Leader of the Pack by Leighann Phoenix

step into her apartment forcing her back until he was able to close the door. They just stood there staring at each other without talking. Neither of them knew what to say.
    Cullen finally started, “I need to apologize to you for Jenna-“
    Annoyed, Aislinn cut him off. “No you don’t. Why should you have to apologize?”
    Cullen just wasn’t used to people behaving with him the way she did. He smiled, chuckled and shook his head. “Do you have any idea how unique you are?”
    Aislinn glared at him. She didn’t get what he was trying to say. All she knew was that she could smell him and he was so close. She couldn’t stop herself from wanting him and that was making her angrier and a little scared. “Do you have any idea how much of a jerk you are?”
    Cullen had to laugh. When he saw the confused look cross her face he explained. “Sorry it’s just been a long time since anyone seriously called me a name to my face. I’m sure plenty is said behind my back, but they generally make sure I don’t find out.”
    “Are you really this full of yourself?”
    He continued to smile. She growled under her breath. The smile finally dropped. Why was she growling? There were too many odd things about her. He was tempted to just ask if she was some weird kind of lycan that he had never scented before. “Look, I just thought that I owed you a bit of an explanation. I know that we haven’t exactly gotten off on the right foot.”
    “So what? Why exactly do you want to be friends so badly? I mean this is virtually stalking. In fact I’d say that you waiting outside my place is definitely stalking. I’ll admit that I do owe you for saving my ass the other night and for getting me that job, Lord Arnauk. When I figure out how to pay you back I will. But for now I think it’d be a good idea for us to keep our distance from each other.”
    Cullen flinched a bit at the use of his title. He had never hated his position before, but between Jenna and Aislinn he almost wanted to disappear and let the rest fight it out, deal with the raids, and the politics on their own. He nodded and headed back toward her door. As he got to the doorway he stopped and turned to look at her one last time before he left. “I guess I just thought maybe I wasn’t the only one involved in that kiss the other night. I was hoping we could at least be on talking terms.”
    “At least on talking terms,” she was glaring at him and her tone hit him harder than her kick had. “What are you trying to do? Start a harem? From what I hear you’re engaged to that blonde bitch.”
    “That’s a long story,” he said, no longer finding her amusing.
    “Okay, so explain why you would be back here after the other night and then dinner tonight? Why you could come back here and imply that you think we should be friendly .” She crossed her arms and stared at him, waiting.
    Cullen shook his head. “You know what? Never mind. You’re right. I shouldn’t have come here. Sorry.” With that Cullen left and closed the door behind him.
    Aislinn just stood there watching after him. As the argument she’d just had sunk in she threw herself down on her mattress sobbing. It was a long time before she fell asleep.
    * * * *
    Aislinn was standing in the middle of the street in front of her apartment. It was eerily dark and quiet. There were no stars or moon and the light from the street lamps seemed to be absorbed into the air as though it was being eaten by the darkness. The only sound she could hear was her own breathing and heartbeat.
    Aislinn looked up and down the street and felt as though she was being watched. She looked up at her apartment. It may have been a hole but it allowed for some protection. She briefly considered going up there, but something in her told her that it just wasn’t safe any longer. She looked down at herself and realized that she was completely naked. She didn’t understand it but somehow it felt normal and safer to be naked than to be