Hunting Mate

Chapter Thirteen

"Come on, my dad demanded he meet you" Pandora complains for the millionth time "Tink, I said I can't I'm sorry" I say softly grabbing her hands "not now obviously just come by after work" she tells I groan closing my eyes then open them too look at her "it's not just work, I just can't go to your place" I say she shakes her head "but my dad said it's fine" she says "I'm so thankful that your dad is giving me the time of day but Pandora, it's not that"

She pulls her hand away from mine "then what is it?" she questions annoyed, putting her hand on her hip and shifting her weight onto one side of her body, I sigh, I can't tell her that, it's a wolf thing if I explain that then I will have to explain that I am actually Coby "how are you going to be in a relationship if we never talk?" she says "you keep so many secrets from me" she adds rolling her eyes.

I grab her hand "look, all I can tell you is I have a few trouble with people that live over that side of the tracks, if I go over their then I'm dead, literally they will kill me" I tell her, her eyes widen I smile at her "why don't you and your father come over here later or we can go to a restaurant or something?" I say, she thinks about it and shrugs "I will have to ask dad but he will press you on why you can't come over our cabin " she says, great.

"Wait, you've been over mine before" she says raising an eyebrow, I hold up my index finger "ah, I stayed near the tree any further and I would have gone over the line" I explain "picnic at the tree?" she jokes, I smile "sounds perfect" we both laugh then she stops laughing and tilts her head giving me puppy dog eyes "can you not talk to the people and explain that you have a girlfriend that lives there?" she questions, I smile "I wish it were that easy to do, but that, Tinkerbelle, would only put you and your family and friends in danger" I tell her.

Pandora studies me for a bit "is it something to do with drugs or something?" she asks I raise an eyebrow at her "sorry, I'm just worried, I know you've never touched them" she says "I hate drugs so no it's nothing like that it's just a problem with the people, think of this way we are rival gangs but without the gang part" I explain she nods "so why don't you just ditch?" she questions "no way they are the only family I have, we stick together sort of like marriage, 'til death do us part" she giggles.

I see the door open so I look "hey lovers" Frankie says smirking at us, I smile at him "hey Frankie" we both say "hey Panny, have you seen Coby lately?" Frankie asks, I look at her with wide eyes "yeah, he still sits near the special tree as I go to bed" she tells him, I take that as time to go get a drink "how does Layton feel with you cheating on him with a wolf?" I hear him ask, she laughs slightly, and then she stops "Lay?" she calls out.

I walk back into the room, she can't seriously be asking me that question "come here" she says I go over to her "yeah?" I ask confused and he just stares at me "oh my gosh" she whispers under her breathe "what?" I question then look at Frankie, I see Pandora shaking her head lightly from the corner of my ear so I look back at her "no that's stupid" she tells herself "Lay, could you sit on the couch?" she asks so I do it, growing more concerned and more nervous, she sits near me making me relax as she rests her head on my shoulder, so I rest my head on hers.

Frankie looks at me concerned so I take my head off hers and get off the couch "Pandora, what is going on?" I question "I want to draw you" she randomly comes out with "you promised and you don't have to be at work until another hour" she says, I sit down on the couch as she gets her drawing pad and pencils out of her bag and begins finding the right place "Layton, could you do me a favour?" she asks I look at her "could you just put her back straight, chin up a tiny, tiny bit and have a serious face on like you're protecting someone you love?" she asks I look at Frankie who shrugs and shakes his head.

Frankie looks at her "can I just borrow him a moment?" he says and drags me by my wrist without waiting for an answer "there's something up" Frankie says as he puts on music loudly so she won't be able to hear us "no, you don't say" Frankie breathes harsh "don't be sarcastic we are both worried, she wants protective and that pose, look you are spending way too much time with her as Coby" he says I laugh "dude, I thought that too but who would think that?"

He grabs my wrist tightly "Layton the two things she mentions a lot about Coby are his eyes and his fur, the first thing she just checked their was your eyes" I think about it for a moment, maybe he's right "she can't know until I tell her" I say he shrugs "you have a smart imprintee" he says I sigh "Joe is going to murder me and feed me to the pack" Frankie bites his lip thinking that was a trait of his that I also have when we are deep in thought we both bite our lip

He looks at me "we could always make her out to be crazy" I raise an eyebrow at him and shake my head there's no way I'm doing that to her "or say we where out and found a wolf dead and describe Coby?" I shake my head "it will never work, I still have to patrol, Joe won't let me off Will, You and I are his best patrollee's you know that as much as I do, and Pandora is likely to see Coby around and trust me she will notice, that will only make her more suspicious, all she has to go on now are my eyes that's all that's not enough proof to see that I am a shape-shifting human wolf thing" I say I hate the term 'werewolf'.

Frankie looks at me "yeah but if she starts sniffing around to find out more we are all going down, remember who her father is and all the people with him" he mentions "Pandora, won't do that, she has saved me from her dad plenty of times and she saved me from getting killed by wolves" I point out "and she shot me" he points out "she was scared and she did it without looking" I tell him he shakes his head "fine you go along with this but you can tell Alpha" he says knowing I fear Joe more when he is addressed as Alpha, the whole pack does.

We go back out and I sit down to let Pandora draw me, Frankie decided to leave us to it as he had to patrol but he told Pandora that Kali wanted him home to wash his hair and she laughed for ages over that "why is he bald?" she questions as she focuses on the paper "he has a condition, I don't know what it's called but he was born with it, it's something to do with his hair follicles they don't grow the way they should" I explain she nods looking back at me then back the paper.

For the first time with her there I was enjoying the silence.