Page 60 of Taming of a Wolf

Anders’s face goes pale as a character dies in the battle against Sauron. “Y-you’re sure?”

I take his hand and squeeze. “I promise, puppy dog. It’s all make-believe.”

He grips my hand tight. “O-oh. All right then.” Anders relaxes more once all the fighting has stopped. He has lots of questions. “Where is this place? It’s beautiful.”

“They filmed a lot of the movie in New Zealand,” I whisper, handing him some bread.

“Why is the little fellow so short? He doesn’t look like a child.” He points at Frodo.

I chuckle. “He’s not actually short. Special effects make him look short.”

Anders loves the scene with the fireworks. I almost like watching him more than the movie as he gasps in awe and astonishment, earning a few amused looks from Jess and Bailey.

He’ll fit in with my friends just fine.

Chapter 16

Anders

My encounter with KieranGrove replayed in my head the rest of yesterday.

Fears I thought I’d buried clawed their way to the surface. Why was Kieran here? What has happened to my village since I’ve been gone?

I can’t sleep, tossing and turning. I dread what my village and the island itself will look like when I return. Will Kieran have invited hunters into our home? They will burn the forests. Hunt the game and starve my family. Burn them with fire and silver. Is Wulfric still alive? What about my brothers and my aunt?

Oh gods. I’ve let myself become so complacent.

I have to go back. Soon. I must assess the situation and plan a course of action. If humans have descended upon my pack, then I will do whatever I can to aid them. If Wulfric has let the humans take over, then I must challenge him. I’ll have no choice, though the prospect of facing my brother in combat doesn’t fill me with the thrill it once did.

When I open my eyes, morning has come. Jamie’s side of the bed is empty but warm. I roll over and face the ceiling. My chest is heavy. I know what I must ask of him. I only pray he won’t be upset.

The apartment smells like coffee and pancakes. I love pancakes. Jamie is humming in the kitchen. “Morning,” Jamie chirps. He has bags under his eyes. “Did you like the movie?” He hands me a plate of oatmeal pancakes.

We finished the first movie, and Bailey and Jess told me there were two more. “It was… interesting.” Once I’d realized the people in the box, the TV, weren’t going to come out and lop my head off, I’d relaxed.

I take a big bite of my pancake and moan. They’re so soft and fluffy. My mate is an amazing cook. I drizzle some maple syrup over the cakes for extra sweetness, then add a splash to my coffee.

“You and your sweet tooth,” Jamie says, voice soft and fond. “I’m guessing you didn’t have a good time. Your face did that thing that makes you look constipated.”

“They’re fine people. For humans. But I admit I still don’t trust them, or any human for that matter.”

Jamie’s face falls. “Anders.”

“You grew up among humans, Jamie. I grew up being hunted by them. No matter how kind they may seem, once they learn what you are, your friends will turn against you.”

Jamie recoils. “What? No. They’d never.”

I sigh. “It’s a fact. They can never know what we are.”

Jamie folds his arms. “I don’t believe you. Sure, maybe some humans would be jerks about it, but Jess and Bailey are good. They’d never hate us just for being different.”

“It’s not about being different,” I snap, needing him to understand. “They will only ever see us as monsters, Jamie.”

But my stubborn mate only shakes his head. “You don’t know that, Anders. You can’t just make snap judgments like that.”

“It’s a judgment based on a lifetime’s worth of the cruelty of humans.”

“What is with you? You’ve been acting grouchy and paranoid ever since you saw Kieran.”

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