Head Hunter (City Shifters the Pack #3) - Layla Nash Page 0,111

corner of her mouth quirked up like she knew exactly what I was thinking. “That’s what he feels every minute of the day for you. Because you’re human, you might not feel the same way. You might not sense it. But for Dodge... There is nothing in the world that could break him except not being able to help when you need him. He may lose control – it’s rare, honestly, from what I’ve seen and heard – but there will never be a time when he would harm you. Or a child. In fact, you might be the only person, other than Miles, who could bring him out of something like that. I’ve had to... distract Miles when he’s in a temper. The right word or touch tames the savage beast, as it were.”

She shrugged, head tilted as she watched me. “I know that doesn’t make it less scary when they can turn into huge monsters and make a lot of noise. But it’s the truth. He found you before anyone else, when we had easily a hundred people out searching. Dodge went right to you. He knew. God knows how, but they’ve got a compass when it comes to finding their mate.”

Mate. My heart tripped over itself as I struggled to understand what she said. If Dodge cared that much for me, if he’d been crazy to protect me, then why hadn’t he called or visited since then?

There was too much to figure out. I needed to look for the closest alligator to the boat. First I needed to make a doctor’s appointment. Then I needed to face to Dodge. “I have to talk to him, to hear what he has to say about the last month. I want – I want to see if he’s willing to date or be together before he knows about the baby, otherwise I’ll always feel like I trapped him and he’s only staying out of obligation. If he even wants to stay with me. Maybe he doesn’t.”

Deirdre snorted, stifling another laugh. “I don’t think that’s going to be the problem. There are things he really, really needs to tell you, but we can figure all that out. Why don’t you come to the house with me for dinner tonight?”

I nodded slowly, though I got up to pace as nervous energy bubbled up. “Yeah. Better to get it over with, right? I’ll just – I’ll call a doctor and make an appointment and then I’ll talk to Dodge.”

She was still smiling as she called her husband, saying something about dinner and making sure that Dodge was presentable and sober, while I searched online for a doctor. I shook my head and tried to focus on one alligator at a time. Whatever Dodge had to tell me probably paled in comparison to the life-changing news I was about to dump in his lap.

Chapter 51

Dodge

Dodge suspected Evershaw was up to something the moment he stepped into the house. The dining room table was set and even had a tablecloth on it, which they never used unless Evershaw had fucked up and needed to grovel to Deirdre. Dodge lingered in the kitchen and eyed the bottle of rum that someone had left on the counter. He was almost out of whiskey, so maybe he could take a trip to the islands instead. He needed it to sleep.

Silas pushed through the kitchen door and growled at him, catching Todd’s attention long enough that the second-in-command took the rum and strode out, apparently off to hide it somewhere. Dodge scowled at his supposed friend. “Asshole.”

The wolf bared his teeth and Dodge got the sense Silas called him an asshole right back.

He missed his friend almost as much as he missed Persephone. He leaned back against the kitchen counter and stared at the wall, contemplating where his life had gone wrong, until Evershaw walked in.

The alpha studied him with narrowed eyes. “You still look like shit. Haven’t you been sleeping at all? And you’ve lost weight. What the fuck, man?”

“He’s had whiskey for his last twenty meals,” Todd said as he reappeared from wherever he’d gone. “No protein. We’re cleaning out the liquor cabinets tonight, boss, and this house is gonna be dry until everyone is back on their feet.”

It was a testament to how fucked up Dodge looked and acted that the alpha didn’t even argue. He just nodded and folded his arms over his chest as he fixed a dark look on Dodge. “Ground rules for