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  "Right, that's not fair, your shifter stuff makes you a hell of a lot stronger than me," I point out, but I still lower myself into a defensive position as he smirks at me.

  "I will go easy, lass," he chuckles like this is all a joke to him. Then, before I can blink, he is in front of me. It takes him less than a second to knock my legs from under me, and all my previous training flies out the window. I blink for a few seconds, then glare up at him.

  "Come on, lass, you’re better than that," he taunts me.

  I jump up and attack him, this time my muscles are remembering my classes. We go over the basics as he defends himself from me. The problem is the man is a wall, and no matter what I’m doing, he’s still smirking at me.

  I somehow twist around him, as he grabs me, and I elbow him in the back, before backing away again.

  "You’re fast, good," he comments as we circle each other. For the next hour, he knocks me on my back a million times, but I manage to get a few decent hits in. My body feels like it's on fire, but he hasn't hurt me enough to have any bruises after this.

  "Last time," he says, still smirking, as I wipe the sweat off my head. I look at the clock on the wall. It’s nearly seven, and it’s still very light outside. I try not to look at Jaxson as he drinks some water and a few drops slip down his chin and down his throat. I find myself wishing I could lick the water off him. I shake my head as he puts the water down and faces me.

  This time, he doesn't let me prepare for him, and he knocks me to the ground straight away, shifting us both mid-air, so he takes the brunt of the landing, and I’ve fallen smack on top of him.

  We both stare at each other, with our bodies pushed closely together, he rolls us over after a second. I shiver when he is on top of me but somehow not resting all his weight on me. I feel deliciously trapped between his muscled arms as he lifts a hand to push one of my always escaping brown hairs out of my eyes, and his finger traces down my face.

  My breath catches as my eyes flutter to his perfect lips, as his eyes seem to be doing the same to mine. For one second, I'm sure he is going to kiss me, before he shuts down, pushing himself off me and stalking out. The door slams, shaking the cabin with his anger.

  What the hell was I thinking to let him get that close anyway? It's clear he doesn't like me. I sit up looking around at the empty room before the door opens again. Freddy walks in with a big smile.

  "Winter!" he shouts, running over to me as I stand, and soon I'm pulled into a big hug from a stronger-than-he-looks little boy.

  "Freddy...can't...breathe," I push out as Freddy lets me go, laughing.

  "Whoops, sorry, I kind of forgot you’re human," he says it like it was a little bit of an insult to be human, and I try not to take offense.

  "Right. How are you? No more sneaking out, I hope?" I ask.

  "No. I'm still grounded, but it's alright. Do you want dinner? Fergus and his mate, Anna, are cooking," he asks quickly, looking far too excited.

  I look towards the door where Jaxson left, and I know he wouldn't want me there.

  "No, I don't think I should come to dinner, Freddy. As much as I want to see you, I think it would be a bad idea," I say placing my hand on his shoulder.

  "Please," he says with actual puppy dog eyes.

  "Come on, don't make him start his fake tears to convince you," Fergus says from the doorway with a smirk, very much like Jaxson’s, fixed on his face.

  "Would the tears work? I mean, it works on Anna." Freddy smiles up at me, clearly proud of his work.

  "No need for dramatics, I will eat with you, if that's okay, Fergus?" I ask, glancing at the huge alpha. If it's possible, he looks bigger now than when I first saw him. Despite the fact he is just wearing worn jeans and a blue shirt, he seems to command the room. His brown hair, shorter than Jaxson’s, is windswept. Even I have to admit he is attractive, looking like he should be cutting wood in a magazine or something. Maybe it’s just the resemblance to Jaxson, whom I do have a crush on. Well, I can acknowledge it to myself, just not out loud.

  "We would be honoured for you to join us for dinner, Winter," he says politely, showing a little of his sharp teeth, and I smile a little, even if he intimidates the hell out me.

  "I'm not dressed for dinner," I comment, feeling my sweat-filled clothes sticking to me, as Freddy and I walk over to Fergus.

  "My mate will find you something to borrow, and you can get a shower. You look around the same size," he says before turning, and we follow him out. Freddy slips his small hand into mine, and I give it a little squeeze.

  "So, do you go to school, Freddy?" I ask, wondering about it now. If they don’t see humans, then they can’t be going to any of the schools around here. I guess it would be hard for them to hide their wolves when they lose their temper. I remember Harris telling me they can’t control themselves until they’re adults.

  "Nope, we’re home-schooled. Anna is our teacher, actually. It's safer this way. No humans because of the w–"

  Freddy is cut off by Fergus’s loud growl. "No speaking of that," he says, turning to give a warning look to Freddy, who looks down quickly.

  “So, do you have a small class? If Anna is the only teacher,” I ask.

  “Children are rare for wolves because we don’t have many females, and we don’t mix with other species,” Fergus tells me, and Freddy nods.

  “Why not?” I ask.

  “True mates are only found between the same species; the goddess won’t allow half-breeds to be born and mix our races. There were couples who ignored this rule, but no children ever came from it, that we know of. There is one exception, but I’m not too concerned that it’s anything other than a fairy tale,” he tells me, a distant look in his eyes.

  I don't say anything else as we walk to the house, entering through a back door with a wolf sitting outside. This one has a creamy coat and is a little smaller than the others I've seen. I'm guessing that it's a she-wolf, not a male. The wolf seems to stare at me for a long time before looking back towards the forest behind me. We come straight into a large kitchen with light wooden cabinets and matching appliances littered around. There is a big fireplace in the room which makes it seem homey. A small woman is in the fridge, pushing things around, and turns to see us come in. Her blonde hair is in a bun, and she looks to be in her early thirties. She is wearing a pretty, pink sundress with a little white cardigan over the top.

  "I finally get to meet the famous Winter," she says kindly as her face lights up, “Hello.” She drops the food on one of the side tables and walks over to me. I'm surprised when she pulls me into a strong hug, and when she pulls away, I see the small bump of her stomach. Fergus kisses her cheek as he walks past. I watch in amusement as he tries to take a cookie off the plate on the side. “None of that, dinner is nearly ready,” Anna scolds, and Fergus looks at her for a second before putting the cookie back with a long sigh.

  "Hello. You must be Anna," I say with a friendly smile, her attention back on me. It doesn’t escape my notice that there is an age gap between Anna and Fergus, but one look at Fergus’s face as he watches Anna tells me they are so much in love that it doesn’t matter.

  "I am, and you’re far more beautiful than Jaxson let me believe. Now, are you joining us for dinner?" she asks.

  "If that's alright?" I ask her.

  "It's perfect," she beams, and I find myself instantly liking her. She reminds me of my mum.

  "Come on, we’ll find you some clothes," she says, linking her arm with mine.

  "I can check on the food for you," Fergus says happily behind me, as we leave.

  "You keep your grubby hands away from our dinner, Fergus! Alpha or not, you don’t get to touch it," she shouts over her shoulder, and I hear the loud laughter float in from the kitchen.

  She looks at me. "He thinks I'm joking," she laughs, and I can't help but join in.

  "Anyway, how are you? It must be a lot to handle finding out about all this," she waves a hand around the empty hallway we walk down, after s
he leads me past the living room I saw before and up the stairs. The stairs are in the back of the house, and there’s another empty corridor at the top of them with stairs at the end, leading to the third floor, I imagine.

  "I'm dealing. Honestly, it doesn't shock me as much as it should. I feel safe around Jaxson and Freddy," I tell her, and she gives me a slightly wide-eyed look.

  "That's unusual," she finally says, looking over at me before opening a door to a large bedroom.

  “Why?” I ask, as she shuts the door.

  “Most humans can’t cope with the fact that there is so much out there,” she says.

  “I read a lot of books; I always thought that maybe some of it was true. I guess I might be a little stupid for not caring,” I mutter.

  “Not stupid, I think you’re pretty incredible, actually,” she says and gives me a side hug.

  "This is the room I share with Fergus. I will get you a dress, I have lots of pre-pregnancy dresses that I won't be able to wear for a long time. They should fit you," she comments in a friendly manner.

  "Thanks. Congratulations, how far gone are you?" I ask.

  "About five months. This is my first and an alpha, too. Fergus has practically locked me in the house since he scented the pregnancy, so I’m glad to have someone else to talk to." She beams as she rubs her little bump.

  "Scented?" I ask loudly so she can hear me, as she goes through her wardrobe.

  "Oh, wolves have heightened smells—fears, desires, a new baby isn't anything to us," she comments. I sit in the small, red chair in the corner of the room. "Found it!" she shouts before coming back to me with a tight-looking, pale-nude dress. It has a sweetheart neckline, and it looks way too expensive for me to be okay with wearing it.

  "I can't borrow this, it's too much," I shake my head. I look over the room; it has another large fireplace and a huge four-poster bed made of dark wood. The bed sheets match the red curtains. There are two paintings of packs of wolves on the walls. There are wild flowers on the windowsill and chest of drawers, along with many other little bottles of things.

  "You can, and you will," Anna states, I recognise her mother-like tone. It’s one where you know you won’t win the argument, so it’s best to just nod, and I give in.

  "There's a shower in there if you want to clean up," she says with a smile. "Come down when you’re ready."

  Waving goodbye to her, I head off to the bathroom. I keep my hair out of the water, as I quickly shower and then dry off. After slipping on the dress, I let my hair down, running my fingers through it a few times. It's little better than a frizzy mess.

  I leave my dirty clothes in a neat pile on the counter. I’ll change back into them before I leave tonight. I slip my trainers back on; I’m lucky they are small and black, so they don’t look too weird.

  Shutting the bedroom door behind me, I make a mental note to thank Anna again when I see my outfit in the full-length mirror in the hallway. The dress hugs my curves and pushes up my chest, making me look a lot hotter than I am. I shake my head at myself as I walk down the corridor. It’s an empty corridor with about five doors leading off it, and there are a few pictures on the walls of people I don’t know.

  I stop when the door in front of me opens, and a freshly-showered Jaxson walks out. His eyes widen as he looks at me, his eyes go from the bottom of my legs to my eyes before moving to shut the door behind him.

  "You look beautiful, lass," he says like a dark warning, as he walks towards me. I feel like I'm the prey, and he is a hunter as my heartbeat picks up. My back hits a wall as he cages me in, with his face hovering close to mine.

  Jaxson moves my hair to the side, as he starts running his hand down my neck. I move my head to the side to give him more access, and he growls at me. I don't move as he lowers his head to land a kiss on my neck, the feel of his lips on my neck makes me feel weak at the knees. His hot breath and soft lips make me release a soft sigh as his lips move slowly up my neck. Jaxson’s chest makes a louder growl, before he sniffs me. I mean, I really kind of forgot about his wolf side until then.

  "Jesus, Winter, I need to go," he says in a deep, growling voice, as he quickly pushes away from me and starts storming down the corridor. The muscles in his back look tight, and I just watch him as he leaves.

  I rest my head back on the wall for a second, wondering what I'm feeling for the Wolfman. My thoughts flash to Wyatt for a second, but my mind doesn't have the ability to stay away from Jaxson for long after being so close to him. I run my hand to my neck where he kissed me. I don't think I've ever felt anything that amazing. Well, maybe when Wyatt kissed me, that kiss was something else, too. How bad does that make me sound?

  "Winter, are you ready?" Anna’s voice floats up from the kitchen, shaking me out of my thoughts. I walk in a daze until I find her in the kitchen, running around.

  "Do you want any help?" I ask.

  "Wow, you look amazing, you’re keeping that dress. It never suited me like it does you," she tells me as she waves a spoon around.

  I go to reply, but she cuts me off, clearly not to be argued with.

  "Can you take that dish of vegetables to the table? It's just through there. You can sit, we’ll all be in soon," she says with a small smile, pointing to the door next to the fireplace.

  "Sure," I say, taking the dish she points at, before using one arm to open the door and let myself into the dining room.

  It's a simple room with dark-brown walls and a huge fireplace with red brickwork. It looks old and makes me wonder if it was the oldest thing in the house. The table is massive with ten, dark wooden chairs. There is a wolf statue in the middle of the table. It's made of wood and stone. It looks beautiful, the wolf looking like it’s howling at the moon.

  "My great-grandfather made it; I like it, do you?" Fergus asks, startling me a little as he sits at the head of the table. I notice he is carrying two bowls of potatoes, which he puts down. The table is already set with glasses and plates.

  I place the vegetables down next to the statue in the middle before taking a seat next to Fergus on his right.

  "Is it okay to sit here?" I ask before actually sitting down.

  "Yes," he comments waving a hand.

  "The statue is lovely," I say, in answer to his question.

  "We don’t like to hide who we are here, that’s why there are wolves all around," he says looking away from me at the table.

  “I don’t see anything wrong with that,” I tell him.

  "Would you like a drink? We have wine or water," he asks, not replying to what I said.

  "Wine would be lovely," I say, and Fergus pours two glasses. Jaxson comes into the room followed by Freddy.

  Jaxson scowls at Fergus a second before taking the seat next to me. Freddy takes the one opposite, leaving the space in front of me for Anna.

  "Hello," I say with a smile, trying to not stare at Jaxson’s lips.

  "Hello, Winter," Freddy says with such happiness in his voice, I can't help but smile at him.

  Anna comes in carrying a dish with a large cooked piece of beef on it. She places it in front of Fergus before kissing his cheek and sitting in front of me.

  "Dig in before it gets cold," Anna says, passing me a spoon for the potatoes in front of me.

  We all share the food around before starting to eat.

  "Tell us about your family, Winter?" Fergus asks. Jaxson’s hand tightens on his fork in reaction.

  "She doesn't have to answer any questions," Jaxson says warningly.

  "I'm only being friendly, brother," Fergus says as I see Jaxson’s whole body tense up. I decide to intervene before this ends badly.

  "It's alright, I grew up with my mother and best friend, Alex. I now share an apartment with her."

  "No siblings or father around?" Fergus asks as I tense a little.

  "Nope," I draw out the word as I take a sip of my wine, needing it.

  "A boyfriend?" he asks a little rudely, but I ignore it.

  "No again," I say, and I c
an’t help but flicker to Wyatt in my head. He isn’t my boyfriend, but somehow it feels wrong to say I’m not involved with anyone.

  "You’re lying, well slightly," Fergus comments.

  "She doesn't have to answer everything you ask, brother. She isn't one of your wolves," Jaxson growls.

  "I guess I did lie a little. How did you know?" I ask.

  “It is a gift from the goddess,” Fergus answers.

  “It’s like Uncle J’s ability to control the earth or Anna's ability to see relationships between people. Some of us have extra gifts, but I don’t know if I'll have any. They don’t show until you get older," Freddy tells me.

  Fergus looks annoyed. I smile at him.

  "You can control the earth?" I ask turning to Jaxson with wide eyes.

  "Are you asking me or requesting I show you? I won't do either for someone like you. So, don't waste your time asking.” Jaxson replies curtly.

  “Jax,” Anna scolds, but he ignores her as his eyes lock with mine. The pressure to turn and run out of the room is overwhelming, but I can’t back away. You can thank my mother for my stubbornness.

  “You would be better off leaving with me and going back to your human life. You’re not wanted here," Jaxson says coldly. It’s like a wall has gone up, and he is back to the asshole I know.

  “Freddy, go and get me a drink, would you?” Anna asks, and Freddy nods. I wait until he has left before I say anything.

  "You’re a total bastard at times, you know that, right?" I tell him.

  "No, I'm just honest about unfortunate truths," he replies with cold eyes.

  "Just a cold jackass then. What flew up your ass today?" I ask, and I hear Anna’s little laugh in the background.

  "You can call me whatever, lass, not like it matters in the long run. Your opinion of me, that is," he says with a shrug.

  "No, because the great Jaxson wouldn't care what a stupid, silly, little human thinks, huh? You know what, stay the fuck away from me," I shout at him as I slam my hands on the table. I push my chair away and walk out of the room so I don’t end up throwing the wolf statue at his head. I don’t know why he affects me so much, but something has cracked, and I can’t fix it.