Maddison lay in her new bed, both furious and heart broken. Her wolf thought she was being overly dramatic and really had no need to be that upset. The wolf was angry over the injustices, but was not prone to human 'crying fits'. It seamed wolves lived more in the moment rather than contemplating the past or uncertain future.

  She heard a knock at her front door but didn't bother to get up. It was probably Kalie, and if she wanted to come in the door was unlocked.

  It was not Kalie. She knew that, the moment the knock came at her bedroom door next, that it was Reece. There was no mistaking that musky scent of man and autumn leaves. She growled into her pillow. He was the last person she wanted to see.

  "Maddison..." he sighed. "Um, look, I'm so sorry... all of those things you said, I agree with you alright. Taking a woman by force, no matter what time of year it is, is wrong. I want you to know that I have never done that and never plan on doing it."

  He paused but Maddison still did not speak. She wasn't even sure she wanted to hear anything he had to say right now.

  "I will never hurt you Maddison-never. But I cannot lie to you and say that I don't want you... I do. And its not just because of the Bonding Call. In the short few days I've known you, you have captured my attention better than any woman before."

  Reece sighed again and she could hear his fingers ripple through his hair in frustration. She could imagine his handsome face and her heart gave another painful twinge.

  "Look, I'm not, nor will I ever pressure you into anything, alright. Not into mating, not into joining my pack, not into st-staying... you are the one in charge here okay?

  Damn it Maddison... I am not backing down without a, fight okay. No man in his right mind would stand back and let a woman like you walk out of his life. Not unless he doesn't have a shred of a back bone or common sense."

  She could hear a growl build in his voice and he bumped his fist on the door frame in frustration. Not hard or aggressively, but she heard it all the same.

  "Call me a crazy person, or a stalker, or whatever! I don't care. But I will be damned if I just let you walk out of my life after only just coming into it!

  All I'm going to ask is that you give me a chance to prove to you that I'm not some crazy werewolf with only getting into your pants on my mind. For now, cant we be friends? Pack mates? I like you Maddison. AND I like Kalie. That one kind of surprises me. Flashy people usually get on my nerves..."

  Maddison really could not help but smile at that. Kalie did have a way with worming herself into people's hearts if they only just let her in for a moment. Not to mention, the fact that Reece seemed so flustered that he had begun to ramble was sort of endearing.

  "I know you are independent, and that becoming a werewolf, and needing a pack, seems to have taken that from you. But it hasn't! You'll be part of a bigger family now, is all. The only person you'll have to listen to is Ryan. And even then I doubt you'll let that stop you...

  You are, without a doubt, the most willful, stubborn, unpredictable woman I've ever met in my life! And I really really do not want you to leave..." she heard his hands spread out against the wood of the door. "I hope you stay and give life here with me and my pack a chance. Sure, there are cultural things that will take some getting used to, or under standing. I predict that you will be this packs Alpha female, and I want you to keep in mind that, as the Alpha female, you have some control over the pack... you can change things Maddison.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Ryan might want to think otherwise, but may even change his mind on things. Every pack polices its own to an extent. You will have the ability to change how somethings are done. If anyone can do that I know its you...."

  Idiot. What kind of convoluted, all over the place speech was that? Reece never struck her as the stammering heart-felt-speech type. Despite still being hurt, and lonely, and confused, and a million other things, she still felt better. He didn't have to- they really only just met one another- yet he still came up here to make her feel better?

  "I thought you were making us breakfast..." she spoke softly into the pillow, knowing full well that he could hear her.

  "What...? Yes! I mean, yes I am. I'll go do that right now. Kalie will come bring some up to you when its done."

  "No, I'll come down. Your making it and I'm not a baby... despite my recent, bratty, behavior."

  "Okay. I'll see you soon then."

  When Maddison went down the stairs and entered Reece's apartment, he and Kalie were laughing around the kitchen island as Reece pulled plates out of a cupboard. Liam was no where to be seen.

  "Hey!" smiled Kalie. "I was about to come get you."

  "I smelt food and my belly demanded I come investigate." She said with a small smile of her own.

  "Yes. Being a werewolf makes your belly more of a boss then normal." Kalie said seriously.

  "French toast and strawberries with cream." Reece said placing the three plates on the table. He seemed quiet and almost submissive. She didn't like it. He should be boasting, not trying to placate her. Even if her- mostly justified but probably overly dramatic- meltdown was mainly to blame.

  "Thanks." Maddison said, sitting on a bar stool. "Umm, after this, if I'm not needed for anything, I was thinking about grabbing a bus to Greg's place. I want to go get Mittens. Its weird not having her around."

  "I'll come with you. Reece says that the pack run isn't till the sun goes down, so we have lots of time. But you should know, animals don't like werewolves much. Us being large predators and all that."

  Maddison was stunned. She hadn't thought about that, but supposed that it made sense. "But Mittens has been mine since she was a kitten... and what about my job? I work at an animal shelter for God's sake."

  Reece and Kalie shared a sad look.

  "Sorry Maddie, you probably can't work there anymore." Kalie stated, patting Maddison's hand. "Mittens might warm up to you eventually, but you'll just end up scaring the animals at the shelter..."

  "Well what am I supposed to do now then...?"

  "What do you mean?" laughed Kalie. "Maddie, you are a rich lady now! You don't have to do anything. Heck, you can go make a huge donation to the shelter and help them out that way!"

  Maddison smiled, still stunned by the cheque that she now saw folded neatly on the edge of the island. Still, Kalie was right. She would miss working at the shelter, but really they could use the money more than what little help she had been able to provide. Besides, the last thing she wanted to do was stress out the poor animals by forcing her presence on them.

  "I'll drive you to Greg's place, the bank, and the shelter." Said Reece piling maple French toast on their plates. "Liam says I can have another day off, so I have absolutely nothing to do today. Chauffeuring a couple beautiful ladies around for the day sounds like an excellent idea to me." Grinned Reece, now dolling out strawberries and scooping thick white cream on top of them.

  "In the mustang?" Kalie asked excitedly.

  "It's the only car I've got." He sat next to Kalie and up ended the syrup onto his toast. "Why don't we make a day of it? I never get out anymore. Dinner can be on the 'rich lady'."

  Maddison couldn't help it; she laughed with Kalie. It was fun, being this way with Reece. She wasn't ready to hop into a relationship, but the light flirting and the playfulness between them? She did enjoy that.