The sound of a car engine starting reached my ears.

The Fire Wolf didn’t stop. “She has a car. She’ll be fine.”

Sure enough, tires spinning on gravel reached my ears next, and a second later, a car zipped into view with Ocean behind the wheel. She gunned down a narrow gravel road, which I assumed was the Fire Wolf’s driveway, before disappearing from view when she reached the main road.

When it was just me and the hunter again, I planted my feet and wrestled my arm from his grip. “Hold up. Time out here.”

He stopped and turned those blazing amber eyes on me.

“What exactly am I doing here?” I demanded.

A smile tugged at his lips. “Staying safe. Remember? Or has your adequate memory finally failed you?”

I didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, I glanced around the wide-open valley. It was seriously beautiful in this slice of Canada, and the air was fresh, the view spectacular. Why the hell did he leave this place? “I thought I came here for the benefit of your pack’s protection.”

“You did.”

I raised my eyebrows, not believing that I actually had to spell this out. “Then where’s your pack? Or your non-pack?”

He raised a hand and pointed. “Gunnerson’s positioned at the northwest corner. Underwood’s at the north. Matter’s to the northeast . . .”

One by one, he made a slow circle, pointing out each pack member that was guarding us.

I squinted. “I don’t see anyone.”

“Good. Then they’re doing their job.”

“But how do you know they’re there?”

“I can scent them.”

I cocked my head. “But how can you scent people if you haven’t been here in ten years? How do you know what they smell like?”

He stepped closer to me, that cocky swagger back in his step. “So many questions. But to answer you, I came by earlier today to ensure that you would have adequate protection here. I scented all of the pack members I’ve assigned to guard you and informed them what would happen if they didn’t keep you safe.”

For some reason, that threat brought to mind images of being hung, drawn, and quartered, and then barbecued over a roasting fire.

But then something else he said caught my attention. He’d come here after I’d left the SF this morning. I crossed my arms, shaking my head in disbelief. “You’ve had all this planned from the beginning, haven’t you?”

That stoic mask fell into place. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh yes, you do. You knew that Jakub-Dipshit wouldn’t leave me alone, so you very conveniently offered your non-pack’s services as a way for me to stay safe.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “So?”

I snorted. “So?” I threw my hands up. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

His expression turned contemplative. “Why does this feel like another trick question?”

“Just answer, dammit.”

“Fine. Because you would know soon enough. I didn’t see why I’d need to spell it out for you. As you’ve demonstrated several times now, you’re an intelligent woman.”

A growl of frustration clawed up my throat before I stalked away from him.

The sound of long grass being parted came from behind me. “Tala? Why are you mad again?”

I stopped mid-stride and swung around. “You know, while we’re in the middle of being honest, I have another question for you. Why did you tell Commander Klebus that I’m your mate?”

He stilled.

“Do you actually believe that?” I held my breath. Yesterday, I would have said that he didn’t know I was his mate, that he didn’t understand what he was feeling for me. But now? I didn’t know. The dude had grown up in a pack. He would know all about werewolf mating.

“What if I did?” he finally answered.

I crossed my arms. “Are you capable of answering questions like a normal person? You seem to have a habit of answering a question with a question.”

His lips twitched. “I could say the same about you.”

Despite myself, I almost smiled, but I smoothed my mouth before the expression could form. “Will you just tell me if you actually think I’m your mate?”

He regarded me for a moment, his expression still impossible to decipher. “I don’t think I will.”

My jaw dropped. “And why not?”

“I quite like seeing you squirm.”

“Oh, you—”

But before I could finish, he brushed past me. “Are you coming?”

Seething, I stomped after him, and I could have sworn that the fucker was laughing.

Picking up my pace, I passed him, and even though I’d never been to his cabin before, I kept walking. I needed some space from the hot-as-fuck but frustrating-as-hell hunter, and it seemed his little abode was the only place I could turn to.

The meadow took the brunt of my anger, the brown stalks of grass breaking and snapping underfoot, but once I reached the woods, the dead grass gave way to fallen leaves on soft ground.

Ahead, the cabin waited.

I stalked toward it, barely noticing the small porch and tiny two-story home. My boots stomped up the steps and when I reached the door, I yanked it open, not even slowing.

The scent of cinnamon hit me first. A single large candle burned on the kitchen island. Beside it, a tray of meats, cheeses, crackers, fruit and that whole charcuterie thing waited. A bottle of wine and two glasses sat beside it along with a bucket of ice. Inside the bucket, bottles of sparkling water and fizzy fruity drinks were decoratively arranged.

Soft music played in the background. A crackling fire snapped in the fireplace in the living room. And everything was so fucking romantic that I wanted to barf all over it.

Fuming, I took in the rest of the cabin. It was an open design. The kitchen, living room, and dining room were easily visible. A set of floating wooden stairs rose beside the kitchen, the entry way beneath it. A wreath was hung on the outside of the front door, visible through the door’s glass pane.

My gaze traveled upward, taking in the short hallway on the second floor that the stairs met. The entire cabin was done in dark-brown woods, beiges, and creams with hints of cool-blue and navy.

It was as quaint as a picture, and the large couches with throw pillows and quilts draped along the backs of them made me think of hot cups of cocoa, good books, and snuggly socks.

“Ocean wanted to welcome you.”

The Fire Wolf’s quiet comment had me whirling around. He’d snuck up on me again, silent and still. “You didn’t do this?”

“No.” He was still carrying my bags, all of them, as if they didn’t weigh a thing. With a thump, he set them on the floor and then waved toward the refreshments. “She’s known to be a good hostess, and I see that hasn’t changed.”

“I thought this was your cabin.”

“It is.”

“Then she’s not hosting us.”

He shrugged. “Since I didn’t think to provide anything for us, she obviously felt the need to.”

I surveyed the food again, my stomach rumbling. I hadn’t properly eaten since training with Prisha, and I still needed a shower, but all of that would have to wait. There were so many things that I wanted to know. And since the mate question wasn’t going to be answered, I figured I would try a different route.

I crossed my arms. “Is Ocean your only sibling?”

“No.”

I raised my eyebrows when he didn’t elaborate. “Dude, seriously, why is getting information from you like pulling teeth?”

He flashed me a smile, highlighting those pearly whites. “All right. I’ll play nice. What do you want to know?”

I tapped a finger on my arm. “How old is Ocean?”

“Thirty.”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-eight.”

So my guess had been right. “What about your other siblings. Who are they? What are their names? How old are they? What do they do for a living? Are they married? Do they live here too? And how come that look on your face suggests you’re not happy talking about them? And why the hell did you leave this place? It looks like Martha Stewart threw up in here. It’s so . . .” I waved at it all. “Nice and welcoming.”