Runt of the Litter by Sam Crescent Page A

mate with Tori and you’ve got
that connection, you may be able to help her through the transition.”
    “I’ll be banished from the pack,” Jack said.
    “Only if Tori objects to it.”
    Jack stared up at the sky. “I’ve got to think about
this. I can’t just come out and tell her that we’re mates. It’ll scare her, and
she’ll panic, not to mention be pissed off that I’ve not told before now.”
    “I can’t guarantee that it’ll work, but I thought
you’d like the chance to think it through. Jack, you don’t have to tell her in
order to mate.”
    “Thank you.”
    He closed his cell phone, staring up at the sky.
    “What was that?” Paul asked.
    “Marshall thinks if I mate with her the connection
between us would help her through.”
    “Do you think it’s that simple?”
    “I’ll be risking banishment from the pack unless Tori agrees .”
    “Fuck, it’s a risk.”
    “I know.”
    “What are you going to do?”
    “I really don’t know.” Staring up at the sky, Jack
knew he was going to do it. He’d do anything to help his mate. “I can’t risk
telling her.”
    “Then don’t, at least not right now. If she knows,
it’ll put too much pressure on her. She’s told me she’s thankful she doesn’t
have a mate, Jack. Finding out the truth will destroy her.”
    Jack wasn’t going to tell her. He didn’t know what he
was going to do.

Chapter Eight
     
    “Where’s Jack?” Tori asked.
    Paul was in the kitchen chopping up some fruit. “He’s
outside breaking up logs.”
    “It was bad last night, wasn’t it?”
    “Yes, it was bad.”
    “I know you don’t approve of Jack being with me in the
bathroom.”
    “It’s not like that at all, honey. Jack’s a little
older than you—”
    “Please, save it. Jack wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.
I know him.” She touched Paul’s hand. “I’m going to go and see him. He really
struggled last night.”
    “We all struggled last night. We’re not going to try
it for a couple of weeks.”
    “I feel fine.”
    “No, Tori, you don’t look fine.” He handed her a
sandwich. “Eat. You need to keep your strength up.”
    She took the sandwich, biting into the bread on her
way out the door. The sun was beaming down and already swelteringly hot. She
found Jack in a pair of jeans that were cut off at the knee. He wasn’t wearing
a shirt as he raised an axe above his head. The pile of logs was off to his
side, and it didn’t look like there was any need for more.
    “Hey,” she said.
    He looked up at her.
    “You look like shit.”
    “Charming. You stink like shit,” she said, taking a seat on the pile of logs that
was secured with rope. She finished the sandwich while she watched him.
    “We can’t do that again,” Jack said.
    “What? Bathe together.”
    The axe split the wood in half sending it off in
either direction. “No. Forcing your wolf.”
    “But the bath is up for negotiation?”
    “For fuck’s
sake, Tori, enough with the jokes.”
    “Why? Because it got a little hard for you, Jack? We
all knew this was going to be difficult. Nothing’s changed.”
    “Everything is changing, Tori. You don’t even see it.”
He dropped the axe, rubbing a hand down his face.
    “I know this is hard for y—”
    “You don’t know shit, Tori. This is dangerous. You
were screaming in agony. I’ll never forget the way you sounded.”
    “Then walk away,” she said, standing up. She stormed
over toward him. Pressing a finger against his chest, she stared into his eyes. “If it’s too much just walk away.” She was breaking up
inside, and she didn’t understand why. When it came to Jack he made her feel
things that she didn’t even understand.
    “You don’t understand what you’re telling me.”
    “It’s easy, Jack. Just walk away.”
    “I can’t.” He cupped her cheek, running his thumb
across her bottom lip. “I can’t just walk away from you. I’m here for however
long it takes.” He pulled her close, wrapping her in his