The Wolf Code

“I think you’re right,” Senora said. 

The two of them walked out of the cabin and made their way to the common area where people were already gathering at a long, large table with a bench on either side for chairs.  They brought every kind of food imaginable to the table and set it down to share with the entire pack and their guests.  It was different than anything she’d ever experienced, but Hannah seemed to be less impressed than Senora had been the night before.

“Is this normal around here?” Senora asked.

“Family style eating?  Yeah.  We have a lot of restaurants that are like that.  Texans are friendly like that.  Don’t you have anything like this in D.C.?”

Senora shook her head.

“I eat alone and with my head down, and I don’t make eye contact.  Unless I’m at the diner where all the other agents like to eat, then I sit alone and make awkward conversation with the agent at the next table instead of sitting with them.”

Hannah laughed. 

“You can’t be serious.”

“That’s how it’s always been, but I’m thinking that I’ll try sitting with the agent next time.  Who knows? Maybe I’ll start a trend.”

A woman passed by them holding several serving dishes on her arms and balanced against her chest.  She looked like she was about to drop something, and without missing a beat, Hannah swooped in and grabbed two dishes, handing them to Senora in one smooth motion before going in for two more, leaving the woman with a manageable amount to carry.  The woman’s gratitude was breathy, her grin wide and welcoming.

Hannah and Senora followed the woman and set the dishes on the table, then took a seat in the center of the bench as others began to sit down.  Ty took a spot across from them, joined by a tall but slender teen with deep auburn hair and startling golden eyes.

“This is Laken,” Ty said, introducing Senora and Hannah. 

Hannah shook the boy’s hand, and for a moment, they held their hands without moving.  Senora caught Ty’s eye, and she knew by his wink he was seeing the same thing.  Something had passed between Laken and Hannah, and Senora had a feeling that all of Hannah’s trepidation over riding a strange wolf into the night had dissolved in that instant.  Senora didn’t believe in love at first sight, but if she did, she would have felt certain, in that moment, that she was witnessing the beginning of the rest of their lives.

Someone handed her a plate, and when she looked back, Laken had released Hannah’s fingers, and his cheeks held a hint of pink that suggested that Senora wasn’t the only one surprised by the very public moment Laken and Hannah had just shared. 

Senora watched the two of them as she ate, keeping the conversation light and focusing on everything but their plans for the night.  Senora’s adrenaline was already beginning to flow, and she could feel her body gearing up for the fight.  She finished her meal quickly, then stood and helped clear the table as the others finished their meals. 

She took a stack of plates to the cabin that served as the mess hall and began washing, her eyes on the sky outside as the blue sky began to display hints of orange and pink.  The sun would be down soon, and then they would be on their way.  Senora couldn’t help but wonder if every wolf that led the charge with Senora and Ty tonight would come home to their family.  They were entering a volatile situation, and there was sure to be bloodshed.  She just hoped that it wouldn’t be on their side.  She couldn’t live with the guilt if one of the wolves that had jumped at the chance to end the Sheriff’s reign of terror was killed while protecting people like Hannah from other humans.  It didn’t seem right, but she wasn’t about to shun their offer of help.  She couldn’t do this alone, and with a town full of corrupt law enforcement officers, she needed all the help she could get.

She didn’t hear him come into the cabin, so when his hands went to her hips, she almost jumped out of her skin.

“I’m going to miss sharing meals with you,” Ty said, leaning down and kissing her on the cheek. 

The gesture should have been chaste, but it was anything but.

“We’ve known each other for two nights; I’m sure you’ll find a way to live without me,” Senora said.

“Please, tell me how you really feel,” Ty laughed, but his hands didn’t move from her hips.

Senora continued washing dishes, in no hurry to move his strong hands from her body.  He was so close she could smell him, and without thinking about it, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

“It’s alright to admit you’re attracted to me,” Ty said.  “It’s pretty obvious, and I have to say that it goes both ways.  I should get a medal for keeping on my side of the bed last night.  It took a monumental effort.”

“I don’t mix business with pleasure,” Senora said smoothly.

“You should try it sometime.”

“Wouldn’t you love that?” she teased.

“Absolutely,” he said, his lips close to her ear.  “It’s not often that a woman’s body calls to me and I ignore it.  But you don’t seem the type to enjoy a roll in the sack with someone you’ll never see again.”

“No, I’m not,” Senora said, though that was a lie.

She wasn’t normally someone who enjoyed a one-night stand, but this was different.  Ty wasn’t just some guy she picked up at a party.  He was someone she’d gotten to know in the past two days so thoroughly that she felt like she knew him completely.  They butted heads sometimes, but they worked together effortlessly, and if she were going to have a partner, she would choose Ty.  Not that she wanted to spend her days vacillating between ripping her hair out and wanting to find a quiet room to hole up in with him.  But if she ever had to work with someone, he was better than most.