Read Online Wolf with Benefits by Shelly Laurenston - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Shelly Laurenston
Ads: Link
instinct, Toni jumped off the last step and bolted out of the house, following that dog right into the street. Moving fast, she tackled the dog, wrapping her arms around its slim body, and made a wild leap for the opposite sidewalk.
Toni had almost made it, but the truck speeding down the street still clipped her with its fender, sending Toni flipping over the hood of a parked car to land hard on her back in front of a stoop.
When she finally got her breath back, Toni opened her eyes and saw the wolf she’d met yesterday staring down at her. He was holding a coffee mug. With an annoying amount of calm, he sipped his drink and remarked, “Darlin’, at this point, I’m startin’ to think you’re sweet on me.”
The She-jackal’s eyes narrowed dangerously but when she opened her mouth, all that came out was a little “yip” sound. Ricky quickly rested his coffee cup on the wide stone handrail and rushed down the stairs to the prone female.
“Darlin’, I’m sorry to waste time teasing ya. I’ll call an ambulance.”
She shook her head no, but when she tried to take his hand, she cringed something awful and put her hand right back down.
That’s when two jackals came running over from across the street. One was an older female. Her momma, Ricky would guess. They had the same eyes. And a male, close to the She-jackal’s age.
“Toni!” the older female barked. “What the hell were you thinking?”
There went those eyes dangerously narrowing again.
“Mom,” the male warned, and that’s when Ricky realized this was Toni’s brother. He ignored the sense of relief he felt. “Not now.”
“This isn’t my fault,” the older She-jackal argued. “It isn’t.”
The male tried to take the dog that Toni still held with one arm, but the animal lay flat against her, its entire body shaking.
“Poor thing.” The male sighed. “It’s terrified.”
“Also not my fault.”
The glass and metal security door behind Ricky opened, and several adult wild dogs rushed down the stairs and surrounded the jackal.
“Are you all right, hon?”
“Been better,” Toni squeaked out.
“Not my fault,” the She-jackal pushed.
“Grit your teeth,” Ricky told Toni as he slipped his arms under her. “I’ll take you back to your house.”
“Oh,” the older She-jackal said, suddenly looking around. “That’s such a long trip . . . can’t we just bring her inside here?” She smiled sweetly at the wild dogs. “You guys don’t mind, do you?”
The wild dogs might not have minded, but from the way the She-jackal’s two children gawked at her, Ricky felt certain they did mind. A lot.
Toni knew her mother was sneaky, but holy hell, this was some hinky shit!
Using her own daughter’s brush with death to ease her way into the wild dogs’ home was beneath even Jackie’s usual depths. Maybe even Kyle’s!
The wolf easily carried her inside the wild dogs’ home and down the hallway until he reached an enormous kitchen.
Why the wolf was here at all, Toni didn’t know. Maybe she didn’t want to know. All Toni did know was that her life was getting weird.
The wolf placed Toni’s butt on the stainless steel kitchen island so that she was sitting up. “So what hurts the worst?” he asked.
“Shoulder.”
“That’s what I thought. Because it’s not really in its socket.”
Toni sighed. “Great.”
“The dog is doing well, though,” one of the wild dogs pointed out.
“And that’s what’s important!” Jackie cheered, but when both her children gawked at her again, she quickly added, “You’re a hero! My daughter, the hero!”
A blond female wild dog pushed her way closer through the other dogs until she stood in front of Toni.
“Wolf is right,” she said in a thick Russian accent, “about this shoulder. But we can fix. Hold her, wolf.”
“Now wait a—” Toni protested.
The wolf scrambled up behind her, both legs around her hips, hanging well past her own long legs, and his
Toni had almost made it, but the truck speeding down the street still clipped her with its fender, sending Toni flipping over the hood of a parked car to land hard on her back in front of a stoop.
When she finally got her breath back, Toni opened her eyes and saw the wolf she’d met yesterday staring down at her. He was holding a coffee mug. With an annoying amount of calm, he sipped his drink and remarked, “Darlin’, at this point, I’m startin’ to think you’re sweet on me.”
The She-jackal’s eyes narrowed dangerously but when she opened her mouth, all that came out was a little “yip” sound. Ricky quickly rested his coffee cup on the wide stone handrail and rushed down the stairs to the prone female.
“Darlin’, I’m sorry to waste time teasing ya. I’ll call an ambulance.”
She shook her head no, but when she tried to take his hand, she cringed something awful and put her hand right back down.
That’s when two jackals came running over from across the street. One was an older female. Her momma, Ricky would guess. They had the same eyes. And a male, close to the She-jackal’s age.
“Toni!” the older female barked. “What the hell were you thinking?”
There went those eyes dangerously narrowing again.
“Mom,” the male warned, and that’s when Ricky realized this was Toni’s brother. He ignored the sense of relief he felt. “Not now.”
“This isn’t my fault,” the older She-jackal argued. “It isn’t.”
The male tried to take the dog that Toni still held with one arm, but the animal lay flat against her, its entire body shaking.
“Poor thing.” The male sighed. “It’s terrified.”
“Also not my fault.”
The glass and metal security door behind Ricky opened, and several adult wild dogs rushed down the stairs and surrounded the jackal.
“Are you all right, hon?”
“Been better,” Toni squeaked out.
“Not my fault,” the She-jackal pushed.
“Grit your teeth,” Ricky told Toni as he slipped his arms under her. “I’ll take you back to your house.”
“Oh,” the older She-jackal said, suddenly looking around. “That’s such a long trip . . . can’t we just bring her inside here?” She smiled sweetly at the wild dogs. “You guys don’t mind, do you?”
The wild dogs might not have minded, but from the way the She-jackal’s two children gawked at her, Ricky felt certain they did mind. A lot.
Toni knew her mother was sneaky, but holy hell, this was some hinky shit!
Using her own daughter’s brush with death to ease her way into the wild dogs’ home was beneath even Jackie’s usual depths. Maybe even Kyle’s!
The wolf easily carried her inside the wild dogs’ home and down the hallway until he reached an enormous kitchen.
Why the wolf was here at all, Toni didn’t know. Maybe she didn’t want to know. All Toni did know was that her life was getting weird.
The wolf placed Toni’s butt on the stainless steel kitchen island so that she was sitting up. “So what hurts the worst?” he asked.
“Shoulder.”
“That’s what I thought. Because it’s not really in its socket.”
Toni sighed. “Great.”
“The dog is doing well, though,” one of the wild dogs pointed out.
“And that’s what’s important!” Jackie cheered, but when both her children gawked at her again, she quickly added, “You’re a hero! My daughter, the hero!”
A blond female wild dog pushed her way closer through the other dogs until she stood in front of Toni.
“Wolf is right,” she said in a thick Russian accent, “about this shoulder. But we can fix. Hold her, wolf.”
“Now wait a—” Toni protested.
The wolf scrambled up behind her, both legs around her hips, hanging well past her own long legs, and his
Similar Books
