Page 18 of The Wolf's Kidnapped Mate

Because I had to face it at some point—I couldn’t leave the pack. I couldn’t waltz beyond the perimeter marked by that grumpy bear, Jermaine. If I stepped a toe out of line, Jermaine showed up with the troops and I was escorted right back to what was deemed a much safer zone.

One year of that had made me feel a little stir-crazy. So, when Fred had said he was taking me out of town—well, I sort of lost my mind.

After he’d authoritatively marched me off the beach, I’d parted ways with him at the forked dirt path leading to the community houses. Mostly, it was family cabins situated next to various homes sectioned into separate apartments that had gorgeous green yards, Christmas lights in the windows, and awnings decorated with flowers.

So many flowers grew here. So much greenery sprouted from every part of every yard. Outside in the human world, most lawns were justlawns. They were for showing off how short the grass could be and how barren the yards could get. One of the things Id liked when I first arrived here with Liam was how much they utilized their spaces.

And neighbors were actually neighborly. That was how I had met Faye and gotten to be so close to her.

Or as close as someone in hiding could get toanyone.

Maybe I wasn’t as bad at socializing as I thought.

I heard the truck before I saw it—and then I had to cover my mouth while the tank shuddered up to the stony curb. Fred leaned out of the open window on the driver’s side and patted the spotty metal like it was the most spectacular vehicle he had ever driven.

After a couple of hesitant steps, I realized the pride on his face wasn’t for show—it was real.

I rounded the front of the rugged truck, noticing how the metal bumpers had plenty of scuffs and dents. The faded teal paint had dozens of sun spots. The side mirrors were larger than my head. I felt like I was hauling myself up the side of a cliff after I yanked open the hefty door to get inside.

The engine rumbled. Fred toggled the gear shift while the behemoth chugged forward.

“Isn’t she gorgeous?” he called over the center console—which I noticed was made of torn white leather with bright green stitches. It reminded me of his eyes.

The same eyes that were staring ahead at the road with a simple contentment shining through them. A second later, he was casting that shimmering glee in my direction, revealing a more striking verdant shade dashed with flecks of yellow. In his eyes, brand new worlds existed, ones I hadn’t seen before.

I beamed. “I expected you to get mad about me taking too long to get to the truck.”

“What kind of asshole would do that?”

I shrugged while ignoring the voice in the back of my head mentioning the ex-boyfriend who had ditched me at the altar—Drew.

To Fred, I smiled and said, “Good point.”

“Just because I see the realistic side of life doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy things, Kylie.” He toggled the gear shift again as he yielded right, turning toward the road that would take us out of the pack.

My heart raced.

Was this really happening?

“Sure,” I agreed. The truck lurched, sending me into the passenger door a bit harder than I anticipated. “Goodness, she handles like a boat.”

“Isn’t she dreamy?”

I chuckled. “Fred, I’ve never seen you excited about anything that wasn’t a homemade bomb.”

But it was like he didn’t really hear me as he ran his hand over the dashboard. “This baby has seen some real history.”

“What is it with you and old stuff?”

The corner of his mouth—the side that faced me, anyway—twitched up. It was like a smile was slicing into his cheek. Honestly, it was a bit intimidating because Fred, the guy who spent most of his time hunched over a keyboard, barely did much grinning unless something wasreallyinteresting.

Like this truck, for example.

“I like vintage things,” he admitted as he shifted to second gear. We were hitting the twenty-something mile range of speed. “Blake has a Jeep in better condition, but I’ll save that for a rainy day.”

I was starting to feel our increased speed as the wind snapped through the wide-open windows. I rested my arm on the metal, feeling the heat of this morning’s sun glowing there. I felt like I was waking up after a long, deep sleep.

With the engine making that guttural roar and the breeze flinging my hair about, I felt like I was on the edge of something brand new. We waved at Jermaine in the security booth, and right as we paused at the mouth of the pack entrance, I felt my heart jump into my throat.

---