Page 47 of Ravenous

“Wes,” I whispered.

“Mine,” he growled. Then he gripped my hips and stood.

I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me to his bedroom. We’d figure out what to do about Soraya. Together.

21

JOY

The next evening, I was settled once again on the back lawn of Rob and Willow Wolf’s sprawling ranch house. Marina had invited me over to hang out with the women of Wolf Ranch tonight while the men moved more cattle.

Since my house was borderline condemned, at least temporarily, and there was a chance for crazy-Soraya to stop by again, I was thrilled to spend the evening away from Wes’ house.

Remy was inside watching a movie with Lily, the daughter of Clint, another rancher.

Having lived in Cooper Valley my whole life, I knew most of the women here, but it was a delight to get to know them better. We sipped wine and nibbled on a gorgeous array of charcuterie. It seemed Marina did more than bake. I loved to be included as one of their group. There was a close knit feeling here at the ranch–not just among the men, but among the women, too. Luckily for me, it seemed that the moment I started dating Wes, they included me as part of their posse.

I was honored.

The group included Marina, who I loved, and her sister Audrey, Boyd Wolf’s wife and a local OB/GYN. Then there was Becky, who worked as a nurse with Audrey. The toddler, Lily, was hers.

Riley, Cody’s wife was here, and Emma, a newcomer from Los Angeles, who was dating Johnny. Natalie owned the ranch next door to Wolf Ranch, and last around the circle of chairs was Charlie, the ranch veterinarian.

“Where is Willow?” I asked, referring to Rob Wolf’s wife.

“Oh, she’s helping the men, actually,” Marina laughed.

“Good for her.” I popped an olive in my mouth. Willow seemed like a badass. If I understood correctly, she’d been undercover on Natalie’s ranch with the FBI when she met Rob. Insane!

Just then, Lily came running out, the screen door slapping behind her. “Mommy, I want to run with the wolves, too!”

A couple of the women glanced my way and laughed as Becky scooped the child up onto her lap for a cuddle.

“Are we theWomen Who Run with the Wolves?” I remembered the book my mom had by her nightstand years ago.

Marina laughed lightly. “Well, itisWolf Ranch, so we have to make all the wolf connections we can.”

“Right,” I agreed and stood. “Let me go check on Remy,” I said, since she would be alone in the house now. She’d been to the ranch more than me since she spent time here while Wes worked, but the house was big, and I knew she was a little afraid of the bad queen in the movie.

“She went to run with the wolves,” Lily said, tucked into her mom’s chest.

“Oh, she did?” I asked brightly. “Well, maybe I will go, too.” I went inside to the living room where the girls had been watching a movie, but Remy wasn’t there.

Where was she?

I looked in the bathroom and the kitchen but didn’t see her. “Remy?” I called.

A niggle of misgiving ran through me.

“Remy?” I shouted.

Now I understood why Wes had been so grumpy the evening we first met. He’d been worried when he couldn’t find his girl. Of course, he had. But now that I was dealing with the same thing, I had to fight a rising panic.

I swiftly walked back out to the lawn. “Lily, where did you say Remy went?”

Lily pointed away from the house. “Outside. To run with the wolves.”

Outside. Okay.

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