Rex Leah interrogates me the entire drive home. Somehow, it’s easier to rattle off all the information she wants without looking at her. I’m afraid if I do, I’ll see disgust there, and I don’t think I’d be able to handle that. Were you born a werewolf? Is Hayley the queen now? How many wolves live in the pack? Can you turn people into wolves? Can you only shift on the full moon? She asks a never-ending stream of questions, getting progressively more and more detailed, which I am more than happy to answer if it puts her at ease. I had been planning on telling her everything anyway… but the way she found out? Goddess, it couldn’t have been worse. It’s like a dagger to my heart when I remember the sight of her trembling in fear from John. Leah eventually falls silent as we pull up in front of the house. As I pull the keys from the ignition, the tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Neither of us moves to get out. “I’m so sorry, Leah. I was going to tell Cooper tonight t

Rex Swiping my thumb across the screen to answer, I wait, not speaking, to see what she has to say. It’s been more than a year since I heard her voice. When we locked eyes across the room at the alpha’s conference, I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Stunning auburn hair and creamy skin made her stand out in the crowd. Tall and willowy, with sharp green eyes and perfect manners, I thought the moon goddess had blessed me with the ideal mate to smooth out my rougher edges. Looking back now, though, I see things differently. There were signs something was amiss early on. I was just too lovestruck to notice them. First, Stacey was reluctant to meet my family, claiming she was overwhelmed. And then, I can still picture how she pursed her lips when I told her where I was from. She was clearly disappointed that I wasn’t from some big city or a more high-profile pack. The Jones’ are wealthy, but we’re not flashy. She probably assumed we were just scraping by. I had

Leah Despite the cheerful expression I’m have painted my face, I’m exhausted. It turns out that going to bed angry and horny isn’t a recipe for a great night’s sleep. I groan and bang my head against the cupboard door, blushing when I think of how I behaved last night. My plan was to be dignified when he came back, and to pull him aside this morning for an adult conversation when nobody was around. But something about Rex just makes me act nuts. I can’t seem to control myself. The second I saw him coming toward me, looking all growly and intense, red-hot rage flashed through me. How dare he look at me like that when he picked her over me? And let’s be clear, when he left me alone to take the call, without an apology or explanation, that was the decision he made. Maybe it’s childish to think like that, but that’s how I felt, and it hurts more than I care to admit. The quiet murmur of a deep voice reaches me in the pantry, and I know immediately by my traitorous body’s reaction that

Leah Rex is being weird. From the second Zoe and I walked into the aptly named Grey Wolf Brewery, he has been watching me. It’s intense, it’s hot, and it’s making me flustered. I’m struggling to remember why I decided we couldn’t fool around. “So, I take it things have progressed beyond staring matches in the kitchen between you and Mister Tall, Dark, and Broody? Or is this round two?” Zoe teases as she glances over to Rex, who lifts his gaze to mine, and those sexy hazel eyes of his flash green. Holy Moly. Whenever I get a glimpse of his wolf pushing forward, I feel like my underwear will spontaneously combust. Crossing my legs to ease the ache does nothing. I can feel myself getting wet, and from the fire in Rex’s eyes, he knows it. “Sorry?” I ask, completely zoning out. “Oh, well, yes, but we’re putting a pin in it with the whole working together thing.” I feel bad for lying to Zoe, but I can’t exactly say that even though we’re eye-fucking across the bar, I told him no more nook

Rex “Fine. But we have new guests coming tomorrow, shifters. I can’t leave until I have cover arranged. Let me get back to you,” I grit out. I’m furious that she’s forcing my hand. The last thing I need right now is to leave Grey Ridge and Leah, with six male shifters arriving tomorrow. All the activities planned for their visitors need to be led by me. I can’t dump them on Ethan or Nathan, either. They’ve been helpful, but they have full-time jobs to do, and I certainly can’t leave Leah to handle them on their own. Just the idea of her being alone with them makes me seethe with jealousy. They are arriving from our neighbouring packs, a test of sorts by Alpha Steel to see if his region should run more advanced training for more members of the packs to develop relationships and allegiances beyond just the Alphas. “I’ll be waiting. And Rex, I can’t wait to see you again,” she whispers like we’re long-lost lovers reuniting after being forced apart by some terrible set of circumstances.