Crimson Moon

Eighteen

The ride back to the house was silent. Lou had watched through the window curiously as Ryland berated Cain about something, likely her. They'd been talking too quietly for even her sensitive ears to catch, which had greatly frustrated the curious side of her. What had Ryland said to make Cain look so sad? She shouldn't care, she really shouldn't, but as she had established, she couldn't stay away from the big, bad, Alpha.

She truly was a glutton for punishment.

Lou's hand was trapped firmly in Joey's and she leaned her head against his shoulder. She still couldn't believe he was here with her, but it wasn't the two of the them against the world anymore. Now she also had the Crimson Moon pack, for now anyway. But she'd never had so many people on her side, so she would embrace it for as long as she could.

She knew that Joey wanted an explanation about what happened between her and Cain, but she hardly wanted to talk with her brother about how the handsome Alpha had the ability to make her melt with just a look. She also didn't want to tell him about what a jackass Cain had been after their kiss. Joey would try to kick his ass for sure, and Lou had a feeling she'd have to wipe Joey off the floor.

They stopped in front of the house to find the twins and Henry playing outside, Will's white wolf bouncing around them gleefully. As the truck pulled to a stop and Ryland cut the engine, the wolf's nose twitched and his gazed homed in on the bed of the truck where the rogue lay. His ears flattened angrily and Lou watched as his lips lifted in a small snarl, but he perked up again as they all climbed out. The wolf trotted over and wagged his tail in greeting, sniffing Joey curiously and cocking his head to the side.

"Beta?" Joey asked no one in particular.

"Yeah, that's Will," Lou confirmed.

"Lou!" Henry cried happily, running over to her on his little legs. She grinned and bent down to scoop up the hefty little boy and nuzzle his face.

"Hi, buddy," she said, kissing his cheek.

Henry reached out to Cain, who still radiated tension. "Hi, Baldy."

Cain's face immediately softened and he gave the pup a small smile. "Hey, Henry." The Alpha ruffled his hair playful and Henry grinned, adoring the attention from his Alpha.

"Who's that, Baldy?" Henry asked, pointing at Joey who grinned at the pup. It was hard not to be completely enthralled by the small child when the youngest in their father's pack were well into their teen years now. There were a few half-bloods, but because the pure-blooded wolves were so cruel to them, they stayed away.

"This is Joey," Cain said, plucking Henry from Lou's arm and hanging him upside down from his shoulder so that he was falling down Cain's chest, face up. "Lou's big brother."

Henry squealed in delight at Cain's sudden playfulness, but he didn't forget his manners. "Hi, Joey. I'm Henry."

"Good to meet you, Henry," Lou's brother chuckled, staring at Cain curiously as the large man tickled the little boy, a smile breaking across his face at Henry's glee. The Alpha cleared his throat at Joey's sudden attention and swung Henry back down, placing him on his feet next to his father.

"Lou, can you bring Henry inside while we take care of our cargo?" Cain asked her, one of the first civil sentences he'd said to her in weeks.

Too bad she wasn't in the mood for that. "I want to be there when you deal with him."

"No."

She scoffed. "No? You don't get to just say 'no' with no reasoning."

"The reason is that I don't want you anywhere near him," Cain growled low. "He came here for you, which means that it's not safe for you to be around him."