I shifted uneasily at the water''s edge, my eyes scanning the opposite bank. There were no clear paths leading into the dense thicket of trees, but honestly, I hadn''t expected it to be that simple. If Rory''s men hadn''t uncovered anything, it was unlikely I would either.


    Suddenly, arge t-shirt was thrust toward me. “Here," came the voice. "If they''ve got someone scouting over there, they don''t get the privilege of seeing you without clothes.” His tone was matter-of-fact, answering the question I hadn''t even voiced aloud.


    "Who said I care if they look?" I shot back, holding the shirt at arm''s length. The scent of cinnamon and ginger-his signature mix-wafted off the fabric. This was the very shirt he had worn earlier today.


    He sighed, a little exasperated. "Can you just stop fighting me for once and put it on?" My gaze locked with his, and despite myself, I nced down to check if he''d covered up too. He''d pulled on shorts, but my eyes were drawn to his broad chest and defined abs. "Please, Greta. Cover yourself."


    His use of my real name—only the second time today—caught me off guard. There was genuine concern in his eyes, worry about someone seeing me vulnerable. Taking a deep breath, I slipped the shirt over my head, folding away my stubborn pride for the moment.


    "Did your packe through here at all?" I asked, looking back toward the forest. He was a distracting presence, to say the least. If it were just his body, I might be able to keep myposure, but now his sandy blonde hair was loose, cascading in waves over his shoulders after being down from the man bun. My long-forgottendy bits stirred at the sight. I clenched my thighs together and began pacing along the riverbank.


    He tried—and failed—to hide his quiet chuckle behind me, but was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. I didn''t have time to deal with jerks or anyone who threatened my pack. Even though he''d eventually let Kennedy go, he''d been the one pulling the strings to get her captured and was mated to the psycho who''d tried to force herself on my alpha. I still couldn''t believe he was so blinded by the mate bond that he hadn''t noticed what Amy was really up to.


    "We camped a little further south," he said, his voice lowering as he spoke. "If you follow this river north, it splits and leads to a low mountain range. That''s the route we took. All the other packs avoid that area—I''m not sure why-but it wasn''t hard to slip through their patrol schedules. There''s a small clearing southwest of here, with a stream running through it. We even built a little dam to collect water. It would have been perfect for a permanent camp if others hadn''t had different ns." His voice trailed off, and I fought the urge to nce back at him. I refused to let him use this moment to make me pity him.


    "Let''s head that way, then," I said, gesturing south and hoping he''d take the lead. "Do you want to shift for travel?" he asked.


    “Uh, no,” I replied quickly. “Actually, I want to know what you understand about this area. Are there any good spots to hide or set up an ambush? Maybe a vantage point where we can watch from above?"


    "This way, ma''am," he said with a smirk.


    There he was—my asshole. I rolled my eyes. No, not my asshole. Just a regr asshole acting like one, currently striding ahead without me.