The Wolf's Den

Stryker

 ''Soo...?"

I glanced over at Kal, waiting for him to add more as I put Bee's truck in park in front of the house. I'd had a pack member go fix up her truck while she worked, so that when she'd finished her shift I could drive her home and go get it for her later. I'd even convinced her I had it dropped off at a mechanic's. She was pissed at first but eventually she'd agreed for me to drive her home.

That agreement felt as if I'd won the lottery.

''Spit it out, Kal."

"What did she mean by 'truce'?" my best friend asked it like he'd been holding his breath for twenty minutes and had to know before he died.

''Hell if I know, she's your sister.'' I reminded him. ''Some shit has to run in your family.''

He rolled his eyes.

''Yeah she's my sister by blood- no choice in that, you're the one that's trying to choose to be with the psycho.'' He held up his hands as if in surrender when I shot him a glare, ''I love the psycho, okay? But that doesn't change that Bee is one.''

''Why is it you and Ansel act more like gossiping teenage girls than your sister?'' I shook my head at him, ''Did you seriously wait this long just to ask me how things went between us?"

''Dude, don't even start,'' his expression was incredulous as he elaborated, ''Plus, you're the ex-boyfriend. If she was rough on you, maybe I'll have a better chance of not pissing her off when she finally stops avoiding us.''

''Ah, so I'm the test bunny of how pissed off she is at you guys.''

''That, and I mean, you guys really need to get your shit together too. But as a brother, I don't want to hear anything about that.''

''Good to know,'' I retorted, opening the door and getting out to end the conversation there.

He got out and joined me at the front of the truck, facing it with our arms crossed and inspecting it.

''All new motor and brakes, test drove it just fine, shouldn't be any issues now.''

''James did good at fixing it up on the outside too, it finally doesn't look like trash,'' Kal added.

''I was told James' face was priceless when it showed up.''

Kal snickered, ''Did someone tell him who's it was?"

''He said he didn't even need to ask, he had a hunch.''

''A hunch? The fuck's that mean?''

I shrugged, frowning as I thought back over my small talk with the outsider-turned-pack-member when I'd collected the keys and paid for all the work he'd done on it. ''I guess it means for the three years he's been in the town and joined the pack, he's met Bee a few times.''

''Huh, think he's scared of her?"

''Who isn't?

"Are y'all done talking shit or ya just gonna stand there all day?"Bee's voice full of disdain had me whipping my head around so fast I felt my neck crack.

Kal jumped next to me and put a hand on his chest, ''Sis, don't go giving the handsome studs heart attacks!'' His expression now a mock pitiful one, and then he added, ''Well one handsome stud and then Stryker.''

I shot him my own look of disdain before turning to take in his sister again.

Bee was standing on the top step of the porch with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her heart shaped face. Scattered freckles that looked golden in the sunlight, surrounded by long red hair that I knew was as soft as silk. She looked like heaven in her tattered old jeans, black tank top that fit her body perfectly in all the right places, and worn out tennis shoes.