compound once as a guest, and I’d witnessed how pack leaders dealt with a suspected murderer. Or would-be murderer, in that particular case. Thankfully, the sharpshooter who’d actually been behind the attempt on my life hadn’t banked on Aiden’s quick reflexes.
“You’ve met Rocco Marin. You can imagine how well he’s taking it.”
“It wasn’t one of his sons, was it?”
“No, but it doesn’t matter. The alphas are responsible for the behavior of the entire pack, and something like this is a major stain on their reputation.”
I frowned. “How? It wasn’t intentional—”
“No, but the punch that knocked Terrell down and eventually killed him was thrown in a fit of anger, and no wolf pack needs anyone thinking they cannot control their emotions. We’ve spent too long fighting that image.”
“I can’t imagine there’d be many who believe the Hollywood version of a werewolf these days.”
“Perhaps not, but that’s not really the issue. Few other packs want to deal with those who cannot control themselves—and that hurts their prospects when it comes to mates.”
Which was a major problem with a pack as small as the Marin—they needed outside blood to prevent inbreeding.
“Have you had dinner yet?” Aiden added.
“No, but I stopped at Woolies on the way here and got some supplies.”
“Steak and chips, by chance?”
“Garnished with bacon and eggs, and no green shit for you.”
He laughed softly. “You surely do know the way to a werewolf’s heart.”
I wish… “You showering before dinner or after?”
“Before. It’s been a hot and sticky day, and I think the deodorant has given up.”
I grinned. “I certainly have no desire to sit anywhere near a stinky werewolf.”
He laughed again. “I’ll be there in twenty.”
I hung up and then walked across to the wall of windows, watching the ducks waddle around catching bugs in the grass, while I sipped the whiskey and waited for Aiden to arrive.
As the lights of his truck lit the driveway and scared the ducks away, I went back to the kitchen to prepare him a drink and top up my own. He walked in a few seconds later, looking weary and radiating sadness.
I walked over, handed him the glass, and then rose on my toes and kissed him, soft and lingering.
“A greeting a man could get used to.” He tossed back the drink in one gulp. “I think a few more of each just might do the trick.”
He snaked his free arm around my waist and pulled me closer. Our kiss was long and intense, filled with an aching hunger that came as much from his need to forget as desire. Even when the kiss did end, he didn’t immediately release me. He just rested his forehead against mine and held me, obviously needing the comfort of contact to ease the inner turmoil so evident in his aura.
Eventually, he drew in a deep breath and released me. I plucked the glass from his hand and walked back to the kitchen to refill it. He followed me across and sat on one of the stools lining the counter. “Tell me about your day.”
I did, knowing full well he simply didn’t want to think about the loss of a friend and the necessary incarceration of another.
“I’ll talk to the council in the morning and get them to order a full search through all the compounds,” Aiden said. “But if they smell as bad as you’ve said, they would have been found by now.”
“Which is exactly what Ashworth said.” I leaned on the bench and took another drink. The loose neck of my dress ballooned open, and his gaze slid from my face to my throat and then down. I wasn’t wearing any underclothes, and desire surged through his aura and stung the air. “How many mines are there in the reservation that match the horizontal criteria?”
“More than a hundred. But once the compounds are searched, I’ll get them to check the surrounding areas. We might get lucky.”
“Right now, luck might be all we have.”
“Then here’s hoping that trap you set works.” He tossed back the remains of his drink. “I’m off to shower.”
“Good. Even upwind, the smell was getting unpleasant.”
A grin teased his lips. “The pong must be bad if your very human but delightfully cute nose is smelling it so strongly.”
“It is, so get thee to a shower while I start cooking.”
He grinned and headed upstairs. By the time he came back down—wearing loose sweatpants and a T-shirt that hugged his lean but muscular frame in all the right places—I was plating up our meals.
I poured