Page 45 of Wolf's Providence

“What has?” Why did I feel like I wasn’t going to like the answer?

“Humans and shifters aren’t favored by Pack Council,” Cannon told me bluntly. “Shifters stick to shifters. It’s not accepted overall to go outside of the…species,” he added.

“Excuse me?” I knew my jaw was slack.

“We’re a different species to human. We don’t generally have relationships with humans.” He was so forthright in the way he said things, even when there were gentler ways of telling someone that the guy they were falling for didn’t have a future with her.

“But Doc is mixed,” I blurted. “He’s human and shifter.”

“Yes, he hassomeshifter in him, but he also has very few of the benefits of being a shifter.” When he saw I didn’t understand, he sighed deeply. “He can’tshift, Willow. He will never have a son or daughter who is a shifter. Shifters that have relationships with humans are usually just using them for sex. Nothing more.”

I felt sick. Caleb’s angry snort didn’t help.

“She doesn’t need to know this right now,” he protested. “We have more important things happening.”

“Using them for sex?” I asked, feeling completely adrift.

Caleb crouched down to look at me. Reaching out his hand, he cupped my cheek. “Not me.” When he saw I didn’t believe him, his frown deepened. “No, Willow. It’s notjustsex,” he assured me. “I’m pissed off you think it would be,” he added, leaning forward to brush his lips over mine. “You and I, this is happening. Anyone who doesn’t like it?” He stroked his thumb over my cheek. “They can fuck off. I don’t care about what anyone thinks, only you.”

My mind was still reeling. “I mean, I’m not saying I was expecting you to put a ring on it or anything. I’m not a crazy psycho. We havesomuch shit to work through, but…” I looked up at Cannon. “Can Caleb get in trouble for this? For me?” My eyes widened. “Is this why I’m being targeted?” When Caleb went to speak, I placed a finger over his lips. “Cannon, I’m askingyou.”

“I don’t know,” he told me simply. “It’s unlikely because you and Caleb didn’t have this relationship when it happened,” he said as he looked directly at me. “But I won’t lie and tell you it could—it probably will—bring problems in the future for you, both of you.”

FOURTEEN

Caleb

She was avoiding lookingat me, and I wanted to rip Cannon’s flapping tongue from his body. Willow didn’t need this kind of shit in her head right now. We had other problems,biggerproblems. Problems that wereactuallyproblems, not this.

Willow was mine, and I didn’t give a fuck what anyone thought of that.

“Look at me,” I said gently, willing her to lift her eyes from where she had them trained on the floor. “Willow,lookat me.”

Slowly her gaze lifted, and I saw the confusion and the hurt there. She needed reassurance, something to ground her. I could give her that. “You’re stuck with me,” I teased her gently, hoping to see a hint of a smile. “We’re linked, Willow. You and I, we’re bound together. Luna put us together for a reason. Luna doesn’t care that you’re human, and neither do I.”

Willow bit the corner of her bottom lip, her eyes darting to Cannon. “What if it was only to help each other, not sleep with each other?”

“Are you ready for the ‘until death do us part’ step?” I asked her bluntly. Her eyes widened in alarm at the very thought of it, which I tried not to take as an insult. “Exactly, it’s too soon forthis to even be a concern for you. You take it one day at a time. If this is your ever after, then this is your ever after. Okay?”

Hesitantly, she nodded, and I gave her one more brief kiss before I stood and turned to Cannon. The look I gave him told him to shut his mouth, and wisely, he heeded my unspoken request.

“We’re leaving,” I told him bluntly. “Heading back to Whispering Pines. I’ve reached out to an old…friend.” I ignored the quirk of his eyebrow. “Iwillfind out who’s targeting her and why.” His face gave away nothing, but I sensed something off about him. “You know something?” I asked. “What is it?”

Willow was looking up at him with a look of curiosity and confusion. “Do you?”

Cannon sucked his teeth and then gave a half-hearted shrug. “It might be nothing.”

“It might be something,” I countered. “What?”

He glanced at Willow but chose to continue. “You told Willow you thought someone, or someones, were trying to get you off Shadowridge Peak. To give up your claim to the mountain.”

I hadn’t really wanted her to share that information, but after what I did to her, why would she hold my confidences? “And?”

Cannon gave me a flat stare. “I don’t want your packlands; I have my own,” he said with a slight reprimand. “But…it’s possible there are packs, or a pack, that would want you to give up the claim.”

“Who?” I demanded.

“I don’t know.” He held up his hand. “Don’t start on me, Caleb. I’m telling you the truth, Idon’tknow. But I am looking into it.”

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