"Damn it..." Reece breathed, running a hand through his already disheveled hair.

  What had he done? She was going to leave for sure now. Maddison certainly had the money to get as far away from him as she wanted. He glared at the cheque crumpled on the island. Kalie snatched it up, the look on her face revealing she knew what he was thinking and wouldn't allow him to force her friend that way.

  Every argument Maddison made was valid, but she just didn't understand! Why couldn't she see that he wanted to help her, protect her.

  She does not need us to protect her?

  She is a small, freshly turned werewolf female! She isn't even part of a pack yet! She needed him...

  She doesn't need us at all. Our mate can get by fine all on her own. Its what makes her so strong.

  I don't want her to get by on her own...

  Then we best make ourselves valuable enough to keep around, yes?

  You make it sound as if we are the submissive here!

  Are we not? We could dominate her. We have the power and the want. Do you think she would be glad for it?

  No... she would hate us. She hates us now. She thinks all we want is to take her...

  Reece felt the bile raise up his throat. Would he do that? When the heat came and she was ripe for mating, would he just take her? She would not fight him, not during the heat. Then, when it was over, she would hate him. But if he didn't mate her someone else would have to. An unfulfilled heat could be deadly...

  We must convince her that were truly are her mate. Not just because the Call says so, but because we love her.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  She wont accept that! Human's can't accept such things after know one another for a few scant days!

  Then its good that we have half a year to prove to her we are worthy.

  His wolf was right. Just because he felt the Call didn't mean squat to Maddison. The Call alone may have been enough, for a true blooded werewolf, but Maddison was not one of those.

  "You should go after her..." said a sad eyed Kalie while Liam watched.

  "Don't you want to?" he asked, dejected and a little snappy.

  "Yes, always..." she admitted. "But I learned to let that infatuation go a long time ago. Even if she liked women, or if I had been born a man, I would never have been the one for Maddie."

  "How can you say that? She would clearly destroy the world for you..."

  "Yes, she would. She loves me. And I am blessed to have that love. But it has never been, nor ever will be, a romantic one. With you there is a chance, though I don't know if your quite stubborn enough to accomplish it yet.

  She wasn't lying you know?.] She's only ever had two boyfriends, and neither of them could tough it out with her. For all of Maddison's powerful qualities, all the things that make her Alpha, she is still an insecure woman. She doesn't believe she is pretty, she thinks her eyes make her gross, she believes she is too short and too fat to be anything other than kind of cute.

  I love Maddison. And I'm afraid that there is no one else out there who will love her enough to be willing to put up with what she thinks are flaws. I don't want her to be alone forever. So if you think you can put your big boy pants on then, please, do so.

  Go after her! She probably won't let you in the door. If she does open it, it will be to scratch your eyes out. But I also know that, even though she won't tell you, she will remember forever that you wanted her enough to go after her, even knowing it would get you nowhere..."

  Reece clutched his fists. Irritation made him growl. Heartache made him run out the door. He would show Maddison that he was the mate for her!

  "You are far too nice to be a werewolf." Smiled Liam.

  Kalie shrugged. "All I ever do is put more stress on Maddie. Maybe this time I can get her something she really wants."

  "I hope so. Life around here will be much improved with her around. I'll even let her get away with calling me Lucky Charms."

  Kalie turned pale, she- at least- knew better than to insult a vampire who was known to have lived through the war torn times in the centuries past days of Ireland. Liam O'Shea was a well known bad-ass long before he became a vampire, during the civil wars in the mid-sixteen- hundreds. "She did not call you that..."

  "Twice." Laughed Liam.