Running with Wolves (Shifter Country Wolves Book 1) by Roxie Noir Page B
Authors: Roxie Noir
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and looked up at Elliott.
“Sure, you’re proving your point,” Elliott said, his voice laced with sarcasm. “That’ll fucking show me.”
Shane shook himself off, then trotted into the woods in the direction of their house.
The moment he was out of sight of the barn, he grabbed a sapling between his teeth and pulled , doing his absolute best to rip the tiny tree out of the ground, growling as he did.
Fucking Elliott , he thought. Those assholes don’t care about him and they never will. No one ever really changes, not people, not shifters. Tigers don’t change their stripes and wolves don’t change their... fuck it, whatever.
He twisted his head from side to side, making the little tree bounce crazily around, its leaves whipping through the air as he could feel the roots begin to pull out of the earth. It felt great to destroy something, even something as small and helpless and stupid as a baby tree.
What he wanted was to punch Zeke in the damn face again, and then maybe he’d punch Elliott’s parents for hardly giving him a chance in life, and then he’d punch the alpha into sometime next Tuesday.
There’s no way I’m joining that pack , Shane thought. I’m not about to just go along with what some asshole says I should do. Especially if that asshole’s also going to treat his daughter like a piece of meat or a goat for sale or some piece of land that a guy can just fucking park himself on—
The sapling finally came out of the ground, sending Shane reeling back, landing hard on his haunches. Even though he was still angry, he couldn’t help but feel the pleased canine inside him, delighted that he’d pulled a stick out of the ground, and his tail wagged, just a little.
This is why I need wolf time , he thought to himself. Because sticks are still pretty great.
He grabbed a branch between his teeth and tore it from the sapling’s thin trunk victoriously.
It was the best form of anger management therapy he’d ever found.
Hours later, he padded into the clearing, then sat, just in front of the tree line, examining the big house, the downstairs lights all still lit. For a moment, Shane wasn’t a hundred percent certain that it was his house — he’d only lived there for a few days, and had barely seen it from the outside at night — but the moving truck in the driveway was a dead giveaway.
Glad to see I already know my way home, he thought. We should return that truck.
Elliott left the lights on for me.
Maybe he’s not as mad as he was.
He walked up the front steps, then paused at the door, looking down at the welcome mat.
We haven’t hidden a key again yet, he remembered. Shit.
Instead, the door opened, and Elliott stood there, a fire crackling away in the fireplace behind him.
“There you are,” he said.
Shane shifted back, his human form cold in the night air.
“You stayed up,” he said. “It must be three in the morning.”
“Two thirty,” said Elliott, and shrugged. “I wasn’t sure you knew the way home.”
“I guess I did.”
“You coming in?” Elliott said, his voice low. He stepped back, and Shane came through the door, shivering.
Elliott reached behind him and handed him the wool blanket they kept near the sofa, and the two men looked at each other for a long moment.
“Sorry for running off,” Shane said.
Elliott shook his head, running his hand through his hair.
“I’m sorry for making you come to that meeting,” he said. “I knew you weren’t really interested.”
“I probably shouldn’t have punched Zeke.”
Elliott snorted, half-smiling.
“I’m only mad you punched Zeke because I didn’t do it first,” he said.
“Not because the alpha’s mad at you?”
Elliott sort of shrugged.
“You’re not the first wolf to get in a fight in the middle of a meeting and you won’t be the last,” he said.
“True.” Shane paused for a moment, not quite sure how to say what he wanted to say. Talking about his emotions had never been his
“Sure, you’re proving your point,” Elliott said, his voice laced with sarcasm. “That’ll fucking show me.”
Shane shook himself off, then trotted into the woods in the direction of their house.
The moment he was out of sight of the barn, he grabbed a sapling between his teeth and pulled , doing his absolute best to rip the tiny tree out of the ground, growling as he did.
Fucking Elliott , he thought. Those assholes don’t care about him and they never will. No one ever really changes, not people, not shifters. Tigers don’t change their stripes and wolves don’t change their... fuck it, whatever.
He twisted his head from side to side, making the little tree bounce crazily around, its leaves whipping through the air as he could feel the roots begin to pull out of the earth. It felt great to destroy something, even something as small and helpless and stupid as a baby tree.
What he wanted was to punch Zeke in the damn face again, and then maybe he’d punch Elliott’s parents for hardly giving him a chance in life, and then he’d punch the alpha into sometime next Tuesday.
There’s no way I’m joining that pack , Shane thought. I’m not about to just go along with what some asshole says I should do. Especially if that asshole’s also going to treat his daughter like a piece of meat or a goat for sale or some piece of land that a guy can just fucking park himself on—
The sapling finally came out of the ground, sending Shane reeling back, landing hard on his haunches. Even though he was still angry, he couldn’t help but feel the pleased canine inside him, delighted that he’d pulled a stick out of the ground, and his tail wagged, just a little.
This is why I need wolf time , he thought to himself. Because sticks are still pretty great.
He grabbed a branch between his teeth and tore it from the sapling’s thin trunk victoriously.
It was the best form of anger management therapy he’d ever found.
Hours later, he padded into the clearing, then sat, just in front of the tree line, examining the big house, the downstairs lights all still lit. For a moment, Shane wasn’t a hundred percent certain that it was his house — he’d only lived there for a few days, and had barely seen it from the outside at night — but the moving truck in the driveway was a dead giveaway.
Glad to see I already know my way home, he thought. We should return that truck.
Elliott left the lights on for me.
Maybe he’s not as mad as he was.
He walked up the front steps, then paused at the door, looking down at the welcome mat.
We haven’t hidden a key again yet, he remembered. Shit.
Instead, the door opened, and Elliott stood there, a fire crackling away in the fireplace behind him.
“There you are,” he said.
Shane shifted back, his human form cold in the night air.
“You stayed up,” he said. “It must be three in the morning.”
“Two thirty,” said Elliott, and shrugged. “I wasn’t sure you knew the way home.”
“I guess I did.”
“You coming in?” Elliott said, his voice low. He stepped back, and Shane came through the door, shivering.
Elliott reached behind him and handed him the wool blanket they kept near the sofa, and the two men looked at each other for a long moment.
“Sorry for running off,” Shane said.
Elliott shook his head, running his hand through his hair.
“I’m sorry for making you come to that meeting,” he said. “I knew you weren’t really interested.”
“I probably shouldn’t have punched Zeke.”
Elliott snorted, half-smiling.
“I’m only mad you punched Zeke because I didn’t do it first,” he said.
“Not because the alpha’s mad at you?”
Elliott sort of shrugged.
“You’re not the first wolf to get in a fight in the middle of a meeting and you won’t be the last,” he said.
“True.” Shane paused for a moment, not quite sure how to say what he wanted to say. Talking about his emotions had never been his
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