Page 13 of Clashing With The Grumpy Wolf

"Nice work. I thought we'd have to tase them both."

"They just needed a reminder of where they stand in the food chain." I survey the damage, mentally calculating the paperwork this will generate. "You got this covered? I need to head out."

Maya nods, understanding in her eyes. She's one of the few who knows how little sleep I've been getting lately, though she never mentions it.

"Go home, boss. I'll finish up here."

The rain has lessened to a drizzle by the time I reach my cruiser. Exhaustion pulls at my limbs as I slide behind the wheel, the adrenaline crash hitting hard. Two days without proper sleep is taking its toll. And if I judge by the state my encounter with Julia Schroeder left me, I won’t be getting any sleep tonight, either.

The drive to my cabin takes fifteen minutes, the road winding deeper into pine forest, away from the lights of town. By the time I pull into the clearing surrounding my cabin, my head throbs with fatigue. The cabin sits dark and silent, its weathered logs silvered by moonlight breaking through the clouds.

I step from the car, stretching muscles knotted with tension. Then I freeze. An unfamiliar scent marks the air.

Female. Wolf.

Not pack.

My hackles rise as I follow the scent to my front door, finding it unlocked. The living room is undisturbed, stone fireplace cold and dark, simple furniture untouched. But the scent trail leads deeper, toward the back of the house, to my bedroom. I move silently, tracking the intruder, hand resting on my service weapon.

I push the bedroom door open, already knowing what I'll find from the concentrated scent of arousal and perfume that hits me.

The female lounges naked on my bed, long blond hair artfully arranged over one shoulder, her athletic body displayed to its bestadvantage against my charcoal-gray sheets. Her clothes are on the chair beside the bed, tossed carelessly aside.

I sigh. Jennifer Fangsworth has been at the top of my mother’s preferred mate list for a whole year. One way or another, the word got out to Jennifer that the future alpha of the Saltford Bay Pack was looking for a mate and she came to try her luck.

"You're late," she purrs, running a hand down her side in a practiced gesture of seduction. "I've been waiting for hours."

"What the hell are you doing in my house?" My voice comes out colder than intended, but I’m too tired to care. Too tired and too pissed at the intrusion.

Jennifer’s smile falters slightly.

"Warming your bed. It's so cold in here, so empty." She pats the mattress beside her. "You work too hard, Adrian. Let me help you relax."

Anger rises in me, hot and sudden. Not at her specifically, Jennifer is just doing her part for her pack. No, I’m angry at my mother. I’m angry at our pack laws that dictate I must take a mate before becoming alpha. I’m angry at myself for not being able to sleep.

Fuck. I’m tired.

"Get dressed." I step back from the doorway. "Now."

Confusion crosses her pretty features, followed by hurt pride.

"I don't understand. Your mother said …" Her voice trails off, and she doesn’t finish her sentence.

"My mother lied to you." The pieces click into place with sickening clarity. "Whatever she told you, I didn’t invite you, and I certainly didn’t authorize this."

Jennifer sits up, the sheet falling away as she reaches for me.

"She said you've been alone too long. That you need a strong wolf at your side."

I remain by the door, unmoved.

"My mother doesn't get to decide who enters my bed."

She inhales deeply, nostrils flaring, and her expression shifts from confusion to suspicion.

"There's another scent on you." She slides from the bed, approaching with predatory grace. She’s naked, her body moving with graceful ease. Wolves are unbothered by nudity. We’re used to shifting between forms in front of pack members, so her confidence doesn’t surprise me. I hold my ground as she grabs the front of my uniform shirt, pressing her face to the fabric and inhaling deeply.

Her eyes widen, then narrow to slits of anger.