Page 4 of The Bookish Girl’s Guide to Mating with a Werewolf (Mate Hunted #1)

three

ABBY

The wolf hadn’t budged when I woke up. He was just staring at me. Having him at my side was slightly disorienting, but I definitely hadn’t forgotten everything that happened earlier as I blearily checked the time on my phone.

I’d slept a solid four or five hours.

And I’d missed multiple texts from Jade. A few from Stella too.

The need to pee was too strong to read the messages, so I stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom, silently looking for bite marks on my way.

I was pretty sure I would’ve noticed if Nico bit me while I was asleep, but it didn’t hurt to double check.

When my bladder was empty and I was satisfied that my skin was bite free, I washed my hands and stepped out of the bathroom.

My gaze went right to the wolf.

He was still staring at me.

I wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or unnerved by that.

I was leaning toward the first option, even though logic said the second made more sense.

My phone vibrated on the bed, but Nico didn’t look down at it.

I hurried back, seeing Jade’s picture on the screen before I answered.

“Hey.”

“What happened to you?” she demanded. “You can’t just disappear like that after sprouting weird werewolf shit like you’re high.”

“I wasn’t high.”

“You seemed like it.”

I let out a long breath. “I can see why you came to that conclusion, but really, I’m fine.”

Just being followed by a big furry monster.

“Stella and I are on our way up to your apartment right now.”

My eyes widened. “You don’t need to do that.”

“See, you’re being defensive now. Something is clearly going on.”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Did you meet a guy at the grocery store or something?”

“It’s more complicated than that.”

“You can explain it in person in like thirty seconds.”

Crap.

This was bad.

Wasn’t it?

She was going to think I was legitimately insane.

I was going to have to try to lie my way through it, and I was a horrible liar.

A knock at the door told me my time was up.

I groaned quietly as I crossed the apartment. Nico’s paws were nearly silent behind me, but I could feel him following me.

When I reached for the doorknob, he gave a quiet rumble.

I froze.

And looked over at him.

He carefully grabbed my pants between his teeth, pulled them off the back of the couch, and brought them to me.

I eyed him as I accepted the fabric.

“You want me to wear pants?”

“Of course we want you to wear pants!” Jade exclaimed on the other end of the call.

I hadn’t hung up the phone.

Oops.

“Just checking,” I lied.

It only took me a moment to pull them on. After my ass was covered, I hung up the phone and opened the door.

Jade and Stella stood outside. Jade’s forehead was creased, and her eyes were narrow. Her long, brown hair was tied up in a messy bun and her tan skin looked greasy—probably thanks to the sunscreen I could smell on her.

Stella looked slightly amused, like usual. She’d french-braided her dark blonde hair back. She was also shiny with sunscreen, and just as tan as Jade. Unlike me, they were out hiking together every chance they got.

It now seemed safe to assume they had been together when I texted Jade about the wolf thing.

It was a good thing Stella was pretty laid-back, or she would totally think I was insane.

Or on drugs.

Considering Jade already believed that, it actually wouldn’t be a stretch for Stella to agree.

“For the record, I think pants are overrated,” I blurted, as Jade stepped past me into my apartment.

“You’re totally high. Where did you get the—what the fuck?” Jade barked the last bit, stepping back suddenly. She nearly crashed into Stella, but Stella dodged at the last second.

“You went looking for a werewolf and brought back a wolf?” Stella asked, her eyebrows high in her forehead. Whatever amusement she’d had on her face was completely gone.

“It’s a dog,” I said weakly.

“That’s not a dog,” Jade said bluntly.

“Sure it is.” I waved toward him. “Sit, Nico.”

He was still staring at me—but he did sit.

Slowly.

Almost sarcastically.

“The guy I met at the grocery store talked me into going to a dog shelter with him. Werewolves are a joke in Moon Ridge because someone started breeding wolf dogs a decade ago and now there are too many of them,” I explained. “Nico was just too… cute.” I waved toward the wolf.

Neither of my friends looked like they were buying my story.

I wasn’t sure I would’ve bought the bullshit either, so I could hardly fault them for that.

“Cute?” Jade asked flatly.

“That thing could kill you if he wanted to,” Stella said.

“Or if he got bored,” Jade agreed.

“No. He’s trained. Spin, Nico.” I wasn’t sure what other commands someone would give a dog. I’d never been a dog person. Or a cat person. Or an animal person in general. I didn’t hate them, I just wasn’t interested in being near them.

I twirled my finger.

Nico gave me a dead-panned stare, but stood up and slowly walked in a circle.

When he sat back down, a moment of silence passed.

“There’s no way that thing is a dog,” Jade finally said. “It’s huge.”

“ He ,” I corrected. “And shh. You’ll hurt his feelings.”

“If he’s a dog or a wolf, he won’t understand what I’m saying.” Jade flashed me a look. “And he’s not a werewolf.”

“I’m aware.”

“The werewolf thing is just a myth,” she added.

“I discovered that.”

“Drugs are dangerous.”

“I know , Jade. I gave up on finding a supernatural being and adopted a dog.”

“A wolf ,” Stella clarified.

“If he’s a wolf, he’s not a dangerous one. Look at him.” I gestured to him again. He was sitting once more, just staring at me.

“He looks like he wants to eat you,” Jade said flatly.

Biting wasn’t that far from eating, so she wasn’t necessarily wrong.

“Look at the time, I need to take him on a walk,” I said cheerfully, grabbing my phone and pointing to the place the time should’ve shown on the screen.

“You didn’t press the button,” Stella pointed out.

I glanced over.

Yeah, she was right.

“You interrupted me when I was getting ready,” I lied.

Jade scoffed. “You didn’t even have pants on.”

This was not going well for me.

“I hate pants. They were going on last.” I cleared my throat. “Anyway, I need to get going.”

“We’ll go with you,” Jade decided. “Where’s your leash? And the dog’s collar?”

Shit.

I looked at Nico.

He was still freaking staring at me.

“That was the first part of the walk. Driving to the pet store,” I finally said.

“The last thing you should do while you’re high is drive, Abby.” Jade sighed. “Get in my car. Bring the wolf. I’ll take you.”

“I’m not high,” I protested.

Stella patted my arm as if in condolences. “She’s pretty convinced. I’d just get in the car. Try not to let the wolf attack any of us on the way.”

“He’s a dog!”

“Whatever you say.” Stella waved me out in front of her, and I reluctantly went.

Nico fell into step beside me, apparently not minding at all that we were basically being herded.

When Stella draped my purse over my shoulder on the way out, I thanked her with a quiet sigh.

I had no idea how I was going to convince them that I wasn’t high.