Leashed by a Wolf by Cherie Nicholls Page A

to her feet.
    “I can’t, my foot.” Laney shook her head as she pointed to her damaged ankle.
    “Pfft to your ankle, trust me, it will be fine,” Mary assured her as she spun away motioning for Laney to follow her. Laney gave up the fight and trailed after her to the dance floor.
    They moved around each other singing along to the words and making up any they didn’t know.
    “You ladies look like you’re having fun.” They both turned at the sound of the male voice. Standing off to the side were two average-sized men, no more than six feet tall each. One had bright red hair clearly out of a bottle while the other had mousy brown hair. Each had on the standard jeans and T-shirt look that was favoured around town.
    “We are, thank you.” Laney smiled as she carried on dancing.
    “Would you like some company?” the mousy-haired guy asked.
    “She’s married,” Laney said as she spun again on her good foot and pointed at Mary.
    “And she’s nursing a broken heart.” Mary pointed back at her.
    “Does that mean you can’t dance?” the redhead asked.
    “No. I’m telling you they can’t dance,” a too familiar growling voice announced.

Chapter Seven
    Laney’s heart stopped. She didn’t want to turn around. Maybe if she refused to turn he would get the hint and walk away.
    “Who the hell are you?” she heard the redhead ask and waited for Heath’s reply. Laney didn’t know why, but she knew that the next words out of his mouth would be important, more important than even she understood.
    Mary took her hand as she came to stand next to her, and Laney was grateful for her silent support. Laney’s breath became shallow as she waited to hear what he would say. She heard him take a step closer to the other man before he spoke.
    “She belongs to me,” he told the man. Her grip on Mary’s hand tightened. Laney had no idea what she had expected him to say, but that? Oh hell no. The man had literally thrown her off his property and out of his life. She understood that was because of the danger she presented to his pack, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to let him back into her life every time he got the notion!
    “I belong to no one,” Laney said as she slowly turned to face them all.
    “See, she wants to dance.” The redhead smirked as he reached out to take her arm. Quicker than she could see, Heath grabbed the man’s arm and pulled it up behind his back.
    “Touch her and I will remove your arm,” Heath warned in a low growl.
    “Hey!” the man yelled in pain. “Okay, okay, I get it, she’s off-limits, now let go!” Laney watched in disbelief as Heath tugged one last time on the arm before he shoved the man away.
    A burning anger started to build in Laney as she watched Heath turn to make sure the men walked away. When he faced her again, Laney reached back and let fly with a punch clean in the gut. She caught the shocked look on Wall’s face from his place over at the bar.
    “Oomph!” Heath’s breath rushed out as he bent double.
    Laney stepped closer and whispered in his ear. “In case you missed it last time, let me say it again. Cheese grater. Now we both know what that means; it means you have to leave me the hell alone.” Laney turned and stormed away as best as she could with her hurt ankle.
    Laney made it back to the table and slammed into the chair. She took a gulp of her beer and glared over to the dance floor. Heath was glaring as he stalked over to her.
    “You don’t get to make that decision, my beta,” he told her as he sat down. Laney put her bottle down so hard she was amazed it didn’t break.
    “You don’t get to call me that.”
    “Laney, you okay?” Mary asked as she came to stand next to them.
    “Yeah, I’m fine. Why don’t you call John to come get us? I have a sudden need to be elsewhere.” Laney gave her a half-smile. Mary nodded and walked off to find a quiet corner to call her husband.
    “The only way you’re leaving is with me,” Heath told Laney