Hungry Wolf - Aidy Award Page 0,3

There was definitely something up, that much he could smell. Her emotions were happy and high, which was the last thing he expected of anyone coming to see him these days.

Aleksei pushed his wolf back down and was about to grab his jeans. Wolves had no compunction about being naked in front of each other, since their clothes didn’t shift with them, but it somehow felt rude to have his junk hanging out when answering the door.

None of that mattered, because Selena didn’t wait to be invited in. She pushed his front door open and came right on in. “Ah, there you are, Aleksei. Going out for a run? I’m glad I caught you.”

Aleksei stepped behind the chair. “Uh, yeah. A run.”

Selena narrowed her eyes at him, and he knew full well that she had scented his lie and didn’t like it. “Good. Running will get whatever has been eating you up out of your system. But it will have to wait, because I have a task for you.”

Whatever has been eating him up? Like the fact that her entire life was upended because of him? He'd rarely been scared a day in his life, but he was damn nervous now about what kind of task she wanted him to do. She shouldn't be trusting him to get her groceries, much less do anything important.

“I'm not sure how I can help you, Matriarch.” Goddess, he sounded like a wimp.

“That's okay, because I do. Now, go take a shower and put this on while I tidy up a bit in here. We're expected in an hour, so no dilly-dallying.” She handed over a garment bag folded over her arm.

So many questions, and he didn't have the gumption to ask a single one. Aleksei reached for the bag, doing his best to keep his lower half hidden behind the furniture. He grabbed the bag and backed out of the living room so as not to further expose himself to the powerful wolftress who was already running her finger along the dust on his furniture.

“You really don't have to clean up. If I'd known you were coming, I could have—”

“Shoo. It's not like I haven't cleaned up after messy boys my whole life. I'll have this place spic and span before you're even done manscaping.” She waved him off and headed toward his kitchen.

“Yes, ma'am.” Awkward. Even his own mother didn't clean up after him and no one had ever told him to manscape. Aleksei took the hottest and fastest shower of his life, although he did in fact take an extra minute to trim up. It was getting a bit wrangly down there. Not that he intended any women to get close enough to notice.

Freshly clean, he did feel a bit lighter. Now for whatever was in that garment bag.

Oh fuck.

This was some high-end shit. He'd half expected to see a suit. But what he got was a fresh pair of jeans that probably cost more than his house, a black silk t-shirt, and a jacket that he couldn't afford in a hundred lifetimes.

There was even underwear, socks, and a pair of leather boots that he never would have chosen for himself, but he had to admit they were pretty damn nice. Somehow, every single thing in the bag fit perfectly, like they'd been tailored to fit his broad shoulders and his big ass feet.

Just how long had Selena been planning on coming over here? This was more than some simple task she was asking him to do if she'd had clothes tailored. Now he was even more nervous. But he would deny the widow of his former alpha nothing, so he got dressed, being careful with each item, and presented himself to her for inspection.

“There's the handsome Troika Enforcer I know. Turn around and let me see how the jacket fits from the back.” Selena made a little twirling motion with her fingers.

Aleksei had never modeled an outfit in his life, but he dutifully did as he was told. Selena swiped her hands along his shoulders and gave the bottom hem a tug to straighten his jacket. “Perfect. I do have a good eye. Okay, then. Let's go.”

“Are you going to tell me where we're going?” He glanced around the living room and kitchen like there might be some clue, but all he saw was that his dishes had been done and the inch-thick dust on his TV was gone. He hadn't even been in the shower that long. Selena must