please. She creeps me out when she talks about the texture of rabbit fur between her teeth.” If I had to hear about how animal fur worked great as dental floss again after that funky tea, I would not keep this meal down.
Jake just laughed. Even the polite guy laughed at me. That kind of thing does wonders for one’s ego.
“I promise there is no rabbit in the stew, Mary.” Kari opened the fridge. The door hung a little sideways on the hinges, but she was able to push it back up and into place enough to seal after she grabbed the bottle of wine she had gone in there for.
The soup Craig had thrown together had enough time to cook down. A good portion of the house smelled like heaven. Kari had thrown together a bread and veggie tray. I sat nibbling on the carrots just watching everyone around me. People who know me wouldn’t call me quiet. My brain-to-mouth filter was almost as weak as Amber’s, but when I felt out of my element, that same smartass took a back seat to my insecurity.
Amber and Jake would never grow old, and even though Craig would, he would age much slower than me. I would be sporting grey hair and varicose veins and he wouldn’t look a day older.
Kari found some tumblers that had survived the ransacking. She poured us all a glass. I downed it as I contemplated my wrinkled ass hanging with this crew after fifteen or twenty years. It didn’t seem plausible.
I refilled my drink and tried to think of an option for my future that made any kind of sense.
Kari pointed to the dining room where Amber and Craig were chatting. “Should I take some wine to your friends?” Kari was a nice lady. “The alcohol will kill any germs from the fresh kill.” But weird. So very weird.
“’Sall right, Kari. I got this.” I topped off my own glass before filling two mismatched goblets to take into the other room. I hoped this wasn’t the only bottle. It was darn near empty already, and if my brain wouldn’t shut off, I would need a lot more.
Chapter Ten
Craig
I couldn’t believe I was negotiating on this. Amber was the female head of this group. Man, I hated the term ‘Clan’. I sometimes wondered why I had followed her in the first place. Then I remembered when she walked into the room. Mary.
She was why I was really here. I had to stop denying it to myself.
“I thought you’d both like some wine.” Mary knocked her soft hips against Amber’s shoulder. “Maybe some booze will help with your negotiations, Craig.” She winked and sashayed back to the kitchen. There was also no denying controlling my wolf around her was complete and utter torture.
Watching her retreat I could tell she had already started drinking. Everything she did was exaggerated. Her strut, her scent, it all went straight to my groin.
“We’re eating in ten minutes!” Mary called out over her shoulder.
I swallowed the saliva that flowed around my canines. What I was hungry for was not cooking on the stove.
Amber’s voice snapped me back to reality. “Roll your tongue up, dude. The drool might mess up the tablecloth.”
I looked down at the tablecloth we had pulled from the points of the chandelier. You couldn’t call it an heirloom any longer, that’s for sure. I looked up and Amber had a lopsided grin on her face. “This is so cute.”
“Amber, now is not the time.” Having your Alpha call you cute will kill your erection every time.
“You can just call me Queen.” Had to give her points for persistence.
“I will not insult the memory of Freddie Mercury like that.”
The point of a fang poked through her lips. I shook my head, trying to look down, but I know she saw me share her grin. There was a lot I had come to expect from Amber. I never really saw her as a leader before we left the Paulson Pack, but I felt the ability inside her. My wolf followed hers. Were she male, she would have broken from her father long ago. She was different. I was fascinated by her strength, and there was a huge part of me that
Jake just laughed. Even the polite guy laughed at me. That kind of thing does wonders for one’s ego.
“I promise there is no rabbit in the stew, Mary.” Kari opened the fridge. The door hung a little sideways on the hinges, but she was able to push it back up and into place enough to seal after she grabbed the bottle of wine she had gone in there for.
The soup Craig had thrown together had enough time to cook down. A good portion of the house smelled like heaven. Kari had thrown together a bread and veggie tray. I sat nibbling on the carrots just watching everyone around me. People who know me wouldn’t call me quiet. My brain-to-mouth filter was almost as weak as Amber’s, but when I felt out of my element, that same smartass took a back seat to my insecurity.
Amber and Jake would never grow old, and even though Craig would, he would age much slower than me. I would be sporting grey hair and varicose veins and he wouldn’t look a day older.
Kari found some tumblers that had survived the ransacking. She poured us all a glass. I downed it as I contemplated my wrinkled ass hanging with this crew after fifteen or twenty years. It didn’t seem plausible.
I refilled my drink and tried to think of an option for my future that made any kind of sense.
Kari pointed to the dining room where Amber and Craig were chatting. “Should I take some wine to your friends?” Kari was a nice lady. “The alcohol will kill any germs from the fresh kill.” But weird. So very weird.
“’Sall right, Kari. I got this.” I topped off my own glass before filling two mismatched goblets to take into the other room. I hoped this wasn’t the only bottle. It was darn near empty already, and if my brain wouldn’t shut off, I would need a lot more.
Chapter Ten
Craig
I couldn’t believe I was negotiating on this. Amber was the female head of this group. Man, I hated the term ‘Clan’. I sometimes wondered why I had followed her in the first place. Then I remembered when she walked into the room. Mary.
She was why I was really here. I had to stop denying it to myself.
“I thought you’d both like some wine.” Mary knocked her soft hips against Amber’s shoulder. “Maybe some booze will help with your negotiations, Craig.” She winked and sashayed back to the kitchen. There was also no denying controlling my wolf around her was complete and utter torture.
Watching her retreat I could tell she had already started drinking. Everything she did was exaggerated. Her strut, her scent, it all went straight to my groin.
“We’re eating in ten minutes!” Mary called out over her shoulder.
I swallowed the saliva that flowed around my canines. What I was hungry for was not cooking on the stove.
Amber’s voice snapped me back to reality. “Roll your tongue up, dude. The drool might mess up the tablecloth.”
I looked down at the tablecloth we had pulled from the points of the chandelier. You couldn’t call it an heirloom any longer, that’s for sure. I looked up and Amber had a lopsided grin on her face. “This is so cute.”
“Amber, now is not the time.” Having your Alpha call you cute will kill your erection every time.
“You can just call me Queen.” Had to give her points for persistence.
“I will not insult the memory of Freddie Mercury like that.”
The point of a fang poked through her lips. I shook my head, trying to look down, but I know she saw me share her grin. There was a lot I had come to expect from Amber. I never really saw her as a leader before we left the Paulson Pack, but I felt the ability inside her. My wolf followed hers. Were she male, she would have broken from her father long ago. She was different. I was fascinated by her strength, and there was a huge part of me that
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