Chapter Fifteen
“You tricked me,” Mary groused as they walked towards the back door of the house.
“Only because you wanted to be tricked,” Jarrod said, looking way too pleased with himself. “So, about our moonlight dinner tonight…”
“Not a chance. I’m trying to salvage what little is left of my dignity here.” And her heart – although she suspected it might already be too late for that.
Jarrod had been every bit as much an amazing lover as she’d suspected all along. By turns he had been tender, forceful, hungry, passionate...and he’d made her feel amazing and beautiful. And he’d taken the time to find out what her favorite flowers were and plant them all around the house.
But she couldn’t forget how cruelly he’d betrayed her the last time she’d trusted him – and the fact that he had no explanation for it and immediately changed the subject when she brought it up. And the fact that he’d gone through a string of other women and dumped them too. She hesitated at the back door, clutching the tattered remnants of her shirt around her.
“What if someone sees us?” she said nervously as they reached the back door. “My shirt’s all ripped.”
“We’re werewolves,” he pointed out. “We’re used to nudity.”
“I’m not used to nudity.”
He laughed as he held the door open, and she walked in quickly. There were servants sweeping the floors and dusting, but all they did was bow their heads politely as she and Jarrod walked through the room, heading for their suites.
“By the way, I was planning on lobster for dinner tonight, unless you object. 7 p.m.,” Jarrod said to Mary. Moonrise was at 7:50.
Lobster…dipped in butter sauce… Mary stifled a moan.Be strong,she told herself sternly. “I will be eating dinner alone tonight, or with Angela and Regina.. Until and unless you want to talk to me about what happened with us back in high school – and don’t try to change the subject again.”
“If you have dinner with me tonight, I’ll make Hilda forgive you for the bridenapping fiasco.”
“That’ll never happen,” Mary scoffed.
“Then you’ve got nothing to worry about, have you?” He bared big, white teeth in a huge smile.
“You won’t get me twice,” she said, at which he just laughed.
“You could shower with me before breakfast,” he suggested.
Before Mary could answer, she heard a voice calling out to her – a voice that made her cringe.
“Mary? Are you doing the walk of shame too? Respect!” Angela hurried towards them with Craig by her side. She was wearing nothing but an oversized T-shirt with the Magister Pack insignia, which barely covered the essential bits. Her feet were bare and covered with grass clippings. Craig was wearing jeans but no shirt, and a sheepish but pleased expression.
Angela held up her hand to high-five Mary, but Mary just gaped at her.
“Good God,” Mary gasped. “You’re almost naked.”
“Look who’s talking!” Angela crowed, flinging her hands up in the air and flashing everyone in the room as she raised her arms to do a victory dance. Mary shrieked and covered her eyes.
“Angela, I can see your hoo-ha! Get dressed! Now!”
Mary turned and ran towards the hallway that led to her suite, face glowing red-hot, as Jarrod called out from behind her, “So I take it no shower? Okay, then, some other time!”
* * * * *
That afternoon…
Earvin stood on the sidelines, watching his athletes as they raced down the dirt track in wolf form and leaped over their hurdles. They were panting with exhaustion and their eyes were glazed, the hot sun beating down on them. They hadn’t had a drink for hours.
One of them fell to the ground with a thud and lay on the track, his sides heaving, his paws twitching. The other athletes didn’t stop to look at him; they knew better. If they wanted to compete in the games, they’d keep training until they either fell over dead or were told they could stop.
Two EMTs ran over, quickly scooped the wolf onto a stretcher, and rushed him to a waiting ambulance.
“He’s out of the games,” Earvin snarled to his assistant coach, who nodded.
