Chapter Six
Vince: Crossing Paths Again
When I woke up, I realized three things. One, I was sore. Two, Lissa was nowhere in sight. That was a first for me. Usually, women clung to me, begging for me to stay, but Lissa was nowhere in sight, and that perplexed me. And three, well, I was kind of bummed she left.
The sun was setting, and I needed to get back on the road. I had a place to crash for the night in Memphis, which wasn’t too far away.
I couldn’t help but smile as I drove. I couldn’t get Lissa off my mind. What was worse was the fact that she got my wolf’s attention, too. No other woman had bothered my wolf before. No other woman had stirred me that way before, either.
The buildings grew more familiar as I made my way through Memphis. I stopped at a place to get something to eat and possibly locate a place to sleep. I just hoped my good friend and pack master of the Memphis pack had a room available. I planned to text him once I ordered something to eat.
Parking my bike out front, I walked into a familiar pub and caught Lissa’s scent, stirring my wolf and other things. I perused the room, searching the place for her beautiful face and head full of flaming hair, and found her in the corner, trying to get some guy to leave her alone. Oh, this wasn’t sitting well with me. I know she was an independent woman, but I needed to stand up for her deep down.
Quickly making my way toward her, I stepped behind the man and tapped him on the shoulder. “I believe she said to leave her alone.”
The guy turned around and sneered as he looked me up and down. “Fuck off, buddy! This has nothing to do with you.”
I couldn’t do that as he was bothering my woman, and if he didn’t leave, there would be a problem as it had everything to do with me. I snarled at the man, and he seemed to have found it humorous as he laughed.
He took a step closer toward me, squaring me off. He was a few inches shorter than my six-foot muscular frame, so I wasn’t impressed. The only thing he had against me was his weight, as he appeared bulkier, and I was sure that wasn’t all muscle. That’s where I outdid him.
I couldn’t contain the rumbling growl that emitted from me. My wolf was feeling challenged. As if the bulky man heard me, he huffed and walked away.
As if I flipped a switch, my mood changed once I caught Lissa’s eyes taking me in. “Little Red. Fancy running into you here.”
“I could’ve taken care of him if he didn’t listen,” she huffed playfully and gave me a wink.
“I know you could. I just wanted to hurry him along so I could take his place,” I flashed a toothy grin.
Lissa smiled in return, “You’re starting to grow on me.”
“Uh oh, can’t have that now, can we?” I joked.
“Two dominant loners? Probably not a good idea.”
I glanced at her nearly empty glass, “I do enjoy your company. Can I top you off with another drink?”
“Sure thing, Big Bad Wolf,” she grinned.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I like that. Very catchy.”
We got something to eat and ordered a few more beers when I asked if she had anywhere safe to stay for the night.
“I usually don’t sleep with someone more than once,” she retorted.
That caught me off guard, and I tried to brush it off with a small laugh. “I didn’t say anything about sex. I’m on my way to New York and have places to stay here and there. If you want a safe place to sleep for the night, I’m headed to a friend’s place. It’s a biker bar, but owned by someone who is part of the Memphis wolf pack.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything bad by what I said.”
“It’s okay,” I said calmly. “I completely understand. I won’t lie and say that I don’t enjoy your company when I do.” I paused for a moment before adding jokingly, “I mean, I find myself better company than that big burly guy that I ran off, but I can call him back over here if you’d prefer.”
That seemed to brighten her mood as she let out a cute laugh. “Okay. Maybe I’ll go with you. You know, just in case Burly Guy thinks he has a chance.”
“Yes,” I cheered playfully. “I’m the winner.”
She shoved me and laughed again, “You’re ridiculous.”
I couldn’t help but beam with joy, and my wolf seemed to enjoy her playful demeanor. It felt like we were already soulmates, making it worthwhile asking her to join me.