Page 103 of A Broody Mate for the Human

She smiles. “I still think I’m right.”

I sigh. “I hope so,” I admit, feeling my heart ache a bit. I can’t believe I’m putting my heart out there again to have it broken, but I just can’t help myself. Something pulls me to Raffy like no one else before.

He sneaks into the dining room as much as one can sneak with his build. “Good morning,” he mutters.

“Good morning,” the landlady chirps. “I’m preparing pancakes for David. Do you want some, too, or do you prefer eggs?”

Raffy shifts around a bit, as usual, feeling uncomfortable whenever he is asked something. “Eggs,” he finally answers, a bit gruffly. I elbow him. “Thank you,” he adds bashfully.

“We really need to work on you using full sentences when talking to others,” I say with a frown. “How is anyone supposed to know you aren’t just an impolite brute and instead just a bit shy?”

He grumbles at being admonished by me.

“Just talk to them like you talk to me,” I offer.

“No,” he says promptly.

“Why not?” I ask, confused.

“Because you are you,” he explains, like that makes any sense.

There is no use in discussing this with him, though. We already had a similar talk previously. I’m still not sure why it’s supposed to be easier to talk to me than to others, but I guess I’ll take it as a compliment.

Raffy and I enjoy our breakfast together, and I find myself relaxing despite our little drama from last night. When we check out, we promise the nice landlady that we’ll return for a vacation eventually, and I make sure to tip her generously.

“We should definitely return,” Raffy agrees while we put our bags into the car, and I make sure to secure Sugar in his crate.

“Good boy,” I say to him, brushing over his fur.

“Hm?” Raffy asks me, confused.

I burst into helpless laughter. “I wasn’t talking to you.” I gasp for air before showing him the most innocent look I’m capable of. I take a few steps back to make sure I have room to bolt away from him. “Unless you want me to call you a good boy,” I coo. “Who’s a good boy? Who’s a good boy? Raffy’s a good boy!”

It takes Raffy a second to react, but he is not prepared for Mr. Dave, who has known wolves ever since his adolescence. I know they can be fast, so my only chance is to outwit him. I throw one of our bags towards him, noticing with a grin how his reflexes almost work on their own as he catches it. Raffy looks confused, gazing from the bag to me. I use his moment of confusion to dash towards the bed-and-breakfast, and around the garden.

Soon I feel Raffy’s heavy footsteps behind me, the anticipation sending butterflies through my stomach. I make a few twists and turns, actually proud of myself for making this chase a bit difficult for him. Eventually he catches up, grabs me by my hips, and throws me over his shoulder. I should feel embarrassed, but instead, I just laugh, the butterflies in my stomach continuing to flutter around.

“You shouldn’t have run away from a wolf,” Raffy growls.

“Oh, shouldn’t I?” I ask daringly. “Better put me down.”

“I don’t think so,” Raffy grumbles while stalking back towards the car.

“But I think so.” I smirk. I haven’t done years of yoga for nothing. I’m proud to say that the few boyfriends I had found my flexibility sexy as fuck. I manage to lift myself enough to stretch my head and bite down on Raffy’s ear.

Raffy grunts in shock, stumbling slightly and letting me drop. In an attempt to catch me, he stumbles further and drops down right next to me. “Oh fuck,” Raffy curses.

“Told you,” I say, rolling over on my stomach.

Before I can get up, though, Raffy has pinned me to the ground and smacks my ass hard. His mouth is suddenly close to my ear. “I told you,” he says, his voice husky and hoarse, sending a shiver down my spine. He smacks me again, and even through my jeans, I can feel the impact. Okay, fuck, he is strong. My new life goal is to feel these strong hands against my naked skin… even if I might regret it later for having a sore ass. “Don’t make a wolf chase you!”

I turn over, lying on my back while gazing up into his eyes. They are darker than usual, and I could swear I can see something flash in them. “Nero?” I whisper.

A growl leaves Raffy’s mouth, but it doesn’t intimidate me, instead it feels almost intimate. Raffy… or rather Nero… bends his head down and sniffs at my neck, turning my stomach into knots like I’m sitting on a roller coaster.

In the distance I can hear the honking of an approaching car, finally waking the both of us from our haze. Raffy lets go of me, allowing me to sit up. Even I know better than to seduce someone in broad daylight… outdoors… in public, right in a small town.

I get up, brushing the leaves and dirt off my pants. I turn to look at Raffy to say something silly, but the look in his eyes makes me shut up instantly. He grabs me by my waist. “Just so you know,” he says, his voice still raw. “I’m not letting you off this time. We’ll continue this talk.”