Landon hadn’t been happy with the situation, accusing Lacy by saying, “She’s being difficult, isn’t she?”
After assuring the annoying little man that Lacy wasn’t the problem, Ethan had left. And now, he sat just far enough into the trees to remain out of sight from the models and shoot crew but close enough to hear and see Lacy and Stephanie.
He felt Lacy’s turbulent emotions and did his best to keep his own under control for her sake, but he was failing miserably.
The thought of losing her made his wolf want to howl. Both man and beast understood what that would mean for them. The only way to sever a bond between a mated couple was for one of them to die. Otherwise, they would continue to feel each other’s emotions for the rest of their lives.
Ethan knew that if Lacy should ever feel love toward another man, he would likely seek his own end to spare her from enduring his agony.
He would always put her first, whether she chose him or not, just as he would always do his best to protect her and prove to her that he was worthy of her love…if she chose to bless him with it.
Deciding to give Lacy a lead so his wolf didn’t spook her, Ethan watched as Angel trailed after Landon.
“Not now, Angel! I need to find Lacy,” Landon snapped as he approached Stephanie. “Have you seen Lacy? She didn’t arrive with the other models.”
“Oh, she rode with me. You just missed her though. She went to walk for a minute. I guess, she’s trying to wake up still,” Stephanie offered, covering for Lacy like a pro.
Ethan didn’t miss the little smirk that flashed across Angel’s face before she turned and walked off. He could scent the irritation rolling off Landon, but it was the anger coming from Angel that confused him.
Was she really that upset that Landon had snapped at her? And why smirk?
Figuring he’d given Lacy enough of a head start, Ethan trotted off to follow her. He really didn’t want her out of his sight for long.
Chapter Fourteen
The quiet serenity of the forest was just what Lacy needed. She made her way around the area Landon had chosen, yet she found nothing out of place, so she took a moment to herself and decided to sit on a large rock next to the creek.
What would it be like to traverse these woods the way Ethan could? He seemed to maintain his human side even as a wolf, but to have the freedom of running through the trees, no rules or restrictions weighing you down? Lacy bet it was amazing.
Ethan was amazing.
Something Stephanie had said before kept playing in Lacy’s head, “They were still the people I’d come to know and call my friends. They were just more.”
Lacy loved Ethan, she knew that. The only problem was that up until last night, werewolves had only existed in books, movies and myths. Still, her grandmother used to tell her, “There’s a little truth to every myth, dear. You just have to find it.”
Well, Lacy had found truth in this one.
But Stephanie was right. Ethan was still the man Lacy had fallen for, and now, she had the chance to have the kind of relationship with him that could usually only be found on the pages of a romance novel.
So why was she hesitating?
Smiling now, hoping that Ethan could sense her happiness, acceptance and love through their bond, Lacy took her cell phone from her pocket and dialed Gus.
“Sheriff’s office. How can I help you?” Came the cheery female voice on the other end of the line.
“I’d like to speak to Gus, please.”
“He’s not in at the moment, but I can take a message.”
“My name is Lacy Anders, and he told me to call him if needed, so could you—”
“Lacy? Let me give you his cell. He said to if you ever called when he was out.”
Lacy listened, thanked the receptionist then quickly punched the number into her phone. She was just about to hit send when a hand landed on her shoulder.
Jumping up and spinning to see who was behind her, Lacy let out a startled laugh upon finding Angel jumping back herself.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Angel said. “Landon is looking for you, but your friend said you’d gone for a walk.”
“Yeah, I needed to think,” Lacy replied, wondering why Landon would send Angel to find her.
“About Ethan?” When Lacy frowned at Angel, she hurried to explain. “Landon was fussing about Ethan not being here today. I thought, with you wandering off alone, maybe you two had a fight.”
“No, not really.”
Angel kept her eyes mostly downcast, looking slightly uncomfortable, maybe even a little hesitant before she said, “Look, I know I don’t have the best track record with men, but I’m a good listener.”
“I appreciate that, Angel, but I think I’ve finally made my decision. I’ll be staying here once this job is over. I’m staying with Ethan.” Man, did it feel good to say that.