on
you.”
“Is
your eyesight so poor that you can’t see me from a few yards away on the porch?
Must you shadow my every step like I’m some errant child who will run off the
moment you look away?”
“Damn,
Isi!”
She
sighed. “It’s not you. It’s Garren that has me so pissed off. I don’t mean to
take it out on you, but you’re… convenient.”
“If
you’re going to get into it with Garren, let me know now and I’ll make myself
scarce later. All that damn roaring he does gives me a headache.”
She
smirked, knowing exactly how he felt. Garren definitely had a mighty roar and
he wasn’t afraid to use it, but Isi had learned long ago that it didn’t take a
big voice to make your point. If you grabbed a man by his balls, chances were
he was going to listen to you, especially if you tightened your grip for emphasis
on the important words.
Isi
wound her way through the garden, which was surprisingly lush with flowers and
topiaries. She’d known someone was keeping the house in order, but she hadn’t
realized they were gardening too. And doing an excellent job by the looks of
things. When she tired of having a shadow trail her around the property, she
went back inside and flopped down on the couch.
Lee
disappeared, leaving her alone for the first time since arriving at the
McKutchen home. She half expected Dagan or Parker to pop up at any moment, just
to make sure she was where Lee had left her, like a good little girl. She had
news for them, though. She hadn’t been a good girl in a long time. Oh, she
followed the pack rules, to a point, but she’d never been a perfect daughter,
certainly not the daughter her parents wanted. Truth be told, their love for
her had waned even before the non-shift. It just had been the catalyst they
needed to avoid her completely. They’d still given her a roof over her head and
a pantry full of food, but there had been no more family meals, no more
conversations… no more attempts at being a real family, something she’d always
craved.
Isi
had seen how Tomi was with her parents before they passed and she’d always
wanted to be a part of it. Her friend had included her as much as possible, but
there was only so much she could do. It wasn’t fair to intrude on their family
gatherings, and truth be told, their togetherness always kicked her right in
the chest. Isi knew she had problems, like the big gaping wound her parents had
left in her life, but everyone had issues of some sort. Granted, not everyone
had an entire town that hated them, but not everyone could be special like Isi.
She
snorted. “Yeah, real friggin’ special. They avoid you like the plague, except
for when they remember how much fun it is to pick on you.”
“Did
you say something?”
She
jolted and looked at the man intruding on her space. “Who the hell are you?”
He
gave her an easy smile and held out his hand as he approached. “Dylan Weathersby.
And you must be Garren’s mate, Isi.”
“Not
by choice,” she snarled.
His
eyebrows rose into his hairline and he rocked back on his heels as he withdrew
his proffered hand. “Alrighty then. I see you’re a touch upset about the whole
mate thing.” He nodded. “Understandable.”
“You’re
the only one who thinks so. The others think I should fall at Garren’s feet and
be grateful he took me as his mate.”
He
cleared his throat. “I hope they didn’t phrase it quite like that.”
“Maybe
not in so many words,” she mumbled. “But the intentions were the same!”
“Or
maybe they’re just happy the two of you found each other. It isn’t every day a
man finds his mate. I always thought women looked forward to it too.”
She
shrugged. “Maybe once upon a time I did. I outgrew fairy tales a long time ago
though. I don’t understand how he can decide he wants me forever just because
of the way I smell. Just because my scent appeals to him, it doesn’t mean we
should spend eternity together.”
“First
off, it’s more
you.”
“Is
your eyesight so poor that you can’t see me from a few yards away on the porch?
Must you shadow my every step like I’m some errant child who will run off the
moment you look away?”
“Damn,
Isi!”
She
sighed. “It’s not you. It’s Garren that has me so pissed off. I don’t mean to
take it out on you, but you’re… convenient.”
“If
you’re going to get into it with Garren, let me know now and I’ll make myself
scarce later. All that damn roaring he does gives me a headache.”
She
smirked, knowing exactly how he felt. Garren definitely had a mighty roar and
he wasn’t afraid to use it, but Isi had learned long ago that it didn’t take a
big voice to make your point. If you grabbed a man by his balls, chances were
he was going to listen to you, especially if you tightened your grip for emphasis
on the important words.
Isi
wound her way through the garden, which was surprisingly lush with flowers and
topiaries. She’d known someone was keeping the house in order, but she hadn’t
realized they were gardening too. And doing an excellent job by the looks of
things. When she tired of having a shadow trail her around the property, she
went back inside and flopped down on the couch.
Lee
disappeared, leaving her alone for the first time since arriving at the
McKutchen home. She half expected Dagan or Parker to pop up at any moment, just
to make sure she was where Lee had left her, like a good little girl. She had
news for them, though. She hadn’t been a good girl in a long time. Oh, she
followed the pack rules, to a point, but she’d never been a perfect daughter,
certainly not the daughter her parents wanted. Truth be told, their love for
her had waned even before the non-shift. It just had been the catalyst they
needed to avoid her completely. They’d still given her a roof over her head and
a pantry full of food, but there had been no more family meals, no more
conversations… no more attempts at being a real family, something she’d always
craved.
Isi
had seen how Tomi was with her parents before they passed and she’d always
wanted to be a part of it. Her friend had included her as much as possible, but
there was only so much she could do. It wasn’t fair to intrude on their family
gatherings, and truth be told, their togetherness always kicked her right in
the chest. Isi knew she had problems, like the big gaping wound her parents had
left in her life, but everyone had issues of some sort. Granted, not everyone
had an entire town that hated them, but not everyone could be special like Isi.
She
snorted. “Yeah, real friggin’ special. They avoid you like the plague, except
for when they remember how much fun it is to pick on you.”
“Did
you say something?”
She
jolted and looked at the man intruding on her space. “Who the hell are you?”
He
gave her an easy smile and held out his hand as he approached. “Dylan Weathersby.
And you must be Garren’s mate, Isi.”
“Not
by choice,” she snarled.
His
eyebrows rose into his hairline and he rocked back on his heels as he withdrew
his proffered hand. “Alrighty then. I see you’re a touch upset about the whole
mate thing.” He nodded. “Understandable.”
“You’re
the only one who thinks so. The others think I should fall at Garren’s feet and
be grateful he took me as his mate.”
He
cleared his throat. “I hope they didn’t phrase it quite like that.”
“Maybe
not in so many words,” she mumbled. “But the intentions were the same!”
“Or
maybe they’re just happy the two of you found each other. It isn’t every day a
man finds his mate. I always thought women looked forward to it too.”
She
shrugged. “Maybe once upon a time I did. I outgrew fairy tales a long time ago
though. I don’t understand how he can decide he wants me forever just because
of the way I smell. Just because my scent appeals to him, it doesn’t mean we
should spend eternity together.”
“First
off, it’s more
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