“They were wolves. Clan MacMadadh closely guarded their secret and were careful who they considered a friend. As for the last wolf in Scotland, no one ever killed him. He died of natural causes years after seeking sanctuary and living peacefully with our clan.”

“I would love to know more about that time, but right now I am curious to know why you have offered me, a human, a position here at the preserve? Why not a werewolf?”

“You are perfect for the position. I wouldn’t want anyone else.”

“When did you make this decision?”

“After meeting you. Instinct assured me that you were the perfect choice, and I always follow my instincts. They never fail me. Think of the opportunity it presents, documenting a species believed to be only a myth.”

“And keeping it a secret,” she reminded.

“Until the time was right, if ever,” he corrected. “You cannot tell me that it doesn’t appeal to you… that I don’t appeal to you.”

She rested her fingers gently on his lips. “Far too much, which could present a huge problem.”

He kissed her fingers and moved her hand away to kiss her lips softly between saying, “So, I more than appeal to you.”

Her hand drifted down to land on his erection. “About the same as you find me appealing.”

“Keep your hand there and I will show you just how much you appeal to me.”

She grinned and challenged him to do just that with a gentle squeeze.

He was off the bed in a flash and stripped her naked from the waist down, then shed his clothes while she rid herself of her remaining garments. He dropped down over her, nuzzling her neck, then nipping playfully at it before his mouth moved to tease one nipple then the other. Her passion soared when she first touched him, now it catapulted with every touch, kiss, and nip.

It was more than just sex with Tiernan, more than satisfying a need. It was a connection that went much deeper, as if they somehow physically joined together as one heart, mind, and soul, as if they could feel the very essence of love.

She cried out his name in need. “Tiernan!”

He moved off her to stand at the edge of the bed, then took hold of her legs, spreading them as he pulled her toward him to slip easily into her. Then with each of her legs resting against his shoulders, he grabbed her backside and held it tight as he set a hard pounding rhythm that she met with enthusiasm.

It didn’t take long before they both were consumed by an explosion of passion that shook them to the core and left them satiated and lying breathless next to each other. He took hold of her hand as he always did, as if he didn’t want to lose the deep connection they shared.

Olivia couldn’t bear to think of losing what she found with Tiernan or the thought of him never holding her again, kissing her, snuggling against him in bed, making love. Damn, if itwasn’t true. She had instantly fallen in love with him, just as her grandma had done with Olivia’s granddad. The dilemma was that he never commented on the huge problem, their appeal, aka intimacy, would have on her accepting the position there, and now that she couldn’t deny that she had fallen in love with him… what kind of obstacle would that cause?

Later that night,they lay in his bed, Olivia snuggled against him and his arms wrapped around her, yawns heard from them both and sleep not far off.

“We need to talk, Tiernan,” she said.

“Aye, we do, but not tonight. Tomorrow is soon enough. Now we sleep.”

She couldn’t argue with that since she was fighting to keep her eyes open and was too tired to respond.

Something woke her, a sound or was it the loss of Tiernan’s body heat that left her feeling chilled. She sat up and glanced around the room not seeing Tiernan anywhere. Had he felt the need to hunt or prowl in the night?

The empty bed more than the thought left her unable to sleep. She got out of bed and slipped on her knee-hi bathrobe she had put on after taking a shower in his bathroom before bed. She intended to hurry to the kitchen, make herself a hot tea, and return with it to his bedroom, while seeing if Tiernan was anywhere to be seen along the way.

She hurried along the corridor and was about to turn to head to the kitchen when she heard a growl, and it sounded close. She stopped and listened and heard another growl, then another, both distinctly different from the previous one.

There were three wolves in the castle.

CHAPTER 10

Olivia made a hasty decision, turning in an unfamiliar direction and hurrying away, not considering that she might get lost, and she did quickly. With the short robe her only clothing, she chilled fast and got annoyed with herself for not stopping in her room to get her slipper socks. She hadn’t been thinking clearly, or had she? Had she been hoping to find Tiernan and have him warm her?

This section of the castle had only sporadic lighting and soft lighting at that, which made finding her way around difficult. She shouldn’t have been so quick to hurry off. But the encounter with the teen wolves had left her more shaken than she admitted to herself and instinct kicked in. If she had spared a moment to give it thought, she would have surmised that what wolves were in the castle were only there because Tiernan had allowed it. And while she might be lost, it wouldn’t take him long to find her once he discovered her gone from his bedroom and he picked up her scent.

She decided to find a room and stay put until he found her, though she hoped it was soon since she was growing colder. She wandered into a room, the only light a soft nightlight type ofglow, though it managed to cast enough light that she was able to see a wall switch and she tapped it.