Page 9 of Wulf’s Pack

Chapter

Four

S ince I’m not completely freaking out anymore, Terrance asks Rook to stay back with him at the club to fill in for me.

Honestly, I think he’s trying to give Skylar and me alone time.

I don’t know if I appreciate it or not. I’m not panicking now, but I’m still nervous as hell.

I have no idea how to be a mate. I haven’t had to look after anyone other than myself for so long I doubt I know how to be unselfish.

Skylar’s nervous too. Oliver had to drive his own car back to work, and Charlie and Enzo both had other things to do, so it’s just the two of us on the drive to the FUA office.

She’s sitting stiffly in her seat, wringing her hands and chewing the hell out of her bottom lip.

I can smell the nerves coming off her, and I hate it.

I want to put her at ease, but I don’t know how.

Usually, I’m great with people, but Skylar isn’t just some beautiful stranger I can flirt and joke around with.

She’s my mate. I don’t know what kind of expectations she has, and I don’t want her to feel any kind of pressure from me.

Honestly, I need to take this slow for my own peace of mind, no matter how much my wolf wants to jump right in.

The silence in the car isn’t doing anything to ease the tension.

I drum my thumbs on the steering wheel, wracking my brain for something to say.

“You’re going to love Nora, and she’s going to be so excited to have another female in the clan.

She’s always complaining about the amount of testosterone surrounding her.

Terrance is our clan leader, but Nora’s the heart of it.

She’s the one who brought us all together and made us a family.

She’s also a lot like you. She’ll understand where you’re coming from. ”

Skylar glances at me. “She’s like me? You mean, she’s been…hurt?”

Sorrow pangs my heart again. “She had a very hard life before meeting us. She was raised in the human world, ignorant of her underworlder status. She didn’t know about her siren’s allure, much less how to control it.

She’s seen a lot of violence in her life.

But she’s healed so much since building our family. You will too. I promise.”

Skylar sits back in her seat and loses herself in thought again.

I reach across the console and take her hand.

My grip is gentle, and I rub my thumb in soothing circles over her skin.

She relaxes a little. Wolves are physically affectionate.

We all crave touch. Something tells me Skylar isn’t used to positive physical contact.

It’s going to take a lot of small touches like this to help her wolf heal from the abuse she’s known for who knows how long.

We don’t speak again until we reach the FUA office, but the silence is a lot less tense.

FUA headquarters recently moved downtown into the same high-rise as the local FBI field office.

It’s a nice part of the city. They used to be in an old, run-down building disguised as a shipping company on the other side of town.

That was before the FUA was known to the general public and before the building was destroyed in the battle that ravaged the city the day humans learned the truth about us.

The Agency has only been around for a few decades, and until Detroit-mageddon, it was a highly-classified branch of the government with very few humans knowing of its existence.

After the dragon was out of the bag, there have been a lot of changes within the Agency.

Mainly, a lot more human involvement. But it also meant a lot more funding, which allowed them to move their office to a nicer place with proper security.

I curse internally when we reach the place and see the chaos gathered outside in the building’s forecourt.

There’s always a small crowd of humans now.

A mix of human groupies hoping to catch the attention of the underworlders and hateful protesters wanting to kick all supernatural beings out of the city.

They’d wipe us from the face of the earth, if they could manage it.

We find a good parking spot on the street out front of the building. Skylar’s eyes widen when she sees the crowd, and she hunches her head into her shoulders. “What is this place?”

“FUA headquarters.”

She turns back to me, biting her lip. “What are we doing here?”

“Nora works here.” I hesitate, then add, “She’s co-director.”

Skylar’s eyes widen. “The director? She’s in charge of the whole agency?”

I chuckle. “Very reluctantly. Several of our clan members work here too. Oliver’s a deputy director, along with our other clan brother, Parker. And then there’s Ren. He’s a receptionist. Enzo works on call as the Agency’s healer.”

“Oh,” she says quietly. Her voice is small, as if she’s intimidated by the thought.

I don’t know what to say to comfort her.

She’ll feel better once she meets everyone and realizes that they aren’t that scary.

At least, they aren’t if they don’t have to be.

When pushed, they can be quite terrifying.

We’re a small clan, but some of the strongest underworlders in the city.

I quickly usher her past the angry mob. Barricades have been set up to keep people from blocking the entrance of the building, and several security guards are there to keep people from getting inside.

I’m easily recognized when we make our way past the crowd.

The human admirers call out to me like fans at a rock concert, while the reporters take pictures and videos, begging for interviews.

And the protesters wave their signs and shout insults, threats, and profanity at us.

I tuck Skylar into my side and hurry her past everyone, but she still trembles. “Is it always like this?”

I sigh. “Since the outing? Yeah. Pretty much. This is a little worse than normal, though. Must be some sort of protest rally. But don’t worry, they won’t try to harm us.

The security team is made up of a group of powerful underworlders, and since the National Guard steps in every time they get violent, most of the time now it’s peaceful protests.

They’re vocal, but they won’t hurt you.”

She clings to me, chewing on her thumbnail, and her eyes stay glued to the crowd.

We’re met by a security guard at the front door. He’s one I know well. A burly bear shifter named Carl. Outwardly, he’s intimidating as hell, but he’s a total softie on the inside. “Anything getting out of hand?” I ask, eyeing the crowd as he unlocks the door to let us in.

He scans the protesters. “Not so far, but it’s been escalating fast. You picked a hell of a day to stop by.”

I glance at my mate and can’t help agreeing with Carl.

Skylar looks terrified. She’s clearly a gentle soul.

She shouldn’t have to be exposed to all of this.

Especially not when I’ve just promised her safety.

Unfortunately, being a member of the most famous underworld clan has some serious disadvantages.

Like being unable to hide in plain sight.

Everyone in the world knows who and what we are.

Carl looks at the woman next to me and raises his eyebrows. “Who’ve we got here?”

For a split second, I don’t know how to introduce Skylar.

Will she want me telling people the truth?

Do I want people to know? Is it safe? I quickly dismiss the idea of keeping her relation to me a secret.

She’s my mate. I won’t be able to hide that.

Especially not with my wolf being so possessive and protective.

“This is Skylar.” I pause and quietly add, “My mate.”

Carl’s mouth falls open. “No shit.” He gapes at us a moment longer, then grins. “Congratulations!” He smiles so big at Skylar that her face turns bright red. “Pleasure to meet you, Skylar. I don’t know how you managed to tie this guy down, but you’ve landed yourself one of the best.”

Skylar’s face is so red it looks painful, but her lips lift a millimeter at the corners. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you too.”

Carl’s face softens at the shyness, and he holds the door open for us. “Get her inside where it’s safe,” he tells me.

I nod. “If this crowd gets any more out of control, call it in. Don’t wait until it’s dangerous.”

“Will do.”

I usher Skylar to the lobby elevators. She’s staring out at the crowd with wide eyes. “Skylar.”

She turns back to me, fear etched on her expressive face. I hate that this is our life. Hate that I will be taking away her anonymity and with it a certain degree of safety. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. As part of our clan, you won’t be able to hide, but I swear to you, we can keep you safe.”

Her eyes drift back toward the crowd, and she gulps.

For a moment, I worry that she’ll reject me.

That she’ll run before she’s outed as my mate and I change her life forever.

My wolf begins pacing in my mind, sharing my fear.

I wait, holding my breath while she silently debates her next move.

She takes a deep breath. Her eyes flutter shut, and she nods slowly. “Okay,” she says.

My wolf howls in relief. “Okay?”

She gathers her courage, forcing her chin up and her shoulders back. When she looks at me, she’s doing her best to hold my gaze. “You’re my mate,” she says. “If this is your life, then I suppose it’s mine now too.”

It’s not the most romantic declaration, but her acceptance has me letting out a breath. Pride blooms in my chest. She’s timid and frightened, but she’s got an inner strength that’s admirable. She’s so beautiful I can only stare at her for a long moment.

She blushes beneath my gaze and points at the open elevator. “Are we going to go up?”