“See? You’re totally biased against humans.”
He huffed louder. “I come by it honestly.”
“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes again. “But Sophie’s alright. And she barely blinked an eye when you mentioned being the Alpha, so I’m thinking she knows something about shifters and the supernatural. Plus, she’d enjoy the highland games. They’re a good time.”
He grunted, not having a strong counterargument here. She’d backed him into an indefensible corner because she was right. He did have a bias against humans he didn’t know. Hedidn’t trust them as far as he could throw them. Was he being unfair in wanting Sophie gone? Maybe. Probably. But the truth of the matter was that his clever daughter was using this ‘biased against humans’ argument as a distraction. He leveled a look at her, pinning her in place. “You planned on using the money you got from renting out the cottage to sneak off to London with your friends.”
Her throat bobbed, but she straightened her shoulders. “I was.”
“Were you planning on coming back?” He hadn’t meant to ask that. It just slipped out.
“What?” She reared back, a snarl on her lips. “Did you really ask me that? Of course I’m coming back. I am not her, Dad. You need to get that through your thick skull.” Spinning on her heel, she stormed off, disappearing around the corner of the castle.
Well, shit. Handled that like a champ, I did, he thought, rubbing the back of his neck. Raising a teenager wasn’t for the faint of heart. They were fantastic at putting one on the back foot.
However, Bryn wasn’t wrong. As a stubborn old wolf, change was hard. But Sophie was here, in his territory. Her being human shouldn’t matter. She was his mate, for fuck’s sake.
Cath, on the other hand, was not his mate and had never been. She was merely a human his younger self fell hard for and who’d shattered his heart. The only good thing to come of their relationship was Bryn, even though she gave him heart palpitations these days.
He scrubbed a hand through his hair, leaving the dark strands standing on end. Was it too late to fit Bryn with a chastity belt and chain her in the castle’s dungeon? The idea of keeping her safe and under his watchful eye until she turned forty sounded appealing. No doubt, she’d have something to say about that. His little girl wasn’t shy about sharing her opinions.
What to do about Sophie? If he kicked her out of the cottage, Bryn would never let him hear the end of it, but he didn’t want a human —our mate,his inner wolf reminded him with a low growl that rattled his brain — skulking around his territory. Blowing out a heavy sigh, he stared up at the gray-tinged clouds overhead. What had he done in his past life to deserve this?
7
SOPHIE
“I’m not trespassing,” Sophie grumbled to herself as she shoved her foot into a pair of tan Blundstones and pulled her socks up over the hem of her pants. “This cabin is paid for. A contract signed.” Did the contract even count if the teenager didn’t own it?
She dismissed her concerns as soon as they crossed her mind. That grumpy wolf shifter, Torin ‘I’m the Alpha and Mr. Fancy Pants of this territory’ Matheson, wasn’t going to chase her off. She needed this vacation, dammit, and she was going to make the most of it. In some ways, it was a matter of life and death. Dramatic, but she’d earned the right to be dramatic after the year she’d had.
Her clothes were unpacked, her suitcase and backpack stowed away. She could sit here, on this couch and wait around until the so-called Alpha deigned to bless her with his presence, or she could go for a walk and enjoy her time in the Highlands, however short that may be. Rolling her head, she pulled on a thick hoodie, tucked the cottage’s large, old-fashioned key in a pocket, and headed into the great outdoors.
Holy shit, it’s beautiful here, she thought as she followed a narrow path that led her past hillocks still covered in winter-browned heather. Shoots of green poked through the deadfall, life emerging after a deep hibernation. Love-sick birds flitted through the bush, singing for mates and establishing their territories. She hopped over a stream burbling happily over moss-covered rocks, a smile playing on her lips as she spotted fluffy sheep higher up the hillside.
Filling her lungs with crisp, clean air, she felt a rush of peace and happiness fill her soul for the first time in far too long. Her friends were right. She did need this. As she tromped through the wilds, months of worry and anxiety melted away, and her shoulders dropped from around her ears.
She hadn’t realized how bad it had gotten. Granted, having a creepy stalker lurking around, sending weird notes and ‘gifts’ was enough to keep anyone on edge, but she’d thought she was handling it well enough. But being way out here, knowing her tormentor was in a different country and she was out of his reach, released the painful knot of tension coiled around her spine. The only wrinkle in her get-away-from-everything plan was Bryn’s dad. The Alpha.
A branch cracked behind her, and she whirled around to see Torin cresting the ridge, his long legs eating up the distance between them.Speak of the devil, she thought, annoyed at how well his light gray cable-knit sweater stretched across his broad shoulders and hugged the curve of his arm muscles. He wore dark pants tucked into a pair of well-used wellies. His salt-and-pepper hair was less tidy and more fluffy, like he’d been running his hand through it. Her palms itched with the urge to smooth it for him. She tucked her hands into her hoodie.
“Mr. Matheson,” she said, acknowledging his presence with a small nod.
“Ms. Norwood.” He folded his arms over his chest, muscles flexing beneath his sweater. “You’re not welcome here.”
Her spine stiffened. No way was she going to let some man talk to her like that. Never again. She folded her arms, mirroring his stance. “So you’ve said.”And what are you going to do about it?she thought, her eyes narrowing.
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Bryn had no right to rent that cottage to you.”I’m considering throwing you over my shoulder and personally removing you from my property, he seemed to say.
“But she did. We signed a contract. Money exchanged hands. It’s mine for the next two weeks.”While I might really enjoy being thrown over your shoulder, I’ll fight you if you try to remove me from that cozy cottage. You don’t understand how much I need it right now. She turned and continued along the path, putting a bit of a swing in her hips. She knew he was watching; she could feel his eyes boring into her back.
In two strides, he caught up to her, walking so close that their arms brushed with every step. “She shouldn’t have done that. She’s underaged and doesn’t own the property.”That girl is driving me ‘round the bend. But I’m also kind of impressed by her ballsiness and don’t want to crush her entrepreneurial spirit.He heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his hair, leaving the strands even more tousled than before. “Since she did, I suppose I must honor her contract with you. However, you are not to interfere in any way with the day-to-day operations of my pack or my territory.”I’m accepting your presence here under extreme duress. Even though yesterday’s kiss set your panties on fire and I can’t stop thinking about you, I still don’t want you on my lands.That concession was pulled from the very depths of his soul.
She harrumphed, trying not to notice the way the sunlight emphasized the dark green of his hazel eyes made her heartbeat harder, a flash of heat twining around her spine.I don’t care if you don’t want me here. I’m here. And I have no desire to interfere with this little fiefdom you’ve got going here, so save your bluster because any way you look at it, I win.“How magnanimous of you,” she said.
With a growl, he caught her upper arms and dragged her up against his hard body. “I can be very magnanimous when properly motivated.” His mouth crashed down on hers, his tongue sliding between her lips to tangle with hers.
She melted into his arms like chocolate on a hot summer’s day. How was it this annoying man’s kiss could cloud her senses and turn her frustrations into fire with one devastating kiss? She’d never had hate sex with anyone — post-fight nookie, sure, but never with someone who drove her so far up the wall she was dangling from the ceiling. Though technically she didn’t hate him. In fact, she was strangely drawn to him — but she didn’t think she’d have the strength to do more than wrap her legs around his waist and hold on tight if he decided to pick her up, carry her off to his lair, and make sweet, sweet love to her all afternoon.
