure out a way to handle his scent. Despite the dirt and having been out all night, he was the sexiest thing I’d ever borne witness to, and neither my wolf nor my core had any problems drooling all over him.
Clawson rubbed his large hands over his face, then dropped them on the desk. “Well, that explains why you’ve been so vehemently against everyone trying to set you up with all the single women in town, and why you stopped coming out with me. This whole time, you had a lady and didn’t share her with your friend. Thank you, man.” He glared at Ridge.
Ridge shrugged, his chest vibrating as he laughed. I raised a questioning brow at him. People here had been matchmaking? Ridge smiled at me and brushed a soft kiss over my lips, making my skin tingle.
Clawson’s eyes widened, but he chuckled. “Don’t worry, Tori, he’s been a good boy.”
The laughter that followed broke the tension.
“I also understand why you’d want to find your own footing in town before publicizing your engagement. The people here are good folk, but they won’t let this go, not with this ongoing investigation happening. Many will nose around and point fingers until it’s solved. Tori, you’re going to be the first on everyone’s list since they don’t know you and don’t understand why you came to town to begin with. So, I suggest you spread word about your engagement, and fast.”
“I agree,” Ridge said. “I’ll announce it at the town hall meeting tonight, although everyone might have put it together by then.”
Sweat slicked my palms, and my leg jumped back into action.
Ridge put his hand on my knee and squeezed gently until the jumping stopped. He kissed my forehead.
“It will be okay, sweetheart. They’re going to welcome you with open arms.”
I nearly snorted in disbelief. All I was sure of, without any shadow of a doubt, was that Ridge’s kisses were becoming addictive.
Chapter11
Ridge
My veins thrummed with joy when Tori accepted the deal. I was allowed to touch her without question—in public, at least—and that was something my wolf and I agreed upon wholeheartedly. Clawson’s shock, then anger, then acceptance nearly had me in stitches. I couldn’t help but laugh at the way he’d stormed out of the sheriff’s office.
Guilt gnawed at me, though. Not only was he my best friend, he was my second-in-command and a huge help with my vision for the town. So, I understood it was a punch to the gut, to say the least, to find out I was engaged while he was investigating a murder. But I could live with a little guilt. Protecting Tori was more important.
Luckily, he accepted it quickly enough and didn’t give Tori a hard time about it. It was a good run for Tori, too. It had taken some convincing to get her on board, but she was a great actress. I didn’t know whether to be thrilled about that or hurt for her, as she’d undoubtedly had to utilize that skill to stay alive.
My right hand rested on her lower back as we walked out of Clawson’s office back into the daylight. She smelled so good, I desperately wanted to wrap my arm around her, pull her flush against my chest, and bury my nose in the crook of her neck. For the moment, however, my wolf and I were content with the touch she was allowing.
As soon as we made it outside, all eyes landed on us, and it was like someone had poured a bucket of ice over my head. Reality came rushing back, and I fought not to let Tori distract me. She didn’t mean to, but whenever she was around, I lost focus and all my attention homed in on her.
I was well-aware of what needed to be done in the aftermath of the deputy’s murder. With everything going on outside of the community—working with other packs to establish a haven for shifters, and building defenses at the risk of hunters snatching and killing our kind—having this happen in town, to a human who was aware of shifters…well, that made the whole situation that much riskier. We needed to determine whether the murder had resulted from shifter or human business.
While we tried to solve this mystery, maintaining the secrecy of shifters from unaware humans was my priority. However, in a town this small, word would travel fast. Both communities would be terrified, on edge, and at each other’s throats, fearing a killer in their midst. Murder had a habit of making enemies of the closest friends. Who knew what would be said in heated moments?
Phil had been a big part of the town. I may not have been his biggest supporter, but I still mourned his death. To be killed so senselessly…
I gripped Tori’s lower back tighter. She stopped and looked at me with a questioning look, then smiled and rested her hand on my hip.
I reveled in her touch, enjoying the soothing sensation while I could. Pulling double duty as alpha and mayor meant I had a lot of work ahead to calm people down after this horrific incident. I trusted Clawson with the investigation, but my rank meant I had to ensure everyone was safe. I couldn’t let my emotions take over, even though I wanted to throw rationality out the window, shift, and work this out.
Deputy Hill may not have been a shifter, but he’d known about our kind and protected that secret. In my book, that meant he’d been under my protection. I was his alpha.
I gazed down at the soft eyes of my beautiful, anxious little wolf when a thought came to mind, one that would make things a little easier with the questioning this evening at the town hall. The eyes of everybody still present were burning holes through us, so this would be a great opportunity.
Leaning down, I whispered into Tori’s ear. “Now, with everybody watching, it’d be a good time to do a little PDA, don’t you think? It will help for tonight’s meeting at the town hall and sell our story.”
