think I was here because of her."
"Where is she now?"
"I have no idea." Lia hid her face in her hands, frustrated and not wanting Ryder to see the tears threatening to fall. She wasn't alone. Oh, thank the moon.
Chapter Nine
R yder watched Lia, wishing he could help her somehow. She looked so lost, her eyes wide and fearful. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and tell her it would be okay. And then he would...
Aw, crap.
There he went again. Thinking about Lia as if she wasn't off-limits.
His wolf whined in his head.
I thought we talked about this.
His wolf just blinked, his expression blank.
Listen up, primal instinct boy. Women, as a general rule, do not want to have sex when they are upset. This is not sexy time. Okay? She's upset. She needs help, not mating.
His wolf cocked his head.
We had a deal. I'll live up to my end, if you live up to yours. But if you keep doing this horn-dog shit, I'll send her back home without even kissing her, let alone doing any of the things you were thinking of.
That earned Ryder a growl, which he returned.
Do not test me. I don't play. You know that.
His wolf huffed and turned his back on Ryder.
"Was your sister here?" he asked her, trying to get his focus back on track.
Lia shook her head. "I think I came here looking for her." She held up her hand and looked at it. "I had a phone. She called me."
"Is that why you came here?"
She furrowed her brow and thought for a second. "Maybe."
"You're from Oregon. Coming here would be a big trip for you."
"Yeah, I guess so."
"You still don't remember everything, do you?"
"No. Just those little snippets." She slammed her fist on the table. "It's so frustrating. I can feel it's there, but I can't reach it. There's like a wall or something between me and my memories."
"Okay, well, let me tell you about the Rowdy Howl. Maybe it will help." He waved toward the tables. "This is where my alpha and his friends come to drink. As the name implies, it's a rough place. There are no drink limits here and you can find yourself a lot of trouble if that's what you're looking for. Strays hang out here, the ones who don't care if they are ever allowed back into their packs." Pointing to the center of the bar, he said, "There are fights. I did some of my first fights here. They push back the tables to clear a space right over there."
"Is that how you got started in fighting?"
"Yeah. I guess so." Then shrugging he said, "So when you were here, the place would've been full of drunk shifters itching for a fight."
She frowned. "That doesn't sound like my kind of thing."
"I know, but you came here anyway. For now, let's assume your sister told you about it. Maybe you were supposed to meet her here?"
Lia just gave him a blank look. "I have no idea. Maybe." She reached for her purse and went through it again. "I know I had a phone. I remember looking at it here, but it's not in my purse." Dropping her bag on the table, she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "If we find my phone, I bet we'll find out why I was here."
"Anita," he gestured toward where the waitress stood, "gave the sheriff a phone. We're not sure it's yours and it wasn't working when I saw it, but we can go find out if they got anything off it."
Lia gave an eager nod and pushed back her chair to stand. "That sounds like a plan."
He raised his hand to the waitresses. "Thanks for your help."
Outside, he watched Lia put on her helmet. She had curves that were pleasant to look at, but a deadly temptation when pressed up against him. The ride down to the bar had been a challenge. He'd been hyperaware of her juicy thighs spreading to fit around his hips and the way her breasts had pressed into his back. The drive into Hudson was going to get his wolf all riled up again. He could already tell. This woman, whoever she was, was getting under his fur in a big way.
Chapter Ten
L ia endured another half hour of being shoved into Ryder, fighting not to squirm. Between the thong, the
"Where is she now?"
"I have no idea." Lia hid her face in her hands, frustrated and not wanting Ryder to see the tears threatening to fall. She wasn't alone. Oh, thank the moon.
Chapter Nine
R yder watched Lia, wishing he could help her somehow. She looked so lost, her eyes wide and fearful. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and tell her it would be okay. And then he would...
Aw, crap.
There he went again. Thinking about Lia as if she wasn't off-limits.
His wolf whined in his head.
I thought we talked about this.
His wolf just blinked, his expression blank.
Listen up, primal instinct boy. Women, as a general rule, do not want to have sex when they are upset. This is not sexy time. Okay? She's upset. She needs help, not mating.
His wolf cocked his head.
We had a deal. I'll live up to my end, if you live up to yours. But if you keep doing this horn-dog shit, I'll send her back home without even kissing her, let alone doing any of the things you were thinking of.
That earned Ryder a growl, which he returned.
Do not test me. I don't play. You know that.
His wolf huffed and turned his back on Ryder.
"Was your sister here?" he asked her, trying to get his focus back on track.
Lia shook her head. "I think I came here looking for her." She held up her hand and looked at it. "I had a phone. She called me."
"Is that why you came here?"
She furrowed her brow and thought for a second. "Maybe."
"You're from Oregon. Coming here would be a big trip for you."
"Yeah, I guess so."
"You still don't remember everything, do you?"
"No. Just those little snippets." She slammed her fist on the table. "It's so frustrating. I can feel it's there, but I can't reach it. There's like a wall or something between me and my memories."
"Okay, well, let me tell you about the Rowdy Howl. Maybe it will help." He waved toward the tables. "This is where my alpha and his friends come to drink. As the name implies, it's a rough place. There are no drink limits here and you can find yourself a lot of trouble if that's what you're looking for. Strays hang out here, the ones who don't care if they are ever allowed back into their packs." Pointing to the center of the bar, he said, "There are fights. I did some of my first fights here. They push back the tables to clear a space right over there."
"Is that how you got started in fighting?"
"Yeah. I guess so." Then shrugging he said, "So when you were here, the place would've been full of drunk shifters itching for a fight."
She frowned. "That doesn't sound like my kind of thing."
"I know, but you came here anyway. For now, let's assume your sister told you about it. Maybe you were supposed to meet her here?"
Lia just gave him a blank look. "I have no idea. Maybe." She reached for her purse and went through it again. "I know I had a phone. I remember looking at it here, but it's not in my purse." Dropping her bag on the table, she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "If we find my phone, I bet we'll find out why I was here."
"Anita," he gestured toward where the waitress stood, "gave the sheriff a phone. We're not sure it's yours and it wasn't working when I saw it, but we can go find out if they got anything off it."
Lia gave an eager nod and pushed back her chair to stand. "That sounds like a plan."
He raised his hand to the waitresses. "Thanks for your help."
Outside, he watched Lia put on her helmet. She had curves that were pleasant to look at, but a deadly temptation when pressed up against him. The ride down to the bar had been a challenge. He'd been hyperaware of her juicy thighs spreading to fit around his hips and the way her breasts had pressed into his back. The drive into Hudson was going to get his wolf all riled up again. He could already tell. This woman, whoever she was, was getting under his fur in a big way.
Chapter Ten
L ia endured another half hour of being shoved into Ryder, fighting not to squirm. Between the thong, the
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