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"Looks don't always indicate strength," I said softly, as surprise flitted through her brown eyes. "Do not try and attack me like that again." I looked at Nerida, who'd landed beside the bed rather than on it and was currently rubbing her hip. "Either of you."
I pushed Berna backward and released her, then got back to the business of stripping off. "Do you know what's happened to our bags?"
"Coming once we've sort sleeping positions out."
I glanced at her. "Which we have."
She sniffed. Whether that meant acceptance, or whether it meant I was going to have to turf her out of the bed when I got back was anyone's guess.
"Why are you stripping?" she asked.
"I'm going to explore."
"Trust a wolf to do the naked thing," Nerida said, contempt heavy in her voice.
"Better naked than having no choice."
"They're paying me to fight and fuck. They are not paying me enough to flaunt myself to all and sundry."
I couldn't see the difference and said as much.
She snorted. "That's because you're a wolf, and everyone knows wolves have no morals."
I raised my eyebrows. "So what's so moral about fighting and fucking for money?"
"Perhaps not a lot, but there are lines some of us won't cross. Werewolves don't seem to have any lines."
"And you've had how many years experience with werewolves?"
She looked away and mumbled, "None."
I snorted. "One good thing about wolves is that they prefer to judge a person by their actions." I stripped off my knickers and dumped them with the rest of my clothes. "I'm off to explore."
Neither woman commented or offered to come along, for which I was extremely grateful. Not only did I plan to scout the house and grounds, but I also wanted to find me a stallion. And maybe even catch a little riding action.
The main house seemed a whole lot bigger in life than it had on the plans and, as Dia had warned, there were cameras everywhere. If the halls weren't darkened at night, then moving through them without being seen was going to be next to impossible.
After touring the rooms that were accessible, I glanced at my watch and was relieved to see I still had nearly two hours before I had to be back. I found a door that led outside and followed the white pebbled driveway around to the paddocks that housed the barns and the horses. There were several women out riding - some of them naked, some not - and men in dark uniforms hanging over the fence, wolf-whistling and throwing lewd suggestions at the women. Like that was attractive or something. I guess some men simply never grew up.
A crinkled, weather-worn man who had to be at least eighty came out of the barn as I approached. "You here to ride?"
I nodded and looked past him, searching the shadows for Kade. I couldn't see him immediately, but the barn was huge and he could be anywhere.
"You know the rules?"
Again I nodded. "We're allowed to ride anywhere, aren't we?"
"As long as you do your half hour in the front paddock for the boys, you can go where you like on the estate. Within the boundaries already outlined, of course."
Which meant we weren't likely to raise suspicions when we nicked off into the forest. Excellent. "And are we at least allowed a saddle blanket? Horse hair and nether regions are never a pleasant combination." And I knew that from experience.
He gave a short, sharp laugh. "You got that right, girlie." He reached behind the door, then handed me a blanket, girth, and halter. "Any one of them bad boys is yours."
I raised my eyebrows. "They're all stallions?"
"Mostly. The boss does sometimes bring in a mare in heat, just to watch the boys fight."
"Nasty."
