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His response bothered me, and it took me a moment to realize why. “I want to earn your trust, West. Let me help.”Maybe it was because of Kane’s hasty departure, but I felt a deep and sudden need for West to accept me. The alpha was a de facto leader in town. If I could win him over, then … then what? What did West’s approval mean?
That I belonged. Gods, I hated that I cared, but I did.
“Fine,” he said. “You can come, but they’re my wolves. Let me do the talking.”
I offered to meet West at an access point, but the alpha insisted on being a gentleman and picking me up from the Castle. As much as I wanted to resist, the likelihood that my truck would die en route outweighed my ego.
“Be careful,” I said, as I slid into the passenger seat. “You keep showing up at my house like this and people are going to think you like me.”
I caught the hint of a smile. “It’s a professional courtesy. That’s all.” He turned up the volume on the radio, which was his not-so-subtle way of drowning out the sound of my voice. Christmas music dominated the airwaves, and he kept changing the station, hoping for a different outcome.
“I like Christmas music,” I said, humming along to “Fairytale of New York” by The Pogues.
“That surprises me.”
I glanced sidelong at him. “Why?”
“You’re the only house in town without any holiday decorations. Would it have killed you to stick a wreath on your front door?”
“Yes, I think it would have.” I leaned back against the seat. “What do you care whether I hang a wreath?”
“I don’t. I only said it surprised me that you enjoy Christmas music.”
Holiday tunes lacked the emotional impact of other music, which was one reason I was willing to indulge myself.There was no fear that my powers would surge to the surface when I listened to Wham!’s “Last Christmas.” It was one of the few types of music I allowed myself to enjoy without concern.
Flurries scattered across the windshield and melted upon contact. I was starting to feel like we were trapped in a supernatural snow globe and an unseen hand would eventually shake us up.
He parked the truck on a flattened snowbank. I zipped up my coat as I exited. I noticed West didn’t bother with a coat. His black shirt looked flimsy, like an article of stripper clothing he could discard in a heartbeat if the situation required it. Snowflakes clung to the ends of his light brown hair. The dampness made the slight curls more pronounced. His jawline seemed to be in a permanent state of stubble. I couldn’t have hacked it as a werewolf. I needed smooth skin.
“What do you think about this snow?” he asked, as we trudged through the forest.
I admired the white branches around us. “It’s prettier here than on my walkways.”
“I don’t mean how it looks. I mean how it feels.”
I cut a glance at him. “You don’t think it’s natural?”
“Are you telling me you do?”
“No,” I admitted. “It feels off.”
“Glad we can agree on something.”
I jumped over a log. “Why are you so hostile toward me? I haven’t done anything to you.”
“You have the option not to take my behavior personally. You realize that, don’t you?”
“Except I’ve seen how you behave with your pack. They idolize you. You don’t treat me the way you treat them.”
“Because you’re not a member of my pack. You’re not even a werewolf.”
“Well, I live here now, West, and I’m not going anywhere, so you might as well get used to me.”
The sound of rushing water drowned out his noncommittal response. We’d arrived at the Falls. The waterfall appeared unaffected by the weather, cascading down the hill and crashing over rocks in spectacular fashion. The scenic waterfall was the likely culprit for the town’s supernatural magnetism. It acted as a conductor, absorbing the supernatural energy generated by multiple gates at the crossroads and spreading it through the surrounding area. The air buzzed with its strength.
West inhaled deeply. “This has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth, hands down.”
“Is that why you stayed in Fairhaven?” I asked. “Because it was pretty?”
