Page 8 of Spellbound & Speechless
“Mac.” I tilt my head to the side. “Are you coming on to me, Antoni?”
“Maybe.” He flashes a flirtatious smile. “Only if you want me to. Otherwise… no. Not me. I would never.”
Again, I wait for my wolf to do something. Perk up its ears, take control,something. Nothing. He must not be intothis guy. Usually,I’mthe picky one. I guess this works in my favor.
I chuckle. “Look, I’m flattered, but I’m not looking for something like that right now. Sorry.”
“No worries. I get it.” That should be the end, but he lingers, sizing me up. “What about a pack?”
I take a step back. My heart races. “What?”
“Are you looking for a pack?”
No. Never. The answer sits on the tip of my tongue. It should come without a second thought. I’m not looking for a pack, and I never will. My mother taught me all about them. Packs teach you to rely on others, but you can’t rely on anyone, no matter what they say.
The problem is that… well, lone wolves have a particular scent. Other wolves can sniff us out in a second. This isn’t the first time someone has asked me to join their pack, but they usually take their time. They wine and dine me first. Antoni doesn’t beat around the bush.
In my mind, my wolf growls, even as the stranger smiles.
Antoni holds up his hands and laughs. “No harm and no pressure! I just wanted to check. We’re recruiting, you know.”
“Thank you for the offer.” I nod curtly. “I’m not looking for that either, but I’ll keep you in mind if anything changes.”
My opinion won’t change, and I won’t keep him in mind. The thought alone makes my wolf growl louder, snapping and biting. I rub my chest.
“I get it,” Antoni says. “You’re visiting a new town, and now you’re meeting a new pack. It’s a lot.”
This guy doesn’t know me. Who does he think he is? My smile shifts into something sour. My nose curls, and my gaze casts off to the side. “It’s fine.”
“You know, we rent this place out on Wednesdays, if you want to stop by for a meeting. No pressure, just an open bar and free food.”
“Thanks for the invitation.” My mother also taught me manners, and I’ll use them, even though I have no plan to attend their meeting. “I’ll consider it.”
“Wednesday.” He points at me. “Four o’clock. We’ll be in the back, in their private room. Ask for the Crivello pack.”
Gathering information about the pack is a smart idea, even if I’m not joining them. The more I know about this town, the better. One of them may be able to lead me to what I’m looking for.
“Are you the only pack in town?” I ask.
“Mhm. We haven’t had a rival pack since the 80s, and if the elder’s stories are anything to go by… well, that wasn’t such a pretty time.”
“I’m guessing your pack is a big one.”
“Oh, yeah. Most wolves in Starbrook are part of the pack.”
Packs come in all sizes. Some are smaller, more like families. Others are large, like his, and take over an entire region. If they’re a territorial pack, I’ll need to be on my best behavior. A lone, rogue wolf who misbehaves is even worse than a rival pack, but I don’t intend to be that. I come, get what I need, and leave without a trace.
That’s how it always goes.
I smile through my growling, tense wolf. “You’ll be seeing me in no time. I’ll stop by.”
It’s a lie, and I have a feeling he knows it—my beating heart gives me away. If I don’t have time to date, I definitely don’t have time for a pack.
Figuring out why my wolf brought me to this town has to come first. It starts tonight at the Moonlit Tavern.
Chapter 4
Aspen
