Authors: Nikki Winter
“You’re thinking like a human.” Cree accused. “We’re not human. We’re apex
predators.”
She sounded the word out like Fallon was slow-witted. “We mate, we hunt, we kill when necessary. These are all a part of life. For every mated couple you know, have you ever seen them use logic? I mean really. Do you know
any
normal mating stories?”
Fallon thought for a second. “No...but
why are we discussing this?!”
She tossed up her hands. “I’m not getting mated. To that bear or to anyone else for that matter!” Tugging at her hair, she said, “This whole conversation is ridiculous.”
Cree nodded. “True...but for some strange reason I keep hearing generic excuses as to why you don’t believe Ransom McKenna is interested in more than just your land.” She eyed Fallon. “I haven’t heard you say anything about not being attracted to him...or not even knowing what he looks like.”
Fallon’s silence was telling. Cree began to laugh. “You did a search on him didn’t you?!”
“I was curious!”
“Bullshit! I know you! You were way more than curious!”
Mouth twisting, she leaned against a tree and decided to ignore her friend’s cackles. Yes, she’d done a little googling on Mr. Ransom McKenna and no he wasn’t some inbred, unibrowed, backswamp look-alike. He was actually pretty
handsome.
That is, if you liked your men six-foot-nine and unnaturally large.
He had a hard, square, stubbled jaw, a nose that looked as though it had been broken a time or two, sharp cheekbones and a mouth that was a bit thin on top but had a full lower rim. His eyes were a startling amber with flecks of green and from what she’d seen his smile was nice as well as his full head of silver tipped dark brown hair.
Just because she found him attractive did
not
mean she was okay with his harassment...or courting...or whatever! This shit was utterly ridiculous! What normal person exchanged the types of emails she and Ransom McKenna had? He was clearly intelligent with a goofy sense of humor and a quirky way about him.
And no she would not admit that she’d been tempted to laugh just a little!
Fallon rubbed her eyes. “I’m losing it. I have to be losing it...”
Cree walked over and placed an arm around her shoulders. “You’re not losing it sweetheart, you just want to fuck a bear.” After casually stating that she shrugged. “I can tell you from experience it’s a fun road to go down.”
Oy vey...
Chapter 3
from:
Fallon Wilder
<
[email protected]
>
to:
Ransom McKenna
<
[email protected]
>
date: Friday July 6, 2012 at 3:55 PM
subject: WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME CRAZY?
Is this all a part of your elaborate scheme Mr. McKenna? Badger me with your huge claws until I finally surrender and give you what you want? Because I’m telling you right now, that method will simply get one of your ungodly size arms ripped out of its socket before I beat you to death with it. Are we understanding each other here? Are we grasping the fact that all you’re doing is making me cranky?
Call Ransom a sick bastard but all he could do was grin broadly as he quickly typed up a response. After weeks of nothing, a little bit of glee lit within him at the fact that Fallon had finally been annoyed enough with him to express herself. It was a violent, albeit terrifying expression...but he saw that as semantics.
from:
Ransom McKenna
<
[email protected]
>
to:
Fallon Wilder
<
[email protected]
>
date: Friday July 6, 2012 4:00 PM
subject: Re: WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME CRAZY?
Scheme? What scheme? Scheming implies that I’m doing something in secret; implies that I’m
hiding
my plans when in all actuality you can
clearly
see that I’m doing anything but. Huge? Ungodly sized? Excuse me if I’m wrong here—which as a higher and wiser species I doubt that I am—but it would seem that you’re slightly obsessed with the size of my body parts. Now I don’t want to say that I feel sexually harassed...but I kind of do. Why are you so angry? Is this normal? Were you born this way or did you just not take your happy pills today? Maybe a little bit of peanut butter would help them go down easier...
from:
Fallon Wilder
<
[email protected]
>
to:
Ransom McKenna
<
[email protected]
>
date: Friday July 6, 2012 4:15 PM
subject: Re: Re: WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME CRAZY?
You, sir, are a prick.
from:
Ransom McKenna
<
[email protected]
>
to:
Fallon Wilder
<
[email protected]
>
date: Friday July 6, 2012 4:25 PM
subject: Re: Re: Re: WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME CRAZY?
I know this. I accept it. I live it.
from:
Fallon Wilder
<
[email protected]
>
to:
Ransom McKenna
<
[email protected]
>
date: Friday July 6, 2012 4:45 PM
subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: WHY ARE YOU TRYING...
Apparently you’re a
dramatic
prick at that. What is it that you want from me Mr. McKenna? Honestly? I’m not selling Wilder land to you. We’ve already established that. So what could you possibly be getting out of sending me all this shit? Aside from your obvious desire to be hurt...hurt a lot...
from:
Ransom McKenna
<
[email protected]
>
to:
Fallon Wilder
<
[email protected]
>
date: Friday July 6, 2012 4:55 PM
subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: WHY ARE YOU TRYING...
A meeting. Just one simple meeting. And if you don’t like what I have to say, then you can hurt me all you want. Although I have to warn you...I’m kind of into that...which means I may or may not bring along a ball gag...does that make me weird?
from:
Fallon Wilder
<
[email protected]
>
to:
Ransom McKenna
<
[email protected]
>
date: Friday July 6, 2012 5:05 PM
subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: WHY ARE YOU...
One meeting. One. Against my better judgment and what baby Jesus himself is telling me, I’m going to allow you to come to Wilder Lodge for a week-long stay. No, no, don’t get happy, it will
not
be comped. And I don’t really care what you do on your spare time McKenna but if you put a ball gag anywhere near me, you can rest assured that your mother will have very little to cry over during your funeral. Are we clear?
from:
Ransom McKenna
<
[email protected]
>
to:
Fallon Wilder
<
[email protected]
>
date: Friday July 6, 2012 5:15 PM
subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: WHY ARE...
Well there goes my fun...
With a sigh, Ransom logged out and stood, heading for his office door. Swinging it opened he yelled for Maddox, who came stumbling out of his own office, tugging his clothes back into place.
“Have some decorum for God’s sake. This is a professional place.” Ransom’s sibling stated, tucking his shirt back into his pants. “We’re trying to run a business that—”
“You smell like sex.” Ransom cut in.
Maddox leered a little. “I know.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Any reason why you’re interrupting my play time?”
“One, because I told you to stop fucking during office hours. Two, you and I are going to Wilder Lodge for a small vacation.”
The other man tucked in his lips, nodding slowly. “Clearly you’ve lost your goddamn mind.”
“She finally agreed to a meeting.” Ransom began to mentally reassess his original plans. Clearly Fallon wouldn’t sell Wilder Lodge to him but maybe just maybe he could get her to agree to another proposal. Besides, he needed to escape before his mother decided to once again try finding him a nice
sturdy
sow to mate. Sunday, as Ransom suspected, was no more than a ploy to attempt getting him to date again. A ploy that he had managed to avoid but it hadn’t been easy. Now his mother was pretty much stalking him and good God he finally understood where his pushy nature came from.
Maddox blinked. “And you don’t think it’s a lure to get you on her territory so she can kill you, bury you and salt the earth where your remains lay?”
Ransom smiled. “Surprisingly...no.”
“Unh-hunh,” Maddox backed away ever so easily. “Well you enjoy your possible homicidal trip. I’m not going.”
He grabbed his brother before he could run. Ransom wasn’t much for running; didn’t like to exert himself unless he really had to. And batting his sibling around like a piñata would take entirely too much effort. “Oh you’re going. And you’re going to fucking enjoy every goddamn minute of it.”
“Or what?” Maddox challenged.
“Or I tell everyone in the building what that pear shaped birthmark
really
is.”
The other man gasped. “You wouldn’t!”
“I could be persuaded to keep quiet...or I could be downright chatty about your days as a—”
One of Maddox’s hands slapped over his mouth. “I’ll go you manipulative bastard. I’ll go.”
Ransom grinned. “Well aren’t you just the best little brother in the world. Maddox wait! Don’t walk away angry! Didn’t we learn about how to properly deal with our feelings in group therapy with Mr. Peabody?”
***
“Wait, wait, wait, you did
what?”
Cree questioned as she, Cade, Makya and Anoki all stopped passing around plates at dinner to focus on Fallon who sat at one end of the table.
Taking a deep breath, Fallon answered, “I invited Mr. McKenna to come for a week=long stay at the lodge.”
The staring commenced. It was starting to make that small tick above her left eye twitch. “What?”
Anoki leaned towards her. “Is this a ploy to lure him on to your territory, kill him, bury him and salt the earth where his remains lay?”
Fallon rubbed that tic. “No.”
“So then you wouldn’t mind if someone were to say...take Gladys from you for that week, would you?” Makya asked.
She sat back in her chair, eyeing the main players of her pack. “You really don’t think I have any self-control do you?”
“It’s not that...” Cree hedged.
“But it kind of is.” Cade finished.
Fallon’s eyes narrowed and Anoki said, “We trust you with our lives, Fal.”
“But we don’t necessarily trust you with that
bear’s
life.” Makya added.
She threw up her hands. “I invited him here!”
“Which could possibly result in his untimely demise.” Cade pointed out.
“And we like to avoid untimely demises.” Cree stated.
“Where’s the loyalty?!”
She tried really hard
not
to knock Anoki unconscious when he muttered, “Locked in the same case where Gladys will be when that bear gets here.”
***
Restlessness had Fallon up late, shifting and running through the surrounding trees of Wilder Lodge, her mind racing along with her paws as they pushed into the soft ground. She didn’t think she’d been
that
off earlier when she said she was losing it. She had to be to have invited that bear onto her territory, into what was essentially her pack’s home. What was it about Ransom McKenna that just...pushed her buttons?
Perhaps it was the fact that he didn’t know her but he spoke to her as if he did; the fact that he didn’t seem to be too concerned about all her snarling and snapping. Maybe his nonchalance to her threats was what mildly piqued her interest. Fallon knew she was by no means an easy female. Add that to the fact that she was one of the most temperamental shifters on the planet and one pretty much had a recipe for disaster if they didn’t step lightly around her. She was aware of this, her pack was aware of this, and even her guests were aware of this. Yet, Ransom really didn’t seem to give a fuck. She wasn’t sure if she should admire that fearless quality or tear his Achilles tendons out with her fangs just to prove a point.