Feral (Wolf Ranch 3)

I had no idea what the difference was between a violin and a fiddle, but I knew I liked the sound either way.

Natalie didn’t sit down, so the guys didn’t either. They moved to stand, so she was in the center of them, five musicians lined up. Kurt began to play a lively melody, the other Barn Cats picking up the tune.

Pack members clapped and stomped their feet. Natalie smiled nervously, then looked around. Then she set the bow and fiddle down on a table, reached for a can of soda, put it to her mouth, and spilled it all down the front of her.

Purposely.

Something was off.

“Oh God,” she murmured with a forced laugh. “I need to go clean up.” She set the violin gently back in its case and made a beeline toward the house.

I intercepted her on the way, taking her hand and leading her through the back door and into the house. Shifters had exceptional hearing, but hopefully they wouldn’t eavesdrop from in here. It was one thing for the entire pack to know my business, it was another for them to overhear it.

“Angel, you want to tell me what in the hell’s going on?”

“Nothing. I just spilled.” She grabbed some paper towels from the roll and dabbed them over the soda on her dress. “I should probably get home and change.”

“Bullshit.” I caught her arm and turned her to face me.

She tensed into what I would swear was a fighter’s stance—her knees soft, her elbows loosely bent. I caught the scent of fear, and it turned my stomach sour.

My mate was afraid?

Of me?

Something wasn’t right here. I could sense it, being alpha. It made for a great leader the fact that I had a very strong bullshit meter.

Why wouldn’t she want to play with the others? It was obvious she didn’t. Nothing made sense. My mind raced over the possibilities.

“We didn’t talk much about your schooling. After a week together, that makes me an asshole, and I’m sorry for that. Did something happen that you don’t want to play anymore?”

She shook her head and went over to the center island. She picked up an apple from a bowl, clearly fidgety. “I don’t want to mess up in front of all your friends and family.”

I smelled another lie.

My mate was lying to me. Again. My wolf howled with dismay.

I was right. Something was wrong. Natalie wasn’t shy. I doubted since she was getting a Master’s degree in music she’d have stage fright. It was as if—

Boyd walked into the kitchen. I glared at him, wanting him out, but he folded his arms over his chest and walked over to flank me.

Like he would if I were under threat.

But by Natalie?

“So, you forgot the fiddle?” Boyd asked. The question definitely sounded aggressive. My wolf didn’t like it, but a prickle of foreboding had already begun at the base of my skull. Boyd knew more than I did, it seemed. I just had to wait it out.

“Yeah.” She gave a shaky laugh. “Sorry. The truth is, I got pretty burnt out on music in school. I don’t ever want to play the violin again.”

That was a different story than what she’d offered me a moment ago.

“Well, did you at least bring the mayonnaise?” Boyd demanded. “Remember, from when I called earlier?”

Natalie lifted her eyes from the apple. “What? Oh, gosh. Sorry! I guess I forgot that, too.” She ran her fingers over her hair, then spun away.

I’d dealt with some bad shit with the pack over the years. Someone had hurt a kid once. That had been bad. Another drank himself off a bridge. But I had a sinking feeling that what was going to happen next was going to destroy me. I couldn’t figure out what, exactly, but if Boyd was here questioning her, he was doing it for a reason. He wasn’t accusing her of anything. It was more like he was trying to pull answers from her. To gauge her response. I’d done it many a time, setting a trap for someone to step in and...

“On the call, I didn’t ask you to bring mayonnaise,” Boyd said in a low, dangerous tone.

Natalie went still, her gaze narrowed. I’d seen her pissed at me before, deservedly so. This was all defense.

“Tell me, Natalie, who the fuck did I talk to this afternoon?” Boyd asked. “Because it sure as hell wasn’t you.”

Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink, but this time not because I’d brought her to orgasm.

Her jaw clenched in defense, but tears popped into her eyes. She blinked them back. I hated when females cried, especially my mate, but I wasn’t going to hold her now. She was holding onto something. A secret. A big fucking secret.

When she didn’t answer, I slapped my hand down on the counter. “Who did Boyd talk to?” I put alpha power into it without meaning to. Both she and Boyd drew back.