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I have not thought that far ahead, but now I am not convinced Fawn will want to give up her cottage. Still, as a pack enforcer, I need to be close on hand. “I have not formally claimed her yet.”

He rubs his jaw. “What exactly have you done with the lass then? Is she still alone in the cottage?”

“She’s not fucking alone. She has never been alone since the day her mother passed. I have a couple of lads stay close to her home during the night.”

He chuckles. “And did this not give you warning bells?”

I scowl at him. “It was the right thing to do… Also, she was too fucking young… She is still too young, truth be told. But given I would kill any man who attempts to woo her, there is no fucking hope for it. For reasons that escape me, she responds to me and my ways.”

“She is a sweet lass,” he agrees.

“She is a handful,” I say wryly, one I cannot wait to make mine.

Chapter Seven

Fawn

Idon’t sleep and rise early.

This is not me. I am more of a laze in bed until I absolutely have to kind of lass. Usually, Blue’s whining to go is the catalyst to get me up. Today, I am so early that even Blue is confused and continues to nap on his old blanket beside the fire as I put some water on to heat.

I throw open the front door and nearly trip over a wolf—Shifter,I correct—he whines and glares at me when I stumble onto his tail.

“Sorry,” I wince. Then I plant my hands on my hips and frown at him. “What are you doing lurking outside my door?”

He rolls his eyes at me—having lived among shifters all my life, I’m on to their animal expressions—and lopes off into the forest.

I stare after him, noticing another shifter at the edge of the clearing where my boundary meets the woods.

Are they here every night?

I am suddenly convinced that they are.

Blue darts past me to go and do his business.

Greta comes trotting around the corner of the cottage with a mouthful of weeds.

Damn goat. Does nothing keep her in?

I sigh and turn to collect her leash from beside the door so I can take her back to her paddock.

“What the fuck are you doing outside in your underthings? What the fuck is the goat doing out of her paddock?!”

I start, dropping the leash, spin around, and crash into the wall of naked human flesh.

“Uff!” All the air leaves my lungs. Wolf’s spicy scent sets off a tingle low in my belly. He is naked, fully naked, and my eyes lower to his cock, jerking vigorously like it is calling me to action.

His arm wraps around my waist, anchoring me to him.

My eyes lift until I meet his dark midnight blue ones. I forget how to breathe.

“You do not greet other men in your underthings,” he says, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

“It was not my fault the stupid male was lying outside my door.” I am cross but also secretly pleased. He had clearly been making sure that I was safe. “Did you tell him to sleep there? How long has this been going on?”

“Shut up.” He hoists me into his arm and strides into the kitchen, where he drops me onto the table. “Open your pretty mouth.”

He fists my hair and slants his mouth over mine. My lips part hesitantly. I don’t know what I am doing; I just wrap my arms around his neck and groan as his tongue dips into my mouth.