Page 42 of Taming of a Wolf

“Sure. But that doesn’t mean you can’t hurt.” My own insecurity niggles at me, that maybe there’s something wrong withmeorotherwise he’d want me to care for him. Leaning all my weight to the side, I succeed in pulling him down to the mattress. I’m almost hanging off the edge, but Anders tugs me closer so I don’t fall. Rubbing his hard chest, I say, “What’s so great about your brother you think he could whisk me away?”

“Nothing… except everything,” Anders admits.

“But I thought you hated him?”

“I do. He’s a fool. He had everything handed to him, and he never deserved it, while I had to work twice as hard for anyone to give a damn.”

“But there must be something you like about him. Otherwise, you wouldn’t feel this way if youreallybelieved you were better than him. You know?”

Anders gnashes his teeth and is quiet for nearly a minute. Finally, he exhales and says, “He’s skilled. It seems once he sets his mind to something, he excels at it. Effortlessly. Mayhap because he’s an Alpha, he’s more determined to be the best he can be.” Annoyance hardens his voice, but I’m happy he admitted to something. “And for whatever reason, everyone seems to like him without any extra effort on his part. Whereas I’m…”

“Prickly to anyone who isn’t me?” I offer.

“Aye,” he admits.

“Well,” I say, drawing out the word, “maybe if you open up more to others and let them get to know all the other little shades of you, people would like you more? Give Jess and Bailey a chance.”

Anders frowns. “If you met my brother, mayhap—”

“Nope.” I swing my leg over his hips and crawl over him. My blood simmers as our bodies press together. “I can assure you I’d like you more. I don’t think you understand, but I’m pretty obsessed with you, puppy dog.”

A smirk lifts his lips. “Forsooth, I couldn’t tell.” Sarcasm laces his words.

“And so what if you made a few mistakes? Everyone does when they’re learning. Besides, you made up with Jess, and Bailey likes you.”

“They do not.”

I scoff. “Trust me, if Bailey didn’t like you, you’d know. They’ll warm up to you in no time. Jess and Bailey are just protective of me, that’s all.”

Anders tilts his head, his hands rubbing up and down my back soothingly. “Why?”

I shrug, unsure how to get into it without killing the mood and bringing up bad memories. “We’ve all been through a lot, that’s all.”

A frown creases Anders’s forehead. “Did someone hurt you?”

“No… Not someone. Just life, I guess.” I push down the memories before they can surface. “Don’t really wanna get into it. Anyway, I thought you did great on your first day. Did you almost murder Jess? Yeah, sure. Did you make a mess? A little. But come on, give yourself more credit. You’re from a whole other time, having all these new experiences. You’re doing amazing.”

Anders huffs, but I can tell he’s still unsatisfied.

I give his chest a pat. “How about we do something familiar to you? We could take our furs and go running somewhere.”

Anders’s eyes light up with interest. “You want to?”

“Yeah. You up for it?”

A smile spreads across Anders’s face. “Sounds good.”

After dropping Jace off at school the next day, I take Anders for a drive to a national park up in Yonkers. It’s only a forty-five-minute drive, so I won’t be late picking up Jace.

“Where are we going?” Anders asks.

“Somewhere I think you’ll like.”

Finally, I kill the engine at the base of a hiking trail. When I throw on my furs, I can hear for miles, smell all the colors of the woods with even more clarity than without them.

“This is… it’s familiar,” Anders says, pausing to take in a deep breath. “These woods remind me of home. I wouldn’t have thought such unspoiled wilderness still remained in your time.”

I smile sadly. “Trust me, if humans had their way, all these trees would be torn down. In this world, there isn’t a lot of respect for nature, not unless we can profit from it in some way.”

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