Page 7 of Wraith
“Your father did a very stupid, stupid thing when you were a baby and now I have to keep you from paying for it.”
“What does any of his bullshit have to do with me? He hasn’t been much of a father to me after the age of six so why am I in the middle of all this?”
“Look, I need to do some research and talk to a few people,” Liam said. “It’s to confirm a few things so I can know what I can tell you without facing treason charges.”
Amelia’s head was spinning.
Treason?
What. The. Actual. Fuck?
Her stomach growled almost drowning out the questions in her head. Still, she walked into the room and picked up the fork on the side of her plate as the wolf strutted in. Jumping, she dropped the fork and he growled at her.
“Doc, behave.” Liam warned softly.
“Seriously—why do you own a wolf? Is this even a thing?”
“I don’t own him.” Liam eyed the pet. “You’re going to have to learn not to be so tense around him.”
“It’s a wolf. Why do you have a wolf in your house? I’m pretty sure it’s not legal to have a pet wolf.”
“I’ve had him since he was a pup. He’s my family. Just because he’s illegal doesn’t make him less so. Besides, I don’t want him for his fur and if anyone ever tried, I’d make certain they lived long enough to regret it.”
Liam left her alone with Doc and Amelia tried focusing on the food in front of her. Suddenly she wasn’t hungry but would kill for some of the coffee he’d been brewing. Searching the cupboards, she found a black mug and rinsed it at the sink. She quickly poured some coffee into her cup before sliding the pot back in before another drop fell through the filter.
Like a boss!
By the time Liam returned, she’d gotten through half her mug, yet she was still shivering.
“You should change,” he said.
“I didn’t bring…I mean, I didn’t think I would…”
“Come, I should be able to find a shirt or something. We can hang your clothes by the fire to get them dried out.”
“Don’t you have a dryer?”
He eyed her with something akin to incredulousness. “A dryer is not a necessity.”
“I disagree.”
If he heard her, Liam didn’t comment. He walked her through the small living room with the unlit fireplace, then up a few steps and down a short hall. He motioned for her to enter the room ahead of him but he stood by the door. “This will be you. I’ll go find you something to put on.”
Amelia was looking around the room but when she turned to reply, Liam was already gone. “Thanks,” she said to the empty doorway. The curtains had been drawn so she closed them and though she was tempted to bounce on the bed, she remembered she’d been on her back in snow minutes before.
Liam returned and handed her a shirt. She held it up. “Um…”
“There hasn’t been a woman in this cabin for over fifteen years,” Liam told her as though reading her mind. “The t-shirt is all I have.”
“It’s fine.”
He left her again.
Gay.
Amelia sighed. That was always the case—the sexy ones were either married, gay or in prison.
She checked the hall then closed the door. There wasn’t a lock on it and it slightly unnerved her. Still, she stood behind it, removed her clothes and slipped into the shirt. It had to be one of his—it swallowed her curves and fell almost to her knees. Once she’d changed, she ensured the shirt was all the way down before grabbing her wet clothes and made her way out to find him. Amelia found Liam hunched down before a freshly built fire staring in.
