“Not really, which is actually kind of sad when you think of it,” Lola said cheerfully.
The wolf shifters crowded around Ginger, peppering her with questions.
“Are you moving in with him right away, or are you going to live somewhere in town?” A heavy-set woman with a bouffant asked her.
“Are you going to marry my uncle?” a little boy said, yanking on her skirt.
“Can I be your flower girl?” a little blonde girl piped up. “I like flowers. Will you pick me some flowers?”
“Oh, my goodness. Look, is that Dora the Explorer standing over there?”
When they turned to look, she turned and ran.
Suddenly she was grabbed from behind, by two strong muscular arms. She didn’t need to turn around; his familiar scent sent a wave of delicious heat sizzling through her.
Smiling, she spun into his arms.
“That was a dirty trick,” he grinned.
“It was a matter of survival. It was them or me. I had to escape.”
With a huge smile, he added, “How’s this for a dirty trick?” And then he said very loudly, “Ginger Colby, will you dance with me? Please?”
Everyone turned and stared. Everyone held their breath.
Ginger Colby was no fool. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.
She made a big show of doing a graceful half curtsy and answered loudly “Of course, I will dance with you.”
He swept her into his arms as Wilhelmina turned up the boom-box, and the two of them spun around on the grass. Ginger loved to dance, but Ashmont had always acted as if he were afraid she’d fall on him and break him.
But Loch spun and twirled Ginger as if she were light as a feather. He dipped her backwards until her hair brushed the grassy lawn. He spun her like a top.
And when the music stopped, the crowd burst into applause.
“Ginger Colby, there’s something else that I want to ask you,” the sheriff said loudly. Ginger froze.
Seriously? Was he going to ask her what she thought he was going to ask her?
And how would she respond?
“No, you don’t.” A shrill voice cracked across the lawn.
Ginger turned, her heart sinking in her chest. Portia Sinclair and an elegantly dressed woman who looked like an older version of Portia were walking across the lawn towards them. Portia wore jeans, strappy high heeled sandals, and a clingy, silky t-shirt, and her lip curled in disgust when her eyes lighted on Ginger. The woman wore a tailored linen suit that fit her narrow frame like a glove, and she carefully picked her away across the grass in high heeled pumps.
There were two Werewolf Enforcers with them, in uniform, tall muscular men with buzz cuts and grim, expressions stamped on their faces. The Enforcers worked for the council.
“Aurora Sinclair, you were not invited. Get off my property,” Willie snapped, eyes blazing with anger.#p#分页标题#e#
“I’m sorry, Willhelmina, but this is council business.” Aurora turned to Loch, who looked as if he were about to explode with anger.
“She is a red wolf. You are a gray.” Aurora spoke in clipped tones. “If you two mate, your pups will not be pure. For the good of the council, if you insist on continuing this relationship, I will be forced to order your removal as Alpha and replace you with Jax.”
Ginger gasped in horror. Hot-headed Jax? That would be an utter disaster. He would have the Blue Moon wolves at war with the panther nation before the week was out. Every wolf shifter in Blue Moon County would be in danger.
Her parents, Loch’s pack…she couldn’t do this. She just couldn’t. There were too many good people that she’d hurt if she selfishly insisted on staying. There was much more at stake here than her own happiness.
As Loch started to protest, Ginger spoke up, eyes filling with hot tears.
“Stop!” she shouted. “I’m going back to New York, tonight. It’s over, Loch. That’s my choice.”
She turned and ran back to her car.
Behind her she heard howls of rage, and snarls. It sounded as if Loch was clashing violently with the Enforcers. She knew he’d be all right, because he had dozens of his relatives there.
But she had to get out of there right away, she knew, before she changed her mind.
She drove down the road blindly, tears streaming down her face, her heart aching. She’d been so close to happiness.
Loch was right, he was her fated mate. Every time he came near her, her heart sang. How could this be? How could she find her fated mate and be torn away from him? Why was fate such a cruel bitch?
Crying so hard she had to gulp out her words between sobs, she called Marigold to tell her what happened, and asked Marigold to pack her bags and meet her in an hour at a gas station on the edge of town. She couldn’t bear to set foot in the boarding house again, couldn’t bear to face Loch if he came to the boarding house and tried to change her mind.