I sniffed and touched my swollen eye. “I can’t believe it ended like this. It sounds crazy, but I loved him, and I thought he loved me too.”
Tak rose to his feet. “He may have loved you, but his love was insidious. If he shows up here, someone better stop mefrom putting my blade in him,” Tak grumbled before stalking off.
Hope sighed. “I better go after him before he gets the notion that hunting a tiger is a good idea.”
My stomach growled so loud that I hugged my middle in embarrassment. “Sorry.”
Mercy chuckled. “Good Lord. It sounds like you’ve got a grizzly in there.”
“I haven’t eaten since lunch yesterday. I’m just hungry.”
Archer abruptly shifted and raced out of the room. Staying with a pack was going to take getting used to.
Krys paced away. “I guess I’ll patrol since we have nothing else to do.”
Melody stretched and sprawled across the sofa. “I’m so glad we got the heat house finished. Who do you think will need it first?”
“Not me,” Hope sang while leaning back.
An idea came to mind. “Do you think it would be all right if I stayed in the heat house?”
All eyes turned.
Melody lifted her head and grimaced. “You’re not…”
“No. I went through my heat cycle recently, so it’s not that. But I’ve never lived with anyone else, especially a pack. I’m worried that if I bump into one of your wolves in the night, I might shift in the house. And you’d have a hard time getting a horse down the stairs.”
Bear gave a sonorous laugh that made me smile.
“That’s probably a good idea,” Lakota said, sweeping his long hair away from his face. “It would be safer for all of us. But once you go in for the night, you shouldn’t come out. We run the property at all hours. None of us would attack a female, but we also don’t want to spook you.”
I thought it interesting how Lakota used the wordfemale, a term used by Chitahs.
When I heard toenails clicking on the wood floor, Lakota shot in front of me, blocking my view of whatever he was facing.
I leaned to the right and watched Archer’s tripod hopping toward me with something in his mouth.
“That’s close enough,” Lakota warned him.
Archer growled before dropping a bag of chips on the floor.
Lakota picked up the potato chips and extended his arm. “I guess these are for you.”
Chapter 16
The pack gave me room to breathe. After a solitary breakfast, I returned upstairs and drew a hot bath. Since I had on the same clothes as yesterday, Robyn lent me an outfit.
I’d woken up that morning with fear and worry in my heart, only to have one conversation turn it all around.
Dressed in a cozy pair of grey sweats and a matching shirt, I collected my unraveled wrist bandage and opened the door.
“Pardon the interruption, but I didn’t mean to spook you earlier,” Virgil said while leaning on the wall outside the bathroom. “Don’t you want to stay in the upstairs room?”
I rounded the corner down the hall as he walked alongside me. “It’s better for everyone if I’m in the heat house. I’m not used to being around wolves and don’t want to be in the way.”
“Virgil Nightingale was born to be in the way. Join the party.” He faced me while walking sideways. “I’m lonely up here. Mercy used to stay in that room before she mated Mr. Mantabulous. I miss having a neighbor.”
I summoned a smile.
