“Meet us downstairs in five,” Logan told me sternly as he and Nadine left me tomyself.
I looked at the clock on the night table and inwardly shivered. It was 6:06 AM. An ungodly hour. If there were two things that were true to my soul, it’s that, one: I hated exercise, and two: I was not a morningperson.
I rifled through my pile of clothes and found some black knit harem pants and a lacy bralette that might pass for a sports bra. Then I slipped on a long sleeve V-neck and put on the pink tennis shoes. It wasn’t exactly attractive, but it woulddo.
After slipping into the bathroom to brush my teeth, I made my way downstairs. Sophie was wearing skin-tight leggings and a bright pink sports bra, her hair into a high pony tail as she flipped some eggs on the stove. Nadine and Logan were stretching, and I noticed Dom was asleep sitting up in the corner of the room with his gun on his lap, finger on thetrigger.
Sophie looked back as if she sensed me; when she got a look at my outfit she stifled a smile. Scooping some eggs on a plate, she motioned towardsthem.
“None of the idiots around here can cook, so I’m left with the job,” she told me, as if that was some sparkling invitation to eat the eggs she had justmade.
I grabbed the plate. “Well, I’m a pretty good cook, so I don’t mind helpingout.”
Her body flinched for a moment and then relaxed. “Cool,” shesaid.
“Is Keegan still asleep?” I directed my question atNadine.
She shook her head. “Nah, he got up about an hour ago. There is an alpha nearby and he wanted to introduce himself and let him know this is our newterritory.”
Let him know. Not ask him. I raised an eyebrow and Nadine laughed. “Cooper and Gear went with him. He’ll befine.”
I shoveled the eggs in my mouth and looked at Logan, who was staring at me with a smirk. “I’m afraid if I train you right away I might kill you. So go for a light jog with Nadine and then meet me in thebarn.”
Dick #2.Keegan definitely got the #1 spot, but Logan was closebehind.
“I can run when my life depends on it,” I informed him with a glare. All of a sudden I felt butt hurt that Sophie’s ass looked like you could bounce a penny off of it and mine had a unique jiggle. My eyes fell on Nadine’s arms and I decided that she was probably stronger than Gear. Those guns weretoned.
“I know. But when you stop, and you’re out of breath and weak, that’s when the hunters attack,” Logan told me. Dammit, he was right, but I didn’t want to admitit.
I decided to say nothing, and Nadine just linked arms with me and pulled me for the door. “Ignore them. You’ll be kicking ass and taking names before you knowit.”
I smiled. Nadine was like my own personal fortunecookie.
* * *
“Call 9-1-1.I’m having a heart attack,” I told Nadine between labored breaths. We weren’t running on flat terrain here. I was leaping over fallen logs and rocks and it was a miracle I hadn’t broken my ankle yet. There was a distinct burning in my chest and I was sure my ticker was about toexplode.
Nadine smiled. “Okay, let’s walk and talk for five. Didn’t you hike the GrandCanyon?”
She mercifully slowed to a fast walk and I followed, getting some relief to my lungs.Air. Air is good.My legs felt like Jell-O. Damn all of those nights watching Netflix for six hours straight. When I could finally speak, I answered her question: “Yes, but walking and running are like two different species. And I thought I was dying then too.” The Grand Canyon had been tough, but I had gone alone, and no one was there to push me harder or see me complain. Just the average fellow hiker. It had been freeing being out there alone, just me and Mother Nature. I was used to beingalone.
Nadine ignored my comment and switched gears. “Okay, so I know you’re dying to know the scoop about everyone,” she told me as we ducked under a lowbranch.
I wasn’t really, but sure. Inodded.
“Sophie and Logan dated for like six months, against Keegan’s wishes, and it totally blew up. They were all wrong for each other and now it’s totallyawkward.”
Oh, this was the scoop. Yes, I did want to know this. “Wrong how?” I asked, confident now that I had enough oxygen totalk.
Nadine shrugged. “They just didn’t mesh. Logan is the strong, silent, moody type. Kind of a Keegan and Dom mix. Sophie is superficial and high maintenance. They had nothing incommon.”
“Cool,” I said stupidly, trying to ignore the way my dragon purred inside of me at the admission that Logan and Sophie were all wrong for eachother.
Nadine continued: “So Gear joined the pack about two years ago and I’m totally in love with him.” She swooned, but her face didn’t look happy; it was marred with afrown.
“Two years? Why haven’t you guys hooked up?” Two years was a long time to crush onsomeone.
Nadine slowed to a slug’s pace, for which I was grateful. “Too many reasons. One, I don’t think he’s that into me. I mean, we kissed once on New Year’s Eve, but he got weird after. Two, Keegan forbids two shifters in the same pack to date unless they are mates. It messes everything up, as Logan proved. And three, Gear really loves the pack and so do I. If we broke up and shit got weird, then one of us would have to leave, and I know Keegan would boot him before me. I would never do that tohim.”
