place.”
There was so much she didn’t know about this pack and the people who populated it. “Who else haven’t I met?”
Sage grinned. “My twin for one, but that’s okay. I’m the better looking. He lives and works in Chicago.”
“He doesn’t live here? And he’s still considered part of the pack?” That was unheard of. If you were pack, you stayed and worked on pack land.
“Sure. He comes home on holidays and a few times a year in between. Every now and again, I head up to visit him. He’d come if we needed him.”
With every new thing she learned, she was truly beginning to understand just how different this pack was. They didn’t see their differences as weakness, as she’d always been taught, but as strengths.
“Come with me and I’ll introduce you to the rest. Everyone is gathering for the barbecue.”
Rina felt slightly sick. She hated being the center of attention. The last time that had happened she’d been banished from her pack. Her wolf, on the other hand, was quivering with excitement about being around her own kind.
Sage leaned down and rubbed his cheek against her hair. “Everything will be fine. You’ll see. Trust me.”
“I do trust you.” It was easy to say because it was the truth. It was the others she wasn’t so keen on.
“Come on. Go freshen up and change. I’ll be waiting just outside for you.” Sage’s voice was husky and his features strained. “If I stay much longer, we won’t be going anywhere.” When he stood, she could see he was aroused. She wanted to lick her lips but forced herself to look away.
“I won’t be long,” she assured him. Better to get this over with fast rather than keep worrying about it.
“Take your time.” Sage stood and walked to the doors. He pushed open the screen, stepped outside, and then pushed it back into place. She listened for his footsteps but couldn’t hear him. In his bare feet, he moved silently.
Rina swung her legs around and put her feet on the floor. The hardwood was smooth beneath her soles. She stood and padded to the end of the bed and snagged her knapsack on the way along. She could scent Sage and knew he was just outside the door. Waiting. For her.
Rina hurried into the bathroom and slid the door shut. She felt hot and sticky but didn’t want to take the time for another shower. She settled on dampening a facecloth and rubbing it over her face, chest, and upper arms.
Her dirty clothes were no longer lying on the bathroom floor. She’d have to ask Sage what had happened to them. The image of him handling her clothes was more erotic than it should have been. She shook her head and stared at her reflection in the mirror. The dark circles beneath her eyes were almost gone. She didn’t look quite so strained or tired.
There wasn’t any choice in what she had to wear, so she dug out the clean pair of jeans she had in her pack and pulled them on. The tank she tugged on was plain white and had built-in support so she didn’t need a bra. She wished she had something nicer to wear, but her clothing had been bought with price, comfort, and versatility in mind. And almost all of it was used. The jeans she wore were, but the top was new. She’d found it for cheap at a local department store and hadn’t been able to resist. She’d bought white simply because it would go with more.
She ran her fingers through her short hair. She’d had long hair once, but it had been too hard to care for when she’d been living on the streets. She’d hacked it off and donated the long hanks to an organization that used hair to make wigs for cancer patients. It had made her feel slightly better about having to cut it all off. Her hair had been her crowning glory and she’d always loved it. She thought about growing it back but knew it would no longer suit the woman she’d become.
Knowing she couldn’t procrastinate any longer, she checked to make sure her money, identification, and pictures were safe and then closed her
There was so much she didn’t know about this pack and the people who populated it. “Who else haven’t I met?”
Sage grinned. “My twin for one, but that’s okay. I’m the better looking. He lives and works in Chicago.”
“He doesn’t live here? And he’s still considered part of the pack?” That was unheard of. If you were pack, you stayed and worked on pack land.
“Sure. He comes home on holidays and a few times a year in between. Every now and again, I head up to visit him. He’d come if we needed him.”
With every new thing she learned, she was truly beginning to understand just how different this pack was. They didn’t see their differences as weakness, as she’d always been taught, but as strengths.
“Come with me and I’ll introduce you to the rest. Everyone is gathering for the barbecue.”
Rina felt slightly sick. She hated being the center of attention. The last time that had happened she’d been banished from her pack. Her wolf, on the other hand, was quivering with excitement about being around her own kind.
Sage leaned down and rubbed his cheek against her hair. “Everything will be fine. You’ll see. Trust me.”
“I do trust you.” It was easy to say because it was the truth. It was the others she wasn’t so keen on.
“Come on. Go freshen up and change. I’ll be waiting just outside for you.” Sage’s voice was husky and his features strained. “If I stay much longer, we won’t be going anywhere.” When he stood, she could see he was aroused. She wanted to lick her lips but forced herself to look away.
“I won’t be long,” she assured him. Better to get this over with fast rather than keep worrying about it.
“Take your time.” Sage stood and walked to the doors. He pushed open the screen, stepped outside, and then pushed it back into place. She listened for his footsteps but couldn’t hear him. In his bare feet, he moved silently.
Rina swung her legs around and put her feet on the floor. The hardwood was smooth beneath her soles. She stood and padded to the end of the bed and snagged her knapsack on the way along. She could scent Sage and knew he was just outside the door. Waiting. For her.
Rina hurried into the bathroom and slid the door shut. She felt hot and sticky but didn’t want to take the time for another shower. She settled on dampening a facecloth and rubbing it over her face, chest, and upper arms.
Her dirty clothes were no longer lying on the bathroom floor. She’d have to ask Sage what had happened to them. The image of him handling her clothes was more erotic than it should have been. She shook her head and stared at her reflection in the mirror. The dark circles beneath her eyes were almost gone. She didn’t look quite so strained or tired.
There wasn’t any choice in what she had to wear, so she dug out the clean pair of jeans she had in her pack and pulled them on. The tank she tugged on was plain white and had built-in support so she didn’t need a bra. She wished she had something nicer to wear, but her clothing had been bought with price, comfort, and versatility in mind. And almost all of it was used. The jeans she wore were, but the top was new. She’d found it for cheap at a local department store and hadn’t been able to resist. She’d bought white simply because it would go with more.
She ran her fingers through her short hair. She’d had long hair once, but it had been too hard to care for when she’d been living on the streets. She’d hacked it off and donated the long hanks to an organization that used hair to make wigs for cancer patients. It had made her feel slightly better about having to cut it all off. Her hair had been her crowning glory and she’d always loved it. She thought about growing it back but knew it would no longer suit the woman she’d become.
Knowing she couldn’t procrastinate any longer, she checked to make sure her money, identification, and pictures were safe and then closed her
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