Page 43 of Taming of a Wolf

Anders growls his disapproval. “I know. Hunters burned the forests I hunted and played in as a pup.”

“Thankfully, a lot of environmental activists fight to preserve forests like these from greedy developers.”

Anders tilts his head thoughtfully. “Humans care about the forests?”

“Plenty of us do,” I assure him.

He hums, boots crunching over frosty grass as we walk. “Then those few humans would have plenty in common with my pack, strange as it is to say. Why did you bring me here?”

I spin around to face him. “I want you to teach me how to be a wolf.”

A curious smile hooks the corner of his mouth. “Oh? Why?”

“Why not! I’ve spent all my life totally oblivious to this side of myself.”

Anders leans back against a tree, eyes bright with interest. “What would you like to know?”

“Anything, everything. I want to learn how to hunt. How to howl at the moon. I don’t care. I want to know everything there is to know.”

A raspy chuckle escapes Anders. “Fair enough.”

“And in exchange… I can teach you how to be a part of my world. If you want.” When his brows furrow, my heart sinks. I hope I haven’t offended him. “What I mean is I can show you the ways of this world. Show you that it isn’t as bad as you think it is. Sure, there are some crummy things about this time, I won’t lie, but there’s a lot of good too.”

Anders scuffs the heel of his boot across the ground. “I find that hard to believe.”

Going to him, I take his hands. They are rough with calluses, while mine are soft, aside from a few bandaged paper cuts. We’re so different, the pair of us. “Our worlds couldn’t be more different,” I admit, brushing my thumb over the hardened palm of his hand, “but that doesn’t mean they can’t coexist or that you can’t have a place here.”

There’s a light in Anders’s eyes, a softness to his features, before he tugs out of my touch. “I told you, my time here is short-lived. I cannot afford to be idle, not while my brother still controls my pack.”

“But it doesn’t have to be that way. Puppy dog, come on, don’t you get it?” I grip his shoulders. “You can find a new pack, a new home. Here.”Icould be his new pack, but I’m too nervous to say that out loud.

Anders scoffs, but he doesn’t pull away. “How could I ever fit in here?”

“Easy!” I slap his shoulder. “You start small. We could buy you more clothes. Change your hairstyle to be more contemporary if you want. You work in a bookshop, so I could teach you how to read.”

Those green eyes widen. “I… I couldn’t.” He takes a step back, withdrawing from me.

“Sure you can.”

He shakes his head wildly. “No! It’s impossible.” His hands ball into fists. “I used to think there was nothing I could not accomplish. But now, here, in this place, I—” With a frustrated sigh, Anders paces away from me. “I’m not good at anything. All my skills are meaningless.” Sighing, he hangs his head. This giant of a man suddenly seems so small in all his self-doubt. “There’s no place in this world for me.”

The bitter defeat in his voice makes my heart ache. “That’s not true.” Going to him, I turn him around to face me. “Go easy on yourself. Be patient. And if that’s too hard, hey, I’ve got plenty of patience for the both of us. Just give reading a chance. I’ll help you. You won’t do this alone.”

A sigh escapes Anders, his breath caressing my lips. “I will try it, pet, but I make no promises that I’ll be any good. However, if you’d like to learn the ways of the wolf, I’d be more than happy to teach you. That I can do easily.”

My spirits soar. “Yes! Okay! Let’s get started. Teach me all the wolfy things.”

Anders pulls up his hood. The gaping wolf maw falls over his face, and fur erupts all over his body. Within seconds, he stands before me in his breathtaking wolf form. I’ll never get used to seeing such a big, beautiful wolf up close.

On my knees, I ruffle his fluffy cheeks. “You are so beautiful.”

He huffs, tongue lolling. He looks goofy and adorable. I know in this form he’s a fearsome predator, but to me, he’s just my sweet, grumpy, oversized puppy.

“Strange to hear you say that.”His Nordic voice fills my mind.

“Why?” I stroke the tip of his big ear.

He flicks his ear, then growls.“You were raised as a human. I’m amazed you weren’t taught to hate and fear wolves. Every human I have known has only ever treated me like a savage beast.”

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