Page 43 of Hungry Like the Wolf

Robbie relaxed, realizing that he hadn’t been jealous about JJ sleeping with Nadja but of the possibility that there had been feelings for one another.

“I would help her,” Robbie said. “I would?—”

He would what? He was nearly breathless with the possibilities. A hundred pictures flashed through his brain. Him coming back to the cabin, ripping off the quilt, and diving headfirst like Scrooge McDuck into the treasure between her legs. But that wasn’t right. Because as much as she demanded consent, so did he.

“She would never ask you. My guess is that she’s holding out until you shift, and then she’s going to bolt.”

“She shouldn’t wait. She should go back. She should eat.” Robbie was panicking, he knew it. The familiar threat of a panic attack hovered over his head like a thundercloud.

JJ crouched down in front of him, his hands on Robbie’s.

“Robbie. Buddy. Look at me.”

He did.

“Good. Breathe. In for three. Hold for three. Out for three. Hold for three.”

“I can’t—” Robbie gasped.

“You’ve got to. Come on. Do it with me.”

Robbie gripped JJ’s hands and held his gaze as they breathed together. The branches rustled in a breeze and the ravens chattered overhead.

“I didn’t tell you to send you spiraling,” JJ said. “I told you so you could figure out a way to help her. You’re the only one who can.”

“You could?—”

“No, I can’t. The pack would smell me on her, and you’d be out on your ass faster than you’d believe. Also, I’m in the middle of something.”

“But—”

“It’s gotta be you, pup,” JJ said, grabbing Robbie behind the neck and pressing their foreheads together. “By the time you shift, it might be too late.”

Robbie felt like he was going to be sick, but JJ squeezed the back of his neck again and the wave of nausea passed. He felt his heartbeat slow, felt his breathing stabilize. He felt almost calm, all from JJ’s presence and handling. JJ was the pack leader, whether or not he wanted to admit it. And if Robbie had ever wondered how he would know when he became pack, that question had just been answered. He was pack. And JJ was his as much as he was JJ’s.

And so was Nadja, whether she knew it or not. Pack looked after pack, even when they didn’t want to ask for it.

“I gotta go,” Robbie said, and JJ released him.

“Go get her, pup,” JJ said, but Robbie was already gone, his feet light and fast as he sprinted back up the trail. His heart pounded and his blood pulsed and his skin felt alive as he ran toward something that felt every bit like possibility.

The cabin appeared in the distance, and Robbie ran even faster, his feet flying over the soft earth. He leapt from the ground onto the porch, skipping the steps entirely, and threw open the door.

The bedroom door was shut. He tried the knob and found that it was locked. She’d locked him out. She’d never locked him out.

He pounded on the door. “Open up, Nadja.”

“Go away, Robbie,” she answered, her voice weak.

“Please, can I come in?”

“I’m not feeling well. I’m too sick for company.”

“I need to check on you. You could have a fever. Please can I at least make sure you’re okay?”

“Please, Robbie,” she said, her voice hitching on what sounded like a sob. “Please don’t make this harder than it already is.”

He looked around the cabin. On the coffee table by the couch was the romance novel that he’d been reading to her. An idea formed in his head. He grabbed the novel and flipped the pages, his eyes moving rapidly over the words, searching for a scene that would scorch. He’d once done that with his mama’s romance collection, sneaking into her closet and skimming the books for the “naughty parts,” as he’d thought of them then.