comfort of his bed and strode to her own room. She would go find him, meet him on his way back…if he was doing that. If he wasn’t, then they would have this little discussion at his line shack. Yes, she would be invading his privacy and probably going to make him angry. Too bad.
* * *
Seth had let his wolf run and then run hard some more. He was worn out; satisfied that he could change back soon and then return home. He was certain he could now face Teri without wanting to take her immediately…okay, fairly certain. He would just rest here in the shade of the tree a little longer. What made him still uneasy was that he’d felt as if he’d been watched all of this time. Yet he hadn’t seen anyone, hadn’t caught the scent of anyone. Maybe he was being paranoid.
Then he caught it…the sound of hoofbeats. Faint ones, so obviously the horse was somewhere on the other side of the cabin but growing closer. He bristled, tensed. He was sure none of his hands would dare come here, especially since Walker should have told them where he was going the other day. Even Walker wouldn’t come here when Seth had come to the shack for privacy. So who was it?
He remained very still, hidden in the long grass and the shade. Whoever was coming here uninvited would…
“Seth! Seth, are you here?” Teri rounded the cabin on horseback and shouted.
Teri? She’d come here, when he’d told her he didn’t want to be disturbed here, ever. Another act of her rebellion to his rules. Clearly she needed another trip over his knee. But he had to change back and get dressed without her seeing him. How the hell was he supposed to do that?
“Seth!” she called out again, now almost to the front of the cabin.
He didn’t move a muscle but the wind picked up. It carried his wolf scent toward her, toward the now fidgeting mare. He watched Teri grip the reins tighter in an attempt to keep control of her mount. But the horse was having none of that, trying to spin around in the other direction, tossing her head up and down in fear.
His heart pounded as he waited for the horse to go completely out of control. He couldn’t run to them in wolf form and make the situation worse. He had to change, but he would be naked. Didn’t matter.
As his bones shifted again and he once more became man, he saw the crazed mare go up on her hind legs. He growled in outrage, disgusted that he couldn’t get changed in time. He watched helplessly—caught between wolf and human—as Teri slid backwards from the saddle. She landed hard but managed to land on her ass and not hit her head as he’d feared. Still her butt would probably be bruised.
As she sat there clearly stunned and stared after the mare tearing back toward the heart of the ranch, Seth’s change finished. Now that he felt sure she wasn’t seriously hurt he took a second to deal with his anger. She shouldn’t have come here. She should have respected his privacy. Bruised butt or not, the woman was getting a good spanking.
She looked in his direction, climbing to her feet and dusting off her jeans. How had she known he was here watching her? Again, it didn’t matter. He needed to go to her, needed to make sure she really was all right. Before he burned her butt.
Unconcerned with his nakedness, he strode her way. “What are you doing here?” he questioned in a near shout.
She stiffened, that stubborn chin of hers going up. “I needed to talk to you and you took too long coming back.”
His stomach tightened with an odd sense of dread. “Did something happen?”
Her slender shoulders went up and down in a shrug. “Sort of. It’s complicated.”
Her gaze never left him as he strode closer. His body reacted and there was nothing he could do to cover up his problem. A fact that served to annoy him even more. “I would have been back there in a couple of hours. You should have waited for me.”
“Well, I didn’t.” She moved her gaze over him like a caress, smiling
* * *
Seth had let his wolf run and then run hard some more. He was worn out; satisfied that he could change back soon and then return home. He was certain he could now face Teri without wanting to take her immediately…okay, fairly certain. He would just rest here in the shade of the tree a little longer. What made him still uneasy was that he’d felt as if he’d been watched all of this time. Yet he hadn’t seen anyone, hadn’t caught the scent of anyone. Maybe he was being paranoid.
Then he caught it…the sound of hoofbeats. Faint ones, so obviously the horse was somewhere on the other side of the cabin but growing closer. He bristled, tensed. He was sure none of his hands would dare come here, especially since Walker should have told them where he was going the other day. Even Walker wouldn’t come here when Seth had come to the shack for privacy. So who was it?
He remained very still, hidden in the long grass and the shade. Whoever was coming here uninvited would…
“Seth! Seth, are you here?” Teri rounded the cabin on horseback and shouted.
Teri? She’d come here, when he’d told her he didn’t want to be disturbed here, ever. Another act of her rebellion to his rules. Clearly she needed another trip over his knee. But he had to change back and get dressed without her seeing him. How the hell was he supposed to do that?
“Seth!” she called out again, now almost to the front of the cabin.
He didn’t move a muscle but the wind picked up. It carried his wolf scent toward her, toward the now fidgeting mare. He watched Teri grip the reins tighter in an attempt to keep control of her mount. But the horse was having none of that, trying to spin around in the other direction, tossing her head up and down in fear.
His heart pounded as he waited for the horse to go completely out of control. He couldn’t run to them in wolf form and make the situation worse. He had to change, but he would be naked. Didn’t matter.
As his bones shifted again and he once more became man, he saw the crazed mare go up on her hind legs. He growled in outrage, disgusted that he couldn’t get changed in time. He watched helplessly—caught between wolf and human—as Teri slid backwards from the saddle. She landed hard but managed to land on her ass and not hit her head as he’d feared. Still her butt would probably be bruised.
As she sat there clearly stunned and stared after the mare tearing back toward the heart of the ranch, Seth’s change finished. Now that he felt sure she wasn’t seriously hurt he took a second to deal with his anger. She shouldn’t have come here. She should have respected his privacy. Bruised butt or not, the woman was getting a good spanking.
She looked in his direction, climbing to her feet and dusting off her jeans. How had she known he was here watching her? Again, it didn’t matter. He needed to go to her, needed to make sure she really was all right. Before he burned her butt.
Unconcerned with his nakedness, he strode her way. “What are you doing here?” he questioned in a near shout.
She stiffened, that stubborn chin of hers going up. “I needed to talk to you and you took too long coming back.”
His stomach tightened with an odd sense of dread. “Did something happen?”
Her slender shoulders went up and down in a shrug. “Sort of. It’s complicated.”
Her gaze never left him as he strode closer. His body reacted and there was nothing he could do to cover up his problem. A fact that served to annoy him even more. “I would have been back there in a couple of hours. You should have waited for me.”
“Well, I didn’t.” She moved her gaze over him like a caress, smiling
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