wolves. They got me back and he helped me learn how to shift on my own. It's also why I like to be a wolf more."
"Do you think the same as a wolf?" I asked.
"Yeah." He chuckled. "And no, I don't think dogs are sexy. I actually think exactly the same, I'm just different-shaped. Can't talk as a wolf, but we can make certain sounds, and we know what they mean. Like the howl you usually hear? It means, 'I'm here.' Certain woofs and barks work, but it's all simple things, kinda like hand signals. They say that's why I'm so blunt."
"I don't really think you're that blunt," I admitted. "Just honest."
He nodded, taking a deep breath. The kind that said what came next was hard for him. "I wanted you to see me that day. When Pax told you I was a dog named Red. I was trying to show you what I am, and that I'm not going to hurt you. I may be a monster, Elena, but that doesn't mean I can't be a good man for you and Gabby."
"Oh, Lane," I breathed, pushing my face into his chest. "I just want her to be ok! I just want to know how I'm supposed to deal with all of this and make sure she has a good life. I'm her mother. That's what I'm supposed to do."
"I'll make her shift back," he promised. "I know what it feels like, and we did it with Seth. We can do it with Gabby too. I'm bigger and faster than the rest. They think it's because I was a wolf too long. That's why my eyes are so yellow, but it's ok. It means I can do this." He pulled me closer, almost lifting me into his lap. "I can do this. I swear, I'm gonna bring our little girl home, ok?"
I glanced up at him. "Our?"
He nodded. "Your daughter, my pack member. She's mine now, too. Pack takes care of pack. That's how we've survived the hatred of humans."
"You're not... human?"
He grumbled at that, trying to find the right words. "I'm sure we are, but we're wolves. That's what we call ourselves. And normal people don't like us. Elena, the last woman Ian tried to tell? She shot at him. Pulled out a gun from her purse and started firing the moment he changed to show her he wasn't lying. That's why we couldn't just tell you."
"But now Gabby's been bit, and you can't even promise me she'll be ok!"
"I promise you," he said, completely serious, "that she will be ok. I know how to make it work. I did it with Seth, and Ian can make her change if she's tired enough. This time we won't have to worry about traffic. Asshole shifted in the middle of a college campus." The last was mumbled under his breath.
"And it's going to happen tonight?" I asked.
He nodded. "Moonrise is just after six this evening. It'll be at the peak around two in the morning, and set just after seven a.m. She'll probably run the whole time."
"What am I supposed to do?" I asked.
He gently kissed my brow. "Sleep. Get drunk. Listen to us howl?"
"So, go insane. Yeah. Got it."
That evening, I kept looking at the clock. Olivia eventually made me sit at the bar and poured me a whole glass of whiskey. Not the tumbler kind, either. She said I couldn't move until it was gone. Needless to say, I was growing pretty fond of this kid.
Ashley and Henry were both there, along with my five guys. Everyone else had been sent home, but plenty had stopped in during the day. Some brought meals, others gifts they thought would help. Even Roman's parents dropped by, but only to apologize again. I assured them it wasn't their fault.
Then, at exactly 6:17 pm, people started moving upstairs. "It's happening," Seth yelled down to us.
"Shit," Ashley hissed, kicking off her shoes. "Olivia?"
"I know. I stay with Elena. Henry's staying too, right?"
He huffed. "I can't run that fast, and I'm not even going to try. Let alone showing my old ass in front of the world. Nah, I'll let the younger pups handle this."
Ashley had just pulled her shirt off when everything began to happen at once. Something dark rushed down the stairs. I spun in my chair, unsure what I should be doing, but the wolf was panicked. Acting like a completely wild animal, she headed right for the kitchen, realizing too late