horizon, leaving only dusk. As the mosquitoes began to whine, Joie slapped her arms twice and her legs once before getting up. He never moved.
“Well, I am going to call it a night. Good night, Malcolm, sleep well.”
Savoring the sound of his name on her lips, he said nothing in return. The whoosh of the screen door closing emphasized the gaping holes in his ability to communicate with humans. He shrugged. Didn’t even know why he bothered other than the fact that he was bored. Lilacs and soft moss-green eyes that cried for him in wolf form and sweet lips that kissed him in human form had nothing to do with it. Not a damn thing.
* * * * *
Slade lay on his back, watching the ceiling fan. Night fell quickly this far away from civilization, but he couldn’t sleep. The old woman had returned while he had been out on the porch. She’d looked so tired that he’d carried her bag in for her. She’d thanked him.
He got the feeling she wanted to talk to him, but after his dismal attempt with Joie, he honestly had no clue what to say. Humans weren’t on his short list of friends and he’d never had to deal with them for such a prolonged period of time. He’d tersely bid her goodnight, then turned back to the living room.
He thought about the only human who had ever treated him well. The last interaction Slade had had with his old boss, Tonio, had been nearly twenty years ago. Two days before he’d been gunned down. No one since then, not even his own Pack, had ever done a damn thing for him without wanting something in return.
Slade changed position again, trying to get comfortable on the pullout couch, seeking a cool spot on the sheets. Putting a six-foot-four-inch man on a foldout double bed wasn’t exactly the best idea in the world, and besides that, it was damn hot in the cabin. No central air-conditioning for this old place.
He almost missed his suite at the mansion, but not the mansion itself or its inhabitants. The king-sized bed would have been a plus here too, though it would almost fill the small living room.
Movement caught his attention and Slade turned his head slightly to see Joie coming out of her room. She glided, almost tiptoeing, toward the kitchen. Trying to not wake him, he supposed. He grinned in the darkness. Obviously she didn’t know he lay awake watching her.
Her white nightgown glowed in the dark room. She disappeared into the kitchen and he heard a cabinet door open, then the fridge. Slade sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, pulling on the jeans he’d dropped on the floor.
Moving quietly, he reached the doorway in two long strides, then stood watching her. Sometimes in wolf form he would just stare at his prey before leaping, but this felt different. He felt a need to protect her from whatever might be out there…outside the cabin walls. Stupid wolf. She’s human, remember?
Chapter Six
Slade watched as Joie filled a glass with water from a pitcher in the fridge. She looked out the kitchen window as she took a long, slow sip. From his angle he couldn’t see what held her attention so he looked at what had his.
He took in the tousled hair curling around her soft shoulders. The shapeless white gown ended just below her knees, emphasizing the curve of her calves. It was different from the one she’d worn last night. This one had a square neckline and lace around the bottom. Visually traveling her creamy white skin down to her ankles and feet, he licked his lips. She had small feet. He imagined pressing his lips and teeth to the arch of her foot until she screamed with pleasure.
He stopped his roaming eyes on the curve of her hips. They were made for holding on to. Her breasts and her shoulders made him sweat. The sleeveless gown hugged her shoulders with thick straps, making him want to rip through the material with sharp canines, exposing her body to his gaze. She seemed to have been built just for him.
The curve of her neck and jaw drew his attention next. In his
“Well, I am going to call it a night. Good night, Malcolm, sleep well.”
Savoring the sound of his name on her lips, he said nothing in return. The whoosh of the screen door closing emphasized the gaping holes in his ability to communicate with humans. He shrugged. Didn’t even know why he bothered other than the fact that he was bored. Lilacs and soft moss-green eyes that cried for him in wolf form and sweet lips that kissed him in human form had nothing to do with it. Not a damn thing.
* * * * *
Slade lay on his back, watching the ceiling fan. Night fell quickly this far away from civilization, but he couldn’t sleep. The old woman had returned while he had been out on the porch. She’d looked so tired that he’d carried her bag in for her. She’d thanked him.
He got the feeling she wanted to talk to him, but after his dismal attempt with Joie, he honestly had no clue what to say. Humans weren’t on his short list of friends and he’d never had to deal with them for such a prolonged period of time. He’d tersely bid her goodnight, then turned back to the living room.
He thought about the only human who had ever treated him well. The last interaction Slade had had with his old boss, Tonio, had been nearly twenty years ago. Two days before he’d been gunned down. No one since then, not even his own Pack, had ever done a damn thing for him without wanting something in return.
Slade changed position again, trying to get comfortable on the pullout couch, seeking a cool spot on the sheets. Putting a six-foot-four-inch man on a foldout double bed wasn’t exactly the best idea in the world, and besides that, it was damn hot in the cabin. No central air-conditioning for this old place.
He almost missed his suite at the mansion, but not the mansion itself or its inhabitants. The king-sized bed would have been a plus here too, though it would almost fill the small living room.
Movement caught his attention and Slade turned his head slightly to see Joie coming out of her room. She glided, almost tiptoeing, toward the kitchen. Trying to not wake him, he supposed. He grinned in the darkness. Obviously she didn’t know he lay awake watching her.
Her white nightgown glowed in the dark room. She disappeared into the kitchen and he heard a cabinet door open, then the fridge. Slade sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, pulling on the jeans he’d dropped on the floor.
Moving quietly, he reached the doorway in two long strides, then stood watching her. Sometimes in wolf form he would just stare at his prey before leaping, but this felt different. He felt a need to protect her from whatever might be out there…outside the cabin walls. Stupid wolf. She’s human, remember?
Chapter Six
Slade watched as Joie filled a glass with water from a pitcher in the fridge. She looked out the kitchen window as she took a long, slow sip. From his angle he couldn’t see what held her attention so he looked at what had his.
He took in the tousled hair curling around her soft shoulders. The shapeless white gown ended just below her knees, emphasizing the curve of her calves. It was different from the one she’d worn last night. This one had a square neckline and lace around the bottom. Visually traveling her creamy white skin down to her ankles and feet, he licked his lips. She had small feet. He imagined pressing his lips and teeth to the arch of her foot until she screamed with pleasure.
He stopped his roaming eyes on the curve of her hips. They were made for holding on to. Her breasts and her shoulders made him sweat. The sleeveless gown hugged her shoulders with thick straps, making him want to rip through the material with sharp canines, exposing her body to his gaze. She seemed to have been built just for him.
The curve of her neck and jaw drew his attention next. In his
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