“Are you okay?” I asked Sam.
“Yeah I’m good,” she says quietly.
I looked at Mathew. He had his head rested on Sam’s shoulder. “You okay little man? I’m really sorry you had to see that.”
“Are you kidding that was the coolest thing ever,” Mathew says with excitement and jumps to his feet doing all sorts of silly karate moves. “Dude no one can beat up Tucker and you did and you’re a girl. Oh I can’t wait to tell all my friends.” Mathew says enthusiastically.
I heard Tucker grumbled something under his breath behind me. It almost sounded like “oh great,” which caused the alpha to start laughing again.
I looked at Sam who was laughing right along with the alpha. “Look Sam I really am sorry,” I say sincerely.
Sam holds up her hand to shut me up, “Jess don’t worry about it. It’s cool. Besides the asshole did throw me across the room. He deserved to get knocked on his ass.” Sam looks over my shoulder and glares at Tucker.
The alpha walks up to us and lifts Sam up off the ground and places her on her feet. He looks her over from head to toe asking several questions about her condition. Sam just shoos him away, slaps at his hands, and reassures him that she is fine. The alpha grumbled something about stubborn pigheaded women and focused his attention back on me. He stood there staring at me, not saying anything, so I stared right back.
“Well since your just staring at me and not saying anything what’s your name?” I asked sarcastically.
“I’m sorry my dear. I completely forgot my manners. The names Alasdair MacGriogair,” he says while holding his hand out for me to shake.
I reach out and grip his hand firmly, “It’s a pleasure.”
“Now Ms. Samantha over here said you’re new in town and looking for work. So have you found a job yet?”
“No, I just arrived last night and dipshit over there ruined our shopping trip for the day,” I reply pointing at Tucker.
Alasdair turns and looks at Tucker, “So boy, since she is here I’m assuming she wants to buy a car?” he asked.
“Yes Alpha, that’s correct.” Tucker replies.
“Well then what in the hell are you doing standing around? Move your ass and get the lady what she wants,” Alasdair ordered.
“She was looking at the Ducati. She never said what she wanted exactly,” replied Tucker.
Alasdair turned towards me, looked me up and down, smiled and turned back to Tucker. “She was looking at the bike so she will take that and she’ll need a truck too. Bikes are fun, but dangerous in these mountains depending on the weather. So take her out side and let her pick out a truck. Then when you are finished, we will see about that job issue. If that’s alright with Jessi?” he asked looking back at me. I agreed and followed Tucker out into the parking lot.
Once all the drama was done and over with, I ended up with the Ducati and a black 2013 Ford F350 Diesel. I intended to only purchase the bike, but after Alasdair explained to me what the weather can be like here I’m glad I got the truck as well. Plus he offered me a job on his ranch and said I would need a good heavy truck to pull trailers with and something with four-wheel drive to get around on the property. Alasdair gave me a week to finish shopping and to get settled into my new home with Sam and Mathew.
MACGRIOGAIR WOLF RANCH
So here it is Monday morning at 5am, with my alarm clock blaring so loud it could wake the dead. Yep you heard me right five fucking o’clock in the morning. I moan, roll over and smack the sleep button on the alarm. I snuggled back into the blankets ready to fall back asleep when I hear an annoying banging on my door.
“Wake up sleepy head you’re going to be late!” Sam yells while banging repeatedly on my door.
“Can’t a bitch sleep around here?” I ask groaning and burying my face into my pillow.
“No! Get your butt up!” she yells, “Coffee is ready,” she adds while walking away back down the hall.
I’m thinking the only thing other than coffee that is going to wake me up at this time in the morning is a very cold shower. So I crawled out of bed and headed straight for the shower. Then it’s down stairs and straight for the coffee pot.
I passed the gate entrance with a wooden sign hanging between two posts that read MacGriogair Wolf Ranch. After following the dirt road surrounded by oak trees for about a mile I pulled up in front of the largest log cabin I’ve ever seen. I leaned my head close to the dashboard, looked out the front window of my truck and looked up. The log cabin was two stories high. The front is covered in large windows overlooking the front of the ranch property. To the right there is a long covered walkway leading to the barn that’s attached to the side of the house. The other end of the walk way is attached directly to the log cabin style barns side entrance.
I got out of my truck and looked around me. I didn’t see anyone anywhere. The only noise was coming from the horses inside the barn. I decided my best bet would be knocking on the front door to see if Alasdair was inside the house or at least a housekeeper.
I lifted my hand to pound on the door when it swung wide open almost knocking me backwards. A strong hand reaches out and caught me.
“Be careful there little lady. We don’t want to fall and get hurt now do we?” said the man with a heavy accent.
I righted myself and looked up at him, “I’m fine. Thank you.”
“Well sweat cheeks I know you’re fine. Now what can I do for you?” he asked with a cheesy ass smirk on his face and leaned against the doorframe.
I laughed, “Well for starters you can stop flirting because it’s not going to get you anywhere and then you can point me into the direction of Alasdair.” I said putting my hands on my hips.
He straightens from the doorway and stalks towards me in slow lazy movements. Almost like a cat stalking a mouse. He walks right up to me and places his hands over mine on my hips, bends down and breathes into my ear, “well then what will work on you?” he purrs.
I removed my hands from underneath his and placed them on his shoulders. He took that as an invitation and stepped closer into my body. I made sure I had a firm grip on his shoulders and lifted my right knee up right into his balls.
He yells out and hits the deck cupping his man hood. I bend down over top of him and said, “There’s not one fucking thing in this world you could ever do that will work on me. So get that through your lick fucking head now or me and you will have some serious fucking issues.” I reached down and patted him on his cheek while he was still groaning in pain, “you feel me now asshole?” I asked and stepped over him into the house.
I just got past the doorway when Alasdair came walking down the stairs. He stopped in front of me and looked over my head at the man lying on the deck floor. I assumed Alasdair would start yelling but instead he threw his head back and let out a deep belly laugh.
“Well Travis, that ought to teach you not to mess with Jessi,” he says in between fits of laughter.
I looked up at him completely confused. Now I know I just kneed either one of his friends in the balls or one of the other workers. Either way you would think Alasdair would be pissed. However, this giant of a man was laughing his ass off. I’m not even sure I know what to say to that. Therefore, I didn’t say anything and laughed right along with him. I mean after all it was funny as hell. That’s what he gets for acting like a douche.
“So, since you’re too busy laughing I’m assuming you’re not pissed I just kneed him in the balls?” I asked looking up at Alasdair.
He looked down at me, smiled, draped his arm around my shoulders and led me into the kitchen while laughing even harder.
“Hey kiddo take a seat,” he says while patting a bar stool at the kitchen island.
I took my seat, placed my elbows on the counter, and watched him move around the kitchen with fluid grace. For such a big man he really does move majestically. Almost light footed, like a ballerina.
I was so deep in my own thought I didn’t even realize he moved. “Hey I may mo
ve with grace but I sure as hell ain’t no damn ballerina,” he says plopping the glass down in front of me.
I damn near jumped out of my skin. “How in the hell? I didn’t say that aloud did I?” I stammered out turning three shades of red.
He laughed and said, “Nope” and tapped his finger to his temple. “I can hear thoughts. It’s my gift. That’s why I was laughing at you at the dealership. Just don’t climb on me like a jungle monkey and we’ll be okay.”
“Oh well that’s embarrassing.” I said sheepishly.
He smiled and shrugged, “nothing to be embarrassed about.”
I chose to pretend that never happened and changed the subject. “So, what will I be doing?”
“Well, you’re gonna be in charge of all the mangy mutts and cats around here and you’re going to be training the cuttin’ horses.”
“So I’m guessing we are not talking about regular everyday cats and dogs, right?”
“You guessed right,” he said smiling at me again.
“Okay. If you don’t mind me asking, why am I in charge of the hired hand?” I asked him slightly confused as to why he did not leave someone he knows in charge.
“Well because you’re as mean as a rattle snake and have one hell of a bite and that’s what these lazy bastards need,” he said and patted me on the shoulder. “Come on kiddo I’ll show you around the house and barn. Then I’ll take you for a drive around the property so you can get familiar with everything around here.”
“Alright let’s do this.”
I followed him around the house, downstairs and upstairs. He showed me everything from the food pantry to the offices and the living room downstairs to the bedroom and suits up stairs. Apparently, he uses this as the pack house as well. Which explains why one man needs such a big house in the first place.
Everything around the house was made of wood and leather. This whole place was immaculate from top to bottom.
After we finished the tour of the house, he took me outside to the barn. The barn had twenty horse stalls, a tack closet the size of a medium sized apartment and finally the office. We walked in and it was just as big as the tack room with a large expensive solid oak desk. It had storage closets for the filing cabinets and extra supplies, a large bay window behind the desk, and a large sliding glass door with a small deck outside overlooking the pond and mountains.
“Wow,” I muttered.
Alasdair walked up beside me and looked out the sliding glass door. “It’s a beauty isn’t it?”
I looked over at him and smiled, “this place is just breath taking.”
“Well, this is one of your offices. The other is in the main house on the second floor in one of the suites.”
“I only need one office and I don’t need the suite. I have a place to live.”
“Well kiddo, around here sometimes you work too late to be driving home at night and sometimes you might get stuck here due to the weather. Therefore, I thought it would be a wise decision for you to have your own room just in case. Besides, sometimes these animals around here get to damn noisy to think in the barn,” he says putting his hand at the small of my back and leading me back outside. “And I wasn’t talking about the horses,” he said chuckling.
I did not have a reply to that. After all, he knows the place and how it is around here better than I do. So I decided to keep my mouth shut and just nodded my head.
The drive around the property was even more breath taking. I have not ever seen such naturally beautiful landscape before. I mean this place really is exquisite. Alasdair pointed out what ponds or lakes were safe to swim in. He also showed me a few hiding spots in case I needed to get the hell away from the guys. He said they can be a handful and to not take any shit from them. Considering everyone I met, well the two I have met are assholes I’m sure I will have my hands full. I’m really not looking forward to meeting everyone else if they all act like this.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Well, they say a first impression always sticks. I tell you what they damn sure were not lying with that assessment. By the end of the day I managed to break one guys arm, another’s wrist, someone’s nose and the rest of the day continued on just like that. My first impression is turning out great.
I never in my life met such a bunch of horny, perverted, pushy, overbearing assholes. Around here guys seem to think no is yes and fuck off means mount me. I mean really. What the fuck are these idiots thinking? Half way through the day I stopped arguing with them and just started breaking body parts. I didn’t care what body part it was, just whatever was closest to me at the time. I may have caused a few men to never bare children. But oh well, next time they will learn there damn lesson. I need to have a talk with their mama’s is what I need to do. Because these boys should have had their asses whipped a long time ago and I wouldn’t have to be putting up with their shit now.
I just finished the last of my paperwork for the day when Travis came bursting through my office door.
“Come quick!” he yells and dashes back out the door.
I take off after him at a full run. He jumps into the back of a truck and yells, “come on get in we have to hurry!”
I jumped up into the bed of the truck and sat down. Travis beat on the roof to let Justin know we were safely inside the truck bed.
“What’s going on Travis?” I asked bouncing around the bed of the truck. The faster Justin drove the more we bounced and the more bruised my ass became.
“One of our horses is stuck in a ridge on the south side of the river.”
“Okay so walk him out. Why the urgency?” I asked frustrated.
“The river is a damn rapid. We managed to get the horse closer to the bank so she can hold her footing better but a damn mountain lion has her trapped with two of our men. Every time they move an inch she strikes out and you can imagine what the damn horse is doing. It’s freaking the fuck out and the guys are trying to keep her as calm as possible. The damn mountain lion tore them all to hell. They’ve been able to at least keep a hold of the mare but it’s becoming more and more difficult by the second.”
“So what you’re telling me is this mountain lion is whipping three werewolf’s asses and what about you? Aren’t you a werelion for fucks sake?” I asked throwing my hands in the air exasperated.
“Yes but you don’t understand. This bitch is a mountain lion,” he said like, duh.
I counted to ten in my head and prayed to god for patience. I let out a deep breath, “Okay obviously I’m completely missing something here. So why don’t you enlighten me.”
Travis looked up and the truck came to a quick sudden stop. I flew forward landing on my hands and knees. Travis jumped off the side of the truck and held out his hand for me to take, “come on girly, we’re hear and you’re about to find out what I mean.”
I grabbed his hand and let him help me down. We walked around the back of the truck to a ledge and looked down. In front of my eyes there stood the biggest fucking lion I’ve ever seen. I turned on Travis and scowled at him. “That” I said pointing down into the ridge, “is not a fucking normal mountain lion. What the fuck is that thing?”
The damn cat on all fours is as tall as I am standing up. No mountain lion is that goddamn big. The mare was standing on the edge of the water raring up while the two men tried to hold her still and dodge the cats swiping paws at the same time. I rubbed my face with both of my hands, “this is a fucking nightmare. What exactly am I supposed to do to help that you guys haven’t already tried?” I asked both Travis and Justin.
“Well, we figured you would figure it out Boss Lady,” said Justin.
I glared at him, “thank you Captain Obvious.”
Justin just shrugged his shoulders looking at me like, ”what you asked?”
I turned to Travis, “any bright ideas there Cowboy?”
“Nope,” he said popping the P. “That’s what we came and got you for. You’re the boss you figure it out,” he said as if it was a no brainer.
/> “Okay,” I breathed out.
I reached down and started taking my boots off.
“Um Jess what exactly do you think you’re doing?” Travis asked.
“Yeah why are you taking your boots off?” Justin piped in.
I looked up from my boots, “well you just said I’m the boss and I had to figure it out,” I said in a duh tone.
“By taking your boots off?” Justin asked while lifting his right eyebrow.
Travis patted Justin on the back, “don’t worry man she’s got it,” he said reassuringly.
I walked away from both of them muttering curses under my breath and wishing them severe violence and a painful death.
I found an incline I could actually get down without breaking my neck in the process. I climbed down with ease and looked in the direction of the animals and two men. I swear every time I look at that fucking lion it gets bigger.
I walked forward silently and taking in slow deep breaths. What in the gods name do they think I can do? They’re the men around here, shouldn’t they be taking care of this? I rubbed the back of my neck muttering, “Man oh man” under my breath repeatedly.
I moved further to the left trying to keep behind the beasts back and out of sight. I just moved my left foot and brought it down. Yep you guessed it. Right on top of a goddamn stick and of course it had to make the loudest damn crack.
The mountain lion whipped its head around into my direction. We both stayed still not moving staring straight into each other’s eyes. If I wasn’t scared shitless right now I would actually be able to enjoy the beauty of this magnificent beast. It had copper colored eyes, a beautiful gold coat, a white under belly, and white paws.
Lover Betrayed (Betrayed #2) Page 3