Page 11 of Meant for Her

CHAPTERFOUR

Malia hadn’t been able to sleep much last night, her mind having inappropriate fantasies about Luke and Ryan Lattimore. Good thing she had the day off today. If she hadn’t, she would be fairly useless at work.

After fixing a large cup of coffee and eating a substantial breakfast, she drove over to the Wildwood Rescue Center that her cousin Tawny Granger ran.

Malia needed to confide in someone or she’d burst. For some reason, she had a feeling that her mom would have the same reaction to the Lattimore brothers as Aunt Corrine did. Judging someone because they weren’t born into wealth was plain wrong.

When Malia reached the rescue center, she was happy to see Tawny’s car in the lot. Malia parked and went inside where she spotted Ariel’s brother manning the desk.

“Hey, Trent.”

“Malia. Don’t tell me you’re here to adopt a rescue?”

She chuckled. “I barely have enough time to take care of myself, let alone a pet. Pulling double shifts makes taking care of a pet next to impossible. Besides, it wouldn’t be fair to the dog or cat if I’m not there for them.”

“I hear you.”

“I’m looking for Tawny.”

“She’s in her office.”

“Thanks.”

Trent had been a success story, turning adversity into a positive. After his parents were killed in a car wreck, he’d raised his fifteen-year-old sister—the same sister that was now mated to Malia’s brother Benson.

Malia knocked on the slightly opened door, and then peeked her head in.

Tawny looked up and smiled. “Oh, wow. This is a nice surprise.” She stood, came around the desk, and gave Malia a hug. “To what do I have the honor of your presence?”

“I need your advice.”

“My advice? If it’s how to stop someone from bleeding to death, you came to the wrong person.”

Malia chuckled and sat down. “This is just between the two of us, okay?”

Tawny returned to her seat. “This sounds serious. What’s up?”

She explained about the two men who were brought into the Emergency Room. “The first thing I realized, besides the fact that they needed David’s surgical expertise, was that they were both werewolves. The second was that they are very possibly my mates.”

Tawny nearly spit out the coffee she’d been drinking. “Hold on. Back up a minute. Your mates? Don’t get me wrong, but you’re usually so in control. I mean, you have to be in your job.”

“I know! That’s the thing. Not that I’m indifferent to the opposite sex, I just haven’t had the time to focus on dating. I work too much.”

“I get that,” Tawny said. “But you have to make time for it. But before you pledge yourself to these men, tell me what you felt. It might have been sympathy for their situation.”

“I’ve been over this a million times. Sure, I was sad to see the abuse these men took. I learned later they watched rustlers steal their cattle. They tried to stop the six men and paid dearly for the effort.”

“What else did you feel?” Tawny asked.

“Besides lust?” Her cousin nodded. “It’s hard to explain. I know this will sound crazy, but it was almost as if sunshine was kissing every part of my body. I also felt this kind of energy fill me. I wanted to touch them and care for them.”

Please say this attraction is all in my head.

Tawny grinned. “I couldn’t have put it any better myself. That was exactly what I felt when I first met Alex and Liam.”

“Ugh. I so don’t need this right now. I plan to go back to school to be a doctor. Having a mate or two will only complicate things.” She then explained about Aunt Corrine’s reaction to the men and why she was hesitant for Malia to be around them for long.

“That’s not like Aunt Corrine.”

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