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“Oh yeah. That futon is very post-modern Spanish Inquisition.”
“You totally get the vibe I was going for. Good eye,” he joked.
After a couple of minutes of silence, she finally spoke again. “I feel a little weird about this arrangement between us,” she confessed, stiffening against him.
“Would you prefer that I didn't touch you,” he asked, releasing her. Every fiber of his being seemed to reject the idea. Surprisingly, he even felt the disgruntled stirrings of his wolf.
“No,” she exclaimed. “It's not that. I… I like you. Genuinely. I just feel like I'm kind of using you and I hate it.”
“I hate bullies. I understand your situation more than you can imagine,” he confessed. “I would have helped you even if I hadn't been attracted to you.”
“But, why?” she asked.
“I was the first son of a first son. That might not mean much to you, but to a wolf, that means that your life is mapped out for you from the time you're born until you die. Every pack, which is like a family, has an alpha. The alpha is the leader, the decision maker, and the final word in all things. It's a powerful position. And, it was supposed to be mine.”
“You walked away from that?”
“Damn right, I did. While my brothers and sisters got to be children and run wild, I was constantly being tutored and trained. I needed to know how to lead, how to fight. Duty and honor were drilled into me from the time I learned to speak until I finally ran away and joined the Army. My life was all planned out for me. I'd finish high school, go to agricultural college, then take over my father's farm and the pack when the time came. I'd be mated to another purebred first daughter of a first daughter to create a strong alliance between two packs. We would pop out cubs until we managed to have an heir and a spare. Then my son would do the same thing that I did. The idea that I never had a choice as to who I was going to be or what I was going to do with my life didn't sit well. So I changed it.”
“Jesus. That sounds medieval,” she whispered. “I can see why you left.”
“I joined the Arm
y on my eighteenth birthday, and went home to talk to my parents. I'd tried to talk to my father before, but he's a stubborn bastard. We got into a fist fight and then I was forsaken, which is the equivalent of being disowned. My mom shoved a few hundred dollars into my hand as he kicked me out. I think she knew it was coming. That's the last time I spoke to any of them.”
“I'm so sorry,” she said, rolling over to face him.
He could see the tears in her eyes. He shook his head and wiped her face. “Don't cry for me, sweetheart. I did what I had to do. Just like you did.”
“I got home from summer session on Tuesday. The second I walked in the door, my father told me that I needed to put on something pretty and then meet him in his study. I figured we were going out to dinner or something, so I put on a dress and got ready. When I got there, my dad introduced me to Ben Mason. At first I thought he was just another lackey, then I recognized him.”
“Why do I know that name?” Ronan interrupted, frowning.
“You've seen his campaign posters, I'm sure. Silver hair, orange spray tan. He's in the state senate. Well, he's planning to run for governor soon, apparently. So we all sit down and my father tells me that he's going to announce my engagement to Ben. I told him he was fucking crazy if he thought I was marrying someone I just met.”
“I can imagine that went over well,” Ronan said, stroking a hand over her hair.
“My father freaked out. He slapped me. Called me ungrateful. Then Ben had the good grace to excuse himself.”
Ronan tensed, trying to hold the wolf inside him at bay. The animal side of him would be happy tearing her father apart. He couldn't contain the snarl that rose inside him.
“Ronan?” Moira asked, her voice wobbly.
Immediately, his wolf silenced. He looked down at her wide, terrified eyes and said, “Christ. I'm so sorry, Moira. I didn't mean to scare you.”
“What happened?”
“My wolf didn't react well to the news that he hit you. The rest of me didn't either. My father used to hit my mom. It kind of took me back. And, the thought of you...” He shook his head and repeated, “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.”
“Can I see it?” she asked hesitantly.
“My wolf?” he asked her. “Are you sure?”
Ronan couldn't see the fear in her eyes anymore. Now it looked like genuine curiosity. He had expected the questions, but this caught him slightly off guard. He really hoped that she didn't freak out on him.
Chapter Eight
Ronan gave her a hesitant look and then slid from the bed. She watched as he stood there naked, an intense look of concentration on his face. Then there were loud cracks and pops of bone and muscle as he started shifting. His body changed in jerks and stops, fur growing in until a very large wolf stood on all fours in his bedroom.
