Leashed by a Wolf by Cherie Nicholls

had been right; he had to have been, otherwise he had just lost the most important thing in his life for nothing.
    “You think my sister will let you loose long enough for you to come to town with me this evening?” Heath asked. If Laney was out with Mary then maybe he could kill two birds with one stone, really make sure he had been right about Laney and that she didn’t pull the same crap she had pulled with him a few weeks back. The idea of her dressing up for anyone else set his wolf growling, and he had to agree that wasn’t something he ever wanted to see.
    * * * *
    Laney didn’t want to be here; she wanted to be under her covers where the world and her family would leave her alone. All she wanted to do was lick her wounds until her pain went away.
    But Mary wouldn’t let her. The woman had turned up, rushed her into the shower, threw some jeans and a white vest top at her, shoved her into a chair, did what only hairdressers could do with short hair, and slapped powder all over her face. Now here she sat in a bar that less than a month ago had seen her throw herself at Heath.
    She wished she regretted her time with Heath but she didn’t; she had enjoyed what they had done together. She still did. She only regretted that she had caused him so much trouble and that he’d turned into a jackass to get his point across.
    “Ah ah ah, no gloomy reflection, honey, we are out to get your mind off of that mangy mutt, and I will be damned if I’ll let you sit here thinking about him.” Mary tutted as she came back from the bar carrying a tray with two bottles of beer and four shots.
    “I’m guessing we’re not driving home tonight, then,” Laney said with a raised eyebrow when she saw the drinks.
    “Hell no, your brother will come get us when I call,” Mary assured her. Laney took the offered bright-red shot and saluted Mary.
    “To men. You can’t live with them and you can’t get away with burying their useless butts in the backyard!” Mary toasted before knocking back the liquid.
    Laney followed suit. She enjoyed the burning as it travelled down her throat. If nothing else the drink took her mind off her aching leg. The only visible marks she still held from her run-in with Christophe were the bite marks on her ankle, which hadn’t stopped aching for the whole week.
    Mary lifted the second drink, a bright green shot, and looked at Laney. “Your turn.”
    Laney raised the small shot glass and thought for a second. “To all the men we have loved and lost, and to all those we have yet to meet. May the sex be just as great if not better,” she said before knocking back the drink.
    “Amen,” Mary agreed as she threw back her drink and slammed the glass down onto the table.
    Laney smiled. The alcohol had a warming effect on her insides. Taking a sip of beer, she started to relax a little. Maybe a night out with Mary was just what the doctor ordered.
    “So we’re doing this?” Mary asked with an eager look on her face as she nodded towards the glasses on the table. Laney wiped the back of hand over the mouth. Why the hell not? It wasn’t as if she hadn’t had a near-death experience in the last few days. Surely she was well within her rights to have a full blowout?
    Laney nodded. “Oh, we are doing this.” Laney winked as she pulled herself to her feet and hobbled over to the bar.
    The next hour passed in a blur of shots and beer. Laney watched as Mary started to slip down her chair laughing uncontrollably at something. Laney wasn’t quite sure what it was but she was laughing too, so it had to be really funny.
    She didn’t think she was as far gone as her sister-in-law, but she definitely had a warm glow moving through her body that was masking some of the pain from her heart.
    The jukebox in the corner changed song and a top ten pop song came on.
    “That’s my song!” Mary yelled as she jumped out of the chair and started to dance around the table. “Come on, dance with me!” She pulled Laney