Alex took the offered food and without his usual manners dug in hungrily. He ate in silence, the woman watching him the entire time. Finally, when he was finished he handed her back the bowl and cup. “Thank you, that was delicious.”
“I can bring you some more if you’re still hungry?”
Embarrassed, Alex blushed but shook his head. “No, thank you. I normally don’t eat like such pig but I’ve been lost in the woods for two days without anything to eat.”
Maddie gave him a small smile. “There is lot to eat in the forest, if you know where to look.” At Alex’s frown she realized the implications of what she’d said. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean anything by that.”
“It’s okay and in fact you’re right I shouldn’t have come out here without knowing what I was doing. I didn’t think…well, I guess I just didn’t think at all.” Alex shrugged at his own foolishness.
Maddie approached slowly and when Alex didn’t voice any objection sat down across from him. “Can I ask you something?”
Alex looked at her for a moment. “Sure.”
“Why did you come?”
He thought about it for a moment. “Well, I never thought I’d find…”
“A pack of werewolves?”
Alex gave a small laugh. “That and I never really thought I’d find Sam. I’m not a detective, I didn’t even know where to begin to look for her or what to look for. I guess I came more as a way of saying goodbye.”
“You two were close?” Maddie didn’t understand what it was about him that made her want to know him better.
“Yes, we dated for a while but that had ended long before she disappeared. We were still friends and when the police couldn’t tell me what happened to her I sort of snapped. I spent most of my time trying to find the answers. When I came across her notes on Wolf Lake it seemed like the logical place to look. I didn’t expect to find her but maybe I could find some peace about what happened to her.”
Maddie was quiet for a moment. “What will you do now?”
Alex shrugged. “I guess that depends on Sam and Nafarius. To them I’m a threat and I can understand why they would be reluctant to let me leave.”
“Sam will speak up for you and she’ll make sure that no harm comes to you.”
“You have a lot of faith in her.”
Maddie looked away but Alex didn’t miss the note of sadness on her face. “I don’t do well with the other pack members. At least I didn’t until Sam came. One of the first things she did as Nafarius’ mate was to claim me as her own.”
Alex looked appalled. “How can she do that, you are your own person!”
Maddie shook her head. “It’s not like that. Sam made it clear to the others that I was under her protection and that anyone who harmed me would have to answer to her. She and Nafarius took me in and made me part of their family. They do that; they watch out for everyone of us and make sure that we’re all safe.”
“But I’m not a pack member.”
“No,” Maddie said almost wistfully. “But that won’t stop either of them from watching over you and seeing you safe.”
Alex shook his head but didn’t bother to argue. Sam might be willing to stand up for him but Nafarius obviously didn’t want him here but was unwilling to let him leave. That left only one alternative.
“What in the hell is going on here?!”
Maddie jumped at the sound of an angry voice behind her. Turning she found Riley standing at the entrance to the alcove. “Riley, we were just talking.”
“I thought Sam order you to bring a guard with you?” Riley’s voice came out as a growl.
The animal sound coming from someone looking so human reminded Alex that he was not in Kansas anymore. He was in the middle of a pack of werewolves, wolves that saw him as a threat and would see him dead. “Maddie was kind enough to keep me company while I had my meal.”
Riley turned on the human and snapped. “I wasn’t talking to you.” Turning back to Maddie he reached out and grabbed her by the arm. “Come.”
Maddie didn’t struggle but Alex could see that Riley’s grip was hurting her. But when he opened his mouth Maddie shook her head. It was clear that she didn’t want him interfering. Instead he sat back and watched as the young woman was escorted out of the alcove.
Riley dragged Maddie back to the common area and with an angry shove forced her to sit down. “I want you to stay away from him.”
Maddie looked up at Riley and glared. This wasn’t the first time he’d acted in such a high handed manner. On more then one occasion he’d insisted on accompanying her out to the gardens or into the forest when she wanted to take a walk. She wasn’t use to so much attention from one man and she didn’t particularly care for it. While Sam and Nafarius watched out for her they allowed her a certain amount of freedom and treated her with the same respect as any other pack member. Riley treated her like a child and she didn’t appreciate it one bit. Standing with her fists clenched at her side, she glared up at him and said, “It is none of your business who I chose to spend my time with.”
Fro a moment Riley was speechless. Maddie never spoke like that to anyone yet here she was yelling at him. Fortunately, his surprise didn’t last long and quickly gave way to outrage. “He’s an outsider and he’s human! Why would you want to spend any time with him at all?”
“That,” Maddie poked her finger into Riley’s chest, “is none of your business. Despite what you and the others may think I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself!” With that she turned and walked away unaware that the brief exchange had been witnessed by most of the pack members.
Nafarius had also witnessed the exchange and turned to find Sam smiling beside him. “I don’t see the humor in this.”