Page 109 of Ice Wolf
“If you’re asking if they kill for food, that’s also rare. There’s no need.”
“Right. Because you have Costco where you can purchase a much higher quality of meat.” I wasn’t certain if she was making fun or simply making a point.
“How much did you overhear?”
“Enough to know someone should have told me. I take it no one on the Wild Dogs team knows you’re all furry inside.”
Furry inside? I glanced down at myself, amused at her terminology. “Um, no. I’d like to keep it that way if possible.”
“I’m sure you would. Wild Dogs. Isn’t that the most appropriate name?” She started laughing and didn’t stop even after a full minute.
“I didn’t pick it.”
“I know that, Saint. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Now I had to laugh. “How would you have preferred me telling you? Hey, Lily flower. Guess what? I won’t need a Halloween costume this year. I’ll just go as my furry self.”
She laughed with me, which was a huge shock. “Are you dangerous?”
“If you mean my kind, it’s like any group out there. There are good shifters and bad ones. There are those determined to destroy others and those who want nothing more than to live in peace.”
“Which is what this community is about.”
“Yes. I don’t know what Steven said is true about his neighbors, but we are a community of shifters.”
“Interesting. A community association for shifters. I can only imagine your list of rules.”
She was certainly taking this a lot better than I thought she would. “Are you horrified?”
“I don’t know how I feel other than I still don’t know whether to believe you or think this is just some crazy way of keeping publicity going.”
Snorting, I sat back and propped my feet on the railing. “Would you like me to howl for you? Issue a few growls here and there?”
She shot me a look. My guess was that if I could see her beautiful face in the light, she’d be blushing. “I’ve heard both several times.”
“Oh. What then? Do you want me to shift right in front of you?”
When she said nothing, just sat quietly sipping her drink, I knew that’s exactly what she wanted.
“You’re shitting me,” I told her, a little more forceful than I’d intended.
“If I’m going to determine how best to handle the fallout, and there will be fallout, I’ll need to grasp what I’m dealing with.”
“So you’re just worried about fallout. You’re concerned that what, people will believe everything they read or see as gospel? Let me guess. You’re going to put a spin on everything that I was pranking them on purpose. Right? Or maybe you’ll use my Halloween idea to your benefit. I’d not shifting for you, Lily. That’s ridiculous. I’m a hockey player, a brother, a son, and what from you’ve told me, a pain in the ass. Isn’t that enough for you?”
“The truth is the only thing that will ever be enough.”
“Ask yourself this, Lily. Why are you so attracted to me?”
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
This time when I laughed I wasn’t joking, nor was any of this funny. The instant ache in my heart was like she’d stabbed mewith a dull blade. “Then what we shared just hours ago was nothing?”
She wasn’t quick on the return. “I didn’t say that.”
“Then what are you saying? That you can’t be involved with someone like me? A beast in the wild?” I purposely deepened my voice to make an exaggerated point.
“I’m not involved with you, Saint. I’m trying to help you keep your career on track.”
