Read Maggie's Wolves, Part Three: A BBW Shifter Romance (Red Mountain Pack Book 3) for Free Online Page A

harder for you I imagine.”
    She looked into his eyes. They were a bright, glittering blue. Kind eyes. They sparkled whenever he smile, which was often. He was happy here, but it sounded like he hadn’t been happy with his birth pack. And the decision about whether he could remain with the pack here was in her hands. No wonder he felt conflicted about her. “Eli keeps telling me to trust the wolf, but it’s hard. My aunt taught me the opposite—that I needed to suppress the wolf at all costs.”
    “ What? ”
    “I know.” She smiled wryly. “I know that it was bad advice now, but she did the best she could. Do you mind if we walk around? My legs are a little stiff.”
    “Come on.” He squeezed her fingers and led her away from the snowmobiles. “There’s a great view over here.”
    The snow wasn’t as tightly packed once they stepped from the trail. With every step, she sank to her knees. When Jack noticed her struggling, he walked ahead of her, breaking a trail with his longer legs. She was winded by the time Jack stopped at the barrier of a wooden fence. About ten feet on the other side of the fence, the ground fell away in a sheer drop. The view was spectacular. Framed by dark towering pine trees on either side, the mountains stretched out as far as the eye could see. Black rock and snow silvered peaks. The sky was a bright, clear blue.
    “It’s beautiful.”
    Jack hopped over the fence and extended his hand. “You can see the lake from the edge.”
    She hesitated, eying the edge of the cliff. The snow was deep, the ground uncertain, and it was a very long way down. Jack raised his brows, waiting, clearly daring her to make the leap. With a deep breath, she climbed over the fence and took his hand.
    They had to stand on the very edge of the cliff in order to see the lake, but it was worth the risk. It was a small lake, dark and gleaming in the sun. It took her a minute to figure out why it wasn’t frozen over.
    “Hot springs?”
    Jack stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He nodded. “That’s part of Margot’s property. It used to belong to the pack. We can still take you there if you want to go. We just have to be a little more careful.”
    “How do you get down there?”
    “Usually we run. It’s probably best if we wait until your heat is over.”
    They admired the view for a time. She stood on the very edge of the cliff with Jack’s arms wrapped tight around her waist. She had the feeling that neither Case nor Eli would have let her get so close to the edge. Jack had encouraged it. Pushed her to go faster on the snowmobile than she would have on her own. Dared her to climb over the fence.
    “Can I ask you something?”
    “Shoot.”
    “I’m having trouble understanding the dominant and submissive thing. Case is alpha, so I get he’s in charge. Eli says he’s fairly dominant and that you and Carson are submissive. What does that mean?”
    “For you? Nothing.” There was a trace of amusement in his voice. She was happy she hadn’t insulted him with the question and sank back in his arms.
    “Why not?”
    “You’re a breeding female so you automatically have a place and position in the pack. There’s only one of you. You and Case might butt heads every once in a while, but other than that you don’t have to worry much about the pack hierarchy. No one else will challenge you.”
    “But it’s not the same for you.”
    “No.” His lips brushed the top of her head and he inhaled deeply. “There has to be order within the males of the pack or there would be constant fighting. When I joined this pack, I voluntarily accepted Case as my alpha. Eli is his second so I bow to him as well. Submissive doesn’t mean pushover, you know? It just means I’m okay with not being in charge. I have no desire to lead the pack and I trust Case completely. All it means is that Case and Eli don’t have to worry about me challenging them for power or arguing with every decision they