Wolf's Pack (Wolves Next Door #3) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,28

Africa for some reason. Dunno if it was business or vacation. Ended up bit, turned, but couldn't stay. The guy came home thinking he could deal, but it wasn't that easy. Dogs aren't wolves, so most packs wouldn't consider him, but Henry actually made it work. He's not as fast or as aggressive as us, but he's a pretty cool guy."

For a long moment, Vic was quiet, just looking up the road, and I let him. I could only guess what he was thinking, but the man had done a good job of playing it cool so far. There was just one last thing I wanted to get out in the open, preferably where Ian couldn't hear me.

"So," I said, dragging out the word, "about Ashley..."

"It was just a drink," he told me.

"Yeah, except it wasn't. I know that, you know that, and Ian doesn't. Neither does her dad, and I think it should stay that way."

"It was just a drink," Vic said again, turning to face me.

I lifted both hands, well aware that this man was literally twice my size. "Sure. Thing is, Ashley actually seems to like you. So, regardless of what you were doing when you shared that drink, I'm going to give you a little advice. Don't let her push you away. If you want something to happen there, you'll have to prove that you're not going anywhere. You'll need to accept that she's a natural-born wolf from the very first line of wolves to come to this country. Her family is as blue-blooded as they come, and she's never known anything but her own society."

"Kinda getting that impression," he said. "I mean, shifters who can build an entire housing community? And not slums, at that."

"Yeah, the Langdons are loaded." But that wasn't what I wanted to talk about. "Vic, she's not a one-man kind of girl. She's a wolf, and one of the strongest alphas I've ever seen. The only reason Ian is the Pack Alpha is because she didn't want it. He couldn't beat her, and he could beat anyone."

The man's eyes narrowed. "Ok?"

"Ashley is an alpha wolf without betas or a mate because she got burned. If you want that drink to be more than a drink? You need to know that. She won't make it easy. What she lost? It breaks lesser wolves than her. For over a decade, that woman has tried to pretend she's a human. That's how we got Elena. She was Ashley's best friend, and Ash just moved her into the community and hired her for the office without asking the Alpha. Now you?"

"Is that going to be a problem?" he asked.

"No. What I'm saying is that she's used to getting her way. She hasn't met a lot of people who can make her do anything, but I have a feeling a bear probably could. I also know that my mate has the Pack Alpha wrapped around her little finger, and she's Ashley's best friend. So, if that drink happens to turn into more at some point? Tell Elena first. She'll handle the rest."

"And if I'm not opposed to that?" Vic asked.

"She'll try to sleep with your roommates," I warned him.

Vic shrugged. "Let's say I'm cool with it."

I grinned at the man. "Well, I can tell you that I just want to see her happy. Elena will kill for her though, and I will tear into you if she asks. So, don't screw her over, ok?"

"I'm honestly looking for a home," he promised. "Look, since we're being so open and honest here, I'll just lay it all out there. Ashley's beautiful. She's brilliant, determined, and pretty fucking impressive. I wouldn't kick her out of my bed. I also won't jeopardize my home for a piece of ass. It. Was. Just. A. Drink."

"I already know you're lying," I told him. "She admitted it to Pax, Trent overheard - or that could've been the other way around. Hard to be sure with those two. Elena knows, because she was smirking at you a little too much. So, keep lying. Kinda makes me respect you a little more, actually."

"You wolves are so fucked in the head," Vic said. "You bring me here to grill my ass, your Alpha just decides on a whim that he'll lease us a place, and now the smallest beta is telling me he approves of me supposedly lying? What the hell, man?"

I held up a finger. "We grilled you to see if you'd crack. We pulled