Lycan Contempt, S. Yule [important books to read txt] 📗

if it might be slowing up. If it stops soon, I might be able make the trip to town tomorrow and pick your friends up.”

“That would be nice, but wouldn’t it be easier to simply take me to town? We could find a hotel to stay at.”

He laughed. “No hotels around here. Not a big enough demand for them with al the cabin rentals.”

“Oh.”

Her lips formed a perfect O and he ached to kiss them, had almost done so earlier, would have done so if that damned tree hadn’t falen on the house. The wolf was itching to claim her, but he refused to alow it. She wasn’t for him, and his ugly mug wasn’t for her. Maybe the tree faling was Mother Nature’s way of teling him to keep his paws off. He almost laughed out loud at that thought. Fate and Mother Nature going head to head, scratching, hair puling, and al.

One trying to get him to claim Georgia, one trying to get him to keep his hands off such a thing of beauty.

Which one was right? He scrubbed his hand over the stubble on his face. Didn’t matter. He would do what was right for him, which meant protecting his heart from being broken again.

“I don’t mind if you and your friends stay at my place until it’s safe to travel again. I have plenty of room.”

“That’s kind of you. Thank you.”

That was a new one. A woman thanking him for something. He thought back to his relationship with Connie. He’d given her nice things, had cooked romantic dinners for her, had given her nearly everything she’d asked for, yet he couldn’t recal one single time she’d thanked him. In fact, if memory served him right—and it did—she’d always acted as if she expected those things from him, as if she was entitled to them somehow.

He barely held back a disgusted snort because it just dawned on him that none of the women he’d been with had thanked him for anything. Not that he expected to be praised for everything he did because he’d done the things he had out of love, not for the gratitude he hoped to gain in return. But fuck, was it wrong to want some appreciation now and then?

Hadn’t he shown appreciation when Connie had . . .

He almost snorted again. Connie had what? Done something nice for him? Nothing in particular he could recal that she’d done just for him. Why hadn’t he noticed that before? Why hadn’t he noticed it with the women before Connie? Why hadn’t he noticed that he had been dating a bunch of shalow, self-righteous bitches from hel who had no care other than what they could get out of the world?

“Is something wrong?”

Her voice puled him back to the present. “No.

Why?”

She shrugged. “You got awful quiet, and the vibes got a little heavy in here.”

“The vibes?”

“Yeah. I tend to feel it when people get tense too.

Kind of like when a storm is brewing. The air gets heavy.”

He understood that perfectly. He felt the heaviness in the air before a storm as wel, but he’d never applied that analogy to people.

“Nothing is wrong.”

“I’m glad, but if something is bothering you, I’d be happy to lend a listening ear.”

“Why would you do that?”

She frowned. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“People don’t tend to care al that much about other people’s feelings. They are mostly too worried about their own to bother.”

“I think you’ve been hanging around the wrong people, Kish Frahm. Believe it or not, there are a lot of people who care about other’s feelings. I’m one of them. How sad it would be if humanity were bled dry of sympathy, kindness, and love of his felow man.”

He did snort this time. “Happens every day. I’ve run into more people that don’t give a shit than those who do.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve met people like that as wel, but I’ve met more who care.”

“Lucky for you.”

“Yes.” She smiled. “Hmm.”

“Hmm, what?”

“Maybe that’s why we met?”

“And why would that be?” Because you’re my mate and fate threw us together at the worst possible time?

“Maybe Karma knew you needed someone who cared.”

“Karma? I thought Karma was what kicked your ass when you wronged someone else?” Of which he thought was total bulshit because he doubted Karma would fuck with Connie or any of his other exes for what they’d done to him. But hel, he must have done some serious shit to piss Karma off for saddling him with the uncaring bitches it had.

“Yeah. Maybe, but it also brings good things to those who deserve it.”

“If you say so.”

“I do.”

Did he deserve good things from Karma? If so, it sure had a piss-poor way of showing it up to this point in his life.

“Hang on. I’m turning down my drive now, and it’l get bumpy.”

“I thought it already was bumpy.” She laughed.

It took him longer than normal to get to his house, but Baby had cut a respectable path through the deep snow on his way out. Getting back in or out would be much easier now providing another wave of snow didn’t completely cover the tracks.

He pressed the button on the garage remote on his visor when the garage came in sight, and the door eased open. He puled inside then hit the button again to close it behind them.

“Home sweet home.”

She let out a long, slow breath of what he took to be relief.

“I’l need to take Lucy out again before we go in.”

“Is it al right if I take her?”

Georgia nodded. “It is, but realy, if you can point me to a place she can go, once I give her the command, she’l go on her own. She won’t go far from me.”

“Good enough. Stay there and I’l come around and help both of you out.”

“I can manage.”

“Please. Wait for me. The step on Baby wil be wet and slippery. I don’t want you to fal and get hurt.”

Damn, this woman was independent. He liked it, but