ke ways so o

like mour

Talts M

night trying to get as far ahead as she could, it was better than sleeping anyway as she was still dreaming of Hugh every time she closed her eyes. Still, even though she felt tired, she was still happier than she had felt in ages, to the

ening to see how Annie

are chatting, did you give anyone my address

't do that, w

y, “The man from the w

u alright? I can come over f

r off. “I'm just not sure how

sked Amelie, fearful

lunch.”rep

un

h, l

did y

a drink instead

nd

it was ok, I guess. We are goi

nt. “I'm so happy for you Annie,” then she pause

reying at the sides, tall, wide, you

. He asked if there was someone missing, even mentioned the dress you were wearing the night before, so we said you had left, he

definitely didn't give hi

d Jacques, we would

just not sure how he found me that's all.

Bleasdale and how well Sabine was doing as well as other mund

e, I will tell you something w

or you, I want you to

ou, and don't be buying a new ha

a second date!

laughed

ll the following week and then she went back to choo

o to control them. What if he doesn't call, what if he didn't like her and changed his mind, what if he found her a bit boring or plain. Annie looked down at the claret coloured wrap around dress and s

panted Sabine. “You'

it to pull itself together. Why did she give a damn what Hugh sodding Crozier thought anyway, stuffi

OWN

ne, steadying herself with mo

ofessor Lovell.”sh

ie, it'

Hello Hugh, how are you?” she c

cking we are still o

thirty, I hope that's ok.”Little Miss Insecure wa

nt. “I'm actually driving down now, w

, regaining her composure she a

The Stag aga

l see yo

on. Annie squeezed herself on the first bus that arrived, it was so packed she could hardly breathe but she didn't want to waste any time waiting for the next one. Getting off in town she walked as quickly as she could back home, grabbing a coffee she headed straight to her office to start marking. By seven she had managed to

bine said en

id Annie flustered, “We'

uld trip them up. Would she really give up everything, could she do that? Annie didn't think so. Well if this relationship was going to go anywhere, they were going to have to find a way. She wondered how Reivers felt about compromise, the

somehow resisted. He had spent the week torn between happiness and nagging worry. He was ecstatic they had met the weekend before and had started to get to know each other. He was overjoyed that his pups knew about Annie and were supporting him, he had never had secrets from them, well, except the one that would go with him to his grave, and he didn't want

ivers had schools on the territory of course but only up to high school level, any Reiver male who wanted to go engage in further education would go and study at a human university in the lowlands and as for the she-wolves, it would have been frowned upon for them to go to university at all. Hugh felt Annie would feel stifled with the Reivers and he began to realise that he really didn't have much to offer her and it wasn't a good feeling. In the short meeting he'd had with Annie, and with the information he had gleaned on her from G.M.I., he had discovered that despite it being drummed into him from being a young pup that he lived in the most sup

, they were taught from being young pups that life outside could be dangerous which most likely came from a more lawless time when packs would openly attack each other. He knew the Alpha would see Annie as a weak link because she lived outside the territory which left her vulnerable to anyone who decided to target her in order to attack the pack. Since the beginning of time, Reiver enemies had always been looking for a way into the closed ranks of the pack, and a way to hurt them. Their enemies were numerous, historical

e believed that Alpha Armstrong would find it hard to accept someone like Annie. She would be too outspoken and opinionated for his liking, he wouldn't want her influencing the other she-wolves into thinking that they could have an education and a life doing anything other than produ

his need to look into those eyes again, he tidied his desk and walked to his car. He called his valet and asked him to pack a bag for the weekend and headed home. He didn't want to wait another day, he had decided to drive to her right now and he hoped she would be fre

outside waiting for her. She had to smile, h

ting for her to reach him. He took the opportunity to stare at her, she looked beautiful as ever, her hair flowing out behind her as she walked. As she reached him he was going to kiss her cheek but she stayed out of reach. Annie felt a bit overwhelmed seeing him again these feelings were not helped b

it's very crowded in there so I thought it wou

” replied Annie. “It's always busy at the weekends

, but I'd like to see some of you

surprised. “We have a castle, looks great

e them both laugh. As they passed the market square Annie told Hugh about the annual music festival and further up the high street, was an old looking pub with a beautiful bay window made of stained glass which had acoustic music floating out from it. Finally, they crossed the ring road at the edge of the city centre dodging the taxis that flitted around the city bringing people for a night out. Annie p

earing her voice so Annie gave a potted history starting from when it was a wooden fort during the Roman times and through each stage of its development to the present day, explaining how most recently it had been a prison until its closure some twelve years previously and now was open for tourists. They had reached the bac

uay,” suggested Annie, “The students

ked around, this pub had a nice cosy feel to it, the log burner was lit and the lighting kept low adding to the ambience. Hugh watched his mate as she effortlessly engaged with the staff and came back from the bar with two pints of real ale which, she informed him, this particular pub was famous for. Due to the size of t

sked her about her work, her family, what her life was like growing up, he seemed to want to know everything. He told her about his child

ith him. To end the night they walked down by the river, it had been high tide and they watched as water now rushed its way back to the sea. As they were watching the water, a noxious odour hit their nostrils, turning to see where the offend

awled, attempting to sound like a gangster whils

at the sound and because of the murderous look on Hugh’s face. Taking a quick look a

member?”she said to him cheerfully, Hugh nod

ll and was the man was actually growling at him? In fact, they weren't just not scared, they looked amused, especially the woman. He tr

is?”Annie asked Hugh, ge

words in his skunk addled brain, Annie had sped to his side, bent his wrist up p

the items before pointedly dropping them into the river. “Now, you we

acing until the youth spun on his heels and ran for his life. Hugh ran after him ju

ell.”grinned Hugh as he

think I should have thrown the little prick in the river too.

angs, you know, the blending in thi

so stoned, I'm not even sure he will believe it when he sobers up.”she smiled at

linked her arm in his as they co