The Wolf on the Hill

Rain soaked Mia’s fur as she bounded through the woods bordering the Olcan Hills, relishing every inch of earth mashed beneath her claws. Trees became nothing more than a blur as she raced by, running to find her release out here where she answered to no one but nature. This was freedom.

When she reached the top of the hill she came to a standstill and released her primal scream of frustration in a howl, unleashing everything she couldn’t say to her overbearing family, pouring every hidden truth of who she really was into one long mournful call.

In the distance, another wolf echoed her cry and answered with one of his own. This was the reason her mother despised her shifting into her wolf form. She went kind of crazy and forgot all sense of danger in the excitement. Exactly the reason why she did it in secret. And now, here she was, totally exposed in the Northern Irish countryside, crouched and listening out for the intruder’s approach.

Snapping twigs and rustling leaves marked his stealthy journey towards her but she stood her ground, regardless of how loudly her heart was beating in her ears. The wind carried his scent and raised the hackles along her spine when she sniffed the air. Another shifter, but one she didn’t recognise. Big bro would use her pelt for a rug if he found out she’d strayed beyond the boundary.

Amber eyes glowed in the dark shadows as the large grey wolf stalked through the forest. She bowed in submission. Even if she had a clue how to fight, he was double her size and twice as powerful. He growled a low warning and sniffed her with interest, his wet nose nudging her clammy fur. Did he expect her to roll over and show her belly? Pride wouldn’t let her, but she was careful not to make eye contact as he circled around her twice in case he took it as a challenge.

She only lifted her head when she saw him pad away, heading back to the cover of the trees. He stopped, looked back at her, and cocked his head to one side. When she didn’t move he returned and nipped her ear. She yelped in surprise and indignation. Of all the nerve!

The rules of engagement were abandoned in the heat of her outrage and, in a snarling frenzy, she launched herself at him. For an animal so large, the grey wolf moved gracefully, dodging her attack to race ahead and leaving Mia in dogged pursuit.

Tree branches tore at her skin as she ploughed heedlessly into the woodland, but the pain dulled in the exhilaration of the chase. As they wove their way through the undergrowth, Mia’s anger subsided to let her long-neglected sense of fun take over.

He wanted her to follow him. She knew that from the glances he kept throwing back at her. So she stopped and slipped quietly behind the stump of an uprooted oak, waiting to see what he would do. White wisps of steam escaped from her nostrils as she fought to get her breath back and suddenly the area seemed too quiet.

With a thud Grey leapt onto the tree stump, and leant back onto his haunches ready to pounce. Mia took off again and this time she was the hunted. She didn’t get very far before he sprang and knocked her off her feet.

In a tangle of limbs they rolled through the leafy debris of the forest floor, shifting into their human form as they came to rest, with her pinned to the ground by a hard, muscular, naked body.

“Well, that was fun.” He grinned down at her, making no attempt to get off her, his green eyes full of mischief.

”If you say so.” Mia’s heart still raced but she was at enough of a disadvantage wedged underneath him without admitting she enjoyed the capture as much as the chase.

”I didn’t hurt you, did I?” He bent his head to kiss the scratches marking her shoulder and suddenly the only ache she felt was hidden deep inside.

”No.” She swallowed hard as he ventured closer to her already puckered nipples.

“Do you want me to stop?” His hot breath on her sensitive skin engulfed her in a tide of hormones she hadn’t been ruled by in a long time, if ever.

Maybe a piece of her wolf was still in her system, thriving on the excitement and danger, but she was horny, and ripe for the picking. “No.”

With a need to touch, to taste this handsome stranger on her tongue, she manoeuvred enough room to free her hands and wind them into his dark blond hair, pulling him down into a kiss.

He massaged her breasts, first with his hand, quickly followed by his mouth. The sucking and licking around her straining pink tips made her arousal too great to bear. She writhed against him, wet and waiting, but he let her suffer further still whilst he covered her mounds in tiny, exquisite bites.

Bewitched by the woods and her fantasy lover, she swapped the dull reality of her life for this moment, cavorting like the sort of woodland nymph she longed to be. Someone who lived without fear of consequences or judgement.

She wanted him. Prim and proper Mia Blake, who never stepped out of line, was lying naked in the woods with a stranger’s erection pressing into her abdomen, and she loved it. A restlessness seized hold as her body cried out with need. Her limbs trembled, her fingers and toes curled, waiting for that final act of completion. As dusk settled around them and an ethereal fog swirled between the trees, she lost herself in the erotic dream and let him sink into her.

With a moan she parted her thighs. He thrust into her, the sheer size of him making her gasp as her body adjusted to fit around him, but she quickly accepted him, welcoming him again and again. The missing part of her femininity slotted into place with every fill of his cock inside her. So this was what all the fuss was about? Up until now sex hadn’t been something she had often thought about or had particularly enjoyed. Merely a necessity she’d endured to keep her ex happy. Not like this all-consuming lust heating her from the inside out. Now she knew how it could be, how sensual she could feel, she wouldn’t settle for anything less.

“You’re so wet.” Obviously her partner was enjoying the benefits of her sexual awakening. He levered himself up, locking his arms out straight to look deep into her eyes. Mia gave a shiver at seeing the undisguised desire darkening his pupils, realising she was having the same effect on him as he was on her.

“It is raining.” Unaccustomed to this level of intensity, she gave a nervous laugh that jiggled her body against his.

“Christ, you feel so good.” He ignored her feeble attempt at mis-timed humour, and thankfully concentrated on the physical aspect of their pairing. The empowerment of discovering her own sexuality, and having it appreciated by a second party, only increased her new appetite for all things thrusty.

“Mmm.” She closed her eyes and surrendered to his lead, listening to the growls as he drove into her. Was there ever a more erotic sound than a man claiming her with such beautiful savagery? She doubted it. In response to his primal grunts, her inner cave woman adopted every position she could to drive him deeper inside her.

When he withdrew, the loss was great, her frustration immeasurable. “What are you doing?” she asked, struggling to sit up, her limbs weak from the exertion.

“Turn over.” The order coupled with the devilish glint in his eyes melted away what few inhibitions remained. She was his to command when he could carry her to such amazing heights.

Scrambling onto her knees, she complied, but not without question. “Why?”

“I want to take you from behind.” His sultry breath in her ear, he knelt behind her so her buttocks rested on his thighs, his rigid flesh pressing into her back.

“Doggie style?” She swallowed hard, not quite knowing what to expect with her limited experience.

“Wolfie style.” Mia could almost hear the grin in his voice and braced herself for whatever he had in mind.

He slid a hand up her back and gently coaxed her over onto all fours. One glorious push brought him back home and renewed her contentment as they joined together. The full feeling of having him inside her, with his fingers digging into her hips as he pumped away, sent Mia soaring onward to that peak of bliss.

He reached around to stroke her clit, his digits nudging deep inside to mirror every fill of his cock. Sparks flashed behind her closed eyelids and her breathing grew ragged until she could hold back no more. She came with a cry that echoed through the forest, followed quickly with Grey’s howl of release.

Once they had exorcised every residual tremor, they collapsed into a panting, sweaty heap.

“That was just…”

“Animal?” Mia offered, her head still spinning from the intense orgasm.

He laughed and rolled over so they were face to face. The golden stubble lining his tanned jaw made him ruggedly handsome, a deadly combination with the soulful green eyes staring back at her. That puppy dog look could be enough for a woman to fall for him, even without first-hand knowledge of his sexual prowess.

“I was gonna say amazing but yeah, animal works too.”

The rain reminded her that this was no dream. As the droplets of reality splashed on her exposed skin, Mia became all too aware of her nakedness and the wanton open air display. Self-awareness swept in quickly for someone who found even wearing a bikini in public traumatic, so she covered her modesty as best she could with two hands.

She didn’t know the protocol for making a gracious exit after a quick bunk-up, especially when she was still starkers. He didn’t strike her as the type for flowery words anyway, so she kept it short and to the point. “Thanks, but I…er, have to go.”

He lay back and watched as she scrabbled to her feet. “That’s it? No cuddles?”

“I’m sure you won’t shed any tears over it.” They’d both got what they’d wanted so she saw no need to pretend it had been anything more than a physical release. Mia, however, was left with tumultuous emotions not so easily dealt with. Another moment of madness had thrown her carefully ordered world into chaos and made her question who exactly she was, and why she denied herself these flashes of happiness.

Mia shifted back into her wolf, and, with one last lingering look at her playmate lying magnificently naked on a bed of leaves, she ran towards the woods. Back to the life she was supposed to lead.

* * * *

The stale stench of cigarettes and alcohol assaulted Caleb’s nostrils on opening the door. The smell of home.

A tentative step took him into the dark hallway and onto the wooden floor, tacky beneath his boots. The air was still, heavy with neglect and abuse, and it took every ounce of courage for him not to turn around and walk straight back out.

Instead, he carried on into the living room and opened the window to invite a blast of cool autumnal wind to sweep through the gloom. Something crunched underfoot and he knelt to inspect the damage. Glass. Beer bottles to be exact, littering the floor along with cigarette packets and food remnants. He turned up his nose, even though he should’ve expected it. Every stray wolf that happened along always used this place as an unofficial pack house. His father welcomed everyone with open arms. Except his own son, of course.

Ironic now that, as next of kin, Caleb had inherited this very house where his father had made his life a living hell. Viewing the destruction around him, Caleb wondered what chaos had reigned in his eleven-year absence. The yellowing paper on the walls, once decorated with pretty spring flowers, now featured slogans and expletives daubed in bright red paint. The old brown sofa was slashed open, stuffing ripped from its guts and strewn around the floor, and there was an empty space in the corner where the television had once sat.

A niggling thought crawled inside his head and a quick look around the rest of the house confirmed his suspicions. Every room revealed new devastation and vandalism. With doors hanging from their hinges, drawers ransacked and every electrical appliance ripped from the walls, this was more than the aftermath of a pack party.

He booted a discarded beer can across the floor. “Fuck!”

Too many ghosts had held Caleb back from taking occupancy earlier and now his plans were royally screwed. So much for a quick sale.

“Hello? Is there someone in there?” a deep voice bellowed from the hall.

Shit! He had forgotten to lock the door behind him, but he suspected that burglars didn’t announce themselves before they robbed you blind. Besides, there was nothing left to take.

Caleb didn’t answer but edged his way cautiously along the wall to peer around the corner. A dark figure loomed large but Caleb Jackson didn’t back down from a fight, even with an opponent built like the side of a house. His wolf growled a warning, low and deep.

“Caleb? Is that you? It’s me, Rory.”

It took a moment for the name to register, but he recognised the would-be intruder the minute he stepped into the small shaft of light escaping through the door. Rory Blake, high school hero, all round good guy and the constant reminder of everything Caleb had lacked when they were growing up. A real blast from the past, and his past was the very thing he wanted to avoid.

“What brings you here, Rory?”

“I saw the bike outside and I know the house has laid empty since your father died.” He shrugged his broad shoulders.

The fact that he gave a shit irked Caleb all the more. “Pity the neighbourhood watch wasn’t more vigilant before now.”

Rory peered behind him to survey the debris. “You know how remote these hills are. If I’d known…”

“What business is it of yours anyway?” Caleb’s last nerve snapped at having Golden Boy witness the pitiful legacy left to him by his father. He wouldn’t be surprised if the whole thing turned out to be a set-up by the old bastard in a last stab at humiliating him. After running away from the abusive home at the age of sixteen, the discovery of the inheritance had been bittersweet. Now, it was just plain bitter.

“I’m a police officer.” Rory’s words were spoken with pride but also a hint of irritation. A burglary on his doorstep probably didn’t sit well with PC Perfect.

“So you’re the law round these here parts?” It figured. “I’m sure you’re a real credit to the police service of Northern Ireland.” Caleb didn’t bother to hide the sarcasm in his exaggerated drawl. He and authority did not make for good bedfellows.

Rory’s eyes narrowed, his wolf shining through for a brief moment. “I’m also the alpha now.”

Another non-surprise, but at least Rory deserved the respect shown to the pack leader, unlike Caleb’s father.

He opened his arms wide in an act of submission. “Hey, I’ve got no problem with that. I’m not about to challenge you. As soon as I get this place on the market, I’m outta here. Though I guess it’s gonna take longer than I thought now.”

And cost him every penny he had to put it right.

“I can ask around, see if anyone saw who did this and dust for prints.” Rory remained professional but Caleb knew it was a waste of time.

“Forget it. They’ve had months to fence whatever they took and there have been more people through here than the Europa bus station. I’ll get it put to rights as soon as I can and move on.”

Rory nodded, the plan obviously to his liking as well.

“Rory, I’m freezing sitting out in that car. Can we go yet?” A female voice breached the male stronghold, followed by a familiar face. Only hours earlier he’d chased her stunning white wolf form through the nearby woods. Her face paled as she recognised him and Caleb’s inner wolf howled in appreciation at being reunited with its mate.

His human couldn’t complain either. Slim, slight and blonde, she was every man’s fantasy. Although he preferred her naked instead of the jeans and jumper cover-all she wore now.

“Caleb, you remember my sister Mia?”

Holy shit! He’d just fucked Rory Blake’s little sister six ways to Sunday!

“Yes, I think I recognise her.” He swept his eyes over her body, remembering how responsive she had been to his touch.

“Caleb?” Large blue eyes blinked at him in fear. As if he would rat her out to her brother and run the risk of having his balls handed to him on a plate for his trouble.

“I told you to wait in the car.” Rory let his cool demeanour slide to scold his baby sister but Caleb was too caught up in this latest revelation to crow over it.

“Maybe I’m sick of being told what to do.” Mia pursed her pretty pink lips, reminding him of the pigtailed nuisance that used to follow him around like a shadow when they were kids. He never did understand her fascination with him, figuring that the pampered princess got her kicks watching a guy fail at life on a daily basis. Well, now she’d had her bit of rough and he’d got to enjoy the sweet revenge of watching embarrassment stain her cheeks.

Rory glanced at both of them in turn and scowled. “It’s late. I have to get Mia home. I’ll round up some help tomorrow but in the meantime you can stay at mine.”

“No!” Caleb and Mia chorused together.

“Thanks, but I don’t think your folks would appreciate a house guest at such short notice.” Caleb could imagine the mighty Blakes’ reaction to him revving up to the estate and messing up their perfectly manicured driveway.

“I’ve got my own place now and you can’t stay here without heat.” Rory wrapped his knuckles on one of the radiators hanging from the wall. “I owe you for not keeping a closer eye on the place.”

Caleb mulled the offer over. He was pretty sure his wolf would save him from the cold and he was used to kipping on sofas, or roaming the woods in his animal guise. The thought of being in Saint Rory’s debt didn’t sit well with him either. Then again, the expression of horror on Mia’s face was proving irresistible to his bad boy tendencies.

“Well, if you insist.” The sadistic streak running in his veins made him accept. The change in her, from the rampant sexual dynamo who’d had her legs slung over his shoulders so he could fuck her that much harder, to this diffident replica, didn’t sit easily with him. If she thought she could treat him like a lesser mortal now just because he’d dared to enter her cosseted kingdom, she could think again.

He gave them his cheesiest grin and decided he may as well have a little fun while being forced to confront his past.

“I didn’t know we served ice cream floats in here.” Naomi cocked an eyebrow at Mia across the bar.

She frowned. Of course they didn’t serve kiddie drinks in this hard liquor pub. Mia shut off the pump and lifted the pint of beer. Only then did she understand the jibe.

“Oh. Sorry.” The foamy head half filled the pint glass. The customers who frequented The Wild Dog would surely have lynched her if she’d tried to serve it to them.

Under her boss’s watchful eye Mia corrected her mistake and served a full pint of golden lager to a relieved regular.

Naomi’s features softened into a smile. “You seem distracted this morning.”

“Just something on my mind.” Or someone. Mia turned her attention back to retrieving the glasses from the dishwasher, trying not to linger on thoughts of reckless carnal acts or sexy bad boys. It didn’t work. Even now she swore she could smell his heady, earthy scent, reminding her of his naked body pressed tightly to hers. The glass she was holding slipped from her fingers and smashed to smithereens on the tiled floor as her daydream claimed her attention.

“Shit!”

Naomi sighed and fetched a dustpan and brush to clean up the mess. “Do you want to share this mind-melting problem before you put me out of business?”

“It’s fine.” Damn Caleb Jackson! She didn’t get flustered and she sure as hell didn’t let her personal problems affect her in public. She blamed him completely for her total work fail. Until yesterday, the last time she’d set eyes on him he’d been a scruffy teenager on the receiving end of a beating from his father. Now her sympathy for Caleb Jackson was definitely being overshadowed by thoughts of a more risqué nature.

Thankfully, the lunchtime crowd began to filter in and Naomi dropped the inquisition to play hostess.

“Hey, sis.” Somewhere among the crowd, Rory had managed to slip in unnoticed. Her brother possessed that annoying knack of showing up when she least wanted to talk.

He stretched across the bar to reach for a menu, though Mia didn’t know why he bothered.

“I’ll have the soup of the day and a coffee,” he ordered, like he didn’t have the same thing every day.

He pretended to study the menu but Mia saw the sly glimpses he snatched at Naomi. She grinned. Her macho big brother still hadn’t worked up the courage to ask the attractive brunette out after two years of pining for her, but Mia knew better than to interfere. Naomi kept her private life closely guarded. No one knew anything of her background, save for the fact that she had turned up in town, heavily pregnant, and with enough money to buy the pub outright. Anyone who questioned her about her past was quickly dispatched with a flea in their ear, and Mia’s problems were great enough without adding her boss’s wrath to the mix.

“So, um, did your new lodger settle in okay?” She turned her back to pour a black coffee so Rory couldn’t read her as easily as she read him.

“Yeah. I’m thinking of getting a work party together to help him sort his place out. You in?”

She almost suffered third degree coffee burns at the idea of working alongside Caleb. Caught up in the euphoria of her liberation as a wolf, she’d willingly gone into his arms, unaware that her actions would come back to haunt her so close to home. Mr Jackson certainly couldn’t provide the security her parents expected from a suitor. She would do well to forget him altogether.

“In what?” Naomi walked in on the end of their conversation to place a bowl of steaming hot tomato and basil soup in front of Rory. “Are you two planning a bank job or something?” The smiles exchanged between her brother and her boss left Mia out in the cold, yearning for a share of the warmth emanating between them.

“The old Jackson place on the hill was vandalised. I’m looking for volunteers to help fix it up.” Rory’s face, so full of hope, concentrated on Naomi’s response.

“I will if Mia will.” Naomi threw her under the bus. There was no way Mia could say no now and refuse the big eejit some quality time with the love of his life.

“Sure. There’s nothing better I’d like to do in my spare time than freeze my arse off in a derelict house with a mop in my hand.” Or spend the whole time pretending I didn’t bonk the house owner like a wild thing.

The sarcasm was lost on her too-far-gone-to-notice sibling.

“Great. Hey, Caleb. We’ve got our first two recruits.”

Another glass hit the deck when Caleb appeared from the gents’ bathroom.

“Mia, what the hell is wrong with you today?” Naomi pushed her shell-shocked employee to one side and proceeded to sweep up for the second time.

“Are you sickening for something?” Rory studied her with concern, probably getting ready to bundle her up in cotton wool and ship her straight home to mother.

Mia didn’t have the chance to make up an excuse as Caleb walked straight into her eye line with a smirk that described his every dirty thought in great detail, sending her hormones haywire and making her panties wet.

“Yeah, you do look kinda hot.”

“I think something must have disagreed with me,” she mumbled, wishing Caleb could be a gentleman for once and let the matter drop.

“You sure about that?” He sniffed the air and she saw a flash of amber fire in his eyes. Oh holy hell! Surely he can’t smell my arousal?

“You know what? I probably should go home. Sorry, Naomi. I’ll be back as soon as I get this out of my system.” Glaring daggers at Olcan Hills’ latest resident, Mia took off her apron and admitted defeat.

“Sure. Maybe you could bring some plastic cups for your next shift?” Naomi snarked, emptying another panful of glass shards into the dustbin.

“Do you want me to give you a lift home?” Rory pushed his food aside and attempted to get up from his seat.

“No thanks. I’ll walk. The fresh air might do me some good.” With the usually homely log fire burning nearby now seeming unbearably hot and the cosy bar suddenly claustrophobic, she just wanted out of there. Away from Caleb Jackson’s smouldering looks and I’m-picturing-you-naked smile.

As had become his recent habit, Caleb jumped in to upset her plans. He put a hand on Rory’s shoulder to restrain him in the chair. “Don’t worry, I’ll see Mia home. You stay and finish your lunch.”

“But… But…” Think, damn it! She fought for an excuse to decline the son of a bitch’s magnanimous offer, while Caleb calmly took her by the elbow and steered her towards the door.

“I insist. Your brother knows you’re in safe hands with me.”

Left with no choice but to go with him in case she aroused her brother’s suspicions, she followed Caleb out, vowing to ditch him as soon as they were out of sight. “If my brother knew what you did to me, he’d have you stuffed and mounted.”

“First of all, I didn’t hear you complaining about what I did to you. In fact, I think I remember it went more along the lines of, ‘That feels so good… Don’t stop…’”

She raised a hand, willing him to stop assaulting her with those delicious memories.

He wasn’t done. “Stuffed and mounted, you say? You like it that way, don’t you, Mia?”

She followed her sharp intake of breath with an exasperated groan and strode ahead down the path. Unfortunately, with only fields and scrub as far as the eye could see, there was no chance of avoiding him.

He jogged up alongside her. “You know, I didn’t have you down as a beer and nuts kind of girl. I thought you’d end up spending your days lunching with the well-to-do.”

Not for the first time did she find herself having to justify her job. “For your information, I went to medical school, but it wasn’t for me. Working at The Dog puts money in my pocket. I can’t complain.”

He didn’t pursue the subject, but went on to tackle the other matter she wished to avoid. “So, are we ever gonna talk about what happened in the woods?”

“No.”

“We’re gonna pretend it never happened?”

“Exactly.” She kept up her brisk pace.

“Really? You’re not up for a repeat performance then?”

Mia spun around. The guilt, fear, embarrassment, not to mention longing, spiralling through her body, were emotions she did not wish to court on a regular basis. “It was a mistake. I don’t do that… I usually don’t do that sort of thing.”

“No?” A raised eyebrow questioned her virtue.

“No.” She repeated firmly. Someone as obviously promiscuous as Caleb wouldn’t understand the significance of that one act to someone like her. The daughter of Edward and Gayle Blake would never dream of behaving in such a manner and running the risk of tarnishing the family’s good name. The free-spirited wolf on the other hand apparently got carried away in the heat of the moment.

Fixing her eyes intently on his, she made it plain she had no desire for those two different aspects of her life to intersect and tear her apart. “I don’t need the likes of you screwing things up for me.”

His face contracted into a frown. “Fine. Just pretend it was nothing more than a bad dream.”

She should have felt nothing but relief when he walked away, ending a conversation she hadn’t wanted to have in the first place. But a pang of regret lingered with Mia, along with the image of that freshly crushed look on Caleb’s face. It wasn’t his fault that she wanted to deny her body’s natural reaction to him, merely unfortunate that he had ended up on the receiving end of her own self-loathing.

Maybe she could find some way to make it up to him for her brusque behaviour. Preferably something that didn’t involve her being in close physical contact with her walking, talking aphrodisiac.

* * * *

Caleb filled bag after bag full of litter from the wreckage of the cottage. After a fitful night’s sleep under Rory’s roof, replaying Mia’s look of contempt in his head, he had risen with the sun and set to work, eager to get the hell out of this place before it dragged him down again.

While he never did go in for hearts, flowers and promises ever after, to have her dismiss him so callously had struck soundly at his ego. It reminded him of his childhood here, unwanted, unloved and an embarrassment to those around him. After years of building up his defences, relying on no one but himself, he didn’t intend to hang around waiting for a pampered princess to validate his existence.

The minute the doors of the nearest estate agent had opened that morning, he had put the wheels in motion with a phone call. The fun most definitely over, now he was simply tasked with making the house presentable for viewing.

“Anybody home?” He heard a brief knock quickly followed by the thunder of work boots crossing the threshold. I really must remember to start locking that door.

“Hey, Caleb. I’ve brought a few helping hands for you.” Rory, looking mighty pleased with himself, led a procession of workers into his living room.

“Hi, everyone. Thanks for coming.” Caleb acknowledged their gracious spirit in helping someone who’d probably pissed them all off at some point in his rebellious teens. He’d done his fair share of petty theft and vandalism, in an attempt to get at his father.

Although, going by the uncomfortable shuffling of feet and furtive glances around him, he imagined they were here for Rory’s benefit and not his. He could almost picture a hastily arranged community meeting discussing in hushed tones the best way to oust the bad news biker from the good officer’s home. But at least they were all working towards the same goal.

The hairy workmen only appeared vaguely interested in the surroundings when Mia and Naomi appeared alongside them. He wondered what had made his blonde bombshell attend the gathering when she’d seemed so determined to keep him at arm’s length. But she’d come dressed for the occasion, wearing black leggings and a baggy blue T-shirt tied in a knot at her waist. With her golden mane swept up into a youthful ponytail, she looked fresh and innocent. Damn it if his libido didn’t respond, totally ignoring the fact that she’d seriously dented his pride only yesterday.

She possessed that aura of naïvety that made men want to protect her, as illustrated by the restless natives when Caleb’s gaze lingered on her a fraction too long. Brandishing their assorted power tools and brooms, the odd-looking army banded together to protect their queen. The warning came too late. He’d already had his nuts handed to him by the woman herself for thinking he was in with a chance.

“Right.” Caleb clapped his hands together, breaking the sudden tension in the room. “Let’s get this party started.”

The assembled drones worked tirelessly through the day, cleaning and fixing whatever it took to end their responsibility to one of their own. Fair play to Rory, he knew enough tradesmen to make this shell liveable.

“What did you do, threaten them with jail if they didn’t help?” Caleb joked with Rory as they worked together to re-hang doors and dump the irreparable furniture.

Rory winced as they hoisted the damaged sofa into the skip, on top of the broken remnants of a table and a dubiously stained mattress. “I’m sure we could rustle up some second-hand furniture for you from somewhere.”

“You’ve done more than enough, mate. Thanks, but I think I can handle things from here.” Caleb shrugged off the hand of friendship, not at all comfortable in this unfamiliar territory. In his drifter life, coasting through towns and never lingering long enough to cultivate actual friends, he didn’t know how to handle the apparently altruistic policeman. Pats on the back from Rory might have been a sought-after prize for many but they only succeeded in making Caleb suspicious about his motives.

“A word of advice, Caleb. If you want the town to forgive and forget, you’ve got to learn to do the same.” Rory left him to mull that over and carried on with the house clearance.

What the fuck any of it had to do with accepting a second-hand sofa, Caleb didn’t know. Letting these people into his house in the first place was the olive branch as far as he was concerned. An entire community who thought he was scum, a woman to whom he was nothing more than an embarrassing indiscretion, and a do-gooder who treated him like a charity case—they were only here to salve their own consciences for turning a blind eye all this time.

He couldn’t temper his cynicism, but, when most of the helpers had finished their assigned tasks, even he was forced to admit that the results of the home makeover were impressive. As he walked back through the property, the empty rooms, swept clean of the past and bad memories, were oddly comforting. The coat of magnolia paint the girls had given the place meant that it no longer resembled the vessel for his father’s violent rages. The atmosphere now spoke of possibilities, and it seemed to him that the house was calling out to him for a fresh start.

But it would take more than a spring clean to convince him this was the place where he wanted to begin his life over again. Add some respect, a sizeable cash donation, and the love of a good woman, and he’d think about it.

With the living room finished, and Naomi back at the pub for her shift, Mia moved on to decorate one of the bedrooms alone. Singing tunelessly along to the radio, she actually found herself enjoying the task. Maybe she was high on paint fumes, but it gave her a ridiculous sense of achievement to watch the skirting boards transform with a coat of brilliant white gloss under her brush. For now, making sure she covered every inch of wood took her mind off her troubles.

“Oh, it’s you singing. I thought there was a cat getting strangled in here.” Caleb’s sarcasm permeated her solace and she stuck her tongue out at him in childish retaliation.

“You know, this isn’t a bad wee place now it’s tidied up.” Sitting back on her knees to admire her handiwork, she spotted a bare patch in the wood and leant forward to fill it in with a quick swipe of her paintbrush.

“It has a nice view, I’ll give you that.” He waggled a suggestive eyebrow with his gaze firmly rested on her backside. Another gesture that her body didn’t have the courtesy to ignore, as once again her insides turned to mush.

Mia balled up the cloth she had used to mop up any paint spills during her seemingly unnecessary attempt at reconciliation, and tossed it at him. Obviously he wasn’t as wounded by the previous day’s comments as she’d imagined. “Seriously, though, you could have a nice home here if you wanted.”

While the idea of Caleb as a permanent neighbour freaked her out to a certain extent, she believed that, once they put the whole shagging in the forest debacle aside, they could be friends. Ignoring the flirtatious edge to their banter, talking to him made a refreshing change from her now strained conversations with Robbie. If only she hadn’t realised too late that he wasn’t the one for her. If only her parents would accept her decision.

“I’m not one for settling down.” Caleb sounded apologetic, as if he knew the direction her thoughts were headed. “I’ll have the house on the market soon. In fact, the estate agent phoned earlier to say there’s already an offer.”

“Already?” It winded her to find out that he was making plans to hightail it out of there so soon after swooping in and turning her life upside down.

“Yeah. Strange, seeing as it’s not even listed yet.”

“It’s a small community. Word gets around quickly. You should know that.” She could have kicked herself for dredging up his past, but thankfully he paid no notice to her slip up.

“That would also go some way to explaining the ridiculously low offer. Obviously someone thought they could get themselves a bargain with the place trashed.”

“Surely you’re not going to take it?” Mia couldn’t explain the sudden panic rising in her chest. If he sold up and moved on, no one would know about her lapse of judgement. Caleb’s quick departure is what I want, isn’t it?

“Not now, no. The house is worth substantially more today than it was yesterday and I can’t afford to give it away.”

Mia closed the lid on the paint, wiped her brushes and got to her feet. “Well, I’m sure with my artistry you’ve added at least a tenner to the value.”

The pinched expression on his face as he had talked money softened into a smile. As aggravating as he was, she definitely preferred this look on him. “With you in it, the house is priceless.”

How quickly a few words, or that particular way he had of looking at her as though she was his entire universe, could revert her back to that carefree spirit he’d first met. For a moment they stood toe to toe with only the buzz of the radio in the background breaking the silence. The airwaves crackled with electricity and Mia held her breath when he reached out to her. Even though her head told her he was all wrong, her body couldn’t resist his touch.

He brushed a loose strand of hair from her face and she closed her eyes as anticipation danced along her spine.

His hot breath caressed her skin. “You have something in your hair.”

Not exactly the words a girl expected to hear in that moment.

She prised her eyes open and coughed nervously, attempting to expel her mortification. “Paint, I expect. I’m covered in it.”

Caleb frowned and examined the locks between his fingers. “No. It’s a spider.”

“What? Aagh! Get it out! Get it out!” She did the jerky spider dance, trying to expel the offending creature in a series of limb-busting moves.

“It’s tiny.” Caleb laughed in the face of her hysteria.

“I don’t care. It could still crawl into my ear and lay eggs. Get it out!” She sobbed as an involuntary shudder racked through her.

“It’s okay.” He tugged his fingers through her hair before presenting the specimen for inspection. “See, he’s tiny. I’m sure he’s more scared of you than you are of him.”

“I doubt it.” Mia’s skin prickled with goose bumps and she was only too glad to see him dispose of the eight-legged beastie through the open window.

“I’m surprised an inoffensive wee creature like that would have such an effect on a wolf shifter.”

She hated showing any vulnerability and immediately went on the defensive, folding her arms across her chest. “Everyone has their weakness. Spiders are mine. Okay?” Unwanted tears welled in her eyes and she despised herself for the ridiculous overreaction.

Caleb crossed the room to rest his hands on her shoulders. “Okay. I’m sorry for being an arse about it. We’ll say no more on the subject.” He wiped away a stray tear with the pad of his thumb and dropped a kiss on her head.

That simple contact was enough to start her free-falling back into that pit of desire. She remembered those lips too well—soft, yet demanding. Her mouth parted on a sigh and she invited him to take a taste.

“I thought you didn’t want this.” Caleb moved his hands to cup her face and rested his forehead on hers. The hitch in his voice betrayed his struggle for restraint, a quality she did not possess at this moment in time.

“What harm is there in a kiss?” Mia’s plea came in a whisper against his lips. Regardless of his good looks and obvious skills in the bedroom department, she knew it was the fact that she could be herself around Caleb that made her act so recklessly. So why am I spending so much time in my head rather than on his lips?

The minute their mouths met, animal passion took hold once more, where nothing mattered except exploring her freedom. She lashed her tongue to his, savouring his wild male essence on her every taste bud. Under the flats of her hands, his chest was hard, solid muscle she wanted to take a bite right out of and, suddenly, relying on memories of that wild encounter wasn’t enough. She wanted a live action replay.

“Caleb, what are your plans for dinner tonight?” They heard Rory call out from another room moments before he opened the door.

She pushed Caleb away as though he’d burned her, leaving him staggering backward when Rory entered the room. “Ah. There you are. Everyone else appears to have gone home.”

Mia pretended to clean her brushes for a second time, stalling for some time to regulate her breathing. That was too close for comfort. Or discomfort. She squirmed with her arousal refusing to dissipate. Her brain might have ended the craziness the minute her brother had intervened, but her spiralling libido wasn’t so easily distracted.

“I…er… No plans.” Caleb sounded as dazed as she felt, her mind and body foggy with desire.

“Why don’t you have dinner with us?”

Mia wanted to throttle her brother, no matter how well-meaning his intentions were. This was definitely one area of her life that didn’t need his interference, and she simply didn’t trust herself not to offer herself up as dessert if Caleb kept looking at her like that. Self-preservation sent her scrabbling for excuses not to spend any more time with him than necessary.

“Caleb is probably looking forward to getting settled in here. I have a sleeping bag he can borrow and he could order a takeaway.” Already struggling to decipher her feelings for Caleb, Rory had trapped her like a wolf in the headlights. Making out was one thing, but cosy family dinners were a step too far. Especially with the exciting new addition of wild beast in a tempting jus to liven up the usually bland menu.

Unfortunately Caleb didn’t seem to agree. Pointedly ignoring her ramblings, he slapped her brother on the back. “Cheers, mate. I’d love to have dinner with you guys. I’ve spent so long on the road I’ve forgotten how good the taste of home can be.”

This time Mia knew that he’d only accepted the invitation to rile her. Okay, so she was weak, she’d kissed him in another moment of vulnerability, but he shouldn’t blame her for things beyond her control. Didn’t he understand that what she wanted and what she could have were two totally different things?

Clearly not. She shivered beneath his dark stare, which was filled with resentment for spurning him after she’d instigated the kiss. Both a threat and a promise that he wasn’t done with her yet.