…she was most definitely not Luc’s mate. No mate, human or wolf, could be so reticent in the face of his injuries. Hell, Brett couldn’t maintain the same level of distance she currently warded herself with. The air around her seemed to vibrate with a keep away vibe. Luc frowned and Gillian edged away a pace.
“Come on, Colby.” Brett extended his hand. “If you’ll do me the honor, I’ll take you back for a real meal and something to drink.”
Instead of accepting his proffered hand, she gave Luc one more guarded look, then turned the same cautious expression on him. Bypassing him, she took the stairs two at a time.
Lowering his voice to a sub vocal the wolves would hear and she wouldn’t, he said, “I’ll be back. Behave for Gillian.”
“She’s upset,” was Luc’s only reply and Brett didn’t have to ask him who he meant. He’d already turned and started after Colby. Fortunately, she didn’t rush away the moment she stepped out into the sunshine. Instead she paced toward the hill and stopped several feet off the porch.
Closing the door behind him, Brett debated his next move. His wolf had no such illusions. She didn’t belong to Luc which meant she was fair game. They had her scent and they wanted a taste.
Though a pack party was hardly a good time to promote intimacy. Colby had the air of someone who would bolt at the first sign of trouble, and while he had no problems with the chase…it might be better if she were a willing participant than someone genuinely trying to flee.
Even the idea of her running from him for real burned in his gut and his wolf prowled ever closer to the surface. Refusing to react like a wounded animal, Brett considered what he knew of the woman. More, how much he wanted to know her.
“You really up for going back to the party or would you rather take a walk with me instead?”
“I think I—or at least you—should go back to the party. They are your guests.” Not really, but she had no way of knowing that.
“They’ll be fine,” he assured her, strolling toward her with the intent to coax.
“You could be right about that,” she said, arms folded as though to shield herself or remain unapproachable. He couldn’t read her scent…
The last thought stopped him dead in his tracks. Luc commented on the contradictory nature of her scent—pack versus non pack, wolf versus non wolf. While he agreed her scent was unusual and exceptionally provocative, Brett hadn’t had any trouble reading her as non pack or human…until now. Narrowing the gap between them, he drew in a deep breath and tasted nothing. No emotion. No pheromone. No taste of female.
“Colby,” he exhaled her name, and studied her. The call worked, she glanced at him and her amber eyes held anger and a hint of confusion. “Talk to me.”
“About what?”
The fuck off aura wore thin, quickly. “What’s wrong?” If she could tell him that much, then he could fix it. Still nothing about her scent reached his nose. He could smell the wolves at the house ahead of him and Owen in the distance behind him. His nose worked fine. Colby’s scent had vanished.
And that was impossible.
“Nothing’s wrong,” she said. “Luc is with the doctor. Your parents and his are at your house with…everyone else and we’re here and we’re all fine. Right?”
Zeroing in on the last part of the sentence, he considered her remote expression. “Something has upset you.” It was a gamble, but he trusted his instincts whether he could scent the fury or not.
“No,” she lied, even if he couldn’t smell it he could damn well hear it. “No I think it’s probably better if I mind my own business and just go. This was a very nice offer, but Luc is clearly fine or will be and in good hands…” She started walking and he caught her arm, tugging her around to face him.
The lack of expression and stubborn refusal to meet his gaze worried and annoyed him more than he cared to admit. “Talk to me. I can’t fix it if I don’t know what it is.”
“Is that what you do?” She squinted at him. “Fix things? You give orders? People jump to obey them. You silence fifty people like it’s no big deal and your neighborhood doctor has a mini hospital in her basement?”
“It’s part of what I do,” he could share that much. “This is my town, I grew up in it.” All true. “I know everyone here.” Also true. “Not to mention that’s my house and my property, and you’re my guest. When they get out of hand or someone is hurt, I do take charge. So yes, that’s what I do. The doctor sees patients at home and does house calls. Our closest hospital is forty-five minutes away in good weather. We take care of each other. It’s what a…” It was what a pack did. “It’s what family and friends are for.”