The Unwanted Wolf – Chapter 25

When I went back inside, a wonderful scent hit my nose and instantly lured me to the kitchen. This was the first time I had been near the kitchen at a meal time, and it was incredible how many hungry mouths there were. There were several tables set up, like a restaurant would have. Families were gathered at the tables with their children. There was a mix of arguments and laughter echoing in the dining room. It felt like a true home.

There was a table set up buffet style with a variety of food laid out for people. It made sense instead of everyone ordering to go. The more I watched the people flurry around the area, the more amazed I was. I had no idea there were this many werewolves in this pack. Growing up, my wolf pack was decently sized, but this was easily twice the size. I had no idea such a large wolf pack was so close to the town I grew up in.

My stomach growled, and I started heading to the buffet to make myself some food. I hadn’t realized I was hungry, but the scent of bacon filled my nose, making my stomach grumble. I grabbed a couple of pieces of bacon and a chocolate chip muffin in a napkin and then left the dining room. There weren’t any open tables, and I felt a little weird sitting by myself.

d Jori talking in the hallway.

niel said.

g to get her while she’s here with me,” Jori said.

oached, I saw that Daniel was clearly te

you today, and I think a party will be a good excuse for someone to get past security,” Daniel explained. He crossed his arms.

area according to our patrols. There’s a good chance your attacker doesn’t even know you’re here. Even if they do, this pack is one of the safest packs for hundreds of miles. No one is going to get past my security.” Jori was completely confident in his statement.

at the moment. His face was in a deep scowl I hadn’t seen before.

fine.”

e needles, and his closeness calmed me down.

his attention to me. “Adira, have you noticed any sudden urges of power or anything different? Happy birthday by the way.”

s of yet. I will let you know if I do.”

d, and then he gave me a pointe

eliable and stable.

him.

if my attacker still comes after me here? Other people could be put in danger for my sake.” I didn’t like the way Jori wasn’t taking things seriously.

ols going around.”

o I just nodded. “Okay. If you think it’ll be okay, I’ll try to trust you.”

he top of my head. “Good. I want you to trust me, and I want to prove

’s contact. Being near him made me feel heated, but I tried to shake it off and took a step back from him. I was gettin

d to do something relaxing on my birthday.

” Jori suggested.

n danger thing. “I told you that I will, but not until later.”

put up his hand

ing.

ouse,” I said nervously.

ri laughed. “Don’t worry, we won’t be leaving the pack gr

ly, but something inside me told me to trust Jori. It would be worth it

rty, but I didn’t have many options. I only packed for a two-day trip. I grabbed my dirty clothes from the day before and sniffed them. They passed the smell check, so I went ahead and threw the

w toned he was, and it made something inside of me purr.

Ready

the prospect of getting to know

o navigate through.

re are we going?” I asked.

the backyard, but if Jori saw me, I’m pretty sure he’d have my head for letting you see the party area.” Jori laughed a little at this.

k into the flow of everything.

d a branch and held it back for me to be able to walk through with ease. He still

few minutes of walking in silence, Jori stopped. He turned to

unded the water, even though we were well into fall now. All around us, the trees grew pretty thickly, giving the area privacy. It almost looked like paradise.

s is absolutely incredible. Can you swim in the water?”

a little cold.” Jori followed closely behind me.

is. It’s so peaceful, and it would be a great place to just get away.” I sat

t, if you pick me, I’ll share this place with you.”

e you. I’m just trying to make sure you know everything you would be getting with me.”

to be able to visit here whenever I wanted. That wasn’t a good enough reason to pick Jori though.

uietness of Jori’s voice, I wasn’t sure if I had heard him correctly.

s the first time I had seen him show emotion that wasn’t cockiness or flirting. It felt real.

ing Mark and Jori used to be best friends. It wasn’t easy losing the people you cared about.

ou were to choose Mark, I would want to kill him.”