I couldn’t help that I’d been born a girl. And it wasn’t like I could pledge myself to a neighboring pack, because werewolves couldn’t switch packs. The only thing werewolves could do was either be a part of their own pack, or move away—far away—so the distance prevented their bodies from changing. Those who stayed—lone wolves—were loose cannons hunted down byall.
August shook his head. “I didn’t think you’d ever comeback.”
“I wasn’t planning on it, but shithappens.”
He got that look that drove me insane. Pity. I probably shouldn’t have mentioned theshit-happenspart.
“Youokay?”
“I’ve had better days, but I’ve also had worseones.”
His frowndeepened.
I ran my hand through my long hair because, heck, nowIwasuncomfortable.
Slowly, slowly, his chiseled face smoothed out. “Are you here tostay?”
“Haven’t decided yet.” My skin pebbled from the vent blasting cold air over my head. I hugged my arms to my chest. “Want to take the conversation outside?” I was chilly, but I also wanted to get away from my aunt’s pricklyglower.
“Sure.”
As we walked through the open sliding-glass doors onto the overhanging porch that was almost as spacious as the living room, I said, “You don’tneedto talk to me by theway.”
He draped an arm around my shoulders and tucked me into his side. My entire body tightened at thecontact.
“Shut up. I just got my favorite girl back. Let me enjoyher.”
I snorted softly. “Favoritegirl?”
He amended, “Woman.”
I peered up into his face. His freckles seemed to have darkened. “I imagined you’d have plenty ofnewfavorite girls. I mean, look at you. You’re like a real mannow.”
“A real man?” He chuckled. “If everyone wasn’t staring at us right now, I’d put you in a headlock and rough up that pretty hair ofyours.”
“Don’t youdare.”
“Fine.” He looked down at me, still grinning. “Seriously, it’s so good to seeyou.”
“Likewise.” When we reached the guardrail fashioned from a tangle of sanded branches, I ducked out from underneath his heavy arm. “How’ve youbeen?”
“Pretty good. I enlisted a year after you left. It paid forcollege.”
“Navy orarmy?”
“Marines.”
I ran my fingers over the knots in the tawny wood that Dad and August’s father had put in after Jeb bought the inn. Dad had been a talented carpenter. He’d taught his trade to August’s father who purchased Dad’s company after hedied.
I placed my forearms on the thick balustrade and squinted at the dense copse of pines running up the sharp ridges of the Flatirons. The view from the inn definitely beat the one from the unit I used to call home. Not that I wouldeveradmit this toanyone.
“Heard you were working with your dad now,” Isaid.
“Yeah.” August stroked the wood, his fingers moving carefully over the knots, and then he turned and leaned againstit.
“How’sbusiness?”
“Booming. Want ajob?”
