I couldn’t.
I patted the pouch at my hip, feeling the firm outline of the rare nuts we’d collected. Most shifters laughed at my obsession, but they didn’t understand. Specific nuts gave me a physical advantage. No one needed to know that my “quirky hobby” was actually my arsenal.
If any of these assholes tried anything with Sammy, they’d learn exactly why squirrels survived despite being prey. Although who knew how many of us were left at this point.
“Stop glowering at everyone. We’re supposed to be blending in.” Sammy bumped her shoulder against my arm, her purple hair tucked neatly under a dark hood.
I hadn’t even realized I was doing it. “Right. Blending in. My specialty.”
She rolled her eyes, but the corner of her mouth twitched upward. My chest tightened at the sight.
As we walked to the entrance of the inn, the village bustled with shifters of all types moving through the streets, their animal natures obvious to anyone who knew what to look for. Wolves with their predatory movements. Bears with their heavy steps and watchful eyes. Foxes nimbly darting in and out of spaces.
And then there was me. A fucking squirrel built like abrick shithouse, covered in tattoos meant to make me more threatening than nature had intended.
I kept my hand near my dagger as we stepped inside the two-story wooden structure that seemed ready to topple over with one good gust of wind.
The inn door creaked as it opened, and the man at the front desk snapped his head up. He looked like he had been snoozing.
“Can I help you?” He raised an eyebrow and swept his gaze down Sammy’s body.
I sniffed the air. A fox. Fucking fantastic. “We need a room.” I put our payment on the counter and stood up taller.
He was smaller than I was by a solid thirty pounds. His eyes landed on me, and his nostrils flared.
I frowned. I knew what was coming.
“Well, I’ll be damned. Nutty McNutterson, how are you doing?” He tilted his head back and let out a hearty laugh.
He was the only one laughing.
There were never many smaller shifters. Squirrels, in particular, struggled to conceive, and when they did, they often died during childbirth. Those who survived were picked off slowly by the more vicious shifters or suffered merciless taunting. Despite that, I wouldn’t trade being a squirrel for anything in the world.
Except when faced with a fox. Foxes could go fuck themselves.
“I see you haven’t changed. Can we get a room or not?” I rapped my knuckles on the wooden counter, drawing his attention away from Sammy.
His eyes widened, and he cleared his throat several times. It was like it was the first time he was taking a good look at me.
“You’rewith this pretty lady?” He took the money andslipped it into his pocket, not making a move to grab a key. “I’m surprised.”
Sammy sidled closer to me and wrapped her arm around my waist. She put her face against my arm. “Can we have the room key now? We’ve been traveling for so long that we need some privacy. I don’t want any ladies accidentally seeing my man’s big dick if I go down on him in public.”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing and draped my hand over her shoulder to touch her boob. I gave it a firm squeeze before moving it back to her shoulder.
The fox’s jaw nearly hit the desk. If I weren’t mistaken, a little drool was at the corner of his mouth. He slid the room key across the counter with his finger.
“You two have a nice night.”
I smirked and led Sammy to the stairs.
Once we were at the top, she shoved me away. “Don’t grab my tit like that again unless you plan on doing something about it, Nutters.”
“Don’t call me that.” I unlocked the door and stepped out of the way.
She brushed against my chest as she passed, and I bit back a moan. She hadn’t even done it on purpose, but the effect was the same.
It wasn’t that I didn’t love Sammy, because I did. The problem was that I couldn’t go through another loss like I did with Becca. Becca was my everything and my forever mate. When she and our unborn kit died, I damn near lost it for at least a quarter of a century.
