Page 7 of Runaway Wolf
“I thought you’d been seeing him for a while?”
“I was. But romantically, it was the one date. The others were platonic, more like business arrangements. I’d told him I didn’t see a relationship going anywhere. I was polite, of course, but when Dad started mentioning that it would make a good pairing? I was done.”
God, her parents lived in their own reality. They often spoke about when Penny settled down with Cory that it would be time for Caitlin to focus on her future as well.
“I’m moving in with Noah,” Penny said. “The cabin’s paid until the end of the month if you want to stick around for a while.”
“Stick around?”
Penny narrowed her eyes. “Do you think Dad’s going to keep you employed? He’ll give you an ultimatum soon. Maybe since Cory’s free, he’ll offer you up next.”
Caitlin shook her head. “No, he wouldn’t—”
“That’s why I quit and went off on my own. Oh, not right away, of course. But Dad put his foot down. Said he could employ anyone for our wages and why would he keep usaround, training us in the political realm, if we wouldn’t help him to secure deals with other politicians?” Penny snorted self-deprecatingly. “I thought he meant being allowed to make a difference. When I told him of course I’d help him secure deals, he said I could start by going to dinner with one of their biggest contributors.”
“He did not! That’s like… like, selling off his daughters.”
“One by one. And he’s got one left.”
Just then a ding signaled a text on her phone. Penny’s gaze landed on the coffee table at the same time hers did.
She picked it up and opened the lock screen. It was Dad.
When are you coming home?
She quickly typed a reply back.Not sure yet. Why?
There’s a fundraiser next month and Cory Pyre needs someone to attend with him. I want you to brush up on current events and the names of the attendees who will be there.
Caitlin raised her eyes from the text to find Penny watching her.
“Has it started?” she asked softly.
“Cory needs someone to attend a fundraiser with him next month.”
“That’s how it begins,” Penny said softly. “A favor for Dad. Then another. Before long, he’ll have you paired up romantically. If you deny Cory, they’ll just brush aside your feelings until you feel like you have to run away just to be heard. Just to be able to say three little words.I’m not interested.”
Caitlin turned back to her text screen.Just email me the upcoming events. The list of attendees. I’m thinking about staying here for a few weeks. Catching up with Penny.
Don’t be daft, Caitlin. Penny’s on a path of self-destruction. You can’t fix your sister. She’s always been spoiled. That’s my fault. I gave her too much. You have more potential, if you play your cards right.
She’s moving in with her boyfriend. Last night, as a matter of fact. And soon they’ll get married. This is the last time I get to visit with her.
She flipped the power button off. “I think I’ll stay, if it’s all right.”
Penny smiled and there was so much emotion behind that quivery smile. It occurred to Caitlin how alone her sister must’ve felt with their family muttering about how spoiled she was just because she didn’t want the same things that they did. A secondary political career as a politician’s trophy wife. Something even Caitlin thought was normal until it was her turn.
“Go get dressed,” Penny said. “It’ll all be okay. Noah’s alpha is coming over for breakfast. I’ll take you into the next town over. We’ll visit the mall outlets, okay? Down in Silverthorne?”
“Yeah, okay,” she muttered softly. Her mind was still on the text conversation with Dad though. What did it say about her that she automatically had believed Penny was to blame for everything?
She ran a wide-toothed comb through her drying waves and added a little shine serum that Penny had in the bathroom.Same brand she used, which kind of made her smile a little. She dug her makeup bag out of her purse and swiped on mascara, then added a little tinted moisturizer.
She pulled her skinny jeans out of her suitcase and added a deep burgundy Henley to her ensemble. She could toss a vest over it if it got chilly in the mountain air when they stepped out. Probably everyone else would be adapted to the higher altitude here.
She added a thick pair of soft socks and headed back out to the main room of the cabin. As soon as she hit the hallway, the heady smell of bacon permeated the air.
Standing at the small table pouring orange juice into glasses was a man. Probably another shifter. He looked up, caught her eye.
