Page 6 of Taken By the Wolf Daddy

I recalled the conversation I almost overheard this morning between my father and Jesse. “What’s happening?”

But I could already tell Dad was shutting down. He wasn’t about to tell me anything, of course, because he saw me as nothing more than a child. It was so freaking annoying. He was always like this. Not a lot of bad things happened in this town, but when they did, he tried to keep it away from me. I hated it.

“Dad, you know you can tell me if something is going on, don’t you? You’re worried about danger but won’t tell me if something is happening here.”

But still, he said nothing. He merely shrugged and the rest of our meal went on in awkward silence. I was so irritated that it actually made my chest hurt. I was going to have to find out somehow what was going on in this town if there was anything to worry about. I wouldn’t be kept in the dark because I wasn’t nine years old anymore. Dad kept telling me to stay in Wolf Mountain because it would be safer for me, but I sure as hell didn’t feel safe. Not with all the secrets flowing above my head. This was weird.

I slid beneath the covers a few hours later, the soft embrace of my bed wrapping around me. Despite the weariness in my limbs, my mind refused to settle down. I was wired and wound up from the day’s events, and it seemed like every thought and emotion was buzzing around my brain, preventing me from finding the peaceful embrace of sleep.

Jesse’s presence had injected a new kind of energy into my day. His rugged charm, his deep voice, and our playful rapport had left an indelible mark on my thoughts. I couldn’t help but replay our conversations, his smiles, and the way our eyes had met in moments of shared understanding. I wanted him to kiss me at that moment, however wrong it was. Especially when he had his daughter in his arms, but I wanted it none-the-less. I wanted him.

I used to dream about him a lot when I was a teenager, kissing and holding me. I used to dream about us having sex as well, his tongue all over me, his lips, his teeth… Perhaps that’s why no one else had ever measured up. Because they’re not him. But my teenage crush couldn’t affect my adult life. It just couldn’t. I need to stop thinking about him in any kind of way. I mean, technically he was my boss, and we needed to have those boundaries. It was the only way.

Tossing and turning, I tried to shake off the excitement that coursed through me. I knew I had to get some rest, especially with another day of looking after Belle ahead. But sleep remained elusive, and my heart continued to race as I lay there, my mind full of anticipation and desire.

The following morning, I stepped into the kitchen, rubbing my sleepy eyes. I did not do well with lack of sleep, and last night was hard. All I kept thinking about was Jesse all the time. I couldn’t switch off at all, which was not going to bode well for the day.

My father was there, sipping a cup of herbal tea and reading a book. The gentle ambiance of the house seemed at odds with the turmoil I felt inside.

He looked up from his book, concern etching lines on his face. “Marie, you look exhausted. Are you getting enough sleep?”

I hesitated for a moment, my heart pounding in my chest. I did not want him to find out I was all riled up over Jesse. He would kill me.

“I’m fine, Dad,” I replied, forcing a smile. “I’ve just been having nightmares lately, that’s all.”

My father’s expression softened with worry as he set his book aside and approached me. “Nightmares? Marie, you know you can always talk to me about anything that’s bothering you.”

I appreciated his concern, but I couldn’t bring myself to reveal the true source of my sleepless nights–the unspoken tension between Jesse and me. It was a forbidden attraction, a desire I was struggling to contain. A desire that would destroy him from the inside out.

“I know, Dad,” I said, my voice filled with gratitude. “But it’s nothing serious. Just a phase, I’m sure.”

He regarded me for a moment, his eyes searching mine as if trying to decipher the truth. Finally, he nodded, though the worry in his gaze remained. “If you ever want to talk about it, you know where to find me.”

I forced another smile, relieved that my father seemed satisfied with my explanation. “Thanks, Dad. I appreciate it.”

But there was still a lot of awkwardness surrounding us over breakfast. It was as if my father could tell I was lying but he didn’t yet know what about. I hoped and prayed he didn’t find out.

FOUR

JESSE

The late afternoon air was crisp and bright, just a normal, still day if I were just to look at it, but a sense of unease lingered in the air. The disappearances we had been investigating had weighed heavily on our minds, and we knew that something sinister lurked in the shadows. We just didn’t know what, or who.

I couldn’t even figure out who it might be because I didn’t want to point fingers without more information. But still, I feared a member of the Blackpaw Clan or the World Walkers.

As we ventured deeper into the woods, our senses were heightened and our instincts were on high alert. The faint rustling of leaves, the distant hooting of an owl–every sound was scrutinized, every movement analyzed. Lissa and Daniel were tracking well as Big Ed tried to figure out what each paw print in the ground meant. But nothing… We weren’t getting anything just yet, and that was incredibly frustrating.

I just wanted to know what was happening here so I could sort it out.

Then I got exactly what I wanted in the worst way possible. We found something. We stumbled upon something that turned our unease into gut-wrenching dread.

Amidst the trees, lay the mangled remains of a hiker. The guts were on the outside of his body, and he looked as though he had truly been mauled. It was a gruesome sight, one that sent shivers down my spine. The hiker had been torn to pieces. Some of his limbs had even been removed, leaving the ground beneath him soaked with blood. The evidence was clear–this had been the work of a large and savage animal.

The sort of animal that had caused the other deaths around here, too.

I wanted to find out who was doing this. I didn’t want to find another victim. This was not going to make the Patron happy.

I clenched my jaw, my mind racing with thoughts of the hiker’s family, of the innocent life that had been brutally taken. We needed to find out what had done this to protect our community from the threat that lurked in the darkness. To make sure no one else got hurt. Again.

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