I replied honestly. “I was chased out of my herd by asshole alphas. Does that answer your question?”
Red chittered in amusement. “Sure does. Couldn’t handle you, could they? The same thing happened to that rabbit.”
“Hare.”
“Whatever.” Red flicked his tail dismissively. “Point is, that pack takes in misfits. So I thought maybe…”
He trailed off into silence. There was a sudden heaviness about him that was jarring compared to his usual whimsical nature.
Red shook his head. “Nevermind. Go home to your kid. He’s real cute, by the way. Looks like his dad. Actually, that’s an insult to the kid. He’s a lot better looking than that grouchy wolf.”
I smiled. I knew Dax had his own reservations about Red but I didn’t share them. He seemed lost and a little confused. Or maybe I was just giving him the benefit of the doubt and reading too much into him. Either way, he didn’t seem like he was out to hurt anyone. In a way, he reminded me a little of myself. Always on the edge of the group and never allowed inside. When I thought about it that way, I felt sympathetic towards him.
“Tell me what you were going to say,” I urged.
Red’s ear flicked in surprise. “Why? So you can laugh?”
“Do I look like I’m going to laugh?” I shot back.
With a small grunt, Red surveyed me up and down. “No. I’ll admit you seem like a stand-up guy.” He smirked. “A lot more mature than your brute of a mate.”
That got a one-note chuff of amusement out of me. “He’s a wolf. What do you expect?”
Red cackled. “Exactly. Wolves are the worst. Why’d you choose one as a mate? Seems crazy to me.”
I thought better of spilling my whole life story to Red and simply said, “I didn’t choose him. Fate did.”
Red did a fake gagging motion. “Ugh, that fated mates crap makes me wanna yark. If all you do in that pack is babble on about it, then nevermind, I have no interest in joining.”
“So youdowant to join the pack,” I said.
The fur on his tail spiked out when he realized he’d blurted out his goal. He bared his teeth in a grumble and pawed the ground in annoyance. “Yes, fine, okay? That’s what I wanted. But it’s not gonna happen, so whatever.”
I stepped in front of him so he couldn’t run away. “Calm down.”
All his fur fluffed up now, making him look like an orange dandelion puff. “Don’t tell me to calm down! I’m entitled to my emotions! I’m—”
“I’ll talk to them for you.”
He stopped instantly and his fur smoothed back. “Oh.” He raised a brow. “Why? You don’t even know me.”
“Well, actually, I’ve met you a few times now,” I pointed out. “And you grew on me when you helped out during my labor.”
He drew his tail over his paws, looking almost embarrassed. “Yeah, I did.”
“And because I don’t think you’re as bad as the wolves say you are.”
Red narrowed his eyes. “Those trash-talking flea-bitten fur bags…”
“But—and this should go without saying, but I’m saying it regardless—you have to promise you won’t eat anyone.”
“Oh my fuck, everyone’s hung up on that. It wasonetime. And I didn’t even bite the guy!”
“Red,” I said patiently.
“I won’t, okay? I told you, I don’t do that stuff. Besides, who am I even gonna eat? That hare guy that’s got a pissed-off wolf bodyguard every hour of the day? No thanks. I’d rather pick fleas off a bear’s ass.”
More seriously, I said, “There’s kids in the pack. Three of them. A hare kit, a wolf cub, and now a fawn. My son.”
