Wolf or Love

Jeremy walked in and looked from her to Gio. “You asked her yet?”.

“I nearly forgot. James sent me a message over the pack web.” He smiled at her low growl. “It wasn’t to dish out more insults. He was apologizing for his ‘despicable behavior’ at the mating ceremony. He wants to come visit and

apologize in person.”

Danica huffed. “I hope you told him you’d rather cram your cock in the ass of a bear with inflamed haemorrhoids than ever be in his company again.”

He chuckled. “I figured I’d talk to you about it. He’s a prick, but he’s still your uncle. I want you to have people from your family in your life.”

“No you don’t.” She could feel that what he really wanted was to be the only person she ever needed, wanted to be everything to her. However, as he thought that he should want her to have family in her life he had made the suggestion. “Yeah he’s my uncle, but you’re my mate and he insulted you.

Badly. So he can go ride a donkey naked through the desert with snapping turtles attached to his nipples for all I care. Anyway, you’re my family. You and the pack.”

An intense pang struck Gio’s chest. He tightened his arm around her, barely resisting the urge to take her upstairs and bury himself deep inside her

body. Not so he could take her hard and fast, but soft and slow.

“You might feel that way about your uncle now while you’re still angry with him,” said Lucy, “but you might regret it later if you don’t at least give

him a chance.”

Danica cursed, hating that Lucy was right. She would feel like she had let down her mom if she didn’t give the woman’s baby brother one more

shot. Sighing, she nodded. “Fine. I’ll give him a chance.”

“He asked in the message if he could come tomorrow afternoon. That too soon?”

Gio shook his head. Danica just shrugged.

“Then I’ll confirm the arrangements.”

“What arrangement?” asked Ray as he strolled into the room.

“Danica’s uncle James is coming to visit tomorrow afternoon,” explained Gio. “Apparently he wants to apologize.”

What in that sentence sparked Ray to think of a chat up line, she had no idea, but she could tell by the smirk on his face that one was coming.

She shook her head at him. “No, no more!”

He frowned. “Oh come on, it’s a good one. I suppose it must make you feel uncomfortable since you’re obviously attracted to me.” She snorted.

“You’re denying it? Okay then, fine, let’s settle this once and for all. Smile if you want to sleep with me.”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

She tried her hardest to hold back a smile, she really, really did, but there was no way of doing it.” Of course he laughed, smug as all shit. She

growled. “You’re a pain in the ass.”

“Sorry, honey, we’ll use more lubricant next time.” He flinched when Gio smacked him over the head.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, Danica saw it was time to go. Having guzzled down the last of her coffee she gave Gio a kiss on his very inactive

lips that were stuck in a sulky pout. “A few hours and I’ll be back.” The ass followed her and Lucy to the main door wearing that kicked puppy look. It

was clearly one last ditch attempt at making her feel bad. Of course it didn’t work because she didn’t want him there when she bought him a gift. So she smiled, waved and left. Well it had been worth a shot, thought Gio, sighing, as he watched

Danica’s car leave pack territory in spite of his efforts – or ploys – to make her take him with her. His wolf wasn’t happy about it and was snarling his disapproval. As he turned to go back inside he noticed Chris stood not far away, staring in the direction Danica had headed. He didn’t look at her with the same coveting look that he used to wear, as if he had come to accept that she was unobtainable. He now looked at her the way the others did. Like she was truly his Alpha female – someone that although he revered, respected, prized, trusted and looked to when in need of something, he regarded her as being of senior rank and his co-leader. However, there was something that was still irritating Gio and he thought it was about time that he addressed it.

Slowly Gio strode toward him, noticing how Chris stiffened as he sensed his approach, but he didn’t look at him. A month ago Gio’s irritation would have been due to Chris’s attraction to Danica, but even though he still wanted to kick the shit out of Chris for it, his main problem with Chris now was

that he was still distant with Danica and it troubled her. She had never said this aloud but she didn’t need to, not now that they were partly bonded. Gio didn’t want anything making her feel uncomfortable in her own home, her own pack. Also, he was pretty sure that the slight longing that could still be seen in Chris’s gaze when he looked at her wasn’t for her as a mate, but for the friendship they had once had. Finally he came to stand before Chris, but the wolf kept his gaze ahead.

“So when are you going to pull your head out of your ass and stop moping?”

Chris looked at him curiously, obviously surprised that Gio would even bring it up. Until now, they had never spoken of it. “I’m surprised you’ve

never punched me.”

Gio shrugged. “I thought about it. A lot. You’ve made things awkward for Danica. She feels like she lost her friend and that she’s come between us. It didn’t need to be that way.”

“You’re a lucky bastard, you know.”

“I know. Fix the mess, Chris.” He went to leave, but Chris spoke again.

“Wait, why are you asking me to sort things out with her? It’s got to be easier for your wolf this way. You should be thrilled that I’m hardly around

her.”

“Why would I be thrilled about anything that hurts her? Fix it, Chris.

And soon.” At that he turned away and went inside. Danica hadn’t been lying when she said that she and Lucy would be visiting dozens of stores. Lucy was the type who was easily drawn in by something in the display window. She had practically raided the clothes stores, hunting down dresses, shoes and accessories. Danica bought a few items, but only casual wear – mostly she was just replacing the things that Gio had torn from her body like the dirty bastard he was. Once they had picked up a few birthday gifts for Gio, they went for a light lunch which left them with only one place left to go…. Maleficent Stores.

Danica had decided to buy a kinky outfit to wear on the night of Gio’s birthday, even though there was a good chance he would tear it from her body, and she had convinced Lucy to do the same for Richard. The girls had had plenty of laughs browsing the store and choosing an outfit. Lucy

selected a blue print slip while Danica picked a sparkly black lace flyaway babydoll.

Finally, after four and a half hours of shopping, the girls were ready to go. It was as Danica was closing the trunk of the car after placing the bags

inside that she suddenly felt two unfamiliar presences at her back. Male wolf shifters.

Before she could react she was abruptly grabbed by the hair and swung around before a hand then wrapped around her neck and slammed her back

into the brick wall that was behind her car. Distantly she heard Lucy shout in alarm from the passenger seat, but Danica knew that, as a submissive wolf, she wouldn’t exit the car. Thank God. Danica didn’t intend to let the two bulky

shitheads hurt her and it would be a lot harder to defend both her and Lucy than it would be to take care of herself. What she wanted to do was scream Let me go you son of a bitch, but she knew from experience that letting an attacker think she was scared and that they were in control was often the best tactic. Resisting her wolf’s desire

to claw at the hand around her neck, she asked,

“Who are you?”

The dark wolf with the deep brown eye appraised her slowly.

“They weren’t lying when they said you were pretty, were they.”

“They were right about that ass too.” The other wolf flicked his hair from his face before offering her a slimy grin. “A very fine ass.”

Fine eye nodded. “They also said you were a mad bitch.”

“And that you were always late.”

Both Fine eye and Danica looked at the other wolf, baffled. “Always late?” she said.

“They said she was latent,” snapped Fine eye.

The other wolf straightened and shrugged. “Right. I knew that.”.