like that?”
Portia didn’t answer, staring sullenly at the ground.
“We all know what happened with Mr. Timmons. There was absolutely no need to humiliate that woman and her family like that. You brought Ginger here to stir up trouble and make her look like the bad guy – at that family’s expense.”
“I didn’t say anything to the family,” Ginger said hastily. “I just said that it appears that he collapsed and died of a heart attack. Which is true. Mostly. I mean, there was a young man in the room with him when he collapsed, and they were, uh…”
“I can imagine,” the sheriff said darkly.
He turned back to Portia. “I should be out dealing with a missing professor, and preventing Jax from starting a war with the Panther Nation. Instead I’m here dealing with your childish and completely unacceptable behavior.”
“Unacceptable!” Portia hissed. “I’ll tell you what’s unacceptable! She’s a red wolf, you’re grey! You can’t-“
The sheriff let out a low, warning growl, and his eyes glowed amber with rage.
Portia wilted, shrinking back. “You can’t treat me like this. You know who my aunt is,” she muttered weakly. “I’ll quit, that’s what I’ll do.”
“Resignation accepted. Ginger, come with me.” He turned on his heel and walked away, with Ginger quickly following him.
Portia’s wails of protest filled the air. “You can’t do this! You’ll hear from my aunt! You’ll hear from the council!” she shouted.
Ginger and the sheriff climbed into the patrol car. Ginger had to hug herself to keep her hands from shaking.
The sheriff pulled out of the parking lot. “I apologize for that. And for this morning. I owe you an explanation,” he said. “Portia…her family has been trying to arrange a marriage between us for ages , for political reasons. Their family is very wealthy, mine has a lot of connections and influence in this area of the state. I made it very clear to them that she wasn’t my fated mate, but they kept pushing . A year ago I took her out on a couple of dates, and then I broke it off. She didn’t take it well. She managed to get herself hired at the sheriff’s department by having her aunt pressure the mayor, and she’s constantly trying to meddle in my personal life.”
“Who’s her aunt?”
“A member of the Shifter Council.”
“Oh. Good lord.” The seven member council oversaw all matters concerning the various werewolf packs in Florida. Each area of the state had a representative. Every state had a council, and their word superseded that of the Alpha, if they felt that an Alpha was acting against the interests of his pack.
“Don’t worry about it. The real issue is…what happened between us last night.” He was breathing hard, and Ginger stared at him. He looked disheveled, his hair rumpled and a twig caught in his hair. She reached out and plucked it from his hair without thinking, and he let out a low groan at the feel of her fingers.
“Did you shift and run in the woods before you came here?” she asked him.
He rubbed at his face with one hand, the other hand clenching the wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white.
“I had to,” he groaned. “I ran for hours. I felt like I was burning up. Like I was going to explode.”
She stared at him. “What, exactly, is going on with you?”
“Last night, at the club…I scared myself.”
“You scared me too. And that wolf who made a pass at me outside the club.”
His eyes blazed angrily at the mention of it, and he took a deep breath, and then pulled over to the side of the road. “I’ve never reacted like that before with anyone. I’ve taken plenty of women to that club before, and I didn’t care who else played with them. Who they fooled around with. But you…the thought of any other wolf laying his paws on you, any man touching you…it literally made me
Portia didn’t answer, staring sullenly at the ground.
“We all know what happened with Mr. Timmons. There was absolutely no need to humiliate that woman and her family like that. You brought Ginger here to stir up trouble and make her look like the bad guy – at that family’s expense.”
“I didn’t say anything to the family,” Ginger said hastily. “I just said that it appears that he collapsed and died of a heart attack. Which is true. Mostly. I mean, there was a young man in the room with him when he collapsed, and they were, uh…”
“I can imagine,” the sheriff said darkly.
He turned back to Portia. “I should be out dealing with a missing professor, and preventing Jax from starting a war with the Panther Nation. Instead I’m here dealing with your childish and completely unacceptable behavior.”
“Unacceptable!” Portia hissed. “I’ll tell you what’s unacceptable! She’s a red wolf, you’re grey! You can’t-“
The sheriff let out a low, warning growl, and his eyes glowed amber with rage.
Portia wilted, shrinking back. “You can’t treat me like this. You know who my aunt is,” she muttered weakly. “I’ll quit, that’s what I’ll do.”
“Resignation accepted. Ginger, come with me.” He turned on his heel and walked away, with Ginger quickly following him.
Portia’s wails of protest filled the air. “You can’t do this! You’ll hear from my aunt! You’ll hear from the council!” she shouted.
Ginger and the sheriff climbed into the patrol car. Ginger had to hug herself to keep her hands from shaking.
The sheriff pulled out of the parking lot. “I apologize for that. And for this morning. I owe you an explanation,” he said. “Portia…her family has been trying to arrange a marriage between us for ages , for political reasons. Their family is very wealthy, mine has a lot of connections and influence in this area of the state. I made it very clear to them that she wasn’t my fated mate, but they kept pushing . A year ago I took her out on a couple of dates, and then I broke it off. She didn’t take it well. She managed to get herself hired at the sheriff’s department by having her aunt pressure the mayor, and she’s constantly trying to meddle in my personal life.”
“Who’s her aunt?”
“A member of the Shifter Council.”
“Oh. Good lord.” The seven member council oversaw all matters concerning the various werewolf packs in Florida. Each area of the state had a representative. Every state had a council, and their word superseded that of the Alpha, if they felt that an Alpha was acting against the interests of his pack.
“Don’t worry about it. The real issue is…what happened between us last night.” He was breathing hard, and Ginger stared at him. He looked disheveled, his hair rumpled and a twig caught in his hair. She reached out and plucked it from his hair without thinking, and he let out a low groan at the feel of her fingers.
“Did you shift and run in the woods before you came here?” she asked him.
He rubbed at his face with one hand, the other hand clenching the wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white.
“I had to,” he groaned. “I ran for hours. I felt like I was burning up. Like I was going to explode.”
She stared at him. “What, exactly, is going on with you?”
“Last night, at the club…I scared myself.”
“You scared me too. And that wolf who made a pass at me outside the club.”
His eyes blazed angrily at the mention of it, and he took a deep breath, and then pulled over to the side of the road. “I’ve never reacted like that before with anyone. I’ve taken plenty of women to that club before, and I didn’t care who else played with them. Who they fooled around with. But you…the thought of any other wolf laying his paws on you, any man touching you…it literally made me
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