Wolf's Pack (Wolves Next Door #3) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,14

to be a trophy that she could be proud of, and it seemed my fumbling attempts might even be working.

But speaking of sex, I pushed back my chair and headed into Ashley's office. My muscles were already feeling a bit better for moving around, but I still moved like an old woman. It also didn't matter, because I had every intention of sitting down for this chat. Tapping at Ashley's office door, I stepped in without waiting for an answer to find my best friend scouring a very old book.

"Hey," she greeted me. "Everything still ok?"

"What's in the book?" I asked as I took the chair across from her desk.

She stuck a slip of paper between the pages and closed it so I could see the cover. "It's a very old history of shapeshifters. The first copy was written about the time of the Spanish Inquisition, and I have no idea how many times it's been translated, but it's mostly correct. It was also written by a human, and is treated as medieval bunk, but I was hoping for a few tips on bears."

"Mhm." I was struggling not to smirk at her. "And you didn't figure anything out when you screwed him?"

"Didn't really spend a lot of time talking," she admitted, looking up with a devious twinkle in her eye. "And thanks for not making that too obvious to my brother."

"Is that a line that shouldn't be crossed or something?"

She just shrugged. "It's kinda taboo, but I honestly don't know if there's an actual problem with it." Then she moved the book back to one of her desk drawers. "The truth is that most of us don't really mingle with the others. We're all predators, and one species tends to be the kind that eats another. While we don't actually do that, our stupid instincts kinda freak out - like yours did earlier. So, wolves avoid bears, foxes avoid wolves, and birds avoid foxes."

"And cats?" I asked.

She sighed. "I know pretty much nothing about them, and I've never met one in person. Not a lion, a tiger, or anything else."

Which brought up another question. "How many types of shifters are there?"

Ashley just lifted her hands and shrugged. "No idea. Wolves are the most common because we tend to have the biggest packs, which means the least difficulties in the real world. I had a friend who met a panther shifter once - or so she claimed. Rumors have snake shifters in Central America, but I have never met anyone who's seen one. So, no clue." Then she sighed, and it was much too heavy. "Am I crazy for wanting to help these guys?"

"No," I assured her. "Ash, I want to as well. There was something so sad about them, and did you see their list? They asked for access to three trees! Just three. Not the entire nature trails. Not a safe space to run as bears. Not heavy-duty scratching posts like they have at the zoo. They asked for three trees, and it felt like they didn't think they'd be allowed more."

"Shit," she breathed.

I nodded because I understood exactly what she meant. "So, being a new wolf and all, is it even possible for the rest of the pack to get along with them?"

"I think so," she told me, "but Ian has a point about the kids. What would a three-year-old think of meeting Vic? Hell, even Scott's kinda scary in his own way."

"I actually thought he was kinda cute." And I lifted a brow, making it clear I expected her to expand on that.

Right on cue, she laughed. "It was one night, and it was with Vic, and it isn't supposed to ever be talked about." But she leaned closer, making it clear she had every intention of talking. "Although it was a very memorable night."

"So?" I asked. "You going there again? Maybe testing out his friends?"

"No." She waved that off. "You saw how Ian reacted. Now, just imagine my dad. Lane? Yeah, that would not do anyone any favors. If those guys want a chance of moving in, then I need to keep my hands off all of their big, massive... muscles."

"Oh, so bears are hung?" I teased.

"Vic is." She couldn't stop grinning. "And there aren't a lot of men in this world who can pin me down, but he sure can."

"Oh, so you have a thing for teddy bears, hm? You sure you can't make this work? C'mon, Ash, how long has it been since you