Olga sighed. She removed Ulrich's heavy arm from her waist.

He grasped her arm seeing her sit up quickly. His face turned red finding tears dripping from her cheeks. Silently, she wiped them away.

"You need to tell me why you've been turning humans." She knew he had turned females too. Instead of answering, he decided on petting her thigh. She moved out of his reach. Her voice came out sharp, "Where are my things?"

"I put them in suitcase," he answered. He leaned toward her. "Why leaving?" he mumbled into her shoulder.

"Jax told me you're just looking to be healed. You've turned others too so they'd do the same-"

"No."

"I heard you admit it, Ulrich. How many other w-women have you bit?" she asked.

He looked downward as though to avoid a confession. "I am not an animal, Olga. I don't just bite. I turn others...to save them. I give them new life-only if they ask."

"You did not answer my question."

"I do not have to," he answered while standing up, "I am only in love with you."

"Oh, please. This isn't about love!" Olga shot back. "It's about finding how many people you've killed!"

He stepped toward her. "I only kill animals."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Outside, she could see one of the employees filling dog bowls with water. Other shapes moved around inside the shop too.

He caught on to her gaze.

"I not going to lie. I raise dog fighters. Males do not turn so nicely. They are more aggressive and must be caged at certain times. Most of the ones you are watching not turned by me. My pack only turns criminals. We not turn normal people."

"You're a criminal-"

"And Jax is not? He imprison me, threaten me, and sent his entire pack out to kill me, and you sleep under his roof the next day-"

Olga turned away while getting dressed. In a hurry, she tugged the suitcase down the small space of the hall and into the kitchen.

"You'll show Jax where Aster is, won't you?" she asked over her shoulder. "I hope you aren't lying about that too."

"I am not. The problem you not wait to let me tell is that warlock has been making my pack turn others against their will. He is using them to kill people."

"And you haven't?"

Ulrich felt his ears turn red.

She wasn't being as submissive as he hoped.

She would always standoff. Just once, he'd like to see her agree. He wanted her to stay. He was tired of her running off in the morning. He had a feeling she was already carrying a pup or would be soon. The last thing he wanted was for her to be alone and vulnerable.

Ulrich knew the moon goddess had given him Olga for a reason. He would not lie even if the truth was ugly. That didn't mean he wouldn't do his best to make it sound good.

"I have killed many werewolves. I not raised by normal humans. I raised in a pack living in the wild. As a pup, younger werewolves in our group were fed scraps. We had to fight to live, Olga. I have killed many werewolves to keep myself alive...and others. You not know how dangerous young males can act. Last night, two came in here and wanted me to let them rape you. Some alphas are real animals, and betas are taught that females are meant only for pleasing and breeding."

Her prolonged silence made his anger simmer. She was staring at her phone when she should have been listening to him. His hands shook. He folded his arms to hide his leaking temper as she moved for the door.

Jax had sent a load of messages. She scrolled through his texts, beginning with the one he had left last night. She was supposed to come right back to the pack house. Now, he would be thinking Ulrich made her stay.

Ulrich saw the name on her phone. He tensed up seeing the alpha's face light up on her screen.

"If you go to Jax, I cannot promise I can protect you."

"I don't need your protection."

"Then why did you stay the night?" he questioned.

She could hear him growling.

"Quiet," she said coldly, "You're coming with me to meet him at the trailer park," she mumbled while ignoring the buzzing phone. "And I want to know who shot you the day you turned me. Who was it? Don't say Jax, I already know it wasn't him."

That was one question he would not answer when she continued to refuse to trust him.

"Clean up the bedroom, please."

Olga laughed. "No way!"

"You are supposed to live in my home now...clean and decorate for the coming of our pup. What kind of man lets their woman live on the run? I own business now. You can live here until our home is built up in mountain right where your old cabin was," he said. He thought it was what she wanted to hear. "I'll give you anything," he added gently.

"I don't know why you think I'm so special. I never wanted to be one of you. I am not in love with you! How could I love the psycho who turned me into a dog? Who do you think you are?" she scoffed. "Sorry! I am not going to be your house wife!" she cackled feeling like a witch as she watched him pretend not to be upset.

He clenched his jaw. "I am your mate. You will start acting like you love me for more than just my body," he said in a strange tone.

Olga went quiet. He was visibly shaking. His eyes went wide as he stared at the ground between them with a faraway gaze.

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing," he whispered in a hoarse voice.

Olga thought he looked petrified. Maybe it was PTSD or something. She had no idea. The only thing she knew for certain was she needed to get as far away from him as possible.

She shifted to do just that. Ulrich landed on all four paws beside her blocking her path of escape.

***

Jax burst through the door. He found Ulrich first.

"Drag him out. I want the rest of this dump searched for any sign of blood...or bodies."

Fernando growled at the white-devil. His back had been braced since his last encounter with him.

No one moved. Olga remained laying beneath Ulrich, snug in his tail, and trapped. Jax new it was an old out-dated tactic. The feral thought they wouldn't attack if he kept the female close.

"Bring him out!"

Ulrich howled in pain when Jax tazered him. Olga watched her deranged mate's fur stand in all angles. A ferocious snarl left him as he watched Jax lift Olga up and hand her off.

Sashka, still in her human form, stuffed the small wolf into a dog crate.

Fernando tore his teeth into Ulrich's neck knowing his alpha's attention was currently elsewhere. Ulrich whined and mustered the strength to wack him off with his tail.

"Stop it!" Olga barked from inside the crate. She didn't want to care at all. Her heart still pounded heavily seeing the smaller dog rip open Ulrich's neck.

Currently, the large white wolf was still sprawled on his back.

"Let me out!" Olga cried.

Jax scampered over to her.

"He is a murderer, Olga. I'm sorry the moon goddess made him your mate. It's not your fault. This is justice for his negligence."

Jax stepped back a little hearing her growl in response.

"You said you wouldn't do anything until he helped you find Aster!"

"Settle down, Olga."

Sashka lowered the crate back to the ground. Against her mate's wishes, she opened the cage.

"Do you know where his pack is?"

A hair-raising chuckle left Ulrich's throat.

"I think some of them are in the cages," Olga whispered.

Jax eyed the sleeping wolves. Their cages were filthy and covered in rust and grime. The water bowls had brown sludge in them. Inside the shop, it was void of animals.

Jax knew the sleeping wolves were just that, wolves. Somehow, the feral alpha knew they planned on coming.

There was only one way that could have been possible.

Olga lowered her tail under his hard stare. "I didn't mean to tell him," she said in a small voice.

"But you did!" Jax exasperated.

"He'll help you find Aster."

Sashka knew her mate didn't want the feral pack's help. It was a disgrace.

Take the pack out tonight and find the damn warlock. Let her be, Sashka advised.

Jax bit his lip. "No," he argued, "I am not going to rush anything. Let's meet at the den tomorrow. I don't want to go to the trailer park anymore...not when his pack is hiding. We'll see if Aster comes out. Have Ulrich give him a call. Something tells me the two know each other."

❄️