Chapter Five Cory

T hat poor wolf was so tired that he slept right through the movie, dinner delivery, and me eating my chicken strips mere inches from his head. I was shocked he could relax so much in a strange new place. But then again, he'd had a long journey, and I was fairly certain he didn't have the energy to fight anymore. The poor guy could barely stand as it was.

So, I watched my movie mostly by myself, my hand resting on his side. I felt the slow rise and fall of his chest as he slept and for some reason, it made me feel good. Maybe it was just because I was so lonely. Sure, I had my best friend David, but he was human, and I couldn't really talk with him about werewolf stuff. After River had scared the shit out of him last summer, I figured it was probably best to avoid that subject. Besides, I wasn't really supposed to share my secret with non-wolves unless we were mated. And that definitely hadn't happened.

That meant I was pretty much on my own whenever it came to wolf stuff. And that included dating. As much as I wouldn't mind dating someone like David, there just weren't any I was interested in. Plus, how would you even begin to explain the whole werewolf thing to a human? Most likely they'd just run off. Guys had a tendency to disappear for the tiniest reasons and me being a werewolf was not a tiny reason.

And, if I was being honest with myself, I wasn't sure I was ready for anything serious. Mostly because I still wanted hi m , the guy I'd fallen in love with two years ago at my old pack. The Alpha's son, Liam. The one whose lies nearly got me killed.

Granted, we never got very far. We were both barely adults at the time and it was a whirlwind romance. We spent an entire full moon on pack land just sitting under the stars and talking. Before dark I barely even knew his name. By dawn I was certain he was my mate and that I was in love.

For a week after that we met in secret, stealing nothing more than kisses from one another when it seemed like the coast was clear. But just when I thought we were about to seal the bond, his father caught us. The next thing I knew, Liam had not only disappeared, but he'd apparently told his father, the Alpha, that I'd forced myself on him. That was enough to garner me a death sentence.

I barely made it out of there with my life.

That's how I came to be in Shifter Grove, my life hanging by a thread when I stumbled into town. I spent the better part of two weeks in wolf form, sulking and barely eating. I couldn't believe Liam would lie about me like that. That he'd try to have me killed . The betrayal was nearly too much to bear.

But Sam, through means I didn't quite understand, finally convinced me that life was worth living. And I started to eat again. When I finally shifted back into human form, it was long and painful. But no amount of physical pain could compare to the way my heart felt, and I pushed it away, refusing to talk about my past with anyone.

I got a job, built a life, found friends, and learned to live again. But no matter how many nights I stayed up hating Liam, I couldn't help feeling that pang of loss behind it. I still loved him despite my best efforts. However, I wasn't an idiot. No amount of love would ever convince me to trust him again. Not that I'd ever see him again, anyway. He would never step foot in my life again.

However, there was something about this new wolf that plucked at my heartstrings. That, in itself, was something of a miracle. I'd never felt anything for another wolf since I came to Shifter Grove. But this stranger… I don't know. He made me feel so rt of giddy and electric.

It was probably just some childish notion, I told myself. Still, I couldn't stop myself from stroking his fur and hoping he'd shift back soon so we could talk. Besides, he seemed perfectly comfortable cuddling up at my side. At the very least I figured he wasn't some homophobic bigot of a wolf. That at least was a step in the right direction.

When the movie was done, I clicked off the television and picked up my phone. David and I had planned to go kayaking in the morning, but I had a feeling I was going to be a little too busy with my new wolf friend to run off just yet.

Flipping open the messaging app, I began to type.

Me: Hey David. I think I'm gonna have to cancel for tomorrow. Something came up.

David: Aw man! I was really looking forward to that trip down the river!

Me: Sorry. I really want to go too, but I had a little accident and I need to get some things worked out first. My hands are kinda tied

David: Everything okay?

I paused, staring at my phone screen. I couldn't tell him exactly what happened, but I could dance around the truth a little bit.

Me: Well, I was on the way home from work last night and a stray dog ran out in front of me. I ended up hitting him with the car.

David: Oh god! Is it still alive?!

Me: Yeah, he's alive. And he wasn't too badly hurt thankfully. Turns out he was half starved and being chased by a bear at the time.

David: Damn… that's crazy!

Me: It was pretty intense for a moment, but he's resting well now and I've got some food in him. I think he's gonna be okay .

David: You… You kept the dog?

Me: Just for a couple days. I'm making sure he's okay before I turn him over to the rescue. But that means I'll need to drive over to the city to drop him off tomorrow. So I can't make the trip.

David: You always did have a soft heart when it comes to animals. I guess I can't blame you for trying to save this one. There are worse reasons to cancel the coolest kayak trip ever I suppose.

Me: Thanks for that little guilt trip

David: You're welcome ;)

Me: No hard feelings then?

David: None at all! Just make sure you mark your calendar for this weekend then because i'm going kayaking one way or another and I WILL go without you if you cancel again.

Me: Alright, haha. Fair enough. I won't cancel on you again.

David: Good. Now send me a pic of this dog.

Me: What? Why?

David: Because I fucking like dogs just like every other normal person in existence!

I glanced down at the wolf asleep beside me. Sending David a picture probably didn't break any rules, right? There couldn't be any harm in it. Lifting my phone, I snapped a picture from an odd angle, trying to make him look as un-wolfish as possible. Loading the picture, I sent it through with another message.

Me: There ya go.

David: Uh… buddy… that doesn't look like a dog to me.

Uh-oh. I was caught. Time to play stupid .

Me: What do you mean?

David: I don't know how many dogs you've been around, but not a damn one of them looks like that. That's a straight up wolf, dude.

Me: He can't be! He's so sweet and calm.

David: Is that your leg he's sleeping on?!

Me: Yeah.

David: Dude… you are gonna get your nuts bit off by this monster!

Me: No I won't. He's so gentle. He even let me give him a bath.

David: You know those memes were someone has bathed and tied a bow around a cougar, claiming it's a lost house cat? That's you right now.

Me: Well, I guess I'll find out when I take him into the rescue tomorrow. They can tell me what his breed is.

David: I can tell you right now! He's a purebred wolf!

Me: Well whatever he is, he's sleeping in my bed tonight.

David: Oh my god… Please make sure you text me in the morning. I want to make sure you didn't get eaten in your sleep by a wild animal… I can't believe they let you bring that into the hotel!

Me: The owner helped me get him patched up!

David: Good god Cory…

Me: Goodnight David.

David: You better text me. If you don't by nine AM, I'm calling the cops.

Me: Just call me first before then. And I promise I'll text you. Goodnight.

David: Goodnight. Don't let the bed wolf bite!

I just shook my head and tossed my phone to the side. To be fair, it was my fault. Why I didn't just download a random dog image online and send it to him was beyond me. Obviously the animal in my bed was a wolf regardless of how bad the angle was. Now David would probably be asking questions for weeks.

Oh well. I didn't have the energy to worry about it at the moment.

Yawning, I snuggled down into the sheets. The wolf was warm against my side and for a moment I hesitated. Then, figuring it couldn't hurt anything, I threw an arm over him. There was a small rush of affection through my chest, and I wasn't sure if I was happy because of him or just because I didn't have to sleep alone for the first time in two years. And I wasn't sure if I was making it up, but there was a familiar comfort I felt with him at my side that I couldn't quite place. He didn't smell like anyone I knew. Then again, all I could smell was the soap I'd scrubbed him down with.

Either way, it was all too easy to fall asleep snuggled up with a stranger that I knew absolutely nothing about.