“She’ll do fine.” Mal’s fingers twined with hers as they entered the house.
The ripple in the air made her tense. Mal, too. A room full of unfamiliar faces—and an unknown threat. The same ripple as the truck stop. She’d known there was an Other here, but she hadn’t expected them to be here here. Who was it, and why weren’t they caged? Guarded? Being watched? Did Finn and his pack not realize what they were capable of? Olivia’s wolf was struggling for control. The need to hunt, to fight, was instinctual when it came to their rival pack.
“She’d have to be tough.” A woman spoke, her odd accent hanging in the air. “You have their scent on you. You were with the Others?”
“They turned you?” Finn paused, glancing back at her in confusion.
“No.” She shook her head, ridiculously relieved that Mal had been the one to make her a wolf. “Mal did. He saved my life.”
A man spoke, his eyes wide. “Mal changed you? Mal, Mal? That hairy fella hanging on to you?”
“Anders.” Mal nodded at the man, a small smile on his face. “You look good.”
“Better than you, Mal. You going native? What’s with all the hair?” Ander’s hugged Mal hard. “I knew you weren’t dead. Nothing can kill you.”
“Why did you change her?” Finn asked. There was no hint of accusation, but the tightening of Mal’s grip told her he didn’t appreciate the question.
“She was dying.” Mal’s words were a growl.
“You saved her,” a very pregnant woman said, smiling. Pregnant. Jessa. Finn’s mate. Her alpha’s mate. She was pretty, radiating warmth and welcome.
“Humans die. It is natural.” The woman with the accent spoke again. “They’re fragile.”
“Who the fuck are you?” Mal snapped.
“Ellen.” She smiled at Mal, a slow, lazy taunting smile that made Olivia see red.
Mal’s answering smile promised pain and violence. “This is going to be fun.”
Finn sighed. “Mal.”
“Hi, Mal.” Jessa crossed the room, hugging Mal. “Olivia, I’m Jessa. It’s so nice to meet you.”
“You as well,” Olivia said, appreciating the woman’s attempt to diffuse the tension.
“Ellen is helping out with my pregnancy,” Jessa said. “So, please, play nice.”
“When are you due?” Mal never took his eyes off Ellen.
“A few weeks,” Jessa said.
Mal nodded. “I can wait. Anticipation’s a good thing.”
Olivia knew it wasn’t an empty threat and almost felt sorry for Ellen. Almost.
Mal’s smile turned genuine when he regarded Jessa. “You look good.”
Jessa glanced at Finn. “Stop telling people to say that.”
Finn held both hands up. “I didn’t say a word.”
Watching them was educational. Olivia watched people; it was what she did. And while it was clear they were deeply in love, there was more—something she couldn’t readily identify.
“Are you hungry?” Jessa asked her. “I’ve got a mountain of food. Those full-moon munchies are wild.”
“First shift can make a wolf blood-crazed,” Ellen sounded off. “She’ll need to be watched.”
Mal’s chuckle was hard. “She’ll need to be watched? After you get put in your cage for the night?”