River Wolf(88)
“Can a woman, you know…become a wolf when she’s pregnant?” All at once it struck her—his parents were wolves. The sweet, funny couple with their loving manner and cheerful disposition were wolves. Wow.
“Yes. Becoming a wolf is a part of who we are. It’s harder on turned wolves who are women…”
“As opposed to all those pregnant turned men?”
He winced at the sharp sally and she grinned. “Why yes, as opposed to them. For them it’s impossible.”
Snickering, she took another bite. Maybe she could handle the Twilight Zone after all—Twilight. Wolves. A fresh bout of laughter ripped through her and he paused as she coughed, nearly choking on the burger.
“Don’t you dare do that again,” he didn’t pretend not to snarl. “One choking incident in your life is enough.”
Swallowing hard, she took another long drink of water before covering her mouth with her hand and meeting his intent gaze. “Sorry.” It came out muffled because he looked so forbidding, she could almost not hold back another spate of giggles.
His growl rumbled the table and she covered her face with both hands, waging a losing battle against the giggles.
Finally, he said, “We have healers because people think it’s a good idea to laugh at their Alpha.”
That did it, she cracked up and leaned away in the chair, laughing. Through explosive breaths she said, “I can’t help it. You look so mafia badass when you scowl like that, then you growled. Are you a cute wolf?”
The question seemed to stymy him. “What am I going to do with you?”
“That is the ten thousand dollar question, isn’t it?” Yet the more she laughed, the more she relaxed.
“No it’s the once in a lifetime question,” he murmured the words. “Because I want to keep you, Colby Jensen. I want you to be a part of Hudson River, but more…I want you to be mine.”
Sobering, she met his serious gaze. “You mean that.” Not a question.
“I do. I will persuade and I will coax and I will tease and I will play—but make no mistake—I will never give up. I will never not want you.” The declaration shivered over her. “I will never not be here for you.”
“Okay. Intense.” But even she couldn’t make light of his humbling sentiment. Not when it seemed to twine around her heart and embed the words in her soul. “But I’m not a wolf and I …”
“Colby,” Brett put his hand over hers. “You are.”
Her mind stuttered. “What?”
“One thing at a time, but you are a wolf. A different kind of wolf, but definitely one.”
“You’re talking metaphorical not we had sex and now I’m becoming a wolf, right?”
His lips quirked at the word sex, but he shook his head. “Not metaphorical. It takes us back to your question about birth defects and wolves…you’re what we call latent. Within you is a wolf, but it’s been asleep most of your life and it’s awake now and it wants out.”
Nope. Uh uh. “I think if I were a wolf, I would know.”
“Yes, if everything had worked out and that’s part of what we need to discuss. I need to ask you questions about your mother…”
“My mother is definitely not a wolf. Hell, she’s a Methodist…”
From dinner, they retreated to the library and finally the stone porch. Nothing he’d said so far persuaded her to believe her mother could know anything about wolves, and more stubbornly, she wouldn’t contact her to ask. Few people outright told him no, and none did it with the vehemence she displayed whether he ordered, asked or coaxed. A flash of movement in the darkness, however, had him rising.
Colby stood, following his gaze. When a wolf trotted out of the darkness, she thumped his biceps. Not that it hurt, he rubbed the spot and glanced at her. “What did I do?”
“I did see a wolf out here the other night.”
Mea aculpa. “Yes, you did…”
“Oh, this is the dog.” She knelt down and Trent trotted right to her, and nuzzled her face before slurping her with a wet kiss. Her laughter amused him.
“No, he is not a dog.” Some part of him borrowed a page from her book, and he let the information sink in without elaborating.
“He?” Colby froze, her hands on Trent’s ruff where she’d been petting him.
Yes, far too much fun in poking at her. “Yes. Colby Jensen, this is Trent…who should be home and in bed.” Not only because it was late, but because he was alone. Where the hell were his Hunters?
The pup sneezed and then made a low half-barking sound mimicking laughter. Despite the tension in the air, Trent seemed very content to settle himself in Colby’s lap. Since she’d sat on the ground to greet him, she was trapped.