The Virgin and the Beast (Stud Ranch 1)

“Order and discipline are all I ask.”

I’m determined not to give him the satisfaction of looking his way. That is, until I hear his footsteps walking away.

“Wait, you can’t just leave me like this!” I turn and call after him. I’m wearing just a light summer dress. Night is coming. Is he really just going to—?

All I see is his back as he turns the corner of the house.

“Son of a bitch!” I yell after him.

No reaction.

And then he’s gone.

I scream another long stream of expletives. Nothing but the noises of the wilderness answer back.

Chapter 9

I’ve explored every inch of the small enclosure by the time night falls.

There are two bales of hay and more is scattered all over the ground and inside the doghouse. The doghouse is a sturdy, homemade structure and is large as far as doghouses go, I imagine.

We never had any pets growing up in the city. All I know is that the little house-shaped structure is just barely big enough for me to fit inside. I don’t actually go all the way in, I just peek my head and upper torso inside—enough to tell that, yep, a dog has actually lived in there because it stinks. I immediately yank my head back out again and pace around the rest of the tiny space.

How long does the insane bastard intend to keep me caged up in here? If he thinks I’m going to stand for this, he— he—

What, Mel? You’ll yell at him some more?

Yeah, that’ll show him.

I wrap my arms around myself as I look through the chain-link.

As the

sunlight drops behind the mountains, it’s impossible not to feel my spirits sink with it. At least it’s not very cold since it’s May. But the mosquitos come out in droves at twilight and I spend an hour swatting the little bloodsuckers until it’s finally full dark. There’s little moonlight and I stand in the corner of the cage, looking up at the lights of the house.

Is he really going to leave me here overnight?

A howl breaks the quiet.

I shriek and jump backward from the fencing.

A second howl joins the first.

Holy shit—are those wolves? Like, legit wolves wolves?

I keep backing away until I’m in the center of the cage. What the hell? How the hell could Xavier do this? Leave me out here in the middle of the night with freaking wolves? I look up at the chain-link overhead. I thought it was to keep things in, but holy shit, maybe it was to keep other things out?

“How are you doing, Pet?”

I shriek again at Xavier’s voice, so close he sounds like he’s right at my back. I swing around and he suddenly appears, switching on a flashlight that’s also a stand-up lamp.

He’s holding blankets and a basket. As if he does mean for me to spend the night out here.

He approached in the dark and waited to turn on his lamp until he got here, too—like he wanted to watch me without me noticing him. What the hell? Creepy stalker much?

Right, Mel. Because that’s the creepiest thing about this whole situation.

“Did you fantasize about me when you were being so disobedient and fucking yourself all day long?” His voice is sharp as a whip.