"Let's get something straight. If we have any chance of making this work, you're going to have to spend more time in human form and less time in your wolf clothes, as impressive as they might be."
Theo jumped back on his rear paws and snarled. He prepared to attack when he recognized the voice. His mate. She stood five foot four inches tall, every curve on her female, and snarled right back at him. The wolf sound came out of her dainty mouth as she curled her upper lip in what could only be described as sheer disgust.
Damn, she was sexy.
He called the shift onto himself, the warm white light of transformation filling the air for a moment before he stood up on two feet.
Clearing his throat, he tried to smile. "What makes you think I want this to work? I distinctly remember instructing you to stay away from me."
She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "Yes, I recall. You're a monster come to life or something like that. Trust me, I've seen monsters, and I've seen them come to life. You are not that. Whatever you are, it is entirely different."
"Seems a little presumptuous to me; you're making that assumption after so brief an association." Why the hell was he arguing with her?
"I am presumptuous. That is one of my many traits but I'm also almost always right so you'll get used to it." She moved forward, looking back at him over her right shoulder. "Come along then."
Theo shook his head. "I'm not following you, I'm dangerous."
"And possibly deluded, yes I know, but I still need you to come with me."
What the hell was wrong with this woman? Had she no sense of danger? Begrudgingly, he followed her if for no other reason than to make sure she made it where she was going safely since he couldn't trust her survival instincts to keep her out of trouble. Certainly, he could keep himself from killing her that long.
They walked a short distance in silence finally reaching a clearing where he saw a campsite. A modern, all-amenities-included looking tent sat in the center next to an unlit fire pit. Two large locked coolers and an animal-safe food storage box sat to the left of the tent. He'd seen this type of outdoor equipment before, the house disguising itself as a collapsible shelter probably had running water. An outdoorsman she obviously was not.
He raised an eyebrow. "Not real keen on roughing it are you?"
"I like to be prepared for all eventualities but I'm not spoiled if that's what you're worried about. I can make do in almost any circumstance."
She walked to the fire; pulling out a match, she lit a piece of newspaper inside of the pit until it caught. The bright orange of the flame grabbed his attention and for a moment he was content to watch it burn. Finally, when it had ignited the piece of wood next to it he turned his attention back to the brunette beauty in front of him.
By this time she'd put on clothes and he was more than a little disappointed about it. She wore plain khaki pants with a black turtleneck and hiking boots. Laid out on a large log next to the first he saw a fleece jacket. Obviously not stupid, she'd prepared for the weather. He smirked, not to mention the tent probably had heat.
She sat down on the log and patted the seat next to her. Did she expect him to sit there? He narrowed his eyes.
"I'm Faith and I don't bite, at least not when I'm in this form." She giggled at her own joke and he grinned for a moment before forcing the smile off his face.
"It's going to get really cold out here and I'm naked so I think I'll shift into my wolf before I come over there."
Safe and cozy in all of his fur, he'd better be able to put a distance between them both physically and mentally.
She shook her head and stood. "I anticipated this problem. No shifting needed." Walking into the tent, she emerged a moment later holding a duffel bag. "Rex got these from your room for me. Funny, I always considered myself an observant person but I must have passed your residence ten times a day every day and never wondered whose quarters they were. I guess I always assumed they were empty." She shrugged and handed him the bag.
Holding the bag in his hand, he froze. Inside of the green case was the first step to reclaiming a life he'd sworn he would leave. Clothes. Wearing them signified civilization and civilization meant people. That's where the problem lay. He was not at all safe for the people part.
She narrowed her eyes as she watched him and he wondered just how much of his inner musings she'd been able to discern.
Probably more than you imagine. She is, after all, our mate.
"Look, don't make a bigger deal of the clothes than they are. When I leave here, you never need see them again if you don't want to. Okay?"
That was fair. He supposed it was no big deal to dress for one conversation for one evening. Quickly and silently, he pulled the clothes out of the bag and put the coverings on himself. The sweatpants and sweatshirt were cotton but they still itched his skin, which was not at all used to fabric touching it. He tried not to pull on his clothes like a child.
She patted the log again. "Come sit. It's warm here."
He obliged and had to admit she was correct. It was warm but he didn't think it had anything to do with the fire and everything to do with the woman, whose body heat could be called molten, next to him.
"So your name is Faith?"
"Yep." She smiled brightly. "I like to say you can have a little of it in me."
"You're going to have to go slowly on the puns. I haven't communicated with anyone in a month and even then it was just to give a woods report to Tristan."
She tapped her foot on the ground in what looked like an unconscious gesture. "Ooh, woods reports to Tristan, sounds stimulating."
Theo had looked forward to his woods reports. It had been nice to see his brother's face once a month if nothing else and his wolf had needed to see its Alpha.
"So here's what I know about you, Theo Kane, and it's not much because as of yesterday I didn't know you'd ever been born." She cleared her throat. "You are the younger brother of Tristan, the direct younger brother. Since Tristan is third born, that would make you fourth. In fact, you guys are less than a year apart, a very weird thing for wolf shifters of the royal line considering that your parents don't age. Your two oldest brothers are fifty years apart and that's normal." Her face brightened as she thought of something else. "But you're not to worry, it's becoming much more common. Ashlee and Tristan had the first two pups and now they're going to have a third all in four years so you'll be in good company."
Theo's head shot up. "She's pregnant again? God, Braden is what? Almost four, right? And that would make Virginia almost three. They certainly like to make babies."
"Um-hmm." She nodded. "And Summer too."
"Cullen has procreated?" Scary thought.
"Yes, the boogey man is mellowing a little bit everyday. Of course, I never knew him as the scary dude you all think he is. The first time I saw Cullen he was strapped to a table being tortured by your father so my opinion of him may be somewhat skewed."
The mention of his father dampened Theo's mood considerably. Would his family have to hunt him down to stop him from torturing people? Faith grabbed his arm.
"Everything about your body language and face just changed in front of my eyes. Which part upset you? The mention of Cullen or the mention of your father or something else?"
Why did she even care? He stood. Couldn't this woman see what damaged goods he was? Did she have some sort of death wish?
You're going to have to speak in some form if you want me to hear you. I prefer out loud but I've adjusted to this form of communication too if you'd prefer it.