“Alright. I got as far as whoever is fielding his calls for you. They’ve taken the message, and he has given me his assurance that Alpha Thomas will return our call as soon as he’s finished with the call. He’s on right now.” Haden leaned back in his chair and watched Janine fret. His concern was up. Her scent and movements told him that her anxiety was getting worse.
Haden felt himself reacting to it. His own instincts made him want to throttle the boy for the mess he now put his mother through for him. This wasn’t something you put a parent through, and Haden should know. He’d lost count of the number of times Annabelle disappeared on him. She’d throw a tantrum over one thing or another. Not get her way and then run away to do whatever it was she shouldn’t. Nine times out of ten
Emily sat on the old window seat. She watched outside the window as rain poured outside, blotting out the sky and blurring the sight of the forest outside of the house. She didn’t find the key in his clothes and the lock on the door still stayed firmly shut. She couldn’t figure out a plan of what she could do to avoid everything falling apart. Emily couldn’t wake the twit up because when he drank, he slept like he was dead. She wasn’t sure if he’d remember what he did to her. Emily wasn’t sure if he understood the position. He put so much into it with his wants and actions. She needed to resist the urge now to shift and bite him on the butt. He deserved at least that, if not more. Time passed, and she wasn’t sure how much. By now, it didn’t matter. Everyone would know they were missing
Emily could feel his satisfaction through their bond, even as her own pleasure flooded her mind and body. She couldn’t ignore that it was there anymore. He always got what he wanted, but what about her? As they lay there in the afterglow, her mind went over the memories from so many times in their past. Did she want this in her life? What would have happened if Rebecca did in fact not go to her mating ceremony? Would James have turned to her for comfort after that? Or would this all have happened either way? Did any of it matter? With that contract looming over her head, the bite from the wrong man on her shoulder, and everything else. It was like a house of cards, and she feared it would all come tumbling down like one. “See. Now you’r
James messed around with the old coffee maker. This was one of those alarming ones that percolated, which means it gave off an alarming thump regularly and threatened to hop off the counter. But he got it going and then tidied up a little from last night’s dinner. With several things pulled together on a tray, the coffee was finally ready. He filled up a carafe and left the rest to stay warm in the pot. When he got upstairs, his eyes took in the bloody sheets and the closed bathroom door. He’d not realized how vicious he’d been last night. A quick check of the dresser in the corner found a set of clean sheets that no bugs had snacked on. He switched out the sheets, then knocked on the bathroom door. “Everything all right in there? I can hear you in there.”&nbs
Eva couldn’t believe the passion he put into the kiss. After his words to his alpha, left her feeling cold and rejected. The demanding heat in his kiss infuriated her further. Once his lips left hers, he didn’t get a chance for the passion drunk smile to cross his lips fully before her hand connected with his face. “Really?! You have a contract to mate with one of my best friends and you kiss me like that?! Mate or not. You don’t have the right to do that.” Eva broke out of his embrace and stormed off toward the lake house again. “I’m too busy looking for my friend and your mate-to-be.” was all she said as she disappeared up the path. “Eva!” Damon threw up his hands and looked at the lake for an
Haden sat sullenly in the passenger seat of the SUV. She’d overruled him in that she insisted she drive because she knew the roads better. They’d argued for so long that the rain began while they were only halfway up the road to the old packhouse. The mud was so bad that she had to pull over to an old barn. That’s where they found another SUV. Luckily, both SUVs fit into the old barn. The roof leaked in a few places, but it was at least dry inside. But there was no way they would make it to the main house in this weather. But Haden was sure he saw a faint light on in one of the upper windows of the house. “Well, good news. I think this is our missing SUV.” Janine said as she walked around the two vehicles. “I guess they didn’t want us finding it any time too soon. Smart idea hiding it here.&
Emily left the bathroom, and she pouted through most of the breakfast as they ate. “You know what bothers me the most?”“No, but that’s never stopped you from telling me before. No, that’s not true, is it? You’ve been keeping things from me for years. Just saying the bare truth with none of those pesky embarrassing details. Am I right and this will be one of the more biting ones?”“At least, you recognize what you’ve been doing. What would have been the point? You showed no interest in me as a woman. I was always an afterthought, or don’t you get it? I’m the crutch you fall back on. Maybe you should be the one looking for truths about why I said nothing about this before? Or perhaps you might try remembering the times I told you and it fell on deaf ears.”James looked at Emily like he was seeing her for the first time. But she was sure that this was only a momentary lapse on his part.
Haden could get used to this. What caused her to go from cold to hot like this? He could get behind and he wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He quickly divested them of the water bottles, then pulled her in close. So not to scare her, he let her be on top and take the lead. Janine decided if her son could play fast and loose, why couldn’t she? When a gorgeous wolf of a certain age came knocking and showed an interest. Why did she have to spurn him? Now she thrilled at having him at her mercy and she got down to business. With her hands on his belt, she easily opened his jeans. She heard him gasp as she revealed what he offered. Janine resisted giggling when she realized he still had it all. When she stroked him, his whole body responded like he’d been deliciously shocked.&nbs
“Hate you? No, I don’t hate you. But I am at the end of my rope. I can’t take watching you damage yourself and put this pack at risk anymore. That means if I can’t fix it, then I can’t stay.” Emily decided now she’d tell him the unfiltered truth, even if he wasn’t ready. The fact is, he’d never be ready. “Bull. I have never put the pack at risk.” James couldn’t believe she said that about him. He was a good alpha. Truth was now that she said it, something niggled at the back of his mind, and he didn’t like it. “Don’t make me count the ways. We’ll be here for days. But I’ll say it this way. This is just the latest in a long line. You disappeared on them f