She is ours
9: 9.
She is ours Barric
My wolf isn’t as antsy as I expect him to be, though.
She is ours, he says as if it’s decided.
It takes me a second to try to process his fondness.
It squirms around in my stomach like when you eat too much too soon.
It’s too early to tell how I should feel.
But I also know one thing.
I’m not letting her go back out there tonight.
When Ronan’s house finally comes into view, two vehicles are already parked out front.
Liam and Ronan stand on the porch waiting.
Theo pulls to a stop.
Before the engine even dies, Liam is already moving.
He opens Aria’s door and helps her down carefully.
The moment he catches her scent, his entire body goes rigid.
Dirt.
Blood.
Fear.
It takes every ounce of self-control for him not to snarl.
“Just a few scratches,” Aria says quickly.
Ronan gestures toward the house.
“Come on,” he says calmly.
“Let’s get her inside.”
Translation: Let’s find out what happened.
We all file into the house.
Aria sits at the kitchen table while Theo finishes cleaning the cuts on her hands, knees, and the scrape on her jaw.
Ronan leans against the counter.
“So,” he says mildly.
“Tell us what happened.”
She takes a breath.
“The wolves came out of nowhere,” she says.
“They just… appeared.”
My wolf bristles.
Because they were not wolves.
“They attacked us,” she continues.
“Us?” Liam asks, knowing about the male already but probably trying to fish for information.
I can’t say I blame him.
I have about myself.
“ Ransom. A friend I met at the thrift store. We were coming out of the diner after having dinner when it happened. The first wolf jumped on him and ripped up his shoulder. I thought it was his throat. Then another came out behind me, and I ran.”
She stops.
I can almost hear her reliving the moment in her head.
“But…,” she hesitates.
“But?” Liam presses.
“They didn’t try to attack me as they did him. They never once bite me.”
The room goes still.
She frowns, clearly confused by it herself.
“The wolf had the chance,” she says slowly.
“It pinned me down.”
My wolf goes absolutely still.
“But it didn’t bite,” she continues.
“It just… dragged me.”
Theo pauses mid-bandage.
“Dragged you?” Ronan asks.
“Yeah.” She rubs her arm absently.
“Like it was trying to take me somewhere.”
Silence stretches.
Theo ties off the bandage.
Aria glances up.
“What happened to the wolves?” she asks.
“That didn’t seem like normal wolf behavior.”
Kade—who arrived sometime during her explanation—leans against the doorway with a smirk.
“And how do you know what normal wolf behavior is?” he asks.
She shrugs absently.
“My best friend is a biologist. She works at the zoo.”
Ronan answers smoothly before anyone else can speak.
“Park rangers are checking the local trails,” he says.
“They should have a report in a few days.”
Aria nods slowly.
Liam crosses his arms.
“You’re staying here tonight,” he says.
“You can take my room.”
That snaps her out of whatever fog she’s been in.
Her eyes narrow instantly.
“No.” The word lands hard.
“I’d rather go back to my room at the motel.”
“Aria,” Liam says sharply.
“Stop being stubborn.”
Her chin lifts.
“Why?” she shoots back.
“Why should I do anything for you?” The tension in the room spikes.
“So you can feel good about doing me one last favor before you go back to pretending I don’t exist?” she continues.
“No thanks.”
This is about to explode.
I can see it coming.
So I step in.
Everyone looks at me, but I keep my eyes on her.
“I have a guest room.”
Theo nearly chokes.
I ignore him and appeal to the side of her I saw out in those woods, the vulnerable woman wanting to feel safe.
“And it is a favor,” I add quietly.
“I don’t feel comfortable with you going back out there after getting attacked.”
Her eyes narrow slightly.
The blue cools into steel blades.
Yeah.
She’s definitely considering telling me to go to hell.
So I added one word.
“Please.”
That seems to throw her.
She turns and looks out the window toward the dark forest.
For a long moment, none of us says anything.
Then she sighs.
“I need to be at the law office at nine in the morning.”
“Yeah,” I say quickly.
“No problem.”
Across the room, Theo looks like he might pass out.
Liam scowls.
Ronan raises a brow.
“Well,” Aria says, pushing back from the table.
“Are we going or…?”
It takes me a second to realize what she means.
Then it hits me.
I’m about to have a female in my cabin.
Not just any female.
Aria.
My wolf perks up immediately.
Good.
I jump to my feet.
“Right,” I say quickly.
“Let’s get you to bed.”
She heads for the door.
As I follow her out, Ronan’s voice stops me.
“Barric.”
I turn.
His gaze is sharp.
“Meet us back here once she’s asleep.”
I nod once.
Because there’s no way in hell I’m missing the interrogation waiting for the assholes who attacked her.
My wolf’s growl echoes through my skull.
Yeah.
Don’t worry, buddy, you’ll get your pound of flesh.