Protector of the Pride (Lions of Pride Island Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

trouble.”
    “It’s because their female population was hit,” she said. “That always disrupts a society in a big way.”
    “Wolves are just trouble, period,” he said.
    “There are some nice ones,” she rebutted.
    He looked over at her. He was unbearably handsome today in a light-blue sweater over light khakis that hugged his butt. A butt she couldn’t see right now because he was sitting behind a desk.
    Something like jealousy flashed in his eyes. “And how would you know?”
    “I’ve worked on the mainland, you know,” she said. “I haven’t only stayed here. Unlike you, I’m not tied to it.”
    “What about your family?” he asked. “Now that I think about it, I’ve never asked you about it.”
    She shrugged. “Not much to tell. I’ve been in the foster system since I was young. I was orphaned as a baby. I never knew my family. I’ve done just fine on my own.”
    “Orphaned? That’s heavy. You think they died in political wars?”
    She looked away. She didn’t want to talk about this. When she’d gotten older, she’d gone looking for who her family was. And then quickly realized it would be better not to know.
    Now she really didn’t like to think about it. They didn’t make her who she was. She’d always been on her own. She chose her own destiny; no one else did it for her with something stupid like blood.
    “Why do I feel like there’s something there you aren’t telling me?”
    “Probably because I don’t owe you info about anything in my life,” she said.
    He bit his lip. “Fine.” His biceps flexed in his sweater as he leaned forward on the desk, flipping through a stack of papers. Then he sat back, handsome face confused. “What was I doing?”
    “Calling one of the tribunals?” she suggested with a half smile.
    He grinned. “Thanks.” Just as he picked up the phone, she heard the doorbell ring to the castle. He put a hand up, tucked his phone against his ear, and stood up to get the door.
    She was touched by his protectiveness. He never let her be the one to go to the door. And even with servants around, he never expected them to drop whatever they were doing and race to the door.
    She heard him get the door. Then he talked to someone, and she heard footsteps head back into the office.
    She looked up to see a man she didn’t recognize, in a uniform, holding a gigantic vase of flowers.
    She gaped as he walked forward, asked her name, and then situated the vase on her desk.
    He left, and then the front door shut, and she waited to see if Axel would come back in.
    In a moment, he did, still on the phone, talking tersely with whomever was on the other line. Working with the wolf tribunals was a crapshoot. Half the time, they were corrupt and secretly involved in whatever shenanigans were going on.
    There were more wolves than any other shifters out there, including cats and bears, and as such, they tended to be more involved in human society and more aggressive in making room for themselves there.
    But she’d met good wolves as well.
    She shook her head as Axel sat down and turned her gaze to the flowers.
    So beautiful. Had she ever had flowers delivered? Well, the answer to that was yes, but it didn’t count because they were flowers she didn’t want. Flowers meant to scare and intimidate, not flowers meant to woo.
    Axel had picked exactly what she would have wanted. Orange tiger lilies accented by white daisies and beautiful sprays of small blue booms. It was bright and happy and filled the room with its color and scent.
    She gave him a smile as he set his phone down on the desk and leaned against it.
    He eyed her sidelong. “You like them?”
    She nodded, trying not to grin like a schoolgirl. “Of course. Step one of wooing?”
    He nodded. “Do they work? I’ve never sent romantic flowers before.”
    Nerves rolled through her at that. The first. And here they were, playing a dangerous game together. This wasn’t really romance, was it? Then why did it feel so