Ruthless (Wolf Ranch 6)

I stuck my hand out. “Nice to meet you.”

She shook it in that cold fish way women sometimes had. Like they had no idea how to shake a hand. Which was weird since she had the rugged, outdoorsy look going.

And then it hit me.

Monday night. The full moon.

She was one of them. Another wolf.

“Go find another guy, doll,” Rand said to Karen. His gaze was locked on mine, as if looking her way wasn’t even worth the effort.

She stood beside him, her boobs pressed against his upper arm. “Rand?”

“Someone. Else.” His voice was a snarl. Her eyebrows went up, but she didn’t say more, only turned on a heel and left.

I had no idea how long we stared at each other. Whether anyone was trying to get my attention for drinks.

He dropped onto the bar stool. “Red, you think I’m the possessive one? That look on your face could kill.”

I blinked then sighed. He was right. I wanted to throat punch Karen for looking at him. Had he enjoyed the feel of her pressed against him? I’d never have that much cleavage even wearing a push-up bra.

“So, Red, am I possessive? You have no idea.”

Oh, I was getting a pretty good idea. I just had to decide if I liked it or not. And if I did, what was I going to do about it?

8

RAND

Natalie worked hard. How she stood on her feet for hours with a fucking smile on her face when drunks practically slobbered over her, others argued about stupid shit like too much foam on their beer or guys like Pete Robertson, who wanted in her pants. I had no idea how much she made in tips by last call, but it wasn’t enough to put up with all the assholes. Cody either needed to pay her more, or she was going to have to consider another job. I was going to lose my shit if she kept working here. Without me as her own personal bouncer.

I’d dropped onto the stool to get rid of Robertson and didn’t get up all night. Not once. I made sure no one touched her, smart mouthed or said a bad word. She might be as fiery as her hair, but she was innocent. Sweet. Light. I wouldn’t have one frown on her face.

Natalie had come my way and refilled my soda but only rolled her eyes at me for my macho, staking-my-claim behavior. I grinned and winked back, which only made her roll her eyes some more. Fuck, she was a spitfire, and I loved that her sass was directed at me.

“Is it like that every night?” I asked, walking her to her car. I had my hand on the small of her back, my wolf glad to be touching her again. The bar had been between us all night. A real pain in the ass for me although it did soothe my wolf that it made a barrier between her and everyone else.

“Like what?”

“Guys all over you?”

She laughed, tucked her purse higher on her shoulder. “All over me? The only guy into me was the one whose business card you tore up. He wanted my business.”

I knew Robertson. He was an okay guy. Ran the feed store in town. Owned his own house. Never married. “He wanted your pussy.”

She gasped, spun on her sneakers to face me. Only a few cars were left in the lot, and while it was well lit, there were pockets of darkness that made me glad she wasn’t walking alone. I had wolf hearing and eyesight and would know of any danger well before it got near us. She sure as fuck didn’t.

“I can’t believe you just said that!”

“Why?” I asked, leading her on towards her car.

“He didn’t want my… my—”

“Red, I’m a guy. We all want pussy. But yours is taken. Yours belongs to me.”

Yeah, I was a possessive fucker. But after the number of guys who eyed my mate all night, my wolf wanted to claim her. Completely. My bite on her neck. My scent on her. In her. But even that wouldn’t satisfy me because most of those assholes were human. They wouldn’t even recognize my mark.

I’d just have to stay with her all the time. I could hear Nash laughing at me, at how crazy possessive I’d become. In human terms, I was totally whipped.

We stopped in front of her car which was in the back corner. My truck was a few empty spots over.

“I do not belong to you,” she countered.

Setting a hand on the hood of her car, I got in her space, breathed her in. There was the sweet smell I’d been craving, that had taunted me all night but subdued by the stale beer tang in the bar.

“Not yet. Your pussy does.”

She shook her head, rolled her eyes. Again. “You’re insane.”