Chapter Five

The water was liberating. Ann had underestimated just how badly she needed this soak earlier but after that intense encounter in the yard. Ann thought she would need a lot more than a long soak in some bath milk. When she had gotten back to her room, she could not get out of her clothes fast enough, the memory of that smoldering stare had made her skin burn.

The second she was nude she had drawn a bath and sunk into the water not even waiting for the tub to fill up or the water to temper. She just needed something to help calm her nerves. Thankfully some piano instrumentals, a lavender cooling eye mask, and some honey bubble bath milk later and she was finally calm.

Ann laid in the cooling water letting it calm her body as well as let the memory of that odd Were coming back into focus in her mind. Now calm and alone Ann figure she had time to think, to try and make sense of it all.

First, she had to get around the memory of those eyes. Never before had she lost her breath just by making eye contact. Eyes were the window to the souls as many said but damn. Calling those magnificent orb eyes was a bit of insult. She hummed putting together the image once again.

The storming grey of those irises was dangerous and wild, but the rich saturated greens near the pupil were calming. She swore she could smell fresh pine when she saw that green pulling her in. But the thing that had really caught her attention was the flecks of yellow that peppered throughout the other colors. She could not help but count each and every flack she saw in his eyes.

Even now thinking about that gaze that struck her holding her in place. That look tore apart every inch of being of her soul not to mention her clothing. That deep primal growl had broken the trance he put her in if only a little. Even now a bit later on her own.

The recall of that sound stirred something long forgotten and ignored in her body. She felt hollow and empty and fulfilled all at the same time. The now lukewarm water seemed like ice to her skin verse that warm arm that had held her so close. Ann shook her head dislodging the eye mask from her face.

No, she could not go down that road again. Though she never consummated a relationship with a Were she had dated one or two and it always ended badly. She refused to be some trophy or challenge again. Refused to be a toy as all the Were males she met thought of human women as.

Getting out of the now cold water Ann took off her headphones setting them on the floor then pulling the plug from the drain. She still stood in the tub as it emptied just watching the water flow away hoping that the odd Were's infatuation would fade just as easily.

Once the last drop fell down the drain Ann wrapped herself in one of the towels that the packhouse supplied the staff with. It was too small to wrap fully around her full frame.

Ann looked down at her body as she dried it wondering if maybe she should try to lose weight again. She was getting tired of that last bit of pudge that never left her belly.

Then decided against it that was what shapewear was for anyhow, and it was not like she planned on being naked in front of anyone any time soon.

Holding the towel to her chest covering her front she stepped out of the bathroom turning toward her borrowed bed. Her suitcase and clothing were stashed under the bed as the room was too utilitarian to really have a dresser or closet. Then again, she wasn't really surprised when she had first seen her room.

What did surprise her this time around was finding the large shirtless male sitting on her bed with one leg bent and the other stretched out hanging over the edge. His head resting on his crossed arms behind him.

"What on earth!" She cried but the male just shrugged his eye closed as he seemed to be just relaxing as if it was his room and not hers. She walked over to the male forgetting her nakedness as well as the fact that she had just gotten out of the bath standing in front of him. On hand on her hip as the other still held the towel absent-mindedly over herself.

"I thought the deal was y'all stay upstairs and staff stays downstairs," She shot at him waiting to hear what must have been a very good explanation. The male opened his eyes to look at her for a second before they turned hard and heated.

Another growl started to echo through the room shaking the bed and shaking something deep with Ann that once again she thought she had buried away and forgotten. "I suggest you put some clothes on before we talk." His words dripping with a heated promise that left Ann's face bright red. His deep voice echoing throughout her entire being body soul and all. "Unless you want to be fucked silly but your new mate before introduction." He smirked shifting to sit as if ready to launch himself to her. Ann shook her head quickly dropping into a squat to pull out her suitcase.

"No need for tha-that. Just give me a sec." Ann cursed her shaky voice and small stutter she had never be this shaken before by a male hitting on her and she did not like it one bit. Lair a small voice whispered in the back of her head but she pushed it away before grabbing the whole suitcase and running back to the bathroom to change. Another deeper growl echoing behind her as she closed the door.

Suddenly remembering that her back was completely bare Ann's face heated up even more so. She cursed under her breath trying to cool her embarrassment and find the most covering outfit she could before going and talking to him. When she opened her suitcase, she let out another curse.

She just had to have a habit of wearing nice lingerie under her clothing. Usually, it gave her confidence but Ann did not feel ready to face him wearing something some would consider sexy under her clothing. Nor did she think about her habit of wearing things that fit a little tighter to her body that made it easier for her to move in. Damn, she really needed to be more modest in the future. Now she just had to have a future because she was pretty sure the male outside her bathroom door wanted to eat her alive.

And not just as dinner.