Hunting Wolf: Black Mesa Wolves #3 Read Online Free PDF Page B

leg. “Yes, you are. So,” he smoothly went on. “Tell me more about how you insulted Rielle this time.”
    Yep, Rafe was going to make a fantastic alpha, all right.
    Caleb sighed and relaxed a bit. His wolf relaxed, too, settling down onto his haunches as he realized Caleb was bristling for no truly threatening reason. “Ah, I don't know. She thinks I'm some sort of throwback to caveman times, or something. She always has.” His tone was rueful as he acknowledged that. “But it's not like I ever go out of my way to bother her, or anything. Heck, I hardly ever see her. She barely ever comes around here.”
    Rafe nodded thoughtfully. “She should, though,” he said. “Especially these days, with the rogues pulling their stunts. She's not as well-trained as a Guardian.”
    “Right.” Caleb tilted his head side to side, cracking his neck. He grunted with relief as the muscles there loosened some. “That's what I told her, when I was trying to walk her home last night. She wasn't having any of it.”
    “You walked her home last night? Did you have a date with her?”
    “No!”
    Rafe appeared mildly surprised at Caleb's vigorous tone.
    “I mean, no,” Caleb said, trying for a softer voice. It made him sound like a drowning fish. His wolf lolled his tongue in amusement, and Caleb internally rolled his eyes back. Yeah, he didn't do “soft” very well.
    “I ran into her outside that store she manages in town.” He paused, remembering again how soft Rielle had felt for those moments he'd held her with his hands. She happened to do soft very well.
    His wolf cocked his head and nudged at Caleb's mind. Caleb got an image again of Rielle's wolf, although it seemed very faded. His wolf whined a bit, seeming confused. Huh.
    “I dunno. We talked, I pissed her off, she wouldn't let me walk her home. The end.”
    “You let her walk home alone at night?” Rafe frowned.
    “She stomped off. Said she could take care of herself. I tracked her to her door, though, and made sure she got inside safely.” Caleb shrugged. “I didn't scent anything out of the ordinary in town, but better safe than sorry. She didn't even realize I was behind her. I think Alpha needs to forbid her to do that anymore.”
    Rafe huffed out a small laugh from his seat on the bench and shook his head. “You definitely don't understand women if you think that would ever work.”
    “He's her Alpha. She'd have to listen.” Caleb's voice sandpapered through the room. His wolf sat up again at the aggravation vibrating through Caleb's body. “And I understand women just fine,” he added, knowing he sounded defensive again, even though he wasn't sure why.
    “Caleb.” Rafe's voice was patient but not demeaning. “If there's really and truly any danger, Alpha will tell her she needs to be on alert. Or he'll even call her back to the den for a while. He knows what he's doing.”
    “Yeah, well, she doesn't,” Caleb said before he knew what would come out of his mouth. He paused in surprise. Where had that come from?
    Rafe was laughing at him again, although not in a mocking way. It was the sort of laughter that said, Oh, shit, brother. You're going down hard.
    “What the hell,” Caleb muttered.
    Rafe tossed a towel toward him, which Caleb caught in easy, automatic reflex. “You should call her. Apologize a bit. Maybe even grovel.”
    “What?” Caleb swiped viciously at himself with the towel. “Grovel? So I ran her over. I apologized already, and she didn't like it. And I groveled then. I don't need to grovel again. Grovel,” he muttered, even though doing just that was part of his game plan when things were about to go kablooie with any woman. He sure wasn't going to let Rafe know that, though. “What the hell.”
    Voice carefully thoughtful, Rafe said, “You could even ask her out.”
    This time Caleb half-howled his response. “What? No! Are you crazy?” At the same time, though, his wolf pushed against his mind with a sudden jab of