They Took Turns Pretending to Be My Mate Chapter 09

They Took Turns Pretending to Be My Mate Chapter 09

Northreach Pack was enormous.

The men and women here were all noticeably taller than the wolves back in Southridge.

The women were so welcoming that I barely knew how to respond.

They had broad shoulders, strong arms, and brisk, powerful strides.

I was told they had all grown up surrounded by snow and ice.

Every one of them knew how to hunt, chop firewood, repair trucks, and patrol the mountains.

They circled me twice, squeezed my arm, and sighed sympathetically.

“You’re so tiny you look like a pup yourself, and you’ve already had one?”

I felt a little self-conscious as they fussed over me.

It also made me think of the convoy leader’s warning that the wolves in Northreach were hostile to outsiders.

Maybe that really had been nothing more than a rumor.

At first, I planned to stay for only a few days.

I wanted to learn how things worked here and understand my options before deciding what to do next.

But before long, I found myself seriously considering settling here for good.

By the time I had found a place to live and registered with the pack, I realized I had not seen Sam in several

days.

When I asked around, I learned that he really had run away from home without permission.

A few days after he returned, his parents hauled him back to their house and gave him a serious talking-to.

The next time I saw him, his parents brought him with them when they came to visit.

That evening, his mother made a large pot of hearty meat soup and baked fresh bread.

Lola sat beside her, her little mouth shiny with grease from the meal.

Sam sat rather close to me.

He kept his gaze lowered and quietly sipped his soup, but the firelight revealed a faint blush at the bases of

his ears.

“When I heard Sam had brought a she-wolf back with him, I was surprised.”

His mother studied me with a warm smile.

“Thank you for looking after him on the journey.”

Then she discreetly nudged the werewolf beside her, who was even bigger than Sam.

Sam’s father paused and cleared his throat.

“You’re Ella, right?”

“Since you plan to stay in Northreach, have you thought about what you want to do from here?”

Before I could answer, Sam raised his head and glanced nervously at his father.

“I haven’t planned that far ahead,” I said with a smile. “For now, I’m just trying to settle in.”

Sam’s mother wiped the corner of Lola’s mouth.

“Northreach is different from the south.”

“We have very few she-wolves here.”

“A she-wolf like you, raising a pup on your own, is an even rarer catch.”

Sam swallowed and muttered, “Mom, don’t.”

“What did I say?”

His mother sounded mildly offended.

“I’m only thinking of Ella.”

“Making a life in Northreach while raising a pup alone won’t be easy without a mate to support her.”

As she spoke, her gaze drifted toward Sam, and a knowing smile appeared on her face.

“But like I said, she-wolves are rare here.”

“You’d be in high demand with every family in the pack.”

“If you’re interested, I can take you around to meet a few of them tomorrow.”

“Several families have already been asking about you.”

Sam’s fingers tightened around his bowl.

I smiled gently.

“I appreciate the offer.”

“But I only just arrived. I haven’t thought about anything like that yet.”

Sam’s mother did not take offense.

Still smiling, she filled my bowl with more soup.

“There’s no rush.”

“Take your time.”

“You have plenty of it.”

By the time dinner ended, the night had grown completely dark.

Lola yawned, her head bobbing as her eyelids struggled to stay open.

After Sam saw his parents out, he suddenly turned around.

The fire flickered behind him, casting shifting light across his usually cool, icy blue eyes.

“Ella.”

I looked up at him.

I was no longer a naïve young she-wolf.

Of course I understood what he meant.

I lowered my gaze to the scarlet cord clutched tightly in Lola’s hand.

“Give me some time.”