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second thoughts."

If Riley were a dog, his ears would've perked because he suddenly looked more alert.

"Why are you having second thoughts?"

"I think there's a wolf tracking me. It's not safe for me here so I
have
to go home."

His head jerked as if taken back. "A wolf?"

"Yes," I nodded. "It came into my cabin and it was here last night lying right where you are." Riley didn't react and I wondered if he sided with his family. "You believe me, don't you?"

My voice sounded desperate. I needed
someone
on my side.

"Yes, I believe you." I smiled in relief. "But you're in no condition to travel."

"When you pulled me from the wreck, why didn't you take me to the hospital?"

"Because I wanted you
here
."

I gaped at him. His answer shocked the hell out of me. "Why?"

A strange intensity swirled in Riley’s eyes, and his gaze pierced through me as if he tried

to speak without words. The moment was brief, and within seconds, his expression lightened.

"Feeling peckish?" I wasn't expecting him to change the subject.

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T H E H O W L I N G H E A R T

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47

My faced scrunched in confusion. "What’s
peckish
?" Immediately after my question, I

heard my stomach growl.

Riley chuckled and his lips twitched. "Are you
hungry
?"

"Yes, I’m starving."

"Say no more." He got up off the floor and dashed out of the room.

I heard noises coming from the kitchen like cabinet doors opening and closing, and

dishes moving around. Moments later, he reappeared in the room with a bowl and a spoon or

fork. With a wide grin, he handed me a bowl of cereal that looked like Fruit Loops. I thanked

him and ate it graciously.

He sat on the bed next to me. "So, I was wondering if you'd stay here with us." He

watched me intently, waiting for me to respond.

I decided to take a page from his book when I changed the subject. "Is this your room?"

"Yeah, Quinn and I share it."

I looked around the room again and then back at the man taking care of me. He had a

hopeful look on his face, but I noticed he fidgeted his hands anxiously.

"Where are you sleeping?"

"On the sofa."

"So Quinn will be sleeping in here with me?"

This time he hesitated. "Um, no. See, she figured you'd want the room to yourself for

privacy, so she's sleeping on the loveseat."

I gave him a perplexed look. "But there's another bed in here. I wouldn't mind sleeping in

the room with her." Riley just looked at me. "I don't want to put you guys out." I set the bowl on the nightstand. "That's why I should leave."

The moment I tried to pull the blankets off, Riley's hand shot out to stop me. "No! Don't

go!" My body froze and I stared at him. "You're not well. You need to rest," he said as he tucked the blankets around me.

Because he was so close, I noticed for the first time he had a clean woodsy scent like the

forest after a rainstorm. His hair was within close reach and my fingers itched with the desire to

comb through it. I wondered if it felt as nice as it looked.

"I don't care about sleeping on the sofa. Trust me, I've slept in worse places."

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T H E H O W L I N G H E A R T

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I frowned because I didn't like to hear that. We didn't speak while I ate the rest of my

cereal. Riley sat on the floor again, his arm resting casually on the bed. I glanced at it and noticed the tattoo on his shoulder. I couldn't read the words when I saw it in Bobby's store, but now I

could read it clearly: '
What goes around comes around
'.

"You believe in karma?"

Riley looked at his tattoo. He grinned. "Yeah, do you?"

"Sure, and I hope my ex-boyfriend gets what's coming to him." I put a spoonful of

colorful hoops in my mouth and hoped the sweet cereal overpowered my bitter words.

He turned toward me with an amused smile. "Ooooh, what did he do?"

"I caught him cheating on me in front of my apartment building."

"We don't do that," he said cryptically. I gave him a confused look. "Cheat, I mean. Once we're bonded to someone, we're loyal until death."

"Who's
we
?"

"Everyone in this community."

This new information was strange but comforting. It pleased me to know some people

still believed in fidelity and commitment. Regardless, I still wanted to go back to New York

because I had enough of Black River’s weirdness.

"The wolf you mentioned before...did it attack you?"

He echoed his father's question, and once again, my hand froze with the spoon to my

mouth. "Uh, no...But---"

"Then why are you afraid? Why do you want to leave?"

I thought the answer was obvious so I scoffed. "Because it's a
wolf
---a dangerous wild

animal. As I said, it came into my cabin while I slept. It came into
your
house too and slept right where you're sitting."

The Gray family’s carefree attitude about my situation baffled me. I couldn't understand

why they weren't concerned.

"Have you ever touched a wolf?" He asked with an expression of mild curiosity.

I ate the rest of the cereal and slowly drank the milk before I set the bowl back onto the

nightstand. With my stomach rumbling under control, I scooted underneath the blankets to lie

down.

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49

"Yes," I admitted quietly. "When I was ten years old, I met a wolf pup in the woods near my cabin. We became friends." I smiled thoughtfully. "I even played with him."

Riley smiled. "So why are you afraid of wolves if you met one?"

"Well, that was a pup and he was playful."

"Adult wolves are playful," he countered.

I laughed humorlessly. "Oh really? Because the ones I met weren't. I saw a pack of huge

wolves that same night and they wanted to kill me."

Riley turned his head. He lowered his voice when he said, "That's because you entered

their territory. That also raises the question...why
didn't
they kill you?"

His questions had me suspicious and I wanted him to look me in the eye.

"I don't know. Maybe the pup communicated to them I meant no harm. I'm really not

sure."

Riley leaned his head back against the wall, but slowly turned to look at me. I stared into

his eyes and wished I knew what he was thinking.

"Do you know a lot about wolves?" I asked.

He nodded. I scooted closer to him and he dipped his head toward me. His scent engulfed

me and an unexpected feeling came over me. I wished for him to lie next to me and talk to me. I

felt drawn to him and enjoyed his company even though some of his words puzzled me.

"Then answer me this: why would a wolf come into my window at night and jump on my

bed while I slept?"

Riley didn't miss a beat. "Maybe it was curious about you."

"How could a wolf get through a second-story window without a fire escape?"

His Adam’s apple moved in his throat. "Maybe it wasn't a normal wolf. Maybe it was

a...
super
wolf."

A sharp laugh burst from my mouth. "A
super
wolf?" I continued to laugh, but his serious expression cut it short. A ghost of a smile remained on my face, but the longer I stared at him,

the more I realized something else was going on. My smile disappeared completely and I decided

to pick his brain. "Well, that may explain its size. You know something, don't you?" He turned his head again...and confirmed my suspicions. "You know what's going on. Tell me."

"Will you stay here if I promise to keep the wolf away from you?" Once again, he tried to

throw our conversation off-track.

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I sighed heavily. "I'll stay until I'm fully recovered, how's that?" Riley looked as if he was going to object so I said, "I have an amazing job waiting for me in New York. I was just

promoted."

His face fell instantly. "
Please
." I wasn't expecting him to beg.

I held his gaze, but he looked away first. "Why do you want me to stay so badly? Do you

like me?" It was already too late by the time I heard myself ask the juvenile question.

He finally settled his pale emerald eyes on me. When he nodded, my eyes widened before

I looked up at the ceiling. Then I thought about the fact he seemed to be keeping something from

me. I wasn't one to manipulate others, but he had me very curious.

I turned to him with a sweet smile and tried to make my voice sound tender. "Then I need

you to be honest with me." Now he looked frustrated. "You want us to be friends, right?"

His blond brows knit in confusion. "Just friends?"

I couldn't fathom the thought of being more than that. I couldn't let myself get

romantically involved with a small-town guy I'd never see.

"Yes, we can get to know each other and be
friends
."

He looked deflated. He turned his head away and didn't speak for a couple seconds, but

then I heard his quiet response. "Okay."

"Tell me what's going on. I know you know something, Riley. I can see it in your eyes.

What's going on with this white wolf?"

Riley’s lips twitched as if he wanted to say something.

This time I was the one begging. "
Please
tell me. I
have
to know."

My eyes pleaded with him to ease my sanity. Unfortunately, Quinn interrupted my

chance of possibly finding out the truth when she walked into the room wearing royal blue

nursing scrubs.
I knew she was a nurse
!

She stood in front of her brother. "Dad wants to see you at the station."

Riley scoffed in irritation. "What does he want?"

Quinn shrugged. "I don't know. He didn't tell me. He just said to get you."

"He can't ring the house?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation. "Oh bloody hell, Riley. Just go and see

what he wants."

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T H E H O W L I N G H E A R T

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51

Riley turned to look at me and this time I read the message behind his eyes:
We'll talk

later
. He leaned over my body and his scent washed over me. A prickly heat burned within me

when I felt his soft lips press against my forehead.

When our gazes met, his gentle words stole my breath away. "Promise you'll be here

when I get back?"

All I could do was nod. He smiled brilliantly. I watched him go to the dresser and put on

a pair of blue jeans and a white tank. It clung to his torso in all the right places and showed off

his sculpted arms. He didn't give me a second glance when he walked out of the room, but my

gaze followed him.

I felt the mattress dip and looked over to see Quinn make a spot for herself next to me.

She put her hand on my forehead.

"Oh good! Your fever broke." She looked joyous. Her eyes darted toward the nightstand.

"I see Riley fed you. How are you feeling? Did you see the wolf again?" There was worry in her eyes now.

"No, I didn't see it today."

She smiled. "I told you there's nothing to worry about."

"Oh yes there is! Quinn, I wasn't having a nightmare! I really saw a wolf! How do you

explain the white hairs on the carpet?"

"I'm sorry, Paige. I didn't mean to upset you."
Her
face was the one looking upset. "Riley and I were talking, and I agree with him that you should stay with us."

"I told him I'd stay here until I felt better."

"No, I mean...stay with us
permanently
."

I gaped at her. "What? I
can't
stay here."

"Why not?"

"Because I have a life in New York. Besides, I don't think I could survive out here. I'm a

city girl." I smiled, but Quinn wasn't amused. "Why do you want me to stay?" I asked quietly.

She spoke softly. "You're different, Paige. There's no one around here like you. It's good

to have new people in town." She looked down at her hands folded in her lap. "And...I think

you're nice."

Her words actually warmed me. "You do?"

"Yeah...and my brother fancies you."

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T H E H O W L I N G H E A R T

A p r i l B o s t i c P a g e |
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That comment made my ears hot. "He does?"

"It's actually a good thing because Dad's been pressuring him to claim a mate."

Eyes wide, my brows shot upwards. "Claim a
mate
?"

She quickly backpedaled. "Errr...I mean...get a girlfriend."

She looked away, and I tried to understand her odd choice of words. Was this family

really
that
out of touch? More importantly, why did she just reveal her brother's feelings for me?