“Positive. She’s as careful as they come. She probably got them as close as the border before hiding her scent until they picked up on someone else.”
I wanted to believe her, but something didn’t feel right.
“With the humans encroaching on our lands, we have worse things to worry about,” Ash said when I didn’t say anything. “Like I said, fights between packs are rare, and we’re in relatively good standing with the pack to the south of us.”
“But they’d still react if we went down there?”
“While following a band of rogues? Yes. Any large congregation of wolves must be met with hostility, even ones we used to call friends. It’s complicated and messy, but so far, we’ve avoided a fight.”
“Fallen mentioned you fought this crew of wolves the night of Dani’s death.”
“We did,” Ash said with a nod.
“You think they knew?”
“I think a lot more than that, but we’ve never been able to prove the fault behind her death because we never had a chance to recover her body.”
“I might be able to help with that,” I said without giving it another thought.
“I thought as much, but not tonight. Not until your wolf can control herself in the city. For the time being, you’ll remain here. I’ll do whatever I can to keep my wolf in line.
I’m happy for you, for both of you, it’ll just take my wolf some time to understand that your heart isn’t mine to claim.”
“I never said—”
“You didn’t have to,” she said warmly. “Neither did Fallen.
I see how you look at one another, but it took you standing up for yourself for me to accept it.”
“Then I’ll try not to get on your wolf’s bad side.”
“That’s all we can hope for. Come. Fallen’s probably back at the manor waiting for us.”
Sure enough, Fallen was sitting on the front steps as soon as we rounded the corner. It took her a moment to spot us, but once she did, she practically ran toward me. She corrected herself the moment Ash met her gaze. As much as it pleased Fallen to see I was safe, a part of her would always be loyal to the pack and its Alpha.
“Ash,” Fallen said with surprise. “You’ve shifted twice in one night. That must be a new record.”
Ash let out a low snort. “It may have been a few months since I’ve sparred, but these bones still know how to work.”
Sparred?
“Don’t look so surprised, pup,” Ash said, looking at me.
“You can’t expect to fight as a wolf if you’ve never learned how.”
“But I have, haven’t I?” I’d made my first kill, albeit a small one, and I’d injured someone else. Not that I meant to do that, either, but still…
“What you did in the city was because your wolf was backed into a corner,” Ash explained. “That isn’t fighting, that’s defending. Sparring is something Fallen and I used to do all the time, isn’t that right?” She looked at Fallen who already had a huge grin on her face.
“Some of my best scraps were because of her.”
“And you’re proud of that?” I asked with disbelief.
“Considering how strong of an opponent she is? Yes.”
Fallen raised her head with pride, meeting Ash’s gaze who continued to stand at my side. “Now, if you two are done worrying over me, I’m dying for a hot shower, a warm meal, and a soft bed to fall into.”
“Yours or—”