It wasn’t really a question but he shook his head anyway.
“I have a blanket but that’s still not appropriate.” This was ridiculous…but I really needed to add clothes to my emergency kit. “I’ll follow you home and he can change into something there. If he’s comfortable with that?”
When he stopped snorting out laughter, the pup, as Braun called him, nodded in a very human-looking way.
“Wonderful.” That was a start in the right direction, so I focused back on Braun. “Then once he’s changed, he can explain the situation and I’ll be able to say it was handled appropriately.”
They were ridiculous.
“Stop sighing. I’m a mandatory reporter and he’s a teenager.”
This was not rocket science.
“Fine.” Braun shrugged. “I was going to keep you anyway, so this works too.”
Ignoring that since it had to be some kind of cultural translation issue, I looked down at our new friend who was doing that silly laugh again. “Are you okay with that plan?”
It couldn’t hurt to double-check. If he wasn’t comfortable, we’d figure something else out, but luckily for us, he stepped toward the car. His meaning was clear, but the way it tugged on the leash had him shaking and frowning like he was wearing a shirt that didn’t fit.
“Just a few more minutes and then you can take it off.” We didn’t need to do anything to stand out more than we already did. “I think getting out of here is the best idea.”
We were spending entirely too much time talking to a dog who responded back.
“Agreed.” Our take-charge Alpha opened the door and let Max inside the car. “Don’t shed.”
That was not a reasonable order, so it was my turn to roll my eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’ll vacuum out.”
His huff said he didn’t believe me.
“Which direction are we going?” Following him around to the other side of the car where I was parked, I didn’t bother waiting patiently for him to volunteer information. “I’m not sure where you live.”
I wasn’t sure about a lot of things but that was a good start.
“It would’ve been easier if you’d just come with me in the first place.” Braun seemed like he was going to hold a grudge on that unreasonable order for a long time.
“I couldn’t leave my car at the gas station.” And I wasn’t going to get in the car with a strange man just because he was attractive and talked about being an Alpha werewolf. “You’d have just needed to drive me back there later. This way is more convenient.”
He really needed to stop giving me that look…I was right and he knew it.
“Fine.” He wasn’t graceful about it but he gave up and nodded away from town. “We have a small…neighborhood on the other side of the state park. We have to drive around it, though, so it’ll feel farther than it actually is.”
“Understood.” But. “You didn’t want to say neighborhood. Do you usually call it a compound? That seems like the right word even though it’s got negative connotations to it. I don’t think you’re some kind of cult or paramilitary organization…unless you are? Either one, really.”
I’d been thinking of them as a unique culture, but I needed to go back and read what the definition of a cult was.
“We’re not a cult or some kind of hired guns.” Braun was back to looking like he wanted to pout. “We’re park rangers.”
Ah.
“That seems like it would be a very good job for you.” And the pout was gone. I really needed to be more careful of his feelings. “I can’t wait to hear more about it.”
Yes, I was going to be nice to the pouting mountain of a werewolf and he was going to tell me all about the people in my neighborhood.
It was going to be a very practical tradeoff.
Just practical.
Nothing else.
