Forever Mine

TWENTY EIGHT

'Levi, who did this to you?' Roxy asked hesitantly, unsure if she wanted to know the answer.

'It wasn't your Alpha if that's what you were thinking.' Levi's face screwed into annoyance before it fled with a small shrug of his shoulders. 'I told you being a lone wolf could be rough. I was picking scraps from the bakery skip bin last night. The owner found me and apparently he doesn't take well to scavengers.'

'I'm sorry, Levi.' Despite everything, Roxy felt for the guy. 'But what about Abigail? Doesn't she buy you food?'

Levi grimaced. 'I have too much pride to allow her to do that. I told her I got injured while I was out hunting. It's partly true I guess. Except while she's imagining that I was chasing a deer I was actually fishing for a bagel.'

Roxy couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter. With the tension between them easing, Levi joined with an easy chuckle before cutting it off and pressing a hand to his ribs. Damn. Who was this bakery owner? If he could hurt a werewolf that bad he must pack one hell of a punch. Maybe he was a werewolf too. But Isaac had never mentioned the local bakery being owned by the pack. Most of the stores in town were leased by humans.

'So, are we okay?' Levi's nervous voice brought her out of her thoughts.

Normally she'd smile and tell him they were, but this time she hesitated. 'You said some really hurtful things to me, Levi. And why do you call me a blueblood now? You know I'm not like that. You said it yourself when we first met. That I was the first "prestigious" werewolf you'd met who didn't treat you differently.'

Levi's shoulders hunched. 'I know. I wish I could take it all back. I know it's no excuse but I've just had a lot going on lately with Abigail and...' His face saddened. 'I'm just feeling the pressure of giving her a good life. She's grown up in a pack surrounded by love and security. How can I give her that when I've barely experienced it myself?'

The hurt Levi had put her through melted away when Roxy looked into his sad eyes. 'Look, Levi...' She chewed at her lip, Isaac's presence in the car park suddenly magnifying. 'I don't want to get your hopes up but what if I could try and talk to Isaac about accepting you into Moonlight Ridge? That way you and Abigail will have a stable future. As horrible as the two of you can be at times – mostly Abigail – you're still my friends and I want you both to be happy.'

Levi blinked. 'Isaac will never go for that.'

Roxy looked over to him, leaning against the truck with a steely gaze watching them. 'No, but I'll at least talk to him.'

Levi looked visibly moved before covering it with a quick sniff. 'You're going to make a great Luna, Roxy.' A hesitant grin crossed his face. 'Who knows? Maybe I'll be amongst the pack members in the ceremony.'

Roxy chuckled. 'Like I said, don't go getting your hopes up.'

Levi stood there smiling at her before jumping. 'I, ah better go. Abigail got detention and I promised I'd meet her afterwards.'

Roxy watched as he rushed back towards the building. Abigail? Detention? What had she done this time? As he disappeared from sight, she allowed the courage to rush out of her system, quickly being replaced by apprehension. Isaac would never allow Levi into his pack. She knew that. So why had she suggested such a thing? Even though she'd warned him not to she was sure Levi's hopes were high in the clouds. A Luna was to have a large heart to counteract their Alpha's brains. Was there a chance hers was possibly a little too big?