Red grimaced. He sat and awkwardly examined his claws. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”
“Youdidtry to eat me,” Len pointed out patiently. “That’s something hard to forget, especially for our alpha mates. They get intensely protective.”
“Hard to forget and impossible to forgive,” Hugo growled.
“Ouch. Harsh,” Red mumbled. “It’s not like I actuallyateyou, right, Len?”
Len rolled his shoulder uncomfortably. “Er, no, but…”
“Exactly! So why don’t we put that behind us and move on, hm?”
“He did help us chase off Klimt,” Len murmured.
“And he did tell the pack when I was in labor,” I added. “Without his help, none of you would’ve known to come help us.”
Red beamed, fluffing up his chest. Meanwhile Dax and Hugo looked like they were mentally plotting which one of them would gain custody of the fur coat once they’d rung Red’s neck.
“What exactly do you want with us?” I asked plainly. “The wolves aren’t going to take you seriously if you dance around your issue. Just spit it out.”
“Since you asked…” Red cleared his throat and wrapped his tail neatly around his front paws. “I wish to join the pack.”
“No,” Dax and Hugo said.
Red’s face fell. “But—”
“But nothing,” Hugo growled. “I haven’t forgotten you nearly ate my mate, even after finding out he was a shifter. That’s appalling. I don’t want you anywhere near my family.”
Red’s ears flicked back and his tail drooped. “But I didn’t actuallydoanything to him.”
Len turned and faced his mate firmly. “Hugo, I appreciate it, but it’s not your place to forgive Red or not. It’s mine.”
“Do you?” Hugo countered.
“Yes,” Len said. “He’s sorry for what he did and he won’t do it again. Right?”
Red nodded vigorously.
“Sorry, but I don’t believe that,” Dax muttered. “Once a shifter-eater, always one.”
The tip of Red’s tail flicked with irritation but he got his feelings under control and laid it flat again. “That’s fair, I suppose. Even though you can’t prove I’ve done it,” he added below his breath.
“What was that, fox?” Dax growled.
Red sighed and stood up. He had noticeably less bounce in his step than upon arrival. “Nothing. If that’s your answer, then I guess I’ll be on my way.”
Nobody stopped him from leaving. The alpha wolves seemed relieved to see him go, and Len had accepted there was nothing he could say to change their minds. But there was something bugging me about the situation. I caught up with Red before he had a chance to disappear into the wilderness.
“Hey,” I called.
Red didn’t stop trotting. “What?”
“Let me ask you something.”
Red paused and glanced up at me. Behind the defensive gleam in his eyes was a flicker of hurt.
“Why do you want to join this pack so badly?” I asked. “Most shifters are most comfortable around their own kind, aren’t they? Why join a mixed pack like this?”
He huffed. “I could ask you the same thing, buck.”
