Wolf's Girl Ch. 01

"Gonna be a warm summer," her father remarked.

"Yeah. Mosquitos are gettin' bad," Giles answered.

"Yup."

"I'm startin' to feel the need to hunt soon."

"My kind of hunting or yours?" Carson asked.

"Mine."

"Hmm. Well, if you change your mind, I could stand to get away for a day or so."

Mack sat out there with them, off to one side in the covered swing. She was physically present, anyway. She said nothing, just listened to them talk. In the moments when silence fell, she listened to the night sounds. She examined the profiles of her father and Giles and wondered about their history together. She knew they had been childhood friends, and her father had represented Giles in a couple of court cases, but she suspected there was more to their story, some shared trauma that forged a bond between them. They acted like men who'd lived on the same battlefields. She suspected she'd never know what it was. Neither man was the sharing type. And then there were the family histories, something about their grandfathers or great-grandfathers bloody rivalry and so on back through history. She thought about asking her mother about it sometime, but she suspected that she didn't know the full story either.

Eventually, Mack went inside without a word.

She stood in the kitchen and braced herself on the counter. What was she going to do? Everyone hated her. Her own family hadn't even said anything to her when they got in the car. Their conversations with her and each other for the rest of the day were limited to simple mundanities.

She heard heavy, booted footsteps coming down the hallway that could only belong to Giles. He stopped in the kitchen when he saw her.

"Hey, squirt. I'm headin' out." He hesitated. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah."

Giles frowned. "Listen, don't worry about what my sister said today. She's just upset. It's not about you."

"But it's true, isn't it? If I hadn't left, Connor wouldn't have followed me. He'd be alive." Mack looked up and met his gaze.

The hollow look in her eyes pained him. She was too young for this. Besides, she wasn't the one who should take the blame. "It wasn't your fault, Macks."

The girl just shrugged one shoulder.

Giles looked closely at her expression. Was Macks capable of hurting herself? He briefly reconsidered taking Robert up on his offer to crash for the night on the sofabed. But surely she had both of her parents here to keep an eye on her? He laid a strong hand on her shoulder. "I'll be back in a few days. If you need someone to talk to then, we can."

She didn't look at him. She couldn't shake the image of Connor's bloody, mangled face. "Giles, what happened in LA? Did you find them?"

Giles frowned and adjusted his stance. He put his hands on his hips. "Yeah, we found them. Seems like Connor did manage to kill one. The local pack disavowed them. Said they were rogue. Outsiders. I'm not so sure, but I'd rather let them tell that story than start a war."

"Good. No one else should die. And the one who survived?"

"Justice was served," Giles answered, in a tone that said 'don't ask'.

Mack nodded. At least there was that small comfort.

"Oh, before I forget..." Giles reached for the wallet in his back pocket and pulled out several bills. "I sold your car. It's not much but that thing was a real rust heap and I had no way to get it back here. Hang on to this and I'll help you find something next week."

"My signature—"

"Forged it. Hope that was okay. And I closed out your apartment. I brought your stuff back, just what I could fit in checked baggage. I left the box over there in the hall. I couldn't do anything about the furniture--"

"It's okay. It was just junk I picked up." He'd always been like a second father to her, but his kindness toward her while she was in this state was almost too much for her to take. Mackenzie fought back a torrent of tears that threatened to break free. Her gratefulness toward him absolutely overflowed and she didn't know how to tell him how much his actions meant. She looked through the bills in her hand in disbelief. "Thank you. I don't even know what to say. You didn't have to do any of this."

"Nah." He ruffled her hair. "I couldn't leave my favorite freckle-face in a bind."

"You're amazing."

Giles smiled and the faint wrinkles around his eyes crinkled up. "You're pretty amazing too." He turned to leave, calling back over his shoulder, "Car shopping. Next week."

—————

True to his word, Giles took her out on Wednesday to find a new vehicle, "new" being a relative term. The one they settled on was an old truck with a lot of miles, but the tires would good and it would see her through harsher weather. She gave the seller the $700 Giles had given her for her old car, and with Giles' help, signed for the rest. When she did, she realized too late that there was no way her old junk heap had sold for that much money. Yet another thing she owed him for. He was too good.

"So," Giles said as he patted the hood. "It's not too bad. Your dad and I can find some new parts, work on it a bit. Like it?"

"I love it. Thank you."

"What's next, Freckles?"

"I'll have to find a job, I guess, maybe at the parks, or the resort. Beyond that, I don't know."

Giles smiled. "Well, you could always help me manage private lands, but honestly, the work is boring and I pay in shed antlers."

Mack grinned back. "That's bullshit. You just like being alone."

"Ha. Caught."

——— = ———

The next month and a half passed without incident but also without progress. There were no job prospects in town — she would have to go much farther, into the tourist areas, if she wanted work. Her father gave her that month's payment for the truck. She did wonder, from time to time, if killing herself was what she was supposed to do. She didn't want to die. She just didn't know how to live with the status quo. The looks she got from people in town that she didn't even know, all the whispering when she passed; it was too much. And the bits of conversation she overheard from her parents went from what to do for her to what to do about her. Something had to break.

Mack wanted to do the right thing. She really did. She just had no idea what that was.

—————

The Fourth of July came. Normally this would have been one of the heights of the Innes family social calendar. Her mother loved playing hostess. Every year, friends and family packed themselves into the back of their house and enjoyed a big barbecue. This year, the crowd was noticeably thinner and the leftover food would last them for days. Conspicuously absent were Connor's family. She had avoided the subject with her mother, so she didn't know what, if anything, had happened beyond the words exchanged at the funeral.

"Hope you didn't start the party without me," a familiar voice boomed out over the music. Giles went over and shared a hug with Carson, and for an all-too-brief, shining moment, it was like this time last year. Andrea hugged him too, looking grateful.

Mack remained in her favorite corner on the covered swing and watched. She'd made an effort to clean herself up and be present, for her family's sake, but all she really wanted was to slink back into her room and hide. The arrival of Giles mitigated that feeling somewhat.

No one was talking to her. Not that she blamed them. She wouldn't have talked to her. She was the youngest adult present by several years. She was content to observe the small crowd, which seemed to mostly consist of her father's co-workers. That was fine with her, though. Trying to make light conversation was still beyond her abilities.

Her gaze eventually drifted back to Giles, who was deep in conversation with her father and a couple of guys. It was the first time she'd really seen him laugh since Connor's death. He looked like his old self again. Seeing him smile made her want to smile too.

Mack, if pressed, would have named Giles as the best looking man present by far. Just objectively speaking. It wasn't just his intensity or his size. More than once, she'd thought the brooding gentleness in his eyes and his square, stubbled jaw would have been well-suited to the pages of a pinup calendar. Even his long nose, broken and reset, added to his looks rather than detracted from them. His eyes shone with a fierce brightness. He always marked "Hazel" on government forms, but they looked bright gold when the sunlight hit them just right. She felt they enhanced his already primal, animalistic appeal.

Giles caught her staring. He sat in a folding chair, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, longnecked beer suspended by two fingers between his legs. He returned her look with a lingering one of his own, followed by a dimpled grin and a wink. He smoothly picked up the conversation again without interruption. No one else seemed to have noticed the exchange.

Mack felt a warm flutter in her chest. Feeling slightly flushed, she hid her excitement, calmly rose from her spot, and quietly exited the party. Mack went upstairs and shut the door to her room behind her. What just happened? Mack wasn't so naive that she thought Giles was hitting on her, but it felt really good all the same. Why couldn't she find someone like him? Warm, steady, sexy as hell.

Several thoughts bubbled up all at once. Suddenly, she knew. Giles. Giles was the answer to everything.

She needed to show her good intentions toward the pack. She needed to show she meant well, that she was a productive member. She needed to make amends with his family and return honor to her own. Most people still remembered her from her very public tirade at the pack meeting where she was supposed to have agreed to the arrangement between Connor's family and hers. They didn't know the whole story. They didn't know how much she'd cared about Connor as a friend. They didn't know how dearly she just wanted to make everything right again.

But Giles... Giles had no mate of his own. She didn't know why, just that he'd never had one. As far as she knew, he'd never even had a steady girlfriend. Wait, was he asexual? Gay? Mack tried to think — no, a few years ago she'd overheard Giles talking to her father about a cocktail waitress he was seeing. The conversation had definitely not been meant for her ears. And he'd apparently given Connor a few tips for the bedroom, one of which she'd enjoyed very much. So, Giles enjoyed women. Why didn't he have anyone?

If she was Giles' mate, especially if she gave him children, that would fix everything. It didn't have to be a love match. She knew he cared about her and that was enough. But could she do it? Her and Giles? The idea started a few pleasantly tipsy butterflies in her stomach as she recalled the times she'd caught him coming out of the shower in nothing but a towel. She could feel herself getting warm and wet at the thought already.

Mack tempered her fresh, excited feelings with a reality check. They'd never go for it. Not her family, not Giles. She couldn't just bring this idea up over Sunday dinner. Everyone would be embarrassed at the suggestion and things would be awkward forever. No, she'd need a plan. First, she had to know if Giles could even be attracted to her. Even if he was, he'd deny it, of course. Maybe if she convinced him her attraction to him was real...

Maybe she could just show up at his cabin.

——— = ———

Giles turned his truck onto the dirt road that traversed the low incline to his part of the woods. There was nothing but his cabin at the end, hidden among the trees. It was a quiet, serene place. Perfect for hunting on all fours, if he ever felt the need. It also wasn't too far from some good fishing spots.

As he came in sight of his cabin, he noticed Mackenzie's truck parked in front. She sat on the log bench on his front porch, looking at the ground until she heard his truck approaching. She wore a serious, introspective expression. He thought he detected nervousness.

The look worried him, but Giles put on his usual, affable smile as he hopped out of his vehicle. "Macks? What are you doin' all the way out here?"

She didn't say anything at first, just looked at him. "Just need to talk. Is it okay that I'm here?" she asked.

"Of course. You're always welcome. You know that." It was odd that she would come out all this way by herself — she'd only visited before with her family — but he sensed something was deeply wrong. He nodded toward the door. "Hope you weren't waiting long. You could have gone inside, helped yourself to a drink or somethin'."

Mackenzie followed him in. "It's okay. It's kind of nice out today." She felt her breathing pickup a little. They were alone, just the two of them, in a remote cabin. She was suddenly aware of his intense masculinity... his height, the size of his muscles, the faint, musky scent of his sweat. She was, at once, both drawn to him and terrified. No matter his reaction, it would change their relationship forever. Was she really going through with this?

The interior of the cabin matched the occupant: rough around the edges, in need of daily care, but comforting. The whole place smelled pleasantly of the cedar used for the walls. It had just two rooms, a living area and a bedroom. The kitchen was just a single counter and a sink with a bucket underneath. Nearby, open shelves served as a pantry. There was no toilet or bathroom inside. Any washing up had to be done at the sink, and for everything else, there was an outhouse.

Giles reached into an electric cooler and pulled out a beer for himself. For her, he held out a can of soda.

She shook her head, murmuring a 'thanks'. He put it back.

Giles popped off the cap to his beer, took a long drink, and set it aside. "How's the job hunt? Anything?"

Mack shook her head again. "Nothing yet. I'm still volunteering at the parks. They'll let me know if something opens up."

"That's good! Glad you're getting out of the house."

Mack just nodded. She studied the pattern stamped into her battered cowboy boots. She took a while to work up the courage to say something, but Giles didn't interrupt. He knew she had something important on her mind and he let her find her voice on her own.

"Giles... do you think I'm pretty?"

His forehead wrinkled in concern. "Of course, Macks. You're a gorgeous girl." He shook his head in confusion. "Why are you asking?"

"That's how parents reassure their children. I really need to know, Giles. Do you think I'm attractive?" She couldn't hide the worry in the way she asked it. What if he didn't like her? Her whole plan would fall apart. She looked up at him without moving her head. Her blue-green eyes gazed nervously back at him through her lowered lashes.

Giles was not oblivious to the vulnerable sensuality hinted at in her look. He noticed that she was actually wearing a little bit of makeup today, which was unusual. She truly was beautiful. She had a pert little nose under a scattering of freckles; a small, rosepetal pink mouth; and those large, lovely blue-green eyes. And her body—

He shifted his weight to the other foot and cleared his throat. Unsure of where she was going with this, he addressed her very directly. "Macks, you are extremely beautiful. You don't need to worry about that." He felt his heart skip a beat at those words. He rubbed the back of his neck. "What's this all about?"

Mack watched him carefully as he gave his answer. Wait, he was nervous. Why would he be nervous unless some part of him responded to her?

With her heart racing, she swallowed once and approached him. She stood close, too close to be merely friendly, and put a hand on his chest. He didn't move. His face showed confusion... and just a flicker of want hidden underneath. She could feel his heart thumping solidly under her hand. She looked up into his searching eyes, then leaned in and kissed him. It was a sweetly innocent kiss, just her full lips tugging softly against his, but it hinted at deep longing.

Giles knew he should move. He was aware when she started to approach that her intent was something... less than proper. He wanted to move. Somewhere in the back of his mind he panicked, but it did nothing to help motivate his muscles. Then their lips met. It was a perfect kiss. He wanted it to continue. Macks was kissing him and he liked it. His best friend's daughter was—

Giles suddenly pulled back and grabbed her very firmly by the upper arms. "Macks. Stop. Stop. What are you doing?" He spoke gently to her, sympathetic, not angry.

Mack stayed close. She whispered, "I— I need you, Giles. I want you." She leaned in for another kiss.

He turned his head slightly and stood straighter, restraining her with a gentle hold on her arms. "I'm not in love with you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry if I gave you that impression."

"I know. This isn't about love." It did hurt a little to hear him say those words. Maybe she had been secretly hoping for some deeper affection on his part, but she knew what they shared would only be physical.

"I've never even thought of you like this," he objected. "Never. Yes, I've noticed you're beautiful. It's hard not to. But I've never looked at you that way, I promise. And I'm not attracted to you now." He knew his words weren't exactly the truth, but it was what she needed to hear.

With her arms pinned down, she could still reach the bulge increasing in his jeans. She caressed it. "Your body says otherwise."

Oh christ. He felt his cock respond shamefully, eagerly to her touch. With a monumental effort, Giles released her arms and took a step back. Since the space was small, it left him against the counter with nowhere to go. He should run. He should throw her out. Do something. Why wasn't his brain working?

Mack gazed into his eyes. She reached up and slowly began undoing the buttons on her gingham shirt, revealing her bra underneath. It was white with little peach polka dots, an absurdly innocent garment for what she was up to, and enhanced her full cleavage.

Giles couldn't help but stare. Her breasts looked so soft, so inviting. His eyes were drawn to a delicious little bare spot right between them that was marked with a tiny bow. He'd seen her cleavage before, they'd all gone swimming at the lake a few times, but this was the first time he'd ever seen it. The wolf inside him was fully awake. It wanted him to nose at her, to sniff her neck, and bury his face between her breasts.

Mack closed the distance between them and reached for his belt buckle. She smoothly unhooked it and parted the fly on his jeans.

"Macks..." Now. Right now. This was the part where he was supposed to put a stop to this. Instead he just watched, fascinated and transfixed, as she reached in for his cock and dropped slowly to her knees. He was completely hard, in spite of himself.

She put a finger to her lips. "Shhh." She stroked up and down the length of his penis. Before he knew what was happening, she had her lips around the head and was running her tongue in circles around it.

Fuck. He was going to hell. He had to stop this. He had to. He couldn't let her just keep sucking on... oh god. It had been so long since he'd been with anyone and now... oh dear god, her mouth felt good. Her mouth. Her tongue. Her lips. Macks was a great little cocksucker.

Something jerked awake in his brain and he yanked himself away from her with a wet pop. He tried, painfully, to stuff himself back into his jeans. "Okay, okay. Enough. Macks, get up. Get up."

She was so surprised by his sudden retreat that she fell back a little. She looked up at him, questioning, with hurt and surprise. Macks got to her feet, turned her furiously blushing face away from him. She would not cry. Not now.

"Macks, what is happening? Why this sudden..." He couldn't bring himself to describe what just happened in words.