Free Espino, Stacey - Surrounded by Wolves [Wolves of Climax 1] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) by Stacey Espino Page B

day from his past. It was a memory he didn’t even share with his new pack, but they knew. How could he mask such potent emotions, a prominent scar in his mind? His brothers never judged him, and not just because they had their own dirty little secrets. Evan finally fit in and wasn’t going to blow his chance at a new beginning. He’d promised himself to follow his alpha’s lead no matter what, to keep peace between him and his pack mates. Never again would he risk the safety of others.
    Cassidy painted patterns over his chest with her fingertips. He smiled to himself, endeared by her innocence. “I may have bruises in the morning,” she teased.
    “Should we have been gentler?”
    “No.” Her rhythmic breathing lulled him.
    “You should sleep now. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
    Some wolves howled in the distance. He heard her intake of breath as she lifted her head slightly off his shoulder. “Did you hear that?”
    “Not even the creatures of the forest would dare harm you in our custody.” He kissed her temple, tugging her closer, comforting her as best he could.
    “What did Travis mean about sharing? He was teasing, right?”
    “No, but it’s not our choice to make. Garret has our best interests at heart. The five of us have been a team for as long as I can remember. It’s been hard since Matthew disappeared, like having the life blood drained from the Gregor family.” It would be impossible for her to wrap her mind around their ways. She was in the dark to the existence of shifters, as were most humans. The Natives in the reserves to the east respected the legends, which included wolf-shifters, and Evan always expected Garret to choose their mate from one of the tribes when the time came.
    What he really wanted was Cassidy. He wanted to hold on to her and never let go, but he had to keep his mouth shut. Was fate dropping his mate right in front of him—where he could touch, but not claim—just to punish him for his sins? Every time he made decisions on his own, people died. Maybe it was best for him to suffer in silence.
    “You’re not allowed to make your own choices? This is Canada. It’s a free country, Evan.”
    “Not as free as you’d think.”
    “So I take it we’ll pretend this never happened tomorrow?”
    He stroked her back, wanting to reassure her of the personal bond he felt between them, but knew it would be wrong to get her hopes up. No matter how much he wanted to claim her, it wasn’t up to him to make that call for the pack. Although Travis and Patrick had thoroughly enjoyed her, sex and love were two very different beasts.
    His mind warred within him. “I’ll never treat you like a stranger. If you ever need help, all you need to do is call.”
    “A service call? Yeah, no thanks.” She attempted to roll over, but he stilled her, pulling her closer with his arm. How could he explain to a virtual stranger, a human who didn’t live off instinct and hormonal signatures, that she just became the gravitational center of his world? His own feelings even scared him, too potent, primal.
    “Stop it, Cassidy. I didn’t use you. It meant more to me than sex.” She had no idea how much more. He wanted to lean into her and sink his fangs into the side of her neck, marking her as his mate. The foolish thoughts of a lost man.
    The tension drained from her body. “It’s okay, Evan. I never expected a happily ever after. I’m just tired.”
    He listened to the wolves continue their tortured cries in the night. The familiar sound soothed him. Was one of them Matthew? Were they from the Rockford Mine, out to cause trouble? Or were they just animals, what nature intended when it created man and beast? Right now, Evan felt like an abomination, and insignificant for not being able to commit without prior consent from the alpha.

Chapter Seven

    He jogged through the darkened field until he hit the tree line. Even with the cover of night he could still see better than full humans