How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf (Naked Werewolf 1)

“I’m not here to start a fight,” Maggie snapped back. She looked up at me, her expression unreadable. “I need to talk to you. Can we take a walk?”

“I am not dumb enough to walk to a secluded area with you alone,” I told her. “That’s how women end up on CNN specials.”

“I’m not going to hurt you.” She sighed. “I’ve been thinking about what you said to me the other day at my mom’s. And there are some things I need to say to you. Outside.”

“Don’t go any farther than that bench across the street,” Evie told me. “I’ll be watching.”

“Jesus, Evie,” Maggie exclaimed. “I said I wasn’t going to hurt her!”

“See that you don’t,” Evie retorted. “She’s carrying your little niece or nephew.”

Maggie’s jaw dropped, and so did mine. “How did you know?” I asked.

Evie patted my head. “Oh, honey, we’ve all known for weeks. You’ve been throwing up every time you look cross-eyed at food. Didn’t you think we’d notice?”

Everybody at the lunch counter nodded.

“We’re having a shower for you next month,” Gertie said, grinning at me. “There will be a theme, a cake, and embarrassing games. And you will love it.”

“Well, shit.” I sighed. “I wore all those baggy shirts for nothing.”

We walked across the street, with Maggie eyeing me carefully. “Is this going to be OK for you?” she asked gruffly as we sat on the rough plank bench.

“I’ve been feeling fine,” I told her. “But thanks for asking.”

“Mom should have told me,” Maggie huffed. “But it explains why she’s been knitting nonstop.”

“Well, we didn’t know how you’d respond, Maggie. Honestly, what would you expect?”

She stared at her hands and plucked at a hangnail. “Hunting and fighting have always come easy to me. I’m not good at talking about things that bother me. It’s just so much easier to, you know, hit something.”

I scooted a little bit farther down the bench. She snorted but smiled a little.

“When Cooper left, it wasn’t just that I was pissed,” she said. “I was hurt. It wasn’t that I was ashamed of him. It wasn’t even that he was scared when the other pack attacked. Hell, I was scared, too. When he left, it felt like he was ashamed of what I’d done that night. Like I should be ashamed of being able to fight, to kill, to defend what I love. He was always the one who told me to be proud of what I was, that I was just as tough as anybody in the pack. And all of a sudden, it was wrong? It was like everything he’d ever told me was a lie. Our whole relationship was a lie. I’d depended on him to be everything—a brother, a father. And to have him take that away . . . I was beyond hurt. I went a little crazy. And for years, I kept expecting the hurt to go away, even just a little bit, but instead it got worse.”

“What about Samson?”

“Samson’s great,” she said, shrugging and suddenly looking very young. “But he’s always been sort of . . . cuddly? He loves to hunt, but he hates to fight. Eli really stepped in when he took over the pack. He’s been a sort of kindred spirit. He’s always said he’s just holding Cooper’s place until Cooper comes back. And if I was honest with myself, maybe I didn’t want Cooper to come back.

“Why shouldn’t I be alpha?” she demanded. “I’m one of the strongest in the pack. I’m the fastest. Except for Eli, I’m probably the smartest. I’m the one who stood up for the pack when we were attacked. Why shouldn’t I take over where Cooper left off? He didn’t want it, so why shouldn’t I have it? Why should he be able to just throw it away like it’s nothing?”

I tentatively patted her hand. “Obviously, there’s a little bit more going on than the standard sibling abandonment issues.”

“Yeah, for years, I’ve been . . .”

“I can think of a few adjectives if you need some help.”

She glared at me. “I’ve been a spoiled, selfish little bitch who needs a good kick in the ass. I’ve been a shit to him for years. Because I didn’t think he was hurting enough. Eli always said that he seemed fine. And somehow that made it worse. I figured I was hurt, so he should hurt more, you know? When I saw that you made him happy, it was like he was getting out of his punishment. I didn’t know how badly he was hurting. I didn’t know that he missed me, too. I was so angry at him for so long. I don’t know how to come back from that.”

“What do you want from me, Maggie? Advice? Absolution? Go forth and be a bitch no more.”

“No. I wanted to know, do you think Cooper can forgive me?” She looked up at me, and suddenly, she seemed very young.

I put my arm around her. Well, I put my arm on the bench behind her without actually touching her, but my intent was clear. “I think you and Cooper need to talk. He misses you—a lot. But there are some things you need to talk about.”

“Thanks.” She mumbled before straightening, “This doesn’t mean I like you.”

“Oh, no, I still think you’re a horribly spoiled little snot. And the minute I’m not pregnant anymore, I plan on kicking your ass. Scrappy Doo.”