Rejection

Chapter 21 - Roadtrip

---Kyle's POV---

My wolf felt oddly detached. I could still feel it in the background, resting but it was no longer on guard. For all my life, it had been growling softly when people had tried to butter me up.

Except for my mate...and look how that turned out.

My wolf cringed at that thought, making me send it an apologetic thought because, who would've anticipated the outcome of my miserable love life?

I didn't blame my wolf in the slightest for what happened, for trusting in the one person it was meant to trust. And now that trust was forever shattered and could not be rebuilt.

Fur bristled against my side, a warm head nudging under my hand with a huff before Shadow nearly flopped in my lap, demanding to be petted and taken care off.

I dutifully allowed my hands to sink in his fur, feeling a smile tug on my lips as Shadow huffed and rolled over, splaying himself in my lap whilst showing his belly.

The soft, creamy white fur was pleasant to touch, easily distracting me from the darkening thoughts that threatened to drag me under.

I sighed, letting go of the breath I unintentionally held and slowly relaxed. What's done is done. I can change the past as much as I can wind back time.

Footsteps scuffed over the floor behind me, slowly approaching as I petted Shadow's fur. The wolf didn't even care about whoever was approaching, save for a flicker of his ear and an annoyed grumble.

"It's really odd seeing him so relaxed and, well, almost pup like." Drake spoke as he crouched a few steps to the side, eying Shadow cautiously.

With the way the massive wolf was splayed out in my lap, pup like and anything but threatening, it was hard to think he could lash out but we all knew better. Shadow could turn from cute little fuzzball to raving killing machine in the blink of an eye.

Drake had learned his lesson the last time, as I had been petting Shadow to the point where the wolf seemed blissfully asleep, hind leg kicking with my scratches.

When Drake had approached and laid a hand on my shoulder, lowering down to speak to me and thus hovering over us both, Shadow had reared up in a split second.

The massive Alpha had been pinned to the floor within a heartbeat of touching me by the snarling wolf that was snapping its foaming muzzle inches from his face.

A clear display as to not touch me. Especially when his highness was getting a good belly scratching.

I chuckled softly, digging my nails gently through the fur and watching with warm contentment when Shadow's tongue flopped out, hind leg kicking against the ground as the wolf squirmed in my lap.

"He's being a Diva." I disagreed, patting his body a few times before pausing, chuckling when Shadow instantly squirmed his head back under my hand, nudging it with more force when I wouldn't pet him again.

Drake chuckled, setting himself down on the floor as Shadow shook out his fur with a yawn and grumble. "I was actually hoping to ask something of you."

"Me?"

He nodded, brushing a hand through his long hair, exhaustion clear in his face. "We got work from a pack a few states away. Apparently they found a female pup in their turf, rogue and unattended. Now they aren't vicious to the pup but-"

"She's not pack." I added in the blanks with a scowl, watching the same expression being resembled on Drake's face. "So, they want you to take care of the pup."

Pushing myself up with some difficulty, I watched Drake get to his feet and pat the dirt off his pants. "Yup. They don't want blood on their hands by killing an innocent pup but then again, they will drive her out if they have to."