Page 32 of Her Big Bad Wolf

“I told you it wasn’t boys squatting out here.”

“So you caught him? Uh, is he still alive?”

“I caughther,and yes, she is still alive.”

“Her?”

“I didn’t stutter.”

“But, but . . .her?”

“Her.”

“You’re sure about that?”

“Never been more sure of anything in my entire life.”

“Is she okay?” he asked, hesitantly as if I was going to do something that stupid.

She was my true mate. There’s no way I could hurt her.

Shit. When did I start feeling protective of this woman?

“She’s fine,” I barked.

“So that’s it? You had a woman squatting nearby?”

“So it would seem.”

“Did you get her name?”

“Sorry, I forgot to ask as I ran her off,” I said sarcastically, but pain sliced through my chest as I said it.

I’d run my mate off. Hadn’t my father done the same? He’d been a scoundrel of the worst kind, a lone wolf—like me.

The thought angered me. I was nothing like him.

My anger must have shown on my face because Tarron took a noticeable step back.

At least I knew she couldn’t be pregnant as I ran her off. At least not with my kid.

A growl burst from me before I could stop it. The thought of her with another man didn’t sit well with my wolf. If I let myself really think about it, it didn’t sit well with me either.

What the hell was I going to do now?

Nothing, I thought. Absolutely nothing.

“Well, I guess I’m gonna just go then.”

“Do yourself a favor and stop meddling in my business. I can take care of myself out here.”

Tarron snorted. “If that were true, you’d never have called Archie to have me come out here.”

I scowled at him, but he just laughed.

There was no way I was going to admit it, but I liked this guy. He certainly had balls of steel. Most men would have run away with their tails between their legs the way I’d been barking at him.

“Sorry,” I surprised us both by saying. “I do appreciate your help. It’s just been a long day, and an even longer week. I really don’t mean to bark at you.”