Page 26 of Claimed by the Pack

10

Chase

Ididn't know what Ridge was up to, but I could tell he was up to something, and it would probably end with him in trouble and maybe poor Grayson too.

Ridge and the alphas finally got back from the crime scene sight late on Sunday afternoon. I had guard duty on the compound all day so as I was making my rounds and I saw how exhausted they all were.

They all seemed to be interested in nothing but food, shower and bed. I'm not sure what, if anything they'd found out about the dead men yet, but they had spent the better part of two days going back and forth out there with the detectives that came out from Bali.

When I passed by Ridge and Grayson's little cabin, Ridge was on the phone. He was inside, but his window was open and it really wasn't my fault that wolves have great hearing. We all know that, so if he wanted to keep things under wraps, he should lower his voice.

I may have stopped when I realized what he was talking about and I may have stood upwind so he couldn't smell me there, hiding and eavesdropping. But I was glad I did because maybe I can waylay whatever crazy plans he had now, before he dragged poor Grayson into his mess. Grayson was so naive and Ridge was his hero. He'd follow him blindly into a fire if he thought Ridge needed him, and sometimes I thought Ridge took advantage of that.

“Hey Gray. I guess you can't carry your phone around on this assignment. I hope you hid it in a safe place. Call me when you get this message. I'm anxious to find out if you heard anything about me...does she hate me, or do you think there's a chance for me? Have you seen any signs of her dating anyone else or anyone else sniffing around, interested? Call me, buddy, please.”

Somehow he sent Grayson in to get information from Cheyenne, but how? Who was he posing as?

I almost went over and knocked on his door and asked him, but I thought hearing it from him would make me complicit. If I just went on a little investigative excursion of my own, and happened to find something out...well, I couldn't be blamed for that in the end, could I?

I looked at the time on my phone. Hansel, a young wolf that the pack picked up before they left Afghanistan, was supposed to relieve me and take over the post for the rest of the evening in five minutes.

Maybe once he did, I'd take a walk...or more like a run, into town.

Sadly, as much as I was curious about what Ridge was up to, I was even more interested in seeing Cheyenne again.

I'd never admit that to Ridge.

He is sure she's his mate. I have no idea what it's supposed to feel like when you meet your mate. I always just assumed that like Ridge, I would just know.

What I knew about Cheyenne was that I was drawn to her in a different way than I'd ever been drawn to a woman, female wolf or human. I've had her on my mind a lot even before the cabin. Seeing her in the bar, talking and laughing with Ridge used to cause a little ache in my heart. I would never try to compete with Ridge.

He was my best friend, my brother, almost, and even if I was disloyal enough to try and compete, Ridge is much better looking than me.

He's bigger and stronger, and I know that he's smarter…

No woman would want me, when Ridge was one of her choices.

But it wouldn't hurt to look at her, right?

I liked looking at her. I liked her smile and the way her pretty dark eyes lit up when she laughed.

“Hey!” I jumped, startled at the sound of Hansel's voice.

“Hey.”

“You were like a million miles away. What were you thinking about?” I felt my face go hot. I'm a terrible liar.

“Lunch,” I said.

Hansel laughed. “Yeah? Maybe dinner with a beautiful she wolf.”

I rolled my eyes and said, “Unfortunately those are in short supply around here.”

Hansel nodded and said, “I say we go back to the old ways, the mating rituals and all that. We could find a few willing human women I bet. It would be kind of fun, to fight for them, don't you think?”

I laughed.

“Yeah, but good luck convincing our human alphas of that.”

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