2. Temptation in a human body

Olivia had been in this beautiful place for days.

As much as her depression tried to drown her, the beauty of everything her eyes saw forced her out of her self-pity.

She felt at home, even though she was living in one of the rooms of the inn in this rustic village lost in the woods and mountains.

After a journey of days, they arrived here, a picturesque village with houses made of stone and wood, but although they looked rustic on the outside, they had all the comforts of modern life on the inside.

It was not a poor or backward place at all, it had a lot of development, it just seemed that its inhabitants liked to be away from the world and curious strangers.

She had been here for more than a week, and although Noah tried everything to get her to stay at John's house, she refused, insisting on staying at the inn.

She felt that she had already upset her friend too much, that her madness had even put her in danger of being arrested as an accomplice.

Dressed in blue jeans with a thermal lining on the inside, a plaid wool shirt and a warm coat, and her leather boots, she went downstairs to have breakfast in the inn's restaurant and ask the receptionist if they needed any help.

Olivia had seen very few guests, almost none in the half-empty inn, but that was better because she didn't want to see many people either.

As she ate her scrambled eggs for breakfast, she overheard a conversation that interested her greatly.

- How can you tell me that we are out of fresh fruit? - the innkeeper said angrily to the boy in the kitchen.

- We didn't check well and there were some rotten ones in the bag and they contaminated the others - replied the young man, afraid of being reprimanded.

- Marcos went out and will not be back for a long time because, as you know, he is in that "sensitive period" and even if he calls and places the order, who will come right away to pick him up - he asked, worried and lowering his voice a little, but still Olivia, who was relatively close, heard him.

She didn't know who Marcos was or what "susceptible period" meant, but she saw an opportunity to do a quick and easy job.

- Excuse me for butting into your conversation, I was having breakfast when I heard you might need someone to run an errand for you, I know how to drive and have plenty of time to look for your order - Olivia offered a little nervously now that she was facing this burly man.

Actually, she didn't know if there were growth hormones in this town, but all the men were strong and tall, they could almost be described as wild and exotic.

William stared at the little human woman who was trying to make herself safe in front of him.

John had appeared with her over a week ago, saying she was a friend of his companion who had suffered greatly and needed shelter.

Not everyone was willing to leave a stranger, who knew nothing of their existence, wandering around with ideas of staying.

It was not the same to come as a tourist to visit and then leave, than to settle down to live.

There were things that could not be kept under lock and key forever.

Like the fact that she was living inside a pack of werewolves.

He himself had refused and finally offered to watch over her in his inn and, in case of danger, he would personally see to it that she was driven out of the town.

But he had also heard her crying in the night.

The woman reeked of pain and despair.

He looked at her and it awakened in him the innate desire of his race to protect women, whom they considered sacred, givers of life and light to them, rough and violent men, until they joined their other half.

- Well, do you have a license? - he said after a few seconds of hesitation, not that he had much choice.

Olivia said yes, and for the first time he saw her break into a fleeting smile.

So she found herself on a small white van and left the village for a farm not far away to pick the fruit the innkeeper needed.

Although she had recently been in a car accident with such traumatic consequences, she certainly felt very relaxed, for it was not the same driving in the city as on these roads surrounded by beauty and peace.

But all the good vibes changed when a gray Land Rover Defender came to a screeching halt in front of Olivia, making it impossible for her to brake in time and slamming it into the corner of the SUV's rear guardrail.

Olivia braked with her heart pounding, very frightened by the sudden collision.

Many of the repressed memories of the accident came rushing into her mind, causing her to hyperventilate and panic.

But suddenly, in the storm of her mind, a faint whisper crept in, a soft, warm, comforting, peaceful touch that helped her pull herself together and think more clearly.

Nothing could frighten her, it made her angry to see herself so weak, so vulnerable.

She didn't understand what had just happened, it was as if a presence was creeping into her mind to calm her down, but she knew it was just another one of her crazy tantrums.

She unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car.

There was a dent in the front of her car and it was obvious that it had suffered more than the Land Rover.

Morgan was driving calmly when a fawn suddenly crossed his path.

He braked to avoid hurting it, but didn't notice a car coming up behind him.

He watched as a human woman got out of the van, which looked a lot like William's, and frowned at the damage from the crash.

Morgan wanted to get out to apologize and worry if something had happened to her, besides it was obvious that even if it was to save a small animal, he was at fault and owed her compensation.

- Don't get out of the car! - he suddenly heard the icy voice of his boss in the back seat.

- But the lady may be injured, you have to pay her damages - he found himself explaining to him what he thought was more than reasonable.

- Throw the money out the window and let's get out of here, I need to get away from this place! - he almost growled at him and Morgan wanted to try to convince him, because although he was a cold and distant man, he had never seen him treat a woman like that.

But when he saw the pained look on Lucian's face in the rearview mirror, he kept his words to himself.

- Excuse me, are you okay? - A tap was heard on the dark glass on Morgan's side.

The driver sighed and fumbled in the glove compartment for a wad of bills, money had never been a problem for them, only throwing it at them like a beggar seemed too humiliating.

He didn't know which fly had bitten Lucian, who was more neurotic than usual, but he could only obey. - I'm sorry for the accident, please accept this money as a reward - he said, lowering the window a bit and handing over the thick wad of money without even looking at the young woman's face, he was really embarrassed.

- I just want to know why you suddenly stopped, and I really think it's a lot of money, I just need what I need to pay for the damage to the truck, which is not mine - Olivia replied, with a bit of annoyance, because the guy hadn't even bothered to get out to apologize and no questions, even if it was polite, worried about whether she was hurt.

- Don't worry, you can take all the money, I'm really sorry....

- Morgan, I told you to start the car! - growled a loud, raspy, almost animalistic voice from the back seat of the SUV, startling Olivia.

- I'm sorry- was the last thing the driver muttered before throwing the money on the ground and driving off, leaving a cloud of dust that made Olivia cough.

- Is he a son of a bi|ch?! - she shouted indignantly as she watched the car drive away.

She felt like jumping in the van and chasing after him to tell him off.

Who did he think he was, throwing money at her like a beggar and walking away like she had the plague?

But the car was not hers, and she would have to give a bad account to the owner.

He might not let her work in his inn anymore.

She looked at the green bills that had slipped out of his garter and lay scattered on the floor and began to pick them up with a sigh.

In fact, she was something of a beggar, without a job or a penny to her name.

If she knew who that presumptuous animal in the car was, she would throw his money in his face, but she didn't even know anyone here and she was new in town, she might even offend a big shot and get kicked out of here to go where she didn't know.

She tried to swallow her anger and continued on her way to the farm, she had an order to pick up and an embarrassing explanation to give when she returned.

*****

"What do you think you are doing d4mn it, how dare you leave our mate lying around like garbage, go back and comfort her d4mn it, she is suffering!!!!..."

Lugh growled in his mind, using all his Alpha strength to free himself from the prison of the human body that would not allow him to reach his mate, help put her out of her misery and mark her as his own.

Lucian had to mobilize all the ancient blood in his body to keep his wolf at bay.

He suppressed it with all his might, even if it cost him a headache that brought him to the brink of madness.

Large beads of sweat fell on his temples and he clenched his teeth, tensing the muscles of his face.

Lugh was too strong, a purebred Alpha of the few left in the world, and after so many years of waiting, he had found his mate.

He became euphoric as soon as he smelled her in the car that approached them, before the impact, because of the animal that came through.

But it was one thing what his wolf wanted and another thing what Lucian wanted.

The last thing he needed was a troublesome human in his life.

He had already been married to a woman, and even though she was not his fated mate, the love they shared was more than enough for him.

He silenced the desperate grunts and curses from his mind and concentrated on breathing fresh air by rolling down the window a bit, still feeling how her scent had insolently crept into the car when Morgan had tried to engage her in conversation.

He didn't want to talk to her, he didn't want to look at her, he didn't want to smell her.

Everything about her was pure temptation and he didn't need her in his life.

He looked at the dense forest that called to him and walked away from the village in the direction of his secluded cabin.