Zed: Cool
Ford: How’s the kid taking it?
I glanced over at the crib.
Me: Fine for now. Lizzy’s friend Sabrina said he’ll get grumpy if she’s in wolf form too long though.
Rocco: Uh oh. That adorable fucker’s got sharp teeth. Did you see him ripping that spaghetti a new asshole?
I snorted.
Lizzy peered up at me.
“It’s just the guys from the pack,” I murmured to her, scratching her head. “None of us expected you to hunt me. This kind of thing is rare, which makes you pretty damn special. We’re going to be figuring things out as we go.”
She scooted closer, licking my arm before she set her head down on my thigh, and snuggled up to my abdomen. I scratched her head, and my wolf strained against my spine.
“My wolf wants to meet you, but I need to have dinner first,” I told her, sending a quick text just to Ford.
Me: Food would be great.
Me: You’ll have to bring it in, though. I can’t leave the kid in here alone.
It would probably be safe, considering it was his house and all, but I didn’t know how Lizzy would feel about it and I wasn’t willing to risk pissing her off.
Ford: No worries. Be there in twenty.
Going back to the group chat, I scanned the messages. There were just more jokes about how fierce the little dude was, so nothing I really had to respond to. And after everything that had happened, I wanted some time to think on my own.
My eyes did linger on the text from Dax, though. The one that said he had more info on Lizzy.
Me: How legit are the sources?
Dax: Didn’t hack anything. Just asked my parents, you know they’re in on all the gossip.
Dammit.
I knew that was coming, but I grimaced anyway. Not because Dax’s parents knew; I was sure someone had somehow managed to tell them what had happened already. They were the main alpha’s deltas, so it was their job to keep up with all the shit happening in town, and they did it damn well.
But unlike their son, they didn’t keep secrets well. Or at all.
The whole damn town would be gossiping about me and Lizzy by the time the sun came up. I didn’t mind them gossiping about me, but I was almost positive Lizzy would. And what if Evan noticed the stares? I didn’t know if that was beyond a two-year-old’s comprehension, but fierce protectiveness rolled through me at the thought of him noticing everyone staring at him. That would make anyone feel uncomfortable.
My fingers continued to scratch Lizzy’s fur, my eyes lingering on the crib.
I didn’t know the kid, and I didn’t feel connected to him. But I was possessive of him already, which was a foreign feeling.
Me: What did they say?
Dax: She’s twenty-one, came from a pack out in Colorado. Had just gotten into a prestigious dance company when she met the guy she rejected. Had to quit after she changed and found out she was pregnant, and started teaching Zumba at a few different gyms to pay the bills. Only one of them is in town. She wanted to teach at an actual dance studio, but they don’t provide child care, and gyms do. The food delivery is a side gig—it’s expensive to feed a werewolf toddler.
I grimaced.
Me: Thanks
Dax: Np
Dax: I can go toddler-proof your house if you want, so you can bring the kid back here. Can’t imagine you want to live in Char’s with a hunting female wolf.