Wolf Bite Read Free

the occasional Enforcer, and they only tracked him to see what he was doing. It had been a few months since Margo’s last ‘drop by’ visit. If he never saw the she-bitch again, it would be too soon. Alexis leaned against the wall, arms folded and her expression closed and hostile—utterly at odds with the sweet invitation in her scent.
    She’d selected the fifteenth floor.
    Too far for a straight leap from the ground, but the balconies on the east and west facing sides of the building were easily ascended. When the doors dinged open, he extended his arm, allowing her to precede him. Pausing, she gave him a skeptical look then snorted.
    Yes, he picked up a number of other scents in the hallway—other humans who lived on the floor. Mostly women, at least two small children and few men—what scents were present were sparse. No wolves.
    None.
    What the hell is Ryan thinking, letting her live here? Exposed?  
    Her apartment was near the end of the hallway—one of the larger ones if his recall of the floor plans was correct, and one without a neighbor abutting right up to her walls. That meant a corner balcony.
    Better.  
    Harder to access from the ground, but not impossible. At her door, she turned and handed him the keys. Mason grinned and forgave her second eye roll of the evening. He unlocked the door and she brushed past him to deactivate the alarm.
    “Good girl,” he approved and relocked the door before setting her purse down on a table next to the door. Opening it, he glanced inside.
    She did have a brick in it.
    Alexis stripped off her jacket and headed for the kitchen. Mason prowled after her, unsurprised when she made a beeline for the freezer to pull out a pint-sized container of chocolate strawberry ice cream.
    “You always had a sweet tooth.” The apartment was modern, clean lines and new furniture. Touches of her personality reflected in the cool colors and throw pillows. The quilt on the back of the sofa caught his eye.
    Her mother had made that.
    A wall hanging over the sofa made his heart hurt before he forced his attention away. His mother had sewn the pattern for her.
    Pulling two spoons out of a drawer, Alexis pointed to a small metal box on top of the refrigerator. “First aid kit.” She squeezed past him, but the brush of her breast against his arm sent another wave of need cruising through his system. She kicked off her shoes and headed for the living room, so he grabbed the first aid kit and followed.
    When she chose a chair rather than the sofa, he perched on the coffee table and picked up her leg. The injury was superficial, if messy. Alexis made a great show of ignoring him and eating her ice cream. Leaning closer, he pressed his nose near to the injury, aware of the spice that was utterly her filling his lungs.
    She froze, spoon halfway to her mouth, and tension threaded her calf muscle. Beneath her sweet musk, he scented only blood—no infection and only a bit of dirt. Pleased, he ripped the rest of the hose away from her leg, splitting it to above the knee.
    She seemed to remember breathing and went back to eating her ice cream while he cleaned and dressed her wound. When he was finished, he glanced up to meet her dark eyes.
    “Thank you,” she said without a hint of reproach or her earlier antipathy.
    “You’re welcome.” He kept her leg captive and continued to watch her eat the ice cream. Because he couldn’t help himself, he said, “You grew up.”
    “It’s been ten years.” She looked at the ice cream and he found himself envying the sweet treat. It was an altogether unpleasant feeling.
    “Why aren’t you in Willow Bend?” Why wasn’t she on pack lands? So far south—she was in one of the few unclaimed cities, practically on the doorstep of the Crescent Delta pack.
    She shrugged and took another bite of ice cream. “You don’t have to stay. I’m home. As you can see, I’m safe. You can go back to walking alone or whatever the hell it is you do.”
    Trailing a