Hunting Wolf: Black Mesa Wolves #3 Read Online Free

growl whispered through the edges of her mind before dissipating.
    “Alpha has no problems with me living in town.” Why did Caleb have to be so darn big? “I'm not the only one who does, and I got his permission to do so, anyway. Until and unless he says I can't walk around alone any longer, I'm going to keep doing it. I'm not totally helpless, Caleb.”
    It was almost fascinating, the way she could practically see the steam coming out of his ears. He really needed to get a handle on his anger.
    “Well, for shit's sake, Rielle.” She flinched the tiniest bit at his phrasing, which he caught. His eyes narrowed at her a bit. “If you're so big and bad, fine. You just flounce on home in those heels and that cute, fluffy little dress you have on all by yourself.”
    “My dress isn't fluffy! These are chiffon panels, they float—”
    Caleb actually groaned and dropped his face into his palms for a moment, effectively halting her outraged words.
    “You know what, Ree?” he said to his hands. “I was trying to be a gentleman. Which I admit my sister says I suck at. But I tried.”
    Caleb lifted his head and looked at her again. His expression hovered between slightly disgusted and long-suffering. Rielle caught her lip between her teeth, which immediately drew his eyes to her mouth for a split second. She almost missed it.
    “You just go ahead and float on home in your chiffon panels, then.”
    What a big—doofus. Rielle felt her mouth open a bit, but her throat tightened up. Darn it.
    “I've got other things to take care of. Good night, Rielle. Have a nice evening.”
    With that, Caleb turned on one foot in a graceful move she instinctively recognized as a predator's, and strode across the street. He turned down the next one and disappeared.
    She stood on the sidewalk for a moment longer, feeling confused and oddly alone.
    “Well,” she finally said, more to her own jumble of thoughts than anyone else. Okay, then. She and her dress would just float on home. The streets were perfectly safe, and she could take care of herself.
    Rielle headed home, paying no attention to anything other than the irritated thoughts churning around in her mind.
     
    ~
     
    Caleb kept to the shadows, silent and unseen as he followed Rielle until she made it safely to her door. He waited until his sensitive hearing caught the sound of the door lock tumblers snicking into place before he turned and slowly headed back into town. She hadn't even realized he was following her. No self-protective instincts in her. She could be jumped by any old rogue walking around town.
    Always keep Pack safe, his wolf insisted. Always.
    Caleb rubbed his head, which felt somewhat jarred by the events of the last ten or so minutes. Of course he had to keep Pack members safe. That was the only reason he'd followed the damned annoying little wolf home, to make sure she'd get there in one piece.
    Yeah. That had to be the only reason.

Chapter 2
     
    “Oh, this one is absolutely divine on you!”
    The gaggle of cooing, giggling young women crowded around the bride-to-be, who looked absolutely stunning in a soft yellow reception dress Rielle had hand picked for her to try on. The girl's face shone with a positively rapturous glow.
    Rielle sighed to herself, though she kept her professional smile firmly plastered on her face. She loved the way High Peaks Couture made dreams come true for so many people. She felt very confident about herself every time she wore flattering clothes, so she understood firsthand the power of good clothes to improve self-esteem. Bringing a smile to someone else's face and a little uplift to their day was one of the job perks for her.
    Yet every time a wedding party came in to find dresses for the reception, or the mother-in-law, or the honeymoon, Rielle let her imagination get carried away by the excitement and emotion surrounding the event. Getting married was high on her list of life goals. She didn't talk about it much, though. In the