Leave Janelle by Sarah Spade

6

For the next few days, a different slice of cake accompanies his gifted kill. Lemon cake. Raspberry. Neapolitan. When I eat around the chocolate, he brings me another slice of strawberry shortcake as if I confirmed something for him.

He always waits out there until I take the food. On the tenth day of me living in the cave with Gem, I feed my pup the meat while I leisurely eat the slice of vanilla sponge he left me. When I’m done, I shift back to fur and peek outside and yelp in surprise.

I expected the wolf to be gone. If he wasn’t, I expected him to be in his fur.

He’s not.

Where the big wolf was lounging on his side before, there’s a male in his human form standing there. I don’t know where he got the change of clothing from since all wolves go from fur to naked skin, but he’s wearing a pair of jeans, a dark grey t-shirt, and no shoes.

He’s also one of the most ruggedly handsome males I’ve ever seen before in my life.

He’s tall, his shoulders wide, the sleeves on his tee struggling against his biceps. He has shaggy, sandy brown hair that he’s pushed back from his face; I can see the track marks from his claws. His face is long, his jaw sharp, and his nose a little crooked. Unlike my former mate, he’s not classically handsome, but I’m momentarily struck dumb anyway.

“Hi, there. Don’t be afraid. I just thought maybe it’s time to introduce ourselves.”

Friendly enough. And his voice, though I can tell he’s keeping it low and soothing on purpose, is quite cheerful. I sense no malice or anger coming off of this male, but something about his presence has my nerves flaring up all the same.

Between my yelp and my sudden anxiety, it’s no surprise that my protective pup comes barreling out of the cave, rushing to protect me.

Her appearance triggers my instincts. Shaking off the strange hold he has on me, I quickly snatch Gem by the scruff, all but throwing her back inside the cave.

Too late, though. The damage is already done.

I take a few moments to check on my daughter. I need to calm her; as always, she’s my first—my only—priority. Gem nuzzles my front leg, glad to know I’m safe. I do my best to reassure her even as my head spins wildly, not so sure that she’s safe.

The male saw her. I’ve spent days trying my best to keep her out of sight, but the cat—well, wolf—is definitely out of the bag now. What happens now? I don’t know, and after I calm myself a little, I gingerly step back out onto the ledge to see if the male has taken his confirmation and run off.

He hasn’t. I guess he’s after a little more info because, as soon as he sees me, he immediately asks, “So, is that your pup?”

I should’ve been expecting the question, but it still rubs my fur the wrong way to hear him ask it in such an interested tone. Gem is mine and no one else’s.

In answer, I bare my teeth and snarl.

“Hey hey there. No offense meant. I was just checking. Can you blame me? I’ve been wondering who’s been in there with you. I thought I saw you carrying a pup that first night, but I wasn’t so sure. She’s a cutie.”

My hackles rise at his compliment. Did I get it wrong? Was the food a gift for Gem and by encouraging her to eat it, I was telling him that she was available?

No, no, no.

Rather than be mollified by his explanation, I’m so furious that I snap my teeth at him.

He holds up his hands. “Ah, Luna. Look, I didn’t mean it like that. Does it come out better if I say that she takes after her mom?”

Nope.

If he thought sweet-talking me now is going to make things better, he’s wrong. I’d pretty much suspected all along that he was trying to make some kind of calculated move on me—that’s what the gifting of food means to us shifters, after all—and though I have no idea why, it’s definitely better than thinking he was after my girl. Doesn’t mean I’m interested in him, no matter what me eating the cakes might signify to him.

To make my point, I force my wolf to throw it up.

His eyebrows go sky-high, but instead of getting angry in return, he smiles. A real, honest-to-Luna smile that reaches his dark eyes. “Point taken. At least I hope it tasted good going down.” With a nod, he adds, “And, on that note, I’ll make sure to bring strawberry shortcake tomorrow. You seem to like that one.”

It’s my favorite, but I give him no sign that it is.

“‘Til tomorrow then. You be safe out here, alright?”

Is that a threat? Maybe coming from someone else, I might take it that way. But—for reasons I don’t want to examine too closely—not from this male.

He waves at me, then starts to walk away in his skin. He’s only gone a few steps before he turns around, not even a little surprised to see that I’ve been watching him go.

“Oh. One more thing. Name’s Paul.” He waits a beat. “Paul Booker.” Another nod. “Nice to meet you.”

I get the feeling he expects me to know who he is from just his name, but I don’t. I have no freaking clue. I’m lucky I knew as many packmates in the Wolf District as I did, let alone any of the neighboring wolves.

In response to his name, I turn around. My pup had started to get curious herself, creeping out of the cave to watch the exchange between her mama wolf and the strange male.

Wonderful. Already my one-year-old thinks she knows better than me.

With a huff, I use my paw to push Gem back into the cave again before following her inside, all while purposely ignoring the way Paul chuckles softly behind us.

* * *

True to his word,he’s back as soon as the sun is up.

I didn’t sleep a wink last night. Every time I closed my eyes, I just kept thinking about what his endgame could possibly be. I doubt it is as simple as him being a male interested in the new female in town, but Paul is definitely nothing if not persistent.

He doesn’t arrive in his fur. I guess since I didn’t lunge for his throat after he shifted yesterday, he figures that it’s safe for him to be in his skin while my wolf is out.

It is. After everything he’s done for me over the last week and a half, I feel a bit guilty for the way I treated him the first night. I had no way of knowing that he was a good guy—and I’m still not so sure that I can trust him—but he’s been nothing but kind to me and Gem since.

Even so, I pad out carefully when I catch his scent on the early morning breeze.

One good thing about Paul arriving in his skin? He carries a bag in each hand. Stopping at the furthest edge of the upper level of the hill, careful not to test my boundaries, he purposely looks away from me as he busies himself unpacking the bags. There’s Tupperware in one, and—as promised—a slice of strawberry shortcake on the other.

He sets the cake down. Lifting up the Tupperware, he peels off the lid, showing me the macaroni and cheese inside.

“Your pup looks young. I asked one of my packmates and they said young pups love this. Thought maybe she might be getting sick of just meat. Here.” Paul sets it down, nudging it closer to me with his boot. He’s wearing shoes today, a clear sign that he doesn’t plan on shifting anytime soon. “Sniff it. If you think it’s safe, give it to your girl.”

He’s right. Mac and cheese is my daughter’s absolute favorite when she’s in her skin. I still can’t figure out his motives, but Gem would love this. Giving it a quick sniff, I can tell that it’s exactly what he said it was: noodles, butter, milk, and cheese.

With a jerky motion, I hop behind the Tupperware, using my snout to push it all the way into the cave. For the most part, Gem knows to stay inside when Paul’s around, and though she’s chomping at the bit to get to those noodles, she waits until I push it in front of her.

She doesn’t even pause to shift back. She digs her nose into the Tupperware and starts to gobble it up.

I spare a loving look at my pup, then trot back out to Paul.

While I was feeding Gem, he dared to come a little closer. There are still a good ten feet separating us, but he took advantage of my distraction to move the plate of strawberry shortcake right in front of the cave’s opening.

My mouth waters looking at it.

He can tell, too. But instead of rubbing it in my face, he shrugs. “It’s just cake. Hardly a meal. Junk food, right? Go on. It’s okay.”

He’s an alpha wolf. I’ve known that from the beginning. He’s an alpha, and though he’s not using his dominance against me, I decide to obey him mainly because I really, really want that cake. If he’s willing to twist our rituals around so that accepting the cake doesn’t mean what it usually does, then there’s no reason for me to deny myself.

I eat as daintily as possible while as a wolf, oblivious to the way he watches me nibble and lick until I’m done and I catch him watching me closely.

“Done?” he asks.

I nod.

“Good. I’ve got a question for you. Please don’t hurl if you don’t have to, but you seem to be alone with just your pup. Where’s your mate?”

I should’ve known when he requested that I not throw up that I wasn’t going to like his question.

I huff, but that’s all. It’s better than puking, but my bile does come up a bit as I’m suddenly thinking about Jack again.

“He’s definitely not here. Is he dead?”

I wish. But since I’m sure that Jack will outlive us all if only out of spite, I shake my head sharply, hoping that he’ll get the hint and stop this line of questioning.

“Then, where—”

Know what? I can’t do this in my fur. I might have been able to eat the cake as a wolf, but there’s one thing I can’t do while shifted and that’s speak.

He’s not going to drop this. I don’t know why he’s pushing this—and, okay, maybe I do—but I can tell that this is one topic that he wasn’t to know about. Worse, I’ve been incredibly selfish. He needs to know about Jack if only because odds are that he’s going to eventually figure out that this is where I’ve been hiding.

So, before he finishes his latest question, I shift back.

Paul’s jaw clamps shut. His eyes widen, but he quickly looks away.

Of course. I must look like a mess. I’ve probably got cream in my hair from where it stuck to my fur, and I’m totally naked. Not that that should bother him. In most packs, nudity was just another part of life. So long as there isn’t any sexual intent behind it, it’s perfectly natural to be wearing your skin and nothing else.

It takes Paul a few minutes before he turns back to look at me. His eyes are still pretty wide, and I can see a hint of a blush staining his cheeks.

I pretend I don’t.

Jack. He really needs to know about Jack.

“I had a mate,” I confess, “but we never bonded. Not completely. I decided that I deserved better, so I rejected the mating bond. So he’s not dead, but I wish he was.”

Paul’s brow furrows. “Do I know him?”

With as widespread as Jack’s reputation is, I’d bet on it.

I almost lie to him. It would be so easy to give him another name, but this close to the Wolf District, it’s only a matter of time before my former packmates track me here. This male is a stranger to me, but he’s been kind. At the very least, he’s kept Gem fed. The least I can do is be honest so he knows exactly why I’m not worth him wasting his time.

“You might. His name is Jack Walker.”

“The Wicked Wolf?”

Oh, yeah. He knows.

I nod.

“And the pup? Is that—”

When it comes to my pup, all bets are off. Whatever it takes to protect her, I’ll do, starting with telling the curious shifter: “Her name is Gemma Swann.”

“Gemma… Swann?”

I know why he’s confused. I admitted that Jack is my mate—my rejected mate—so it only follows that she should be his pup. But while I’ll stick with Janelle Walker for now, my pup—my ordinary omega pup—is Gemma.

“Yes.”

There’s no denying the dare in that one word. He could try to pry, he could even use his status to force me to tell the truth, but unless he does, that’s all he’s getting out of me.

With a nod, he takes my answer as it is. “Okay. What about you?”

“What about me?”

“For almost two weeks now, I’ve wondered who you are. It isn’t often a feral she-wolf breaks into our territory and attacks the first wolf who comes to help her. Of course, I get it. You’ve got a pup to protect. But we have a pack to protect. So, first, I’d like to know your name.”

I’ve already told him about Jack. I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t tell him.

“Janelle. I’m Janelle.”

“Will he be coming for you, Janelle?”

It’s the same question I’ve been asking myself on repeat since I left. Will he? Does he care? Or will he never stand to let an omega wolf get away from him?

Again, I want to lie. But I can’t.

“I want to believe he won’t. But he’s the Wicked Wolf of the West.”

“So he probably will,” Paul adds.

I shrug.

I’ll give him credit. He tries so hard not to stare at my boobs as I shrug.

Then, as if he just remembered something, he goes back to where he left another one of his bags. He opens it up, pulling out a bundle of fabric. It’s a pale green color that I adore right away. A color like that suits my dark hair and my hazel eyes, a shade I often wear myself—when I had the pick of my closet, at least.

“Here.”

“What?”

“For you. I thought you might like this.”

He tosses the bundle of fabric at me. Suspicion wars with curiosity, but the need to see what it is wins out, just like it did with that first slice of cake. I catch it, shaking it out.

It’s a simple dress. And, unless I’m imagining it, it’s just my size.

I look over at him.

He’s blushing again. An alpha male who has to be at least a few years older than my twenty-three, and he’s blushing.

“I, uh… I’ve got a smaller one for your Gemma, too. I wasn’t sure you had anything to wear besides your fur.”

Oh. So he wasn’t looking away because I’m a disaster. From the hint of arousal I can sense coming off of him, his discomfort with my naked body is definitely sexual.

Oops. It’s been so long that a male saw me as a female and not just a body to fuck that I guess I forgot what it was like. With a mumbled apology, I shrug the dress on.

“Oh, good. It fits. Corinne will be glad.”

Don’t ask, Janelle. You have no reason to wonder—

“Corinne?”

“My sister,” Paul explains. “She’s the baker who made all the cakes. She’s been hounding me to let her meet you, mama wolf to mama wolf, but…”

I don’t know whether he meant to do it on purpose or not, but he glances down at his jean-covered thigh—right where I had bitten him as a wolf.

“Sorry,” I whisper.

His head jerks up. An expression I can’t quite read flashes across his handsome face before he quickly replaces it with a friendly grin. “You got nothing to be sorry about. I knew what I was risking, sneaking up on you with your pup. No problem. But Corinne’s right. She wants me to bring you back to the pack with me. Especially now that I know your ex-mate is a threat, it’s not a good idea for you to stay out here on your own.”

I know that. I’ve been trying to work up the nerve to grab Gem and continue on our journey, anything to get us further away from Jack. But the cave was safe and Paul kept bringing us food and, well, I didn’t.

Going with him to his pack sounds like a dream come true—if I could trust him.

I want so desperately to trust him.

He can tell that I’m waffling. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since I left Jack, and if I was among other shifters, it might be easier to hide Gem than if we stayed on the outskirts of Paul’s pack’s territory.

“I don’t know.”

“What’s there to know? You come with me. My pack will keep you safe. I promise.”

I want to believe that. But just because Paul and his sister think I should, that doesn’t mean that they speak for the whole pack. And if any packmate invited a stranger into the District without Jack’s permission, you could be sure that he’d take that as a challenge.

“Shouldn’t you ask your Alpha first?”

“Good idea,” he agreed easily. Too easily. After clearing his throat, he says, “Paul, what do you think? Should we bring a brave female in need and her young pup back to the pack so that she can finally get some food and some rest? And then maybe you won’t have to spend everyday trying to convince her we’re trustworthy?”

In a slightly different voice, he answers himself. “Why, yes, Paul. I think that’s a wonderful idea.”

My mouth falls open.

He grins at me. “Okay. Alpha says yes. You ready to go?”

It takes me a moment before I find my voice again. I knew he was an alpha wolf, but—

“You’re not just an alpha? You’re the Alpha? Of this territory?”

“The Lakeview Pack. And yup. Couldn’t you tell?”

After spending so long with Jack, I guess I expected all Alphas to be monsters whether they were in their skin or their fur. But Paul… he’s so kind. So thoughtful. Friendly and funny, too.

Also really, really persuasive. It doesn’t take much more convincing before I realize that he’s right. Now that I know that Paul’s the Alpha, I agree to follow him into the heart of the pack territory where I’d be part of a crowd of humans instead of a lone wolf with her pup.

When I give in, Paul hands me the dress for Gemma. It’s a miniature version of the one he gave me and I can’t help but smile as I hold it. He starts cleaning up everything he brought with him while I go into the cave.

As soon as Gem notices that I’m in my skin, she shifts back. There is yellow cheese sauce everywhere and, for some reason, that makes me laugh. Leaning down, I tickle Gem’s chest, getting her to squeal with laughter with me.

I already feel so much lighter and we haven’t even left the cave yet.

After I tug the dress over Gem’s matted curls, I pick her up, propping her on my hip. Swooping down again, I grab the Tupperware, smiling again when I see that my baby licked the whole thing clean.

There will be food in the pack. Running water. A bed.

Bodies between us and Jack…

Yeah. I… really didn’t put up much of a fight, did I?