Lord didn’t care what Astrid got up to.It was her life.She could live it in whatever way she saw fit.It was not up to him.
And yet, even as he picked up his hammer, he saw Enzo.The other rancher slept with so many different women.He was human, but Lord smelled each woman on him.He had no respect for them.They were a dime a dozen.It pissed him off to even see that little shit sniffing around Astrid.There was no way she would fall for that guy’s tricks.
She had been with him.He couldn’t stand the thought of her wanting to be with anyone else.Even as he kept repeating in his mind that it was none of his business, he, for some reason, put the hammer down.He took one step in front of the other, and against his will, he started to walk toward his truck.He tried to fight it, but he couldn’t.He was not strong enough.
Before he knew what was happening, he was in his truck, driving out of his ranch and on the road, taking him to the one and only bar in No Wolves Road.
Astrid didn’t have a car.She either took his truck, or walked everywhere.She was trying to find an out for him.He’d seen the local newspaper, with ads she’d circled, looking for the chance to get away from him, not that he could blame her.He had called her a convenience.He had fucked up.
In the last full moon, he had taken a pair of chains to the tree and gotten Blake to tie him to it, so that he didn’t leave his spot.His friend hadn’t liked this plan, but it was the only way Lord knew he would not go near Astrid again.His wolf was becoming more unpredictable.
He found himself drawn to the house, even as he tried to keep his distance, knowing he had hurt Astrid.Like now, he wasn’t in charge of this.His wolf felt compelled to find her.To make sure no other male was close to her.
He parked his truck and heard the loud music, along with the scent of so many people.He hated crowds.Again, another odd thing about him being a wolf.Wolves were supposed to like people, to love crowds.It was meant to feel like home, but he felt trapped.He fucking hated people, both humans and wolves.
But he took one step in front of the other, ignoring the curious looks from the people outside.Many were making out, and he wasn’t interested in anything they were doing.He only had his eyes on one woman, and she was inside.
Even with so many people there enjoying the cold winter’s night, he smelled her.The warm vanilla scent was like a beacon to him, and he just couldn’t stop the call, he had to get to her.As he stepped into the bar, he looked amongst the crowd.Lord didn’t know what he expected to find, but Astrid sat at the bar alone.He hadn’t expected the sadness in her eyes as she had her hands on the bar, not even drinking her beer.
This is why he never smelled anyone on her.Astrid didn’t go near anyone, even though Enzo was there.His rejection had done this.
Making his way through the crowd, even as some women attempted to stop him to gain his attention, he wasn’t interested.There was only one woman he wanted, and one woman he was going to have.Closing the distance, he took the seat beside her, and Astrid turned.
At first, he saw her eyes go wide, and she opened and closed her mouth, then she looked straight ahead.It was the first real sign of emotion he had seen from her in so long.He couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Catching glimpses of her hadn’t been enough.He drank her in.She’d curled her long brown hair and usually she kept it back in a clip or with a bow.This time, it fell around her.The urge to run his fingers through the length was so strong, but he held himself back.She wore a dress with a cardigan, along with some tights and boots.His woman got cold.
Astrid was his woman.
“What are you doing here?”Astrid asked.
“I could ask you the same question.”
She grabbed her bottle of beer and held it up.“I’m having a drink and some fun.”
“All alone?”
“I’m not alone.I’m surrounded by people.”
“And you’re hating it,” he said, whispering the words against her ear.
“I don’t hate it at all.It’s perfectly fine.”She let out a shrug.“I can go and dance if I want, but I just happen to want to sit here and enjoy this drink.”She took a sip of her beer, and he saw the slight scrunching up of her nose as she drank—and he knew she hated it.
Astrid was lying, just as he was.His lies hurt her, and pushed her to this.He was a fucking idiot.
Glancing past her shoulder, he looked out at the dance floor.All he wanted to do was get her out of there, but he had a sneaking suspicion she was not going to make this easy for him.
“Do you want to dance?”he asked.
“No.”
“So, we came here to drink.”
“I came here to have fun.I don’t know why you came here, but if it is to hang out with me, forget it.”
Lord sat next to her and ordered himself a beer.He wasn’t too fond of the beer, but he took a sip.
He would much rather be home, with Astrid, alone.The noise was irritating.
