“But if you turn back at that road that was paved then you’d end up at the ranger station and it heads to the trails and stuff.” I wasn’t sure what he’d need to know but the information would make him feel more confident at the very least. “That’sgot humans in and out all day, though, so no shifting or funny business unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
There were rumors that we had wolves in the area but we’d been careful enough that they were mostly seen as urban legends.
“This road has a spell that discourages humans from going past it, so most of the visitors don’t come this direction.” Explaining that to the pup had me glancing back at Dorian again.
Nope.
He was still singing along with something on the radio and hadn’t noticed the spell at all.
What was he?
“There are also cameras and more human tech shit to monitor this part of the property. It’s a pain in the ass but it’s made it easier to keep our privacy.” And it would let me know if a pup with a penchant for trouble snuck out in the middle of the night.
“I’m not sure how far away you’re from, but we do have a variety of creatures in the area and not just regular gators, so do not go wandering toward the swamp in the dark.” Jerking my head behind us toward the main road, I frowned. “The border for the swamp is on the other side of the road and there is dangerous shit and weird shit in there. No one goes in the swamp alone. Not even me. Got it?”
He must’ve at least felt how firm I was going to be on that part because he gave a low whine and understanding radiated from him.
“Good. If I have to explain to Dorian that you got eaten by a gator or whatever the fuck is messing with the gators, he’ll kill me.” And that wasn’t my goal when it came to the little math teacher. “I’m not going to be the one to piss him off, or protect you if he goes feral on your ass.”
That got more laughter from the pup but also a smile that felt warmer. He liked how protective Dorian was at the very least.
“Alright, almost home.” Thank the ancestors. “We’re going to head inside and skip introductions right off the bat.”
Because I wasn’t going to flash either of them around until I knew what the fuck had happened to the pup.
“Once you’ve had a chance to shift and get some clothes on to protect your sensibilities, then we’ll figure shit out and make sure Dorian knows you’re safe.” Then I could make him focus on me and not the pup.
I laughed when hunger radiated from the dramatic pup.
“Yes, food too.” I wasn’t sure how long it’d been since he’d eaten, but the kibble they’d given him in the shelter had been untouched. “We’ll start with something quick and then grill burgers later if you want.”
He wanted.
Nothing in his behavior said he was worried about jumping into a new pack or being around strangers, making me wonder where the fuck he’d come from. Jessen’s last texts had made it clear we still hadn’t gotten any notifications about a missing pup, which was shady as fuck for a variety of reasons.
“You know…I’m not sure what we’ll do if our math teacher turns out to be vegan.” We’d never had one in the pack but too many stupid internet stories had turned them into theboogie man that elders threatened pups with…be careful or the ancestors will give you a vegan as a mate.
They were all ridiculous but so was the internet.
The pup thought that was hilarious too and ended up huffing and snickering as we parked in front of the main packhouse. “Come on. Let’s make sure Dorian knows you’re safe.”
He was going to have to learn to trust me, but I was willing to be patient for a few more days while he got used to how things worked.
“Let’s go.” Opening my door, I moved to the side so the pup could jump out. I knew he wouldn’t wait until I could go around and open the other door, and I chuckled as he immediately made a quick circle around the car.
Dorian found it just as funny as he climbed out of his car, shaking his head. “Part of me wants to tell him to be careful.”
I didn’t respond to it, but whatever he saw on my face had him crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at me. “I didn’t say it to him. I just confessed it to you. So unless you want me to censor my thoughts, you’ll get that look off your face.”
He may have had a point…but he was adorable when he was basically growling at me.
“Yes, Wölfchen, you are correct.” I was smart enough to understand reaching out to touch him would be a dangerous decision, but I was also wolf enough to struggle with the decision. “However, in my defense, most of the humans I interact with on a personal level understand all about our world.”
All of them basically.
That had him pausing and ignoring the pup’s circles. “Really?”
“Yes.” Reminding myself he wasn’t challenging me, I nodded. “There are human mates here but they have grown up knowing about our people. I think the last mate who came from completely outside of our world was when I was a teenager?”
