Free Desert Fate (The Wolves of Twin Moon Ranch Book 3) by Anna Lowe

tight. It was a desperate, crazy gesture, but his arms went around her too, and she breathed him in, pulling great, long gasps of his scent into her lungs. He seemed to be doing the same, pulling her ever closer, refusing to let them be torn apart in the hurricane that was about to strike.
    She melted into him, and he tilted his head into hers, murmuring something undecipherable in low, scratchy tones. Then he shuddered, perhaps recalling some awful truth, and pulled away. He gazed at her quietly before smoothing a lock of hair behind her ear.
    “So now what do I do?” she whispered.
    His hands ran along her arms as he took a deep breath. “Do you trust me?”
    Did he have to ask?
    He took her hand and led her back to the others. There was a short standoff in which Stefanie feared Cody would start up again with that hypnotizing tenor of his. But Kyle squeezed her hand and started first.
    “She comes with me.” It was a statement, not a suggestion.
    Ty immediately started to bristle, but Cody protested first. “If she stays on the ranch, we’re in violation of pack law—”
    “If she stays with me,” Kyle broke in, “she’s not on the ranch. Technically.”
    Stef watched the three siblings exchange glances. Tina was the first to tilt her head sideways. “True, the old blacksmith’s place is on a separate parcel…”
    “I don’t like it,” Ty barked.
    “Could work, though, as a temporary solution,” Cody conceded.
    Stef’s heart jerked at the word
temporary
, but she kept her mouth shut.
    Tina went on, nodding to herself. “It’s far enough not to flaunt pack laws, but close enough in case…”
    Everyone went silent, and Stefanie wasn’t sure she wanted to fill in the blanks. Ty gave a slow nod, and she could read the message in his eyes. The one aimed at Kyle.
    Do not fuck this up.
    She looked from face to face, wanting to plead her case, but the distant sound of a child’s laughter pulled everyone’s attention away. She turned, letting her eyes drift over the ranch as the laugh rang out again, followed by the eager woof of a dog, both somewhere out of sight.
    And just like that, she understood.
    There was peace and continuity here on the ranch. Life. Love. Prosperity. She glanced at the ranch leaders, seeing them in a new light. Human or not, they were good at heart, and they had a lot to lose by getting embroiled in a battle that wasn’t theirs.
    And yet they were offering to help. Even if it was temporary, she’d take it.
    She felt herself swaying again, losing resolve. Because really, what else could she do but heed their word? She’d never felt so powerless in her life.
    Until Kyle nudged her and caught hold of her with those deep blue eyes. There was her answer. He’d been powerless, too, once upon a time, and yet he’d moved on. Kyle was living proof that there were ways to overcome.
    Though Ty was scrubbing his jaw, clearly unhappy with the solution, he did manage to give her a bolstering nod. Cody was smiling—a real smile this time. Tina was swinging her eyes back and forth between Stef and Kyle, analyzing them closely.
    Stef shivered, wondering what Tina saw in her. A raving lunatic? A rabid animal? A lost soul?
    “Come on,” Kyle said, tugging her hand.
    She took a deep breath. It was time to take action for herself, even if it was only the first crawling inch toward an uncertain destination. One shaky step toward Kyle’s truck at a time. Her legs grew bolder when he swung in step beside her, and then she was climbing into the high cab and leaning over to open his door before buckling herself in. And there it was again, his scent, filling her with hope. The engine roared to life, and they were off, rolling under the ranch gateway and out into the desert.
    Just the two of them. Alone.

 
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER TWELVE
     
    Stefanie tried to process her dark new reality of packs, mates, and unwritten laws during the drive home.
    Home
. She snorted. Her home was a sparsely