strength.
Chapter 11
Harper watched the
wolves gathered at the dinner table eat the roast that Cindy made. The aroma
had driven Harper nuts most of the day. It was so long since she’d had a good
piece of meat and this venison roast was cooked to perfection. “Eat.” Ryder
whispered against her ear making her shiver. She speared a small piece and
stuck it in her mouth then chewed. It was heaven.
She wondered if
they hunted often and knew they were good at it. If everyone in the pack worked
for the good of the pack then they would hunt together instead of singly.
Bronson usually hunted alone. He didn’t like to share the deed of killing or
the kill itself. Bronson was selfish. He wouldn’t help anyone else hunt either
and he wouldn’t share any secrets. He knew where to find good game, and he had
tricks to sneak up on game. He was great at ambushing according to him but he
would never tell his cousins anything to help them. She’d given Peter, Jake’s
brother, a roast once out of her full freezer to feed his young and Bronson had
gone ballistic about it. “He’s never going to learn to hunt if he isn’t
hungry.” Bronson had screamed at her then told her that she wasn’t allowed to
eat dinner for three nights to make up for the loss of the roast. Pete may need
to be hungry to learn but she’d starve before a pup went hungry around her.
Selfish bastard.
Ryder’s hand
rubbed circles on her back and she forked more meat into her mouth. She knew
what he was doing. He was trying to keep her mind on the meal and off her
thoughts. He didn’t know what they were but he could always tell when the
wheels were turning. Harper turned her thoughts to her dinner and tuned out
everything else.
Nicole sat across
from her but ignored her. This must be the whole pack. The table was full and
so were all of the stools at the counter. She knew most of them but there were
a few that she didn’t know. Two of them looked alike and she suspected they
were twins or at least brothers. They sat on the stools at the counter with
another wolf that she remembered from the bar but she couldn’t remember seeing
much of these three around today. “Penny for your thoughts.” Ryder murmured as
she wiped her mouth with her napkin.
“The men on the
stools, I remember one of them from the bar but I didn’t catch any of their
names.”
“You should know
everyone in the pack. Don, Evan, and Eric.” Ryder commanded. They all turned at
once and Harper felt her face burn with embarrassment. “This is Harper, Harper,
Don is on the left,” he waved. “Evan in the middle and Eric on the right,” they
both nodded simultaneously. “They’re twins if you hadn’t guessed.” Ryder said.
“The three of them came from a neighboring pack in Montana. They’ve been with
us for about six years now.” He took a long drink from his soda can and set it
back on the table. “After the kitchen is cleaned up, we’re going to run if any
of you care to join.” Ryder announced.
The pack sprang up
around her and hurriedly carried plates and silverware to the sink after
scraping them. Each wolf loaded their own dishes into the dishwasher after
giving them a rinse. The remains of the roast was quickly dealt with and the
pack filed out the back door while Cindy wiped the table down. She winked at
Harper who giggled. So running is a big deal to this pack. Her pack rarely ran
as a pack when she was growing up and Bronson’s pack never did. There were
smaller groups of four or five but she never felt welcome to run with them.
“I can’t wait to
meet your wolf.” Ryder growled in her ear then stood. A shiver raced through
her. She knew that she was supposed to go with them but she was wary of running
with them. Bronson always said that she should stay home because she was so
dainty and insignificant that she couldn’t defend herself. “Hey, none of that.”
His finger curled under her chin and lifted it. He placed a chaste kiss on her
lips. “We all
Chapter 11
Harper watched the
wolves gathered at the dinner table eat the roast that Cindy made. The aroma
had driven Harper nuts most of the day. It was so long since she’d had a good
piece of meat and this venison roast was cooked to perfection. “Eat.” Ryder
whispered against her ear making her shiver. She speared a small piece and
stuck it in her mouth then chewed. It was heaven.
She wondered if
they hunted often and knew they were good at it. If everyone in the pack worked
for the good of the pack then they would hunt together instead of singly.
Bronson usually hunted alone. He didn’t like to share the deed of killing or
the kill itself. Bronson was selfish. He wouldn’t help anyone else hunt either
and he wouldn’t share any secrets. He knew where to find good game, and he had
tricks to sneak up on game. He was great at ambushing according to him but he
would never tell his cousins anything to help them. She’d given Peter, Jake’s
brother, a roast once out of her full freezer to feed his young and Bronson had
gone ballistic about it. “He’s never going to learn to hunt if he isn’t
hungry.” Bronson had screamed at her then told her that she wasn’t allowed to
eat dinner for three nights to make up for the loss of the roast. Pete may need
to be hungry to learn but she’d starve before a pup went hungry around her.
Selfish bastard.
Ryder’s hand
rubbed circles on her back and she forked more meat into her mouth. She knew
what he was doing. He was trying to keep her mind on the meal and off her
thoughts. He didn’t know what they were but he could always tell when the
wheels were turning. Harper turned her thoughts to her dinner and tuned out
everything else.
Nicole sat across
from her but ignored her. This must be the whole pack. The table was full and
so were all of the stools at the counter. She knew most of them but there were
a few that she didn’t know. Two of them looked alike and she suspected they
were twins or at least brothers. They sat on the stools at the counter with
another wolf that she remembered from the bar but she couldn’t remember seeing
much of these three around today. “Penny for your thoughts.” Ryder murmured as
she wiped her mouth with her napkin.
“The men on the
stools, I remember one of them from the bar but I didn’t catch any of their
names.”
“You should know
everyone in the pack. Don, Evan, and Eric.” Ryder commanded. They all turned at
once and Harper felt her face burn with embarrassment. “This is Harper, Harper,
Don is on the left,” he waved. “Evan in the middle and Eric on the right,” they
both nodded simultaneously. “They’re twins if you hadn’t guessed.” Ryder said.
“The three of them came from a neighboring pack in Montana. They’ve been with
us for about six years now.” He took a long drink from his soda can and set it
back on the table. “After the kitchen is cleaned up, we’re going to run if any
of you care to join.” Ryder announced.
The pack sprang up
around her and hurriedly carried plates and silverware to the sink after
scraping them. Each wolf loaded their own dishes into the dishwasher after
giving them a rinse. The remains of the roast was quickly dealt with and the
pack filed out the back door while Cindy wiped the table down. She winked at
Harper who giggled. So running is a big deal to this pack. Her pack rarely ran
as a pack when she was growing up and Bronson’s pack never did. There were
smaller groups of four or five but she never felt welcome to run with them.
“I can’t wait to
meet your wolf.” Ryder growled in her ear then stood. A shiver raced through
her. She knew that she was supposed to go with them but she was wary of running
with them. Bronson always said that she should stay home because she was so
dainty and insignificant that she couldn’t defend herself. “Hey, none of that.”
His finger curled under her chin and lifted it. He placed a chaste kiss on her
lips. “We all
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