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He bowed his head and grinned as he filled his plate. Yeah. I smelled her reaction earlier. We just need to take it slow and easy. We don’t want to scare her.

His wolf snorted in amusement. The image of Brennan’s pale, outraged face flashed through his mind. Peterson would have his hands full soothing that lion-shifter’s ruffled mane.

He returned to the table after filling his plate and grabbing an unsweet ice tea. Sliding into the seat across from her, he contemplated eating or just enjoying watching her. He picked up a bowl from his tray and placed it next to her plate. She wiggled her nose and eyed the pudding with a wary expression.

“What is that?” she asked.

He gave her an offended look. “Chocolate pudding. Haven’t you tried the pudding before?”

She rolled her eyes at him. “No. I saw it, but it looked—strange. It’s not like we humans just pop into your kitchen and decided we want to eat—” She eyed the chocolate pudding again before picking up the bowl and tilting it from side-to-side before finishing what she was saying, “liquid poop.”

He scowled and tried to take the bowl back from her, but she held it out of his reach. “It’s not poop. It’s very delicious. If you don’t want to try it, I’ll eat it. I love chocolate pudding.”

She sat back in her chair and studied his mutinous face. Van tried to keep the outrage on his face, but it was difficult with her staring at him as if trying to decide if he was telling her the truth or not. She released a snort and shot him a disgusted glare.

His eyes followed the movement of her hand when she stuck her finger in the creamy dessert before opening her mouth and sliding her finger over her tongue. He choked back the low, primal groan when she wrapped her tongue around her finger and sucked on it. All kinds of wicked thoughts flashed through his head, especially when she moaned with delight and continued scooping the delicious treat out onto her finger and sucking the chocolate delight clean.

“I agree. This choc-o-late pud-ding is very good. Almost as good as the cookies and the pie,” she said.

He swallowed when she stuck her tongue out and licked the last bit from the bowl. Her focus froze on his face, transfixed by the intensity in his eyes. She lowered the bowl to the table, picked up her half-eaten roll, and tore a piece off. He blinked in surprise when the bite-size tidbit struck him between the eyes.

“What did you do that for?” his voice was low and rough with desire.

She lifted her eyebrow at him. “You don’t hide your thoughts very well.”

A wicked gleam glittered in his eyes. He was learning a lot about their defiant mate. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. Nor was she afraid to taunt the wolf inside him. Both characteristics heated his blood.

“And what do you think I’m thinking?” he asked in a low voice.

She scoffed and shook her head. “I’m not falling for whatever charm shifters use to enchant us humans. I’ll slit both of your throats and wear your hides as a coat before that happens.”

He sat back at her vehement threat. Her eyes glittered with defiance and a hint of fear before she looked down at her plate. Her fingers curled on the table on each side of the nearly empty dish before she pushed back her chair and rose.

“I shouldn’t have come here,” she mumbled.

He rose when she did. “Why?”

She looked at him again. This time, the look in her eyes was sad… almost defeated. She picked up her bag off the back of the chair and reached for her lance before she answered him.

“It makes me realize how much you shifters have taken away from us. You are not our friends. You never have been and you never will be,” she said.

She turned away. Anger and frustration waged a battle inside him. Anger at what the shifters had done to the humans centuries ago and frustration at not knowing how to break through the barrier she was determined to erect between them.

“You’re wrong, you know. You just need to give us a chance,” he called after her.

She didn’t turn around. She pushed past Peterson when he entered the kitchen. Peterson looked at him with an inquiring expression. All he could do was shake his head in response.

She like chocolate pudding.

He ignored his wolf. It wasn’t the chocolate pudding that he needed her to like. He sank back down into his chair when Peterson approached. This was going to be a lot harder than either of them imagined.

Darkness was descending and one-by-one each of her clan members made their way to the central firepit. Old habits die hard, and the need to gather as a group was just as strong here as it had been out in the forest. Jayden waited between her own and her grandparents’ cabin. She had been avoiding her parents since their earlier argument. The creak of the screen door warned her that her parents were heading to the fire ring.

“You go ahead, love. I’ll be there in a minute,” her grandfather said.

“Is everything alright, Cyrus?” her mother asked.

“Yes. I’ll be there shortly,” Cyrus called.