The Fullback Protector

by Emma Wolfe

  I should be in there. I should be the one spending my Saturday afternoon with her without a care in the world. I should be the one to wrap her in my arms and never let her go.

  That was what I was made to do. To love her forever.

  Pain and anguish filled me, and I couldn’t contain my frustration any longer. It’d built up inside of me for too long. Before I could stop myself, I tipped my head back and let out a low and haunting howl.

  I knew it wasn’t nighttime, and I knew I was going to confuse the humans, but I couldn’t stop. I was hurting, and this was one of the only ways I could relieve that pain.

  After I finished, I dropped my head as I thought back to our conversation.

  Cora told me to leave. She told me she wanted to move on. And I had to respect that. After all, what else could I do?

  She was right. I couldn’t keep showing up like this. Even if my intentions were good and I was just trying to keep her safe, it wasn’t fair.

  And if I loved her, I’d obey her wishes.

  I tipped my head toward her house and shifted my ears, trying to pick up sounds coming from inside. I stilled, moving all my focus to interpreting what I heard.

  The voices sounded muffled, like they were coming from a speaker. Then realization dawned on me. Chris and Cora weren’t talking. They were watching a movie.

  I stiffened as the image of Cora and Chris snuggling on the couch entered my mind. I growled as my stomach squeezed, and the urge to barrel back into Cora’s house grew inside of me.

  But keeping Cora from Chris wasn’t my job right now. I needed to focus all my energy on my dad. Getting him to face what lurked in these woods. Getting him to face my uncle and his responsibility to the pack.

  He needed to fight. He needed to be alpha of the mother pack if we had any chance of surviving here in Smoky Hills. He needed to win for me to have any chance at my happily ever after.

  If I wanted Cora, then our future as a pack needed to be secured.

  And I wasn’t going to stop until I could take her into my arms and never let go.

  15

  Rose

  I was completely and utterly distracted for the duration of my morning shift. Blast Grayson’s sexy smile and the way he looked at me whenever I allowed myself to catch his eye. His gaze always managed to send my emotions into hyperdrive, and all I wanted to do was run into his arms and never leave.

  Grandma seemed to notice my inability to focus. She kept sighing or clearing her throat every time I walked by. She did not look happy with me or Grayson.

  “Do I need to ask Mr. Smith to leave?” she finally asked me.

  I was leaning on the counter by the cash register, smiling over at Grayson. He’d turned his attention to the textbook that sat in front him on the table, and I could help but stare at the way his forehead furrowed. Or the way he tapped his pencil right before he’d write something down in his notebook.

  Trying to focus on my grandma, I pulled my gaze away from Grayson and sighed.

  “Sorry, Grandma,” I said as I reached up to tighten my ponytail. “I’ll do better. You don’t have to ask him to leave.”

  Grandma gave me a look that said she wasn’t so sure she believed me, but I just widened my smile, hoping she’d let it go. Thankfully, a customer on the other end of the diner called out her name, and she snapped her gaze in their direction. I could tell she had a lot more she wanted to say to me, but the customer came first.

  I blew out my breath as my grandma left. Grayson was studying me again, and I caught his gaze. He shot me a small teasing smile. Almost like he knew what had just happened.

  I narrowed my eyes and pursed my lips at him. He knew what he was doing to me by being here, and yet, he didn’t care. He was going to stick around no matter how much it tortured me.

  Sighing, I moved over to an elderly couple who’d flagged me down for a refill of coffee. I told them I would be right back and made my way into the kitchen, the door swinging shut behind me.

  Just as I moved to pull the pot from the machine, a hand wrapped around my mine, and before I could even blink, Grayson stood beside me. I gasped as he pulled me to his chest, wrapping his arms around me.

  I felt him nuzzle my ear, and I couldn’t help but giggle.

  “You’re driving me crazy,” he murmured.

  His breath was warm on my skin, and I reveled in the feeling of his chest under my hands. I could feel everything. His heartbeat. The expansion of his lungs when he breathed.

  All of it was surrounding me and pulling me in.

  “I am?” I asked as I pulled back to study him.

  Grayson’s gaze had turned hazy as if the desire that matched my own was rising up inside of him. It made me nervous and excited at the same time.

  I was falling fast for Grayson, and that scared me.

  How did I know he was going to stick around? How did I know he wouldn’t leave?

  I wasn’t the most stable person in the world. Heck, I was chasing some unknown creature in the woods in order to find out why my parents left me. That didn’t sound like a level-headed, rational person.

  Grayson must have sensed my hesitation. He dipped down with a concerned look on his face. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his arm tightening around my waist.

  I chewed my lip as I studied him. A lot of things were wrong, but I didn’t know how to bring them up without scaring him. So I shrugged and decided to focus on the least threatening one.

  “Your parents?” he offered.

  I lifted my gaze up to meet his. I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my lips. Grayson understood me, and that made my heart swell.

  “You’re worried about not finding answers?” he asked, pulling me closer to him with each word.

  I rested my hands on his chest and nodded. “You know me so well,” I whispered.

  Grayson chuckled as he pressed his lips to the top of my head. He inhaled.

  I pulled back to glance up at him. “Why do you do that?” I asked.

  “What?”

  “Smell my hair.” I didn’t mind it—in fact, it always made tingles rush across my skin—but it was strange.

  “Do you not like it?”

  I chewed my lip. “No. Not necessarily.”

  “What does that mean?”

  I shrugged as I drummed my fingertips against his chest. “I don’t know. I just worry that one of these times you’re going to smell me, and I’m going to smell…bad.” The last word came out quiet as I suddenly realized what I was saying to him.

  Grayson laughed as he pulled me close again and inhaled deeply. “I doubt you could ever smell bad,” he said.

  I smiled as he enveloped me in his embrace. Even though I didn’t believe him, I liked that he saw me as this perfect girl, incapable of body odor. No matter what, he was always going to see the good in me.

  “Let’s go out again tonight,” he murmured as he buried his face in my hair.

  My heart picked up speed, and I reveled in his support, in his desire to help me. To him, I wasn’t some crazy person, asking my friends to hunt around in the woods for something that didn’t exist. I was a person he cared about, and he would walk alongside me no matter what.

  It made me feel warm from my toes to the top of my head.

  I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed. He pretended to wince, like I could actually hurt him, but I knew better. He was solid muscle. Nothing could hurt him.

  Just before I slipped into complete bliss, Grayson straightened and pulled away. Before I could ask what he was doing, he stepped back, blew me a kiss, and disappeared back into the dining room.

  Still feeling the effects of Grayson’s arms wrapped around me, I leaned forward and rested my hands on the counter next to the coffee maker, my smile permanently affixed to my face.

  Seconds later, the kitchen door swung open, and my very upset grandmother greeted me.

  “For heaven’s sake, Rose, what is taking you so long?” she asked as she rested her hands on her
hips and stared me down.

  I glanced over at her and then stood, reaching out to grab the coffee pot. “I was getting this,” I said, holding it out to her.

  Her gaze swept over me, and then she glanced around the room. She must have not come up with anything because she sighed and focused back on me. “Mr. Smith finally left, but you seem just as spacey as when he was here.” She reached out and rested her hand on my forehead.

  “I’m fine,” I said, slipping away from her and heading back out to the diner. “You’re the one holding me back,” I called over my shoulder.

  Grandma huffed, but the door swung shut before she could respond.

  Smiling, I headed over to the elderly couple’s table and refilled their coffees. I apologized for taking so long. Thankfully, they were understanding and just patted my hand, telling me that I reminded them of their granddaughter.

  The rest of my shift felt as slow as molasses. All I could think about was how much I wanted to be done with work so that my time with Grayson could start.

  I was feeling confident that tonight would be the night that I finally got some answers.

  Once Grandma gave me the quick nod which meant I was free for the night, I blew her a kiss and headed into the kitchen to hang up my apron. I smiled at Thomas, who just grunted in response, focusing back on the burgers he was flipping.

  I slipped upstairs to change into a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. After staring at myself in the mirror, and seeing how frumpy I looked, I shook my head.

  I tried on half my shirts, finally settling on a black tee that plunged just enough to hint at what I had without showing it. I hated to admit it, but it was the perfect choice. Grandma had bought it for me at the beginning of the school year in an attempt to get me to dress a little less homeless chic.

  I adjusted my hair a few times before I decided to just leave it in a messy bun and stop fiddling with it. I wanted to look good for him, but I didn’t want him to know that I was working myself into a knot over how I looked.

  After all, that wasn’t me—I was way more focused on my brains than my face, and I liked that. And deep down, I hoped that Grayson liked that, too.

  I touched up my makeup quick and then slipped on my tennis shoes. I thought about grabbing my flashlight but decided against it. Last time I brought it, it had died on me, and I hadn’t bought new batteries yet.

  Once I was ready, I slipped from my room and tiptoed down the hallway to the apartment’s small kitchen. I left a note for Grandma, telling her that I was hanging out with Cora for the night and might sleep over. Then I made my way down the stairs and slipped out the back.

  Dusk had taken over the sky as I padded across the backyard, keeping my eyes peeled for Grayson. My heart was pounding, and my body tense as I anticipated his typical sneak up and scare the crap out of me move. This time, I was going to be prepared. This time I wasn’t going to scream.

  “Hey,” Grayson’s voice sounded from behind me.

  I jumped slightly and turned but kept my scream bottled inside of me. Progress.

  Before I could respond, Grayson wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me next to him. He kissed the top of my head and began leading me toward the woods.

  It felt good having Grayson take charge. Like, for once in my life, I didn’t have to be the one making the plans. With Grayson, I could just rely on him.

  It was heaven.

  It didn’t take long before we were deep in the woods. Grayson slid his hand down my arm and wrapped his fingers around mine. He led me through the trees, pushing aside hanging branches as we walked.

  The sounds of night filled the air. It was almost intoxicating, moving through the woods with Grayson. The trill of crickets and frogs thrummed around us. Their songs replacing the need for us to speak.

  I reached forward and wrapped my free hand around Grayson’s. Like I needed to make sure he was actually there, that I was really feeling the things I was feeling for him, and that he hadn’t decided to leave.

  Grayson could have been anywhere that evening, and yet, he chose to be with me, tromping through the forest.

  “You okay?” he asked as he glanced over his shoulder at me.

  I chewed my lip as the smile I was trying to fight emerged. “Yes.”

  Grayson paused, turning to study me. Then he stepped close until he was only inches away. My breath caught in my throat as I felt his hand cup my cheek, and suddenly, his lips were on mine.

  The world spun around me as he wrapped his other arm around my waist and pulled me close. My soul sang with joy as we fell into the rhythm we’d so easily discovered the night before.

  I doubted I would be able to find this with anyone else. There was only one Grayson. There was only one guy who completed me the way he did.

  He was rapidly becoming my world.

  I ran my hands up his arms to his shoulders and then entwined my fingers in his hair, pulling him in closer. I didn’t want this moment to end. And, hidden in the darkness of the woods, it didn’t have to.

  He shifted, dipping down to wrap his arm around my waist and pull me up. I giggled as he pressed my back against a nearby tree. Then, with his hands on either side of my head, he continued the kiss. It was like he needed the strength of the tree to hold him up.

  I’m not sure how long we stood there, losing ourselves in the kiss, but I was drowning in my emotions for him when I heard a low sound. Like a growl.

  16

  Rose

  Panic rose up inside of me as I shifted my face away from Grayson and toward the sound.

  “Did you hear that?” I asked, glancing up.

  His gaze was hazy. Wow, I had a powerful kiss.

  “Hear what?” he asked, reaching out to run his fingers through the hair that had fallen out of my bun.

  I swatted him away as I focused back on the darkness between the trees. “A growl. I heard a growl.”

  That seemed to snap Grayson from his trance. Instead of looking like a lovesick puppy, his eyes widened, and his body tensed. “Where?” he asked.

  “In there.” I motioned as adrenaline began to pulse through my veins.

  Suddenly, finding out what lurked in these woods was the only thing on my mind.

  I pushed off the tree and smiled up at Grayson. “Come on, let’s go find it before it gets away,” I said, shifting to move further into the woods.

  Grayson’s hand wrapped around my wrist, stopping me. Confused, I glanced back at him. “What are you doing?”

  His brow furrowed, and his jaw tightened. He stared down at me in a way that told me I wasn’t going to like what he was going to say.

  “Let me go, Grayson,” I commanded.

  I’d spent my whole life listening to what other people thought happened to my parents. I was tired of all the explanations. I wanted to know for myself. I wanted to see for myself.

  “You can’t go in there, Rose,” Grayson said, holding tight to my wrist. “It’s not safe.”

  I stared at him. Hadn’t coming out here been his idea? He’d been totally supportive of my search for answers when we’d been back at the diner. But now he was taking those potential answers away from me.

  “Grayson, it’s getting away.” I twisted my arm and pulled, trying to break his hold.

  “Grayson,” I said again, my voice deeper and more threatening. I moved to stare up at him, hoping he’d feel my frustration. I wasn’t going to be controlled by him.

  He studied me, and then I felt his grip release. I pulled my hand free, snapping my arm down to my side before he had a chance to change his mind.

  “Please, just let me check it out first,” he said, holding up his hands and stepping closer to me.

  Like two opposing magnets, I stepped back as he moved forward, not sure what he was going to do. But when I met his gaze and saw the earnestness there, I let out my breath slowly.

  He was just worried about me. So what if he wanted to check things out first? I could let him do that, couldn’t I?

&n
bsp; I nodded, and his expression morphed into one of relief. I gave him a small smile as he studied me for a moment longer—as if making sure that I wasn’t going to go chasing after him.

  When he was satisfied, he turned and started heading deeper into the woods, leaving me alone.

  As soon as he was out of earshot, I took off through the trees. I wasn’t going to wait for him to return just to tell me that he’d lost whatever had been lurking in the trees.

  I was going to find the animal. I was going to discover for myself just what had killed my parents.

  I kept as quiet as I could as I weaved through the trees, dodging branches that stuck out everywhere. I paused and crouched down next to a tree when I thought I heard something nearing. I held my breath as I waited. My ears were perked and my eyes wide.

  I wasn’t going to fail this time. I was going to come out of these woods triumphant.

  But nothing came. Whatever made the noise I had heard was gone.

  Feeling frustrated, I blew out my breath and started to stand. My body shook slightly as it released the adrenaline it had been holding onto. I wished I had worn my sweatshirt instead of worrying so much about what Grayson thought of me.

  The way he’d reacted earlier didn’t sit well with me. It had me doubting that he even wanted to help me.

  It had felt like he was running interference, trying to keep me from my answers, like so many other people in my life seemed to want to do.

  My stomach squeezed as I rested my hand on the tree I’d been crouching behind. I closed my eyes for a moment as I battled the feeling of betrayal.

  The one person who was supposed to help me, to support me, didn’t seem to feel the same way.

  And it hurt. More than I cared to admit.

  I took a deep breath as I swallowed, trying to push my emotions down deep, where they belonged. Down there, I didn’t feel them. They didn’t matter.

  Something warm and sticky slipped across my skin. I paused, trying to interpret what it was.