“More than you do?”
He could only be honest. “Possibly more than I do, definitely more than the other wolves do.”
She tilted her head. “You’re not only the strongest. You also have the keenest senses.”
“To my knowledge it’s never been tested, but I’ve observed plenty of anecdotal evidence.”
A grin flashed across her face, and she covered her mouth as though she’d made a faux pas. “Sorry.”
“For what?”
“It’s just—you really do talk like a book every once in a while, and it’s…unexpected.”
“Given my beastly proportions.”
“Gosh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“It’s all right,” he said. “You can talk to me, April.”
She looked away, and for a moment her scent throbbed with deep pain. In response Malachi’s insides seemed to catch fire. He stood motionless, unthreatening to the degree he ever could be, but she didn’t meet his eyes.My mate!It was a groan now from his wolf heart. April was hurting, and she thought she was hiding it from him.
He left her to the books, drove his truck to the end of the driveway, and put it in park as Rhett approached the driver’s side. At six-foot-three, he was an inch or two shorter than the average wolf and built extra compact. Yes, his sense of smell was uncanny; but that wasn’t the primary reason Malachi had texted him instead of his other neighbor.
Rhett leaned on the truck and crossed his arms. “So.”
“Thanks for coming over,” Malachi said.
“So we’re not going to talk about your pungent new stench of musk and oranges and pheromones. Okay, noted.”
Malachi rumbled a growl at him. The pack tended to regard Trevor as the mouthiest wolf among them, but most of them had never experienced Rhett’s full arsenal of sarcasm.
“Or, if that’s an invitation, I could point out—”
Malachi unleashed a louder growl. No words necessary.
Rhett shrugged. “So your mate needs guarding?”
“I won’t be in town long. If any wolf you don’t know enters my property, stop him. If lethal force is necessary, use it.”
“Will do.”
There.Thatwas why he’d texted Rhett, not Aaron. He drew a long breath and let it out. His hand on the wheel stayed tense. “She escaped an abusive pack of six wolves including the alpha, and she believes they’ll try to track her.”
Rhett bared his teeth, and his gray eyes lit with anticipation. “Could be a real battle. Wolf against wolf. Probably to the death.”
“A battle to the death isn’t what I want.”
“But you’ll oblige them if they bring it here.”
“Of course.”
Another flash of his teeth, a low growl of approval. Then Rhett said, “I’ll guard her for you.”
“Thank you.”
“You do know, don’t you?”
With a low rumble of authority, he said, “I know my mate.”
