“Yes,” I admitted, almost relieved to hear it voiced out loud.
“Don’t worry. I know all the human ladies at Wolf Ranch. I’ve got this down.” Shelby slipped her arm through Caitlyn’s. “We’ll give her the full scoop on your kind.” She tugged Caitlyn toward the kitchen and out to the large deck beyond, Marne following. “Come sit outside with us, we have some iced tea and brownies.”
“What do you mean, your kind?” I called after them. “You’re a shifter, too!”
“I mean male wolves,” Shelby tossed over her shoulder with a smile and a flounce of her dark hair. “I’m going to clue her in to all your secrets.”
“I like her.” Wade shoved his hands in his pockets, grinning.
I couldn’t help but nod my agreement. Shelby’s warmth and welcoming nature eased some of my tension. She might be just what Caitlyn needed. Especially after that awkward exchange we’d just had over her research before we left.
“Yeah, she’s incredible,” Ben agreed, his normally stoic expression soft.
“You two, in the living room.” Gib jerked his head in that direction, all business now. My hair was as dark as my brother’s but I’d yet to gain any of the silver that threaded through his and his beard. Maybe it was being alpha that had him going gray a little early. Sure, it made him look distinguished, but the responsibility of leadership had its price. I’d only been filling in, and I felt the weight of it.
Still, I had to stifle the growl that wanted to creep up my throat. I wasn’t here to challenge him or his authority. My wolf just couldn’t take any threat to our mate, especially because she was unmarked.
The four of us filed into the living room and took seats in opposite corners. Our mother had replaced the couch when we were kids, after we’d set the corner of it on fire… accidentally. Otherwise, the furniture dated to our grandparents, and some items, like the painting over the cold fireplace, even older.
“So, last I heard, you’d allowed a wolf biologist—who also happens to be your mate—onto pack land to tag two wolves. You want to update me on the situation?”
Gib’s voice was calm, like usual, but that didn’t mean he was happy.
A growl did escape my throat this time, and Wade quickly cleared his and interjected, “We had to take our time with her because she’s human. She knows what we are now, and the dangers her research poses to our community.”
“And?” Gib said.
I drew in a breath. “And, we introduced her to Cord to discuss his shifter gene research project. We’re hoping to get her to redirect her focus to something that would benefit the pack rather than harm it.”
“You’re hoping.” Gib’s voice dripped with doubt as he leaned forward and set his forearms on his knees.
“She’s human.” I repeated Wade’s defense. “As Shelby mentioned, courting a human is not the same process or on the same timeline as claiming a shifter female.”
Gib’s dark gaze met mine. “No, but I left you in charge of the pack. You are the alpha if anything happens to me. I’m not seeing a lot of concern for the pack as a whole here.”
I flew to my feet and Wade launched his body in front of mine, blocking me. “With all due respect, Gib, Landry’s done everything he can to minimize pack exposure.”
Gib also rose and pointed a finger at Wade, his eyes narrowed. “Listen to me, both of you. You need to stop her research—at all costs. No more tagged wolves. No studies of wolves in this area. And mark her.”
“Claiming Caitlyn is not necessarily going to change anything,” I pointed out. “It may mean something to a shifter female, but for a human, it’s a ritual she doesn’t relate to. To her, it only means we’re going to leave her with puncture wounds and scars. Hardly something we should pressure her into before she’s ready.”
“I understand about not wanting to push.” Gib shot a glance toward the door to the back deck. “We had to wait a few days to mark Shelby because she wasn’t ready. But I’ll tell you this—in that time, my wolf was going nuts. It’s hard for me to believe either one of you has your full wits while you’re trying to manage an unclaimed mate and this wolf research situation. So that’s why I am ordering you to claim your female. Get your heads on straight. For her sake. If the pack rejects her over her research, she won’t be comfortable here, and you’ll be living the rest of your lives among humans. I don’t want to lose either of you. You’re far too important to this pack.”
The wisdom of Gib’s words sank in, and some of my defensiveness fell away.
“All right,” I agreed. “We’ll get there.”