Page 24 of Ravenous

I hung up and sighed. It killed me when my mom got depressed, but I didn’t have any energy left to rescue her today.

I was too busy rescuing myself.

I was really short on cash this month. I’d anticipated the money for that shipment of pottery that broke. Now, I’d have to spend time remaking it all when the time could have been used on making new things. I had my own house to fix, and that wasn’t going to be cheap either.

But on the bright side, my pottery studio in my garage had no damage. I could still throw clay. My business could still run.

I was lucky, truly.

Plus, my living room was undamaged, and my couch was really comfortable. Since there was no way I was staying with my mom–and her too-hot house, I’d be just fine.

I could always get my part-time job at Cody’s back. I’d worked there for years when I was getting my business up and running but quit when I was finally making it.

It would be fun. Seeing familiar faces at the bar again. Working late nights.

I needed to get out more, and this was a great way to do it. Right?

12

WES

HavingJoy in my house this morning had thrown me off my routine. My brain had been tangled up in how to approach things with her–a problem which I hadn’t resolved, especially since my wolf had a very specific opinion–and I’d been late getting Remy to preschool.

Then, when I got to the ranch, I’d discovered I’d left my phone at home.

Not a big deal–I wasn’t the kind of guy who spent time scrolling or anything, but once the thought ran through my head that I wouldn’t be available if the preschool called, I decided after tackling the usual morning chores in the barn, I’d better run home at lunch to grab it.

I pulled up in front of the house to find–

Oh, hell no.

My mate was standingon her roof, a giant blue camping tarp in her hands, about to break her beautiful neck.

What the fuck was she doing?

I leaped out of the truck–only taking enough time to put it into park–and jogged to Joy’s house without taking my gaze from her. She had a one story home, but still, the fall had to be at least ten feet.

She was human. Breakable.

She lost her balance, dropping the tarp and pinwheeling her arms to regain it.

“Joy!” I shouted, nearly shifting to wolf form at the present danger.

She found her balance again and simply turned to give me a friendly smile. “Oh, hi, Wes.”

My heart was pounding, and my wolf was practically leaping in the air to get to her.

She stood on the roof in a pair of cut-off jean shorts and a triangle-shaped halter top that made me want to lick a line from her bare midriff straight up to one nipple.

I stood beneath her and put my hands on my hips. “Don’t youoh, hi,me, honey. What in the hell are you doin’ up on the roof?” I demanded, forgetting to dial back my aggression, which was fueled by both fear for her safety and lust for her body.

I had no right to talk to her that way.

She didn’t need to be scolded.

Yes, she did. She definitely did for being so reckless.

But she was my neighbor, not my girlfriend. My neighbor who I happened to have fucked last night. We weren’t committed to each other in any form. I wanted her to be my babysitter.

---