Read Noble Wolf (A BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance) for Free Online Page B

What's that?"
    " She knows there's something odd going on. I moved too quickly to catch her when she slipped on ice yesterday, and she smelled Ethan's wolf just now, and likely other things. She's damn smart that one."
    " I can tell you like her."
    Laughter came through the phone as Jake sympathized with his friend and packmate.
    "I don't want to lie to her, but I can only skirt the subject for so long. She's going to find out real soon."
    " Don't tell her though. You can't reveal anything to her, no matter how strongly you feel about her. Not at this junction."
    Thomas had forbidden them from revealing who they really were to anyone who didn't already know. That included most of the staff of The Silver Bullet, and now, it seemed, his mate was also to be prevented from knowing. Bryce would follow the rules, but it bothered him deeply that he might have to actively lie to his mate. He made a promise to himself right there on the spot that he would go to the utmost lengths, no matter how ridiculous, to try and prevent himself from lying.
    "I won't Jake. Listen, gotta go," he said as footsteps sounded on the stairs. He hung up the phone and exited the office, pulling the door closed behind him softly.
    The rest of his shift passed without an incident that needed his attention. One couple became frustrated when they couldn't order something that the restaurant didn't carry. Besides that brief moment of action, however, Bryce felt precisely useless. Nancy mentioned to him about a new server starting the next day, but that was the extent of it all.
    When Jake and Chase showed up to relieve them, it truly was a relief. Ethan and Bryce hopped into Ethan's truck and headed for the lodge, where they all lived nowadays. It had started off as just a few of them, but with the change in jobs and their priority when it came to Moonlight Canyon, it had seemed like a good idea to gather everyone together.
    "Who's that?" Ethan commented as they pulled in.
    "I'm not sure, but I am very interested in finding out," he replied, hopping down from the truck and walking around. A black SUV had pulled in moments ahead of them. The engine died as they waited for the driver to emerge.
    "No way," he whispered as the door opened.
    It was Natasha.
    "What are you doing here?" he asked as calmly as possible, trying to quell his suddenly racing heart. The hammering against his ribcage threatened to burst it open when she smiled at him. Natasha had left an hour or so before his shift change, and he hadn't figured on seeing her until the following day.
    "Apparently, I live here now," she said, looking as startled to be saying the words as Bryce felt to be hearing them.
    "You do? Why? I mean, that's awesome, but how did that come about?" he rambled, elbowing Ethan in the side, who was doing his best not to chuckle.
    Getting the hint, his friend waved goodnight and went on inside, leaving the two of them alone. Bryce stepped closer, wanting to be as close to Natasha as he could without invading her personal space.
    "Uh, Thomas told me Jake had arranged it," she said.
    "Jake did?"
    Thank you Jake, you beautiful person, he thought. Sometimes his Alpha could be a solid friend in addition to leader. It had been merely hours since he had told him about his feelings, and yet Jake had trusted him thoroughly enough to go through the effort of putting Natasha up in one of the rooms in the lodge.
    "Yep. I have to admit," she said, looking around at everything. "This is much better accommodations than the motel."
    "Yes, yes it is," he said, unable to contain his grin at the change in circumstances. "Here, let me grab those for you," he said, reaching into the trunk as she opened it to grab several of the larger duffel bags.
    "I can do it myself you know," she said, hefting another one over her shoulder.
    "I don't doubt that for a moment. You are a very capable woman. But you don't have to do it. Besides, before you say anything critical about me being chivalrous, there are