Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

M ax’s wolf snarled and snapped as he strode away.

Who did that green-skinned upstart think he was? So she’d dated the guy. And clearly, he still wanted to date her, it was written all over his moony face. How dare he interrupt their meeting, not once, damn it, but twice ?

He ground his fists hard into his pockets as he tried to calm down.

He was being illogical, and Max Hunt was never illogical.

And jealous. Possessiveness was another wolf trait his mom had warned him to be aware of. It was an emotion he’d been relieved never to feel in either of his relationships. He’d thought he was free of that.

But in less than a day of being with Charlie he was thinking of her as… as…

What exactly?

Mine.

For all the hounds in hell, where did that just come from?

Under his breath, Max let out a curse. And that’s when he heard pattering footsteps behind him, a cry of, “Max—wait.”

Something in him curled deliciously at the way she gasped his name. He imagined her keening it as he caught her in his arms, her eyes full of want. Which did nothing to fucking help.

He ground to a halt, pinched the bridge of his nose, trying not to wince at his own atrocious behavior.

“Are you wanting to get rid of me already?” Her cheeks were flushed dark, her smile bemused. “If so, there are easier ways.”

They were facing each other now in the busy street. Her curls bounced around her hot little cheeks and a tendril crept across her forehead. Max almost reached out to smooth it away, then snapped his hand back to his side. “We have a lot of work to get on with,” he muttered.

“I’m sorry I held you up.” Her tone was genuinely apologetic, which made him feel even worse.

Max guessed some explanation was called for. “I have a reputation for being something of a loner,” he said stiffly. “I’m not used to having company. I’ll try to make sure I tell you where I’m going in future.”

She merely nodded as they fell into step, and they trudged on in silence. Max wished they could retrieve the easy conversation they’d had at lunch, but that damn orc had ruined his mood.

Once they got inside, she slid behind her desk and got to work. Making the excuse that he needed to focus, Max grabbed a few thick tomes and headed across the corridor to the snug.

And there he sat, cocooned in the cozy room, fuming, and barely reading a line.

His annoyance, he conceded, was mostly aimed at himself. He didn’t like surprises, didn’t like spontaneous changes to his routine or his plans. He had his whole research period perfectly mapped out, and now that had all been turned on its head by the arrival of a girl instead of a guy.

A girl with bouncy curls and tempting curves. A girl with the world’s most captivating smile and the promise of mischief in those dimples and the wide set of her brown eyes. She was ingenuous and… something even more disturbing. Something about her was tempting his wolf out of hiding. Promising to satisfy a thirst he hadn’t even realized needed quenching, until now.

She’d not said a word out of turn, but in her scent, her smile, the language of her body, he sensed she was ripe for his wolf.

Gods, it was sheer lunacy to think this way.

He racked his brains as to why these feelings were surfacing. Maybe vulnerability at his lone wolf status was hitting him? It was not so long after his mother’s death, after all. The only family he had left in the world resided not so far from here, a family he had no desire to see. But maybe this was the need for pack rearing its ugly, wolfen head.

The need for a mate.

No! On both counts. His mother had always told him that he was a lone wolf, a sigma not an alpha. Which meant he would never feel a strong need to mate or succumb to his baser emotions. That he would prefer his own company to that of pack. Damn it, he barely noticed when the moon was full. He’d proven to be sigma in his relationships too. Civilized, courteous, never losing himself in his wolf even at the moment of coitus. He would no more allow himself to turn wolf in the bedroom than, well… fly to the moon.

Suddenly his cell rang. He took the call without even checking the number, eager for distraction from his troubled thoughts.

“Hello, Max speaking.”

“Fucking hell, you picked up!”

Max blinked. The voice was vaguely familiar—rough-edged, husky, chewing at the edges of his memory. Max racked his brain but before he could pin it down, a low laugh was followed quickly with the words, “It’s your cousin Benjy, mate.”

Now memories flooded back, of those summer visits before he was ten. Of Benjy, bigger than the other kids in the pack, teasing him when his head was buried in a book. Nipping at his heels in their horrible tumble-down yard with its old cars and motorbikes and sheds, where Benjy would hide and jump out at him.

Of Benjy, finally full grown, big and shaggy and bearded with his curvaceous wife Janine, the only two members of the Hunt pack who had come to his mom’s funeral.

“Ah, Benjamin, hello.”

A big guffaw followed. “Well, if we’re going to be all fuckin’ formal, howdy, Maximillian .”

Max ground his molars, wishing to the gods he hadn’t picked up. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” he managed with stilted politeness.

Another growl of amusement. “Heard on the grapevine you were in Motham. In the name of pack, I’m calling to invite you to a Hunt barbecue this weekend.”

Max’s brain spun with horror. “Oh, er, yes, very thoughtful. It’s just, right now I’m snowed under with research for the book I’m writing.”

“What? Seven days a week?”

“Well, pretty much. I only have four weeks before I return to Selig.”

“Egh, still gotta eat. Come over Saturday night, man. No time like the present. We’ll put a wild boar on the spit. Got one in the freezer we caught last month.”

As Max was desperately trying to come up with a plausible excuse, there was a gentle knock on the door and Charlie’s head peered round the frame.

Max held the phone away from his ear as she said, “I’ve typed up all the notes you left me, is there anything else you want me to do?”

Her smile was so freakin’ gorgeous that his heart and his cock jerked in unison. Holding the phone away from his ear, he managed a husky, “I’ll come and join you in a moment.”

He returned to a chuckle on the end of the line. “Sorry, didn’t realize you had company. Lady friend, eh, cuz?”

“That was my research assistant,” Max said stiffly.

“Didn’t sound wolf. Fae?”

“No, er… human, actually.”

“Human! Good on you. A human working for a wolf, that takes some trust.”

He could almost see his cousin’s fangs glinting as he grinned.

“Bring her along,” Benjy continued jovially. “We’d love a chance to prove our hospitality to a human. Can’t understand why some of ’em are scared of us.”

Yeah… Wonder why the fuck that is .

With difficulty, Max unclenched his jaw. “I will certainly accept for myself, but I’ll hazard a guess that Charlie has other plans. I’m sure she has a myriad of friends to catch up with.” Including that damn orc, probably.

“Yeah, well, if she wants to join us, all are welcome at a Hunt shindig. See you around 6 pm, with or without your little human.”

Max opened his mouth, shut it. Opened it again and muttered, “Wonderful.”

Wonderful be fucked.

He threw his phone down with a muttered curse.

It took him a few moments to compose himself, raking fingers through his hair, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and trying to slow his breathing. He’d go, put up with his pack in the name of good manners, and make an early exit. He would not, of course, take Charlie.

Gods, even if his pack weren’t a total embarrassment, he would not take Charlie. Not with the way his senses were reacting to her.

Social activities with his assistant were off limits from now on. His guard had been down today. From now on, he’d be mindful to keep things professional—and these bizarre thoughts and feelings under control.

When he finally returned to the office, she looked up with a smile that did him in all over again. Max steeled himself. “It’s time you finished for the day.”

“Sure, though I’m happy to keep working if you need me to.”

“It’s five o’clock and I’m sure you have plenty you want to get on with,” he pointed out.

“Oh, I—” She glanced at him from under her lashes. “I could rustle something up for dinner if you like.”

Max stemmed the overwhelming desire to accept. “You are here to work on my research, nothing else.” He must have sounded curt because her face fell slightly, which made him feel like a bastard, yet again. She was simply trying to be helpful, and he was shutting her down at every turn.

He sighed. “Look Charlie, I’m an introverted guy who is best left alone with my books. Sad to have to admit it, but there you are. Most nights I eat at my desk. Your evenings are yours to do what you like. By all means, use the kitchen, cook for yourself, or eat whatever food Mrs. Bates has left—but cooking for me, that is absolutely not in your job description.”

She was busy closing her computer, gathering her things, her curls hiding her expression. “Sure, I get it.” She glanced up, smiled once more, but he saw a flatness in her eyes. He’d hurt her feelings, and he hated himself for that. But she had to know he was not going to spend time with her outside of work hours.

For her safety.

And his sanity.

He tried to lighten the mood with a shooing motion of his hands as she made for the door. “Go on, go have some fun.” He sounded woefully like a musty old professor, but it was true, she’d have much more fun if she went out with friends like that young eager orc.

At the door, she turned. “We’re going to the library tomorrow morning, aren’t we? What time would you like me here?”

Max rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Let’s say 9 am. That should give us plenty of time to walk.”

He had no idea why he felt disappointed when she said, “Cool. Have fun with your books, Prof,” and disappeared.