I coughed, trying to get rid of the tight feeling at the back of my throat. “She’s pregnant?”
Hudson’s smile was bright and proud. “Yep! I’m going to be a grandpa!”
“Wow, I didn’t know,” I said.
The thought stung.
Lynn used to be my best friend. She had attended a ton of my hunter classes with me so I wouldn’t feel isolated from the others, and we’d been constant companions since I’d arrived in Timber Ridge.
But when Hudson left, she’d gone with him and dropped all contact with me. She never texted me back, much less responded to any emails or direct messages I’d sent her. Apparently our friendship hadn’t been as deep as I’d thought.
I shook myself from the selfish thought—Hudson and his family had been through so much. I was just a hunter their Pack had taken in, not actual Pack. Lynn didn’t owe me anything.
“She’s about ready to pop,” Hudson continued. “But the last time she heard me say that, I got a kick in the head, so let’s pretend I didn’t mention it. How are you doing, Little Hunter?”
“Fine.” I glanced at the Pack again.
Aeric and Wyatt had abandoned their game store and come a block closer. They stood across the street, waiting for a crosswalk to change.
The rest of the wolves looked back and forth between Hudson and Greyson.
Surprisingly, Greyson didn’t look like he was paying attention to his conversation with Hector, Lady Chrysanthe, and the brownie.
When I glanced at him he locked eyes with me. He was relaxed—his posture was too loose and uncaring. But there was an intensity in his eyes—he was listening to our conversation, even though he was almost a block up.
I tore my eyes away from Greyson and smiled at Hudson. “I assume you heard about everything that happened to the Low Marsh Pack?”
Hudson nodded and squinted in the bright sunlight. “I have. Sounds like you and Alpha Greyson handled it well. I also heard about you socking Hunter Fletching in the face. I was surprised; I thought Dulce and Santos taught you better.” He kept a disappointed look for about one second before a deep, roaring laughter ripped from him. “Dulce would have taken a rolling pin to that hunter’s noggin if she were still around!”
He wiped his eyes and straightened up. “Greyson told me the whole story. I gave him a jingle when I heard about it. I’m proud you used your position.”
“Yeah, hunter on hunter violence is totally something to brag about,” I joked.
Hudson gave me a funny look. “You might have gotten off because you’re a hunter and you attacked another hunter, but the others didn’t step down because of that.”
“Yeah, it’s because I hit him so they didn’t have to,” I said.
Hudson shook his head. “Not quite. It’s because you were the one who stepped in. You owned the situation, so they could fall in line.”
Now it was my turn to be confused. “I’m a hunter, not an Alpha, Hudson.”
“You’re not,” Hudson agreed. “But it seems like you still don’t quite understand your position in the Pack.”
Because there is no position. They’ve made that abundantly clear.
“I’m not really Pack, though,” I pointed out.
For a moment, Hudson looked older, and there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. “Pip…”
I felt a familiar presence approach from behind, and Hudson immediately clamped up.
“Alpha Greyson, hello.” Hudson smiled—it looked genuine, but also a little wary.
“Hello, Hudson.” Greyson moved in until his chest brushed my right shoulder. “It’s good to see you again so soon.”
“So soon?” I peered up at Greyson.
“He stopped by the Curia Cloisters when I was finishing up some paperwork while you were exploring downtown the day you saw Arbiter Tanaka,” Greyson said.
“Oh.” More of my joy leaked out of me. “So you knew I was in town.”
And you didn’t try to see me? Yep. I’m definitely not a packmate. But I already knew that.
“Hudson!”
“Hudson, my man!”
Aeric and Wyatt finally crossed the street and jogged up to us.
“Aeric, Wyatt!” Hudson laughed as he gave Wyatt a backslap, then elbowed Aeric. “Did you finally ask Shania out?”
“Yeah!” Aeric laughed and sheepishly ruffled his hair. “We’ve been dating for a while.”
I smiled and figured this was a good time to leave, because yeah, okay, I was feeling a little hurt, even though I should have known better.