“Yeah,” Wyatt said. “It’s a feeling that makes us want to hang out with you, play with you, and have fun. But, like…not at all romantically appealing.”
“Gee,” I wryly said. “Thanks.”
Their words might sound mean, but it didn’t affect me too much. I’d been told I had a dog-like vibe since around the time I turned sixteen. It put a real cramp on my dating life.
“Oh, that is a good way to frame it, Wyatt. You might not be able to get a girlfriend, but at least you haven’t been outright rejected like Pip a dozen times because you have a dog vibe.” Aeric patted Wyatt on the shoulder.
“It wasn’t a dozen times!” I snapped. “It wasn’t even half a dozen!”
“It started with Chase, right?” Wyatt asked. “You never even told him that you liked him, he just told you that you had the same aura as a Pomeranian. That was the start of the Pomeranian Puppy Power-up.”
Chase was an extremely handsome werewolf who was about ten years older than me, was serious, respectful, and awesome. He currently lived outside of the Pack and worked for the fae Queen of the Night Court.
I’d had the biggest unrequited crush on him as a teenager, but when he told me I was like a Pomeranian, that had pretty much crushed any romantic feelings I had for him.
“There was also Cliff, Trev, and Weslan. They all said you had that dog vibe, too, so while they loved to hang with you, romance was off the table as the friend-feel is strong with you,” Wyatt recited.
Ahh, yes. That hadn’t done much to help my confidence, either.
My romantic life was in shambles. Or, really, I hadn’t ever had one.
I’d gone on a few dates with some human guys in college, but we never clicked because, as a hunter living in a supernatural community, I was just so different. I had very few shared experiences that would let me relate to a human.
“You know,” Aeric thoughtfully rubbed his chin, “I think it’s really admirable that you’re so happy being single. Really. I don’t know how you’d find anyone to date, anyway, so it’s great that you can find happiness by yourself. As a single person. With no one to love you.”
“I could go for another round of practice,” I cheerfully said. “Why don’t you two just stand there so I can aim at you?”
Wyatt cringed. “Too far?”
“More than a bit, yes,” I said.
“Sorry,” Aeric said. “We don’t mean it. I mean, you’re totally adored by the Pack, and you’re a blast to hang with. Maybe you should try dating a townie!”
“She confessed to one two years ago, remember? I think his name was Todd.” Wyatt nudged his friend. “He said he wasn’t interested in someone who was physically stronger than him.”
“Oh, I forgot that guy,” Aeric growled. “He’s just chauvinistic and obviously weak willed. Only insecure guys can’t handle that sort of thing. Don’t listen to him, Pip. We think it’s awesome!”
Despite my irritation with the pair, I laughed. “Thanks? I think?” I said. “So was there a reason you guys came to find me, or did you just want to discuss Wyatt’s love life?”
They’d done that before—find me just to talk about dating dramas.
Wyatt squinted at the forest canopy that stretched over our heads while I swatted at a mosquito. “Why did we come find you?” He swiveled to face Aeric. “Was it to tell her about the Pack run?”
“Nah, she can’t come on the run,” Aeric said. “Sorry, Pip.”
“I’m used to it,” I comfortably said.
I was allowed to see more of the werewolves than the humans attached to the Pack—including their own kids—but there were some hard boundaries they held, that kept me on the outside.
It was something I’d made my peace with ages ago, and it helped me with my own boundaries. A lot of my life was spent saying goodbye—first to my parents, then Mama Dulce and Papa Santos, then finally with Alpha Hudson and Lynn, who had been a second family to me. Alpha Hudson and Lynn were still alive. They’d just moved away thanks to Greyson and his future career in politics.
The distance between the Pack and me makes it safer. There’s so much less heartache for me.
I was better off with relationships that were fun, but didn’t go so painfully deep—like my friendship with Wyatt and Aeric.
Aeric straightened a pleat of his skort. “I remember! We came here because we’re supposed to go get ice cream with Shania in an hour, and we wanted to invite her.”
Wyatt snapped his fingers. “That was it! You want ice cream? I’ll pay!”
“Yeah, sounds fun. I have to clean my gear first, though.” I held my rifle up and scrutinized it, barely noticing when I felt another werewolf pop into range of my hunter senses—it happened all the time on Pack land.
“Sounds great,” Aeric said. “We’ll go find Shania and meet you—” Aeric froze, and Wyatt tensed up.
That has to mean the werewolf is—
A huge white wolf appeared—Greyson.
Chapter 5
Pip
As a wolf, Greyson was the largest in the Pack, nearly reaching my chest when he was just standing. He was a pristine shade of white—yes, his name is Greyson, but he’s solid white, I think it’s hilarious—and he had giant paws, long legs, and golden eyes hooded with a rim of black to make them extra bright in the starkness of his white fur.
As he did in his human body, Greyson oozed power, and was able to influence his packmates whatever his shape. As he sauntered through the forest undergrowth, Aeric and Wyatt bowed to him.
“Alpha Greyson,” they said.
Greyson’s gold eyes lingered on them for a moment, before he shifted his attention to me.
“Hey,” I said. I have such a flair for drama!
Greyson sat down and stared at his two minions.
“Yes, Alpha,” Wyatt said after a moment. “We will.”
I licked my finger and tried to buff out a smudge on the barrel of my rifle, used to hearing the awkward half-conversations.
Packmates could talk to one another in wolf, without the use of spoken words. Papa Santos had tried explaining to me that it wasn’t mind speaking to one another—words weren’t exchanged. He described it as an understanding of each other’s spirits.
Sounded spooky.
I didn’t know that I really wanted everyone “understanding” my spirit, so I was glad to chalk it up to another werewolf skill hunters didn’t have.
“We’ll meet you outside Howl-In Café, okay, Pip?” Wyatt said.
I tuned back into the conversation. “Yeah, okay, sounds great. It’ll take me about half an hour.”
“That’s fine, we’ll wait. See you then!” Wyatt waved before he and Aeric bowed to their Alpha, then trotted barefoot through the forest.
“You think we should transform back into our wolf forms?” Wyatt asked.
“Sure, but we have to stop by my house, then, to pick up clothes. Last time we stopped at the clothes drop off point, the only thing left there were those gaudy Hawaiian shirts Original Jack loves to wear, and I have a thing against flamingos.”
“Got it.”
I would have laughed at Aeric’s comment, but I was too busy wrinkling my forehead at Greyson.
He stayed near me—though he was standing now—and made no move to leave me.