Animal Heart(43)

“Okay, okay... Sorry, right?” She flashed her eyes at Maddy reluctantly, and extremely briefly.

“How sincere and deeply meant that was,” Aden added sarcastically.

“Don't fucking push it. That's the best I can do.”

She stalked off, back inside the ranch house with her bags of belongings.

God, she was such a little bitch of a she-wolf at times...

He looked at the others in his pack. No one was more troublesome and bitchy than she was. She should have the word 'bitch' tattooed somewhere on her body. Preferably somewhere very painful.

Aden snickered to himself with amusement. She was going to get a helluva surprise when she went in her room. He followed her inside, along with some of the others, and waited for it...

“WHAT THE FUCK....”

And there it was. She came charging down the corridor with an angry flushed face.

“Why is there a strange man lying on my bed?”

“Ah, that'd be Cal. He's stopping over. You'll have to make up a guest room.” He knew it was a little mean of him, putting Cal in there when he knew she might be back any day. But he wanted her to realise that she couldn't walk out and come back as and when she liked, and that everything would be the same as it was, especially after what she did to Maddy's car.

“And who the hell is Cal?” she demanded.

“That'll be me, pretty lady, and who the hell are you?” Cal's deep southern rumble of a voice sounded out from behind them as he arrived through the corridor. The look on Mia's face changed in an instant as she took stock of him. Tall and good looking in a rough and tough way. Wild fair hair, currently shirtless, and tattooed with a vengeance. He stood proudly and confidently with his thumbs tucked in his jeans pockets.

Aden had to admit he was a giant of a wolfman. A touch fearsome in his looks, without any effort whatsoever.

He watched with complete fascination as Mia melted in a puddle before his very eyes.

“Oh...” she managed, blushing and fluttering her eyelashes at him uncontrollably.

Cal cocked an eyebrow at her, waiting for an introduction. She obviously wasn't up to remembering her name, so Aden remembered it for her.

“This is Mia. She used to stay in your room,” Aden said pointedly.

“Did ya now?” he replied with a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Well how 'bout that. I'll be havin' some very pleasant dreams in that bed from now on.” His eyes raked her over shamelessly, eating her up, and then once again for dessert.

He held out his large hand to her in greeting, and she placed her very small hand in his, looking as if she was about to faint, overcome with big wolfman desire.

“So pleased to meet ya Mia. Tell me, where've ya been hidin'?” He shook her hand gently and carried on holding it, stroking it gently with the fingertips of his other hand.

“Not far. I needed to get away, you know... To think things over...” she rambled, her wide eyes glued to his deep brown gaze.

He laughed loudly, flashing his impressive, gold-toothed grin her way. Her eyes glazed over, awash with lust.

“I meant where've ya been hidin' all my life honey...?” he drawled, and winked at her cheekily.

“Oh ha ha...” she spluttered, highly embarrassed at the blatancy of his come-on in front of everyone.

“Well now, lucky for you, I've got a bottle of this best here Crown Royal just beggin' to be opened. How about ya tell me yer whole life story, sweetheart? Right from the beginnin'. Let's go get ourselves nice 'n comfy, shall we? In yer old room... I've a feelin' we're gonna get along real fine...” He led her by her hand, and she trotted off obediently at his side as they all looked on in amazement.

Unbelievable! He's tamed the wolf-bitch in thirty seconds flat...



They took the horses back to the stables and finished up there quickly. Maddy took his hand and pulled him to one side urgently.

“I need to speak to my parents, my friend, and my manager at work, right now.”

“Can't you do that later?”

“No, I want to do it now. It's bugging me and I want my head to be clear of it, before anything else, you know?”

“It's okay, I understand. Go ahead then. I'm taking a quick shower, so I'll see you in my room, hmmm?” They walked back through the ranch door and he gave her a quick peck on the cheek and a squeeze of her ass as he left.

Smiling, she picked up the phone on the reception desk and began tapping out her workplace phone number.

She got through to Karen, her manager, and explained she needed an unpaid leave of absence for a while. The conversation was awkward and strained, and she felt bad about letting them down at a busy time. They finally agreed to a one month absence which would give her some breathing space, at least. She had to get around working out her notice somehow.