The wolf was snarling at me a moment later, poking me with his nose as he sniffed my arms, abdomen, and legs. He was obviously angry, but also seemed to be making sure I was okay.
“I’m fine,” I said weakly, trying to wipe my tears away discreetly.
He nudged my back a few times, still growling.
“I’ll stand up in a minute.”
He nudged me a little harder.
“Okay, fine, I’m moving.” I clutched the cake dome to my chest with one hand and braced myself on the dirt with the other.
Ow.
Crap.
Shit.
Fuck.
I winced and bit back a few groans of pain as I slowly eased myself back to my feet.
The werewolf sniffed my butt, and I pushed his face away. “Stop, please. I’m okay. I just need to call my friend. I was supposed to bring her a cake.”
And I had no idea what I was actually supposed to do with a werewolf. Especially now that he was in his wolf form. Andnotromantically abducting me.
He nudged me back onto the porch step by step while I pulled my phone out and called Jade, forcing some of my usual cheer into my voice.
The phone rang a few times before she answered.
“Hello?”
My nose wrinkled a little.
Her voice was weird. Almost breathy.
Nope, I wasn’t going to ask about that.
“Hey, Jade. I heard about your new research job from Stella and brought you a present to say congratulations. She told me your new place is the third house on this little loop in the forest, but when I knocked, a guy answered.” I paused.
The guy had already told me I turned the wrong way, but I needed to pretend I hadn’t been hoping that this exact situation would happen, too. Right?
Minus the part where I probably broke my ass, of course.
Yeah, I’d better act like I didn’t think werewolves were real when I drove out there.
“I think I went the wrong way,” I added. “But the guy sort of… well, turned into a wolf?”
“Did he say anything before he shifted?” The breathiness in Jade’s voice was gone.
“Yeah.Mate,I think.”
“Fuck,” Jade swore. “Did you turn right or left at the fork?”
“I’m not sure?”
That was a lie. I don’t know why I didn’t just admit the truth.
But if her place was third on the left, she must know who was third on the right.
