Page 16 of Love That Sass

The Wolf growled and scratched. He wanted out. And he wanted out now.

She’s in good hands, Wolf. Fucking relax.

But knowing all that didn’t stop his animal from demanding he follow them. Weylin grunted and swayed on his feet the further she got from him. He couldn’t stop himself if he tried, and why bother? He could use a run, anyway,

His transformation was fast, real fast, and his big, dark beast followed the vehicle closely as he could from the shadows of the forest beside the road. His fur was much darker than the flame colored hair that topped his head when he wore his human skin, but the hint of red was still there.

He had to be extra careful when hunting at night so humans didn’t see him. Damn red fur tended to reflect in the light. Lucky for him, they tended to write him off as a large fox or stray dog. Humans didn’t understand the paranormal world, and they usually ignored the things they could not comprehend.

He only hoped he didn’t frighten Gwendolyn if she happened to catch a glimpse of him. Monster that he was, he’d likely scare the crap out of her. His Wolf didn’t like that idea. Not one bit. But Weylin knew better than to go into this thing blind.

She was a normal. A human. And from what she’d told him, she’d been raised to be religious, moral, ethical. Shit. What the fuck did a rounder like him have to offer a woman like her?

Sweet, innocent, good girl. She deserves better.

But even those dark, disturbing thoughts did not stop his paws from moving. Oh no. He tracked her using all his skill, watched from the shadows as she got out of the car before Leo could help her—good.

His Werewolf senses were heightened, and he listened as she refused to go indoors until she saw them pull away. Leo had balked, but Gwen was adamant but polite. She insisted Leo and Sheila leave first and even watched them drive away.

Strange, he mused. Watching and waiting to see which house on the small residential block was hers. Only, where he would have expected her to choose a walkway, she didn’t.

Gwendolyn wrapped her arms around her waist and hurried fast as her two tiny feet would take her curvy little body down the street. Weylin growled softly. Something was wrong.

He followed her for three more blocks, almost lost his shit as she turned down a road to the seedier side of Blue Valley. Right off the highway, there was a gas station, a twenty-four-hour roach coach, and a cheap motel.

His heart thudded as he watched her walk through the parking lot of the cheap motel, ignoring the catcalls from a group of guys leaning against a beat up Toyota and drinking beers from bottles wrapped in paper bags. Hell, it wasn’t even dark yet.

Oh, fuck no.

Weylin snarled. The sound had been loud enough to bring a couple of heads swiveling in his direction. The distraction had allowed Gwendolyn to haul her cute little butt straight for the last room on the left side of the lot.

Shit.

If sweet little Gwen was staying here, her situation was far more dire than she’d let on. Weylin bristled beneath his fur. He wanted to bust open the door, pick her up and throw her over his shoulder, take her to his den. But he had no right to her, and he knew it.

Didn’t mean he liked it, but he was not about to violate her space. Instead, he walked to the small patch of cement outside the beat up maroon painted door. Cheap black stickers with the numbers 394 were stuck on top of the paint.

He sniffed, revulsion filling him as he recognized urine from both humans and animals, chemicals, rotting food, and other revolting odors surrounding the place. The least of which was not death.

Fuck.

Gwen didn’t belong there, but Weylin could not do a thing about it. Not yet, anyway. He paced back and forth, listening to the sounds of her going about what he assumed was her nightly routine.

The sun had just set, and the creeps in the lot were still lurking. It was the usual suspects, winos, and users, maybe one dealer. All human as far as he could tell, and the fact she was there was like a beacon to the evil inclined.

Weylin hated thinking of her in such a place. The lights were off, and the din of the television was low enough to suggest she slept with it on. In a place like this, he didn’t blame her.

Admiration filled him as he imagined her struggle. She was smart, educated, beautiful, and she did not have the air of someone who’d grown up in a situation like this. So, this was new, he surmised.

His respect for her grew. Here he thought the woman had grit just walking into the bar to get a job. But it was more than that. Looked to him like she had given up a lot to pay for her grandfather’s care. Her staying in the cheap motel, taking rideshares, and wearing simple clothing were all because she was likely putting everything she had into caring for the old man.

He didn’t think people did things like that anymore. Gwendolyn Hoffer was just full of secrets and surprises, and Weylin wanted to learn them all. In due time, he told himself. For now, he would simply watch over her. Make sure she was safe.

Brave, tough girl. You can sleep tight, now. I got you.

Chapter6

“No pets on the premises,” the manager of theMerry Time Motelbarked at Gwendolyn as she emerged from her room at nine o’clock the next morning.

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