Free Leashed by a Wolf by Cherie Nicholls

controlling everything.”
    “I told you before her family would never hurt her; they probably just let her think they’re following her instructions to keep her happy.” Heath dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand. Clearly Clara was clutching at straws. He would have to set her straight before she said something to the rest of the pack, or worse, to Laney herself.
    “Are you insane? Those men would never pull their punches, especially with one of their own,” Clara pointed out.
    Heath shook his head; she just didn’t understand. The St. Clair men treated Laney like he treated his sister, with kid gloves.
    “Now correct me if I am wrong, but did she not just get all up in your fangs too, Mr. Alpha?” Clara continued.
    “I would rather die than hurt her. She knows it’s a safe bet that she would walk away unscathed.” Heath shrugged.
    “Oh my God!” Clara threw her hands up in the air. “I swear you are as dumb as bricks sometimes! That woman has a vein of steel running through her, she’s stronger than you think, and she would prove it if you gave her half a chance,” Clara said before storming away, muttering about men and their shortsightedness.
    Heath watched his sister go with slight amazement. Clara didn’t get it; Laney wasn’t that strong. His Alpha female needed to be seen and feared and respected all at once, and that wasn’t Laney.
    Heath wiped his hands down his jeans and took another look around the edge of his land. He had to put thoughts of Laney and the future from his mind. He had to protect her until they could find Christophe and kill the threat he presented.
    “Dude!” Wall yelled, catching his attention. The other man waved a beer above his head.
    Heath smiled; yes he had a job to do, right after this beer.
    *
    Laney was trapped. She had tried to leave several times over the last few hours, ever since she had been unceremoniously kidnapped, but each time she made a move to go one of the pack stopped her. No one was using force; they would simply stop her and start chatting, some even asking her opinion on some mechanical issue or another.
    Now here she was long after the sun had set, sitting around the fire laughing and joking with a group of people that science would never believe existed.
    She shot a quick look at Heath, who was chatting with Wall. He had barely come near her since their earlier encounter. Snorting a laugh, Laney shook her head. Who was she kidding; he had barely spoken to her since he had rushed her out of his bed at the beginning of the week.
    Just about every day one of his pack had shown up at the garage, hung out and then left when she headed for home. Laney thought for sure her brothers would run them off, but on the first day she had found Wall and Duke in close conversation. Now that the pack had become part of the furniture she could barely move without tripping over one of them. The day before, she’d come out of the shower to find Clara going through her wardrobe, demanding to know who had bought her all these “manly clothes.” Once Laney’s heart had stopped trying to beat its way out of her chest, she’d calmly explained why she had her serviceable clothes.
    Laney wasn’t an idiot; she knew there was a threat, but what she couldn’t figure out was why he had put a protection detail on her.
    The only time Heath had ventured close since she arrived was to drop a plate of food in her lap. She’d considered throwing it at him but he simply raised an eyebrow at her when her stomach rumbled. Even her body was conspiring against her.
    She grabbed the empty paper plate and headed over to the recycling. Dumping the food waste in the bin provided, she tossed the paper into the paper bin. Laney shrugged. She shouldn’t be surprised that part wild animal people loved the environment.
    “So are you going to kill him quickly and should I get some sheets out to protect the floors from all the blood?” Clara asked as she came to stand with Laney.
    “I