Page 24 of Runaway Wolf
“The only house he could have had access to is the one Penny rented at the border of the property. It’s also where we made our plans. Alex, I’m gonna have you and Joaquin sweep the place as soon as he gets here with Misty. Amos, look up the property records and see if we can find out who the owner is.”
“If it’s an LLC?”
“Get me the details. Dates when it was opened, the registered address. I want to make sure the rental is neutral, especially since it’s on the edge of our domain.”
It probably wasn’t the best idea to bring Caitlin and Penelope to the meeting, but Penny was about to be a wolf soon. And he couldn’t bear to leave Caitlin anywhere alone, not with what had just happened. Besides, her being here was useful.
Right now, Caitlin—Cait—was the perfect Blackmoor bait.
Chapter Seven
HOT WATER CASCADED down the length of Caitlin’s back and she lightly scratched soapy suds into the side of her neck where she’d been licked.
Like a giant, metaphysical stain on her soul.
On the way home, well, to Penny’s almost-to-be ex-cabin, Penny had explained further to her how the wolves were riled because they could smell Rhett’s scent wafting from her. How it was more than just a scary thing to have him so close that he could have hurt her. He’d done something almost unforgiveable in the shifter world. He knew of the budding relationship between her and Isaac and had marked her in the supernatural way.
Noah said normally the pack wasn’t such a lot of assholes, but that they were riled up with the enemy’s scent brimming in their territory.
The scent wafting from her.
What he wasn’t saying was important. Rhett did a lot more damage than anyone had told her. She couldn’t fit into their pack like this. He’d taken a first moment from them. The first time Isaac introduced her to their people and it had been ruined by Rhett.
The fact that she only had a mere three weeks’ vacation there? Ruined because Noah explained the scent would linger for maybe a week.
The newness between her and Isaac? Ruined because he could barely stand to touch her. Oh, he tried. The entire car ride to his pack meeting, he tried to comfort her. But after her initial fear from the—well, assault—wore down, he couldn’t wait to get out of the car. He relaxed when he entered his cabin and so she stood far away, near Penny. But then Noah came to stand with her and Penny and she noticed how Noah grew snappy in her presence.
He’d whispered something to Penny, her eyes grew huge, and then Noah went to grab something. He returned in a flash and Penny took the box of wipes from him. She began to dab at Caitlin’s neck, explaining how the smell was riling everyone up.
Humiliating.
That was the worst thing about it. She’d been clueless, cuddling up to Isaac in the backseat of the car, not knowing how hard it had been for him to touch or to even be near her. But maybe that had been the brain fog from lack of sleep. The tiredness melted away with the adrenaline rush, but she wasn’t quite thinking clearly.
And the hurt? The feeling of rejection because Isaac nodded eagerly when Penny and Noah said they’d take her home on their way?
He was too eager.
Surely that was just melancholy from the mood shift too. She’d always been prone to mood swings when tired. She was the type who needed a full eight hours.
She hadn’t ever gone an entire night without sleep.
With one last rinse, she switched the water off and grabbed for a towel, briskly rubbing her neck raw before dryingthe rest of her body. She stepped in front of the mirror, tilted her head sideways, and scrutinized the spot. It was a reddened, splotchy mess that looked worse than it had when it was just the lick. Squinting her eyes, she peered closer into the steamy mirror. She might have actually done damage. It looked like a hickey now. A giant, scrubbed hickey. The blood caught underneath the skin looked permanent, tingling with the scratches and raised with marks. Great. Now there was a visual reminder to go along with the invisible scent everyone but her could smell.
Naked, she padded her way into the bedroom to dress.
It was late now, Penny and Noah had stayed for a couple of hours. Well, Noah went outside to change into his wolf and patrolled the cabin while Penny visited. They’d talked a lot, caught up about Dad, and she’d whispered that she was excited to see where she and Isaac would end up.
Considering he couldn’t stand to be around her? Safe bet to guess what tomorrow would bring. Guilt? Avoidance? Maybe just a tight apology and he’d go back to the asshole she’d first met?
She sighed. It wasn’t his fault he couldn’t take her smell.
She flipped off the lamp in the living room and made her way to the bedroom. Her phone was unusually quiet since she’d blocked her dad. That was a sad realization to reach.
But there was a text notification blinking on her phone screen. She flipped the phone open.
Caitlin, this is Cory Pyre. Your dad said you’re on vacation for a few days. Just wanted to make sure you were upto date on current events for next month’s fundraiser. Can I call you?
Were they kidding? She blocked her dad and he sicced Cory on her? No, she wasn’t going to talk to him on her vacation. It was the point of the matter. If he or Dad were on vacation, no one would disturb either of them. And why the hell did he think she was out for a few days? She had a sudden urge to unblock her dad so she could send him a nasty text. But that would be falling right into their laps.
