A small part of her didn’t want to stop questioning him. He’d risked his life for her multiple times. There had to be some reason for that beyond the obvious answer she refused to even consider, something that would make sense if she kept digging long enough. But if there was one thing she knew about Knox, it was that he wasn’t the kind of man who stayed in any one place for very long. He’d be here long enough to learn what he thought he needed to know about being a werewolf, then another impulsive decision would have him moving on to the next thing in the next town. What did his motivation for saving her and following her back to Dallas matter?
She set her beer on the coffee table. “Okay, what do you want to know first?”
He leaned back on the couch, arms outstretched along the top to either side of him, beer bottle still in one hand. “How does this whole pack thing work? Is it necessary for a werewolf to be in one, and what happens if no one lets me in their club?”
Rachel laughed at his choice of words but sobered quickly when she realized Knox might actually be serious. “You’re an alpha werewolf like my pack mates and I. While being around other werewolves is good for us—especially right after going through our change—it’s not completely necessary. In fact, I was on my own for almost a year before moving down here and I handled it all right. That said, I didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin until I was around my pack mates because I didn’t have to hide what I am from them. It was like finding a whole new family of brothers and sisters.”
“Brothers and sisters?” he echoed. “Does that include Diego? Because when I was following you around in LA, I couldn’t miss the fact that you two were sharing a hotel room.”
Rachel did a double take. That wasn’t jealousy in Knox’s voice, was it? “Yes, brothers and sisters. And Diego is the biggest brother of all of them, meaning he’s as overprotective as they come.”
“Huh. I guess that explains why he wasn’t thrilled when you volunteered to help me out.”
She almost groaned at the reminder. “Exactly. I don’t think he trusts you. And if he picks up on the fact that you used to be a hunter, there’s going to be trouble. I doubt my pack would kill you outright, but if they knew you were at the wedding reception, jail might be the least of your problems.”
“I figured as much. Don’t worry. They won’t hear it from me.” Knox sipped his beer. “You said I’m an alpha werewolf, right?”
She nodded.
“Well, if I’m this large-and-in-charge alpha, why the hell am I a frigging mess when it comes to the werewolf stuff? My damn claws pop out whenever they feel like it and never when I want them to. I wake up almost every morning with blood in my mouth from these stupid fangs. And I have random episodes where I get pissed for no reason at all. On the drive over here, someone cut me off on the 635 loop, and the next thing I know, I’m snarling, growling, and this close to going all road rage on them. I think there’s something wrong with me.”
Rachel knew exactly what Knox was going through because she’d gone through the same ordeal. After her change, the shifts occurred at random—while she was sleeping, while on patrol, even while taking a shower. It didn’t help that she hadn’t been able to talk to anyone. Police psychologists weren’t the people you consulted when you were on your way to becoming a monster.
But it had gotten better, especially after getting to Dallas and joining the Pack. They’d taught her so much about what it meant to be a werewolf and how to accept what she was. Sometimes, she wondered how much easier her transition would have been if she’d had access to that kind of guidance right after she’d changed.
Fortunately, Knox wouldn’t have to deal with the situation on his own like she had. He had her to teach him everything he needed to know.
“There’s nothing wrong with you,” she said, giving him a smile. “All werewolves go through a period of instability after their change. It’s your inner werewolf trying to find its way while your human side figures out how to accommodate the changes. Everything will calm down once you learn a little control.”
“So, how do I learn to control my inner werewolf?”
She almost laughed at the wary expression on his face. What did he think, that she was going to have him walk over a bed of glowing coals?
“Nothing too drastic, I promise.” Climbing off the love seat, she walked around to sit down on the couch beside him, turning his way and crisscrossing her legs. This close to him, the scent of leather and gun oil was stronger and even more comforting, not to mention distracting. “Let’s start with a simple exercise. Give me your hands.”
Knox placed his beer bottle on the table and turned toward her, holding his hands out. She took them in hers, forcing herself to ignore how big, strong, and work-roughened they were, not to mention the little tingle that spiraled through her on contact.
“Okay, now close your eyes and relax,” she said softly. “And before you ask, no, I’m not going to ask you to do the whole wax-on-wax-off thing or anything like that.”
Knox snorted, the tension disappearing from his broad shoulders, a slow smile spreading across his face. Score one for movies and their cultural references.
“We’re going to do a visualization exercise,” she explained, trying to speak in the same calm, soothing voice that Gage had used with her when she’d first done this. “The theory is that it will put you in a relaxed state and allow your inner wolf to come out naturally.”
“Doesn’t sound too difficult,” he said, keeping his eyes closed even as the grin broadened. “But if you start talking like Yoda, I won’t be held responsible for what happens next.”
“Yeah, right. Worried I am,” she said in her best Yoda imitation, closing her eyes and trying to center herself. She wasn’t exactly great at this stuff yet and only hoped she didn’t make a fool of herself. “Now take a deep breath and visualize yourself standing in a tropical rain forest.”
“Which one?”
She peeked one eye open to see if he was messing with her to find him sitting there with his eyes closed, a slightly confused expression on his face. “It doesn’t matter. They’re all the same—calm and tranquil.”
Knox snorted. “Says the woman who’s obviously never spent any time in a tropical rain forest. You try walking around in a soaking wet uniform for two weeks, getting rashes in places you didn’t even know you had, and then tell me how calm and tranquil you feel.”
“Are you screwing with me?” she asked, her gums and fingertips starting to tingle in aggravation. “Because if you don’t want to do this, just tell me.”
He opened his eyes, looking a little chagrined. “I do want to do this. Really. It’s just…well, rain forests aren’t exactly a calming place for me.”
She sighed. “Fine. Would you prefer a hardwood forest in the mountains instead? Maybe in early fall, before the leaves have all changed colors and the air is starting to get cooler?”
