 
# Garden of the Wolf #1

### Werewolf Shifter Romance

## Mac Flynn
Copyright © 2019 by Mac Flynn

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### Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Continue the adventure

Other series by Mac Flynn

# 1

"Deer!"

My friend's finger practically jabbed into my eye as she pointed at the placid creature chewing on some grass some twenty yards off the road. I grabbed her hand and pushed it away from my face. "Will you not do that while I'm driving? It's bad enough I don't know the road," I growled.

It wasn't that great of a road, either. It was only graveled, and there were some sharp corners I couldn't see around because of the steep, wooded hillside on our left. On our right was a gradual drop-off to the forested, bowled valley below. All around us was a forest of thick, ancient trees that spread their branches over the small, one-and-a-half car road. If a semi came along we'd be toast.

But before I get too into detail with this trip let me introduce myself. The name's Abigail Lee. Abby to all my friends, and some other names to my enemies. I was your average office girl who squeaked by on my salary. You notice I used the past-tense on that whole 'average' part? Well, that's because a few things changed, and it all started with that drive up a mountain road. It was all Susie's fault. That's my friend who tried to jab my face with her finger. Susan Baker, plotter extraordinaire. She got it into her head that we both needed a vacation away from our doldrum lives, and going to the mountains and getting ourselves killed on this back road was just the thing.

"Well, you wanted to drive," Susie argued.

"Yeah, but I didn't know you weren't going to be much help. You've pointed out every squirrel, chipmunk and deer we've passed," I retorted.

Susie shrugged. "Hey, I've only been up here once, remember? What's a city girl like me to do when she sees some wildlife?"

"Sit still and behave," I suggested. I ground my teeth as we came upon another corner in the dirt road. "How far is it to this resort again?"

Susie rubbed her chin. "Well, we've been off the paved road for about a half hour, and the air's starting to get pretty thin, so I'd say we're almost there."

I sighed. "Tell me again how you talked me into going to this resort."

"Because you love me and I batted my eyelashes at you. You know you can't say 'no' to my eyelashes," she replied.

"Uh-huh, I recall that conversation a little differently. There was something to do with a large lake and some relaxation," I argued.

Susie shrugged and leaned back in her seat. "Well, there was that. Oh, and the discount because this is my second time up here and I referred a friend. That helps."

We rounded the corner on the gravel road and there was another mile of straight washboard road ahead of us. "And why exactly is this such a great place again?"

Susie pulled a brochure from her purse at her feet and unfolded the flaps. "Because it has its own lake, hot springs, restaurant and hiking paths, and it's all out in the middle of a really large forest."

"I don't see that last part as being a selling point unless someone's aspiring to be a serial killer," I countered.

"We could think about changing occupations," she teased.

I snorted. "Yeah, you do that, but what's the name of this place again?"

"The Gardens."

"And a resort in the middle of the forest is called that again why?"

Susie rolled her eyes. "You're such a worry-wart."

"And forgetful, so humor me," I returned.

"It's called The Gardens because they make their own food up there," she explained.

"They _grow_ their own food, you mean," I corrected her.

"Yeah, that, and that's why everybody comes here, because they advertise the food as being rejuvenating. We're going to stay there for what they call a session, which is two weeks long, and we'll feel refreshed and younger," Susie told me.

I snorted. "Sounds like a Fountain of Youth type of thing. You sure we're not paying half price for a full scam?" I asked her.

Susie crossed her arms over her chest and turned her annoyed eyes on me. "I'm living proof that it works."

A grin spread across my lips. "But not intelligent proof. Maybe I should have asked for a second opinion."

She stuck out her tongue and picked up the brochure in her lap. "You might think I'm crazy, but everybody who's anybody comes to this place to lose a couple of years. I lost ten pounds being there, and I swear I lost ten years."

"So you went from twenty-two to twelve?" I teased.

"Twelve and a half, but I really do almost feel like I should be going to school and pasting posters of hot boy bands on my walls," she returned.

I cringed. We shared the same apartment. "Please don't. I don't know how I'd explain that to anybody who visited us."

"Nobody visits us, and that's another reason we need to get out more," Susie commented.

"The spinster life not fun enough for you?" I wondered.

"Abby, there are guys in the world. Needy, bachelor-type guys who are just aching to have their way with us," Susie told me.

I snorted. "Those must be the ugly ones because I don't see any handsome ones falling over each other to get at us."

"That's because we don't get out enough!" She tapped the back of her hand against the brochure. "We go here, find a couple of rich, handsome guys, and then we're on track to a life that doesn't involve pushing papers and making creatures out of paper clips and staple removers."

"I kind of like making those creatures," I defended.

"Yeah, but for the rest of your life? That's what nowadays? Seventy, eighty years more?" Susie tilted her head toward me and her voice took on a more serious quality. "Come on, Abby, you know we could do better than the dead-end life we're leading."

I pursed my lips and glanced out my window. She was right, kind of. We could do better than going to work, coming home, sleeping, and rinse-and-repeating. "We could also do a lot worse," I argued.

"How?"

"We could be out of jobs and kicked out of our apartment."

Susie looked forward and rolled her eyes. "You're too practical. That's another reason why I'm dragging you up here, so you can get some experience in being impractical and having some fun."

"And you needed me to get the discount," I reminded her.

She sheepishly grinned. "Yeah, and good thing we got our reservations in early. I heard they stopped offering that referral discount a week after we got the cabin. Something about getting too many referrals."

"Well, if they're advertising themselves as the next Fountain of Youth then they were probably losing their shirts," I agreed.

A faraway look slipped into Susie's eyes and a lecherous grin slipped onto her face. "I hope some of the managers lose their shirts. They're not bad. Heck, everybody up there's like some sort of a god, even the cabin attendants."

"The cabin attendant is the person we have to deal with a lot, right?" I asked her.

She gave a nod. "Yep. They're pretty much our personal servant. They get us food, drinks, they clean the place, everything. I got a cute guy the last time who gave me a really nice massage."

My eyes flickered over to her. "You're drooling."

Susie clapped her mouth shut and shrugged. "He was a really good massager."

"Masseuse," I corrected her.

She scowled at me. "There you go trying to be Miss Perfect. You need to relax."

My hands clenched the steering wheel as we rattled through another mess of washboard. "I'll relax when we get there." I glanced upward and noticed the sun would set in three hours. "How far is this-"

My question was answered when we rounded the next corner. The trees and road opened to reveal a large flat meadow of over a hundred acres near the top of the mountain. At the front of the acreage and closest to us was a two-floor lodge hewn from the local logs. The balcony on the second floor hung over the front of the ground floor and created a comfortable porch. Large windows on both floors allowed us to see a spacious lobby with high, open-rafter ceilings which extended to the back of the lobby. From there a wall separated the back lower-half of the lodge from the front, and a pair of doors on the ground floor, along with a balcony on the second floor, allowed access to the inner depths of the building. Along the left side of the lodge was another dirt road that wound its way into the woods behind the building, and near the road was a small parking lot with half a dozen golf carts.

The road ran past the front of the lodge to small, two-room cabins made from the same woody material. The last of the cabins signaled the end of the road, and it curved back to the lodge. The thick forest lay on our right and behind the lodge. There was parking in front of the lodge and along the sides of the cabins. I took a spot in front of the lodge and we stepped out.

I tilted my head back and gazed at the full scale of the lodge. "What's the lodge used for?" I asked my friend. When I didn't receive an answer I turned to her and found Susie's eyes glued to the golf carts. There was an eager devilish grin on her face that I knew all too well. I looped my arm through hers and pulled her toward the lodge doors. "Come on, you can wreck them later," I told her.

"But golf carts! Driving!" she protested.

"Didn't have your fill of wrecks last time you were here?" I teased.

"They weren't here on my last trip," Susie told me.

"Well, they'll be there later, so let's check in," I persisted.

We walked inside and over to the long desk on the right side. A wrinkled old woman of about eighty stood at the desk and by the scowl on her face she wasn't happy. "I demand a male attendant for my cabin," she insisted.

The young, handsome man across the desk smiled at her, but shook his head. "I'm sorry, Miss Platt, but we're short on staff and can't change attendants. I'm sure Lindsey will satisfy your needs."

The old woman scoffed. "Not all of them, but we'll see. I'll be putting this in my review of this place, you mark my words."

The young man bowed his head. "We look forward to hearing about your experience." The old woman made one more huff and stalked off toward the doors. She pushed between us and marched outside. The young man noticed us and his smile brightened. "Hi Susie, it's great to see you again."

Susie stepped up to the desk and I followed. She nodded at the doors where the unhappy guest had gone. "After dealing with her I'd be happy to see anybody else."

The man shrugged. "I'm sure she'll be pleased with Lindsey. She's one of our most experienced attendants. Anyway, I saw your name on the list and have your cabin ready." He reached below the desk and pulled out a key. "It's cabin fourteen, close to the trails to the lake."

Susie took the keys and batted her eyes at him. "You sure know how to spoil me, Frank."

"We try our best to spoil all of our guests," he countered.

I rolled my eyes and looped my arm around one of Susie's. "Come on, I want to collapse on a soft bed."

Susie yanked on my arm and I stumbled against her. "Frank, this is my friend, Abby. Abby, Frank. He's the mastermind behind this place."

Frank chuckled and held out his hand. "I try to run the front desk, but Mr. Young and Mr. Nelson handle the big decisions."

I smiled and shook his hand. "Well, you handled that unhappy woman just now pretty well."

Susie leaned one elbow atop the desk. "Yeah, about that. Are there a lot of those around this session?"

"That's a possibility that can happen during any of the sessions," he replied.

"Susie, could we please go check out our cabin?" I pleaded with her.

Susie let me pull her away from the desk, and she waved to Frank. "All right. We'll see you later, Frank."

Frank returned the wave. "I hope you enjoy your stay," he called back.

# 2

I dragged her outside and to our car. "Which one of these is our cabin?"

She nodded at the row of cabins. "There's twenty cabins, so it's near the end."

We packed into the car and I drove down the numbered cabins to fourteen. The space between the cabins was enough that there were small natural lawns around three sides. I pulled into the gravel driveway beside number fourteen, and we stepped out with our bags slung over our shoulders. The cabin was a square twenty-by-twenty foot building with a smaller second room on the back for the bathroom. Windows were on every wall, and a small wood porch covered the front door. As we moved toward the cabin the door was opened by a young woman of eighteen.

She had a bright smile on her face and the prettiest blue eyes I'd ever seen. They suited her long blond hair that was pulled back in a braid. Her complexion was fair-skinned but for the tan, and she had a name tag on her white blouse that read 'Linda.' She wore black pants with matching shoes, and walked with the lithe gait of a gymnast.

The young woman met us on the porch and held her hand out to us. "Hi, you two must be Susan and Abigail. I'm Linda, your attendant."

Susie being the more friendly of us stepped forward and gave Linda's hand a good shake. "You can call me Susie, and this is Abby," she introduced us.

Linda bowed her head and stepped aside. "It's a pleasure to meet you both, and I hope you'll find your stay here comfortable. I've prepared your cabin, but tell me if you need anything changed or moved and I'll be glad to do it."

"If it's anything like my last trip then it'll be perfect," Susie replied.

Susie stepped inside, and I followed her. The large main room had a real wood floor and the wood walls were smoothed and polished to a bright shine. At the back wall was our beds, and on the far left of that wall was the door to the bathroom. There were two dressers on the right-hand wall, and on the left front wall was a small living area complete with two chairs and a coffee table, but no TV.

Susie strode over to the bed closest to the bathroom and tossed her bag and herself onto the soft, hand-quilted covers. She bounced a few times and her eyes swept over the room. "Not bad. I like the extra dresser. There weren't two in my last cabin."

"That's because you were alone. I made sure to have two when I heard you were bringing a friend," Linda explained.

I walked over to the other bed and sat down. The mattress was bouncy, but not too bouncy, and there was a softness in it that made me drowsy. "But no TV," I noted.

Linda smiled and shook her head. "No, TVs and most other electronics aren't allowed in the cabins. We like to emphasize exercise, and we have some wonderful paths to hike and a large lake to swim in."

"What about cellphones?" I asked her.

"There are no cellphone towers for reception, so the only phone that works here is a land line in the lodge and-well, an emergency one elsewhere," she informed me.

I pulled out my phone and looked at the reception bars. Nothing. Not even a one little one. I cringed. "I was joking about the serial killer thing," I mumbled.

Susie whipped her head to and for and her smile broadened. "But isn't this great? No phones, no TV, and-"

"-no hope of outside help if a forest fire happened," I added.

Linda shook her head. "Oh, we don't have those. Scott-um, Mr. Young keeps very good care of the property and thins the sick and crowded trees. He's the manager and owner of the Gardens, you know."

"What about those golf carts near the lodge?" Susie spoke up. "I don't remember them being here last time."

"They're new, and only used to help the more elderly of our guests get to the hot springs," Linda explained.

Susie's face drooped. "Damn," she muttered.

"But if you'd like I could drive you up to the springs one day. The keys are left in the carts for easy use," Linda added.

Susie sighed and shook her head. "It just wouldn't be the same as driving it myself."

"Yeah, less collateral damage," I teased.

My friend stuck her tongue at me and returned her attention to Linda. "So when's dinner?"

"Anywhere between four-thirty and seven, but tonight you're asked to attend at five-thirty for the initiation ceremony at six," Linda told us.

While Susie asked about the dinner options I wandered into the bathroom. It was a spacious area with a large counter and a combined shower and tub. At the far back was a window to the rear of the cabin and the woods that lay beyond it. I opened the sliding window and peered out. The trees were thinned to several feet apart as Linda had said, and trails wound between them and out of sight into the woods.

Movement caught my eye and I noticed a man jogging along one of the paths that ran parallel to our cabin. I couldn't help but gawk at his handsome appearance. He was tall, about six feet, with short blond hair and a tanned complexion. He wore a thin, sleeveless white shirt that showed off his abs, and his black shorts showed off his tight thighs and leg muscles. Nothing was too bulky or too thin on him. He was just the right bit of porridge for a desperate girl in need of male companionship.

"What ya doing?" I jumped and spun around to find Susie peeking her head around the door.

"Don't do that!" I scolded her.

She narrowed her eyes and opened the entrance. "You look like I just snuck up on you with your hand in the fridge. What were you doing?"

"What? Nothing. I was just looking out the window at the-um, the scenery," I replied.

Susie moved to stand at my side and peeked out the open window. Fortunately the jogger was gone, lost to the trees and his own life. "Nice view, but you can't see the lake from here," she mused.

I snorted, but was secretly grateful for the change in conversation. "So there is a lake? I thought maybe you'd made it up," I teased.

"Nope, and I'll show you." Susie grabbed my wrist and pulled me from the bathroom. We entered the main living quarters and I noticed Linda was gone.

"What'd you do with Linda?" I asked her.

"I ate her, so let's go for a short walk so I can work off some of this extra weight," Susie retorted.

"Uh-huh, but seriously, where'd she go?" I persisted as she pulled me outside.

"She went to get our table ready and help out with that dinner thing. They don't usually have everybody eating at the same time so it's going to be busy," she told me.

We stepped outside and took a sharp left along the front wall of the cabin. Susie pulled me to the rear of the cabin and toward the paths I saw from the bathroom window. I wrenched myself from her grasp and slowed our steps from a brisk hike to a saunter.

"I wish you wouldn't yank me along like a doll. The lake's still going to be there," I commented.

"Yeah, but I really want you to see it. It's a really neat place," she replied.

We traveled along a serpentine dirt trail that was two-people wide and bordered by scraggly brush and trees. The tree branches were thick enough to blot out most of the clear late-afternoon sky that lay above us, but there was enough light to create shadows from the brush and limbs. Birds scurried hither and thither and squirrels chattered their complains about our intrusion from their tree-top homes. The trail connected with a dozen other paths and sign posts marked the intersections and pointed the way to different locations. We stopped at one of the intersections to examine a sign.

Other signs had pointed out aptly named trails like Violet Path and Wildflower Trail. They were also all upright and without a hint of damage. This one was eschew to the point where Susie and I leaned our heads at a severe angle just to read the signs. There were also what appeared to be claw marks etched deeply into the wood.

"This way to hot springs, one mile. This way to lake, half a mile," I read aloud. The path to the hot springs led up a rock hill with a gentle incline off to our left, and the right-hand path toward the lake was flat, but continued the winding ways of the trail. "Did somebody get mad because they were hoping for a spa?" I wondered.

"I don't know. Isn't it cool that they have a hot spring? There's some sort of a natural geyser underground and that's where the heat comes from," Susie explained to me.

"Sounds uncontrollable," I commented.

Susie smiled and gave a firm nod at the sign. "Yep, and that's just what you're going to get on this trip. Lots of lack of control and a lot of relaxation."

"Those don't really go together for me," I told her.

My friend grabbed my hand and tugged me along down the lake path. "Well, here they do, so just leave everything to me and enjoy yourself," she insisted.

"That sounds terrifying," I quipped even as I let her pull me after her.

"Just relax. What could happen?" she countered.

"The mind boggles."

Susie didn't get a chance to reply before we rounded a corner on the trail and fifteen yards down came a light at the end of the shadowed tunnel. In a few moments we reached the opening and the trees parted to reveal a large, crystal-clear lake. The calm, reflective water lapped at the white-sand beaches that edged the entire shoreline. Near the mouth of the trail and at the shore was a long dock that stretched thirty feet into the water. Ropes with buoys bobbed in the water and roped off a portion of the lake to the left of the dock, and there was a lifeguard chair ten feet from the shore and in front of the roped area. A half dozen canoes lay upside down near the edge of the water.

There were twenty yards between the edge of the trees and the shore, and wild grass and rocks abutted the ten yards closest to the forest and slowly transformed into the beach. The backdrop for the lake was the stunning peaked mountains and treetops. On the nights of the full moon the view of the sky would be spectacular. The woods surrounded the lake on all sides, and the waters stretched into the distance for two miles and ended at a point in the distance.

"Well, what do you think?" Susie asked me.

I grinned. "I think you finally hit my soft spot," I replied.

She beamed with pride and led me down to the water's edge. I knelt at the edge of the lake and dipped my hand into the water. It was cold, but not cold enough to cause me to shiver. "It gets some warmth from the springs, but not enough to kill any of the native fish," she told me.

I stood and swept my eyes over the shoreline. At the far point of the lake there stood more buildings similar to the small cabins. I nodded at the buildings. "What are those?"

Susie squinted her eyes. "I think those are the cabins where all the employees stay. We're not really allowed to go over there so I don't know what it looks like up close. I couldn't even find a trail that leads to there."

I raised an eyebrow. "Were you supposed to be trying to find one?"

She sheepishly grinned at me. "Not really. We were told not to go over there or we'd be expelled."

I snorted. "Do they also give detention here?"

Susie rolled her eyes. "Expulsion is pretty serious business here because that means they can boot you out without a refund."

I frowned. "I don't remember that in the contract."

My friend inched away from me. "That's because I took that page out before you looked at."

My eyebrows crashed down and I stalked toward her as she made a slow retreat backwards. "What else was in that contract that you didn't want to show me?"

"Oh, just a few odds and ends," she replied. Her back hit the bottom of the lifeguard seat. She was trapped.

I stood in front of her and crossed my arms over my chest. "'fess up. What else aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing!" She paused and tapped her chin. "Well, nothing important."

"I'll be the judge of that, now spill it," I demanded.

She shrugged. "It's just some of the quirks of the place. You know, no going out on the trails at night or you'll get expelled, no bringing your own food and radios or you'll get expelled, stuff like that."

"Any expulsion rules I might break?" I questioned her.

Susie tipped her head back and I saw the cogs in her eyes work overtime. "Nope, nothing I can think of except for the whole trails thing."

"You sure?" I persisted.

She straightened and crossed a finger over her heart. "Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye."

I sighed, but the corners of my mouth twitched up. "All right, I guess I'll believe you, but no more hiding stuff from me, got it?"

Susie stood at attention and saluted me. "Yes, ma'am!"

I rolled my eyes and turned back toward the lake. There went that moonlit walk along the shore. "Well, let's get back before dinner starts without us," I advised.

"Yes, ma'am!" Susie shouted.

I snorted. "At ease, soldier, but get marching back to the cabin."

# 3

We marched back up the path and found the cabin area a little more livelier as the mandatory dinner hour approached. Many cabin doors were opened and people from all walks of society stepped out. There was the usual high-society in their minks of money and clothes of the crème de la crème. They stuck their noses up at the more plebeian classes such as ourselves as we walked to the front of our cabin in our shorts and short-sleeved shirts.

The socialites made up only a part of the parade that marched down the row of cabins to the lodge. I noticed there were couples and singles, but no children. Apparently the people in charge of reservations didn't want kids turning into toddlers or completely vanishing from existence due to their Fountain of Youth guarantee.

"You've been through this before. How fancy are these dinners?" I asked my friend.

She led me inside our cabin and shrugged. "Not that fancy. It's pretty much wear what you want as long as you're wearing something."

I glanced out the window and nodded at the parade of guests. "What about all that fancy dress-wear?"

Susie joined me at the window and followed my gaze. "They can wear what they want, but I said you're going to relax while you're here, and that means no donkey suits or dresses."

"Monkey suits," I corrected her.

"Will you stop being so perfect?" she scolded me.

"Nope, but shouldn't I wear something nice?" I persisted.

"Nope, now stop worrying," Susie insisted.

I noticed Linda pass one of our front windows and in a moment there came a knock on the door. "Susie? Abby?" Linda called. Susie opened the door and Linda smiled at us. "I wanted to tell you you're table's ready. I tried to pick one out that I thought you'd like because I liked it."

I came up behind Susie and grinned at our young hostess. "That sounds like it'll fit us just fine. What do we need to wear?"

"Underwear and a bra," Susie spoke up. I glared at her and Linda's eyes widened. Susie sheepishly grinned back and shrugged. "I keep telling you everything here is casual. Those snobs out there are overdressed."

Linda glanced over her shoulder at the dwindling flow of guests and lowered her voice so she wouldn't be overheard. "You don't have to dress that fancy if you don't want to. My brother's told me how a lot of the guests like to make an expensive first impression and they end up sweltering in those furs. It's not comfortable wearing fur this time of year, even up here where the nights get a little chilly."

"See? What did I tell you? Just go as you are and relax," Susie chimed in.

I sighed and shrugged. "All right, let's get this dinner over with."

Linda smiled and gave a nod. "I'll lead you to your table."

Linda guided us through the slow-moving mess of humanity that was the guest parade and to the lodge. Susie glanced at the faces of our fellow guests and inched closer to me. "They're really old this session," she whispered.

"Weren't they on your last one?" I mused.

She shook her head. "Nope. There were a lot of forty-something people, but not this many of the really old folks." Susie leaned forward so her chin nearly settled on Linda's shoulder. "What's with all the old farts?"

"Susie!" I hissed.

"The guests you see here made their reservations before anyone else because many of them heard about the Gardens from their friends," she explained.

"So they butted the younger ones out?" she guessed.

"Something like that," Linda admitted.

We strode through the front doors of the lodge and into the fine lobby. The quiet, empty space was now abuzz with the chatter of cliques, groups, and throngs of the masses of guests. Some of the loners held the walls up with their backs, and others wandered their way through a pair of open doors at the very back of the lobby and on the ground floor. Through the opening I saw a large dining area and ballroom. The lights were partially dimmed, but there were a few spotlights that focused on a stage at the very back of the room. The rest of the floor was occupied by round tables with white coverings.

Linda led us through the mess of guests and into the dining hall. She took us over to a table seated off to the side of the door and three-quarters of the way to the stage. It was situated in a darker spot than most of the other tables, and no one was too close by. Our names were written on cards and placed in front of each of the two seats. Other tables had the same format, and I noticed the guests were led to them by others of various ages, but who wore the same outfit as Linda.

"Is this suitable?" she asked us.

"It's great!" Susie replied.

"Yeah, perfect," I agreed. Even if it hadn't been then neither of us would have said otherwise. Not with those blue eyes of hers pleading for our approval.

"Great. I'll get you two your menus and see what the chef special is," she offered.

"Don't we have a waiter?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "No, we attendants take care of the meals for your lunch and dinner. Breakfast is continental," she explained.

I raised an eyebrow. "And you take care of the cabin?"

"Yes, but only yours, and it really isn't any problem. This is how we earn our-um, how we earn our paycheck," she assured us. "But if you'll excuse me."

Linda hurried away, and we took our seats. The chairs were opposite each other and the stage lay at our sides, but Susie scooted her chair nosily over to mine so she hugged my left side and the stage lay on my right and twenty feet away. Her movements weren't exactly quiet as her chair legs squeaked, squealed, squawked, and screeched along the hard floor. She received a few scowls from other guests nearby, and she scowled right back at them.

"There weren't this many snooty people on my last session, either," she mumbled.

"Maybe they're nervous. It's the first night," I defended them. Privately I had to admit the high-class guests made me uncomfortable as I sat there in my shorts and shirt.

Linda alleviated some of our unease when she returned with menus and information. "The special tonight is medium-rare ribs with the house-specialty barbecue sauce," she announced.

"I'll take two of those," Susie teased.

I swept my eyes over the menu and looked up at Linda. "There's a lot of medium-rare meats on here."

Linda blinked at me. "Well, yes. As explained in the contract it's part of the diet to rejuvenate the body."

I narrowed my eyes and flickered them to Susie, who pretended to whistle and stare at the ceiling. "I must have missed that part."

"But we also serve a small salad with lunch and dinner, and the all the greens are grown on the lake," Linda added. A ruckus from a nearby table caught her attention and ours.

"What do you mean I can't get a steak well-done? I'm not dying of food poisoning," a large man argued with his smaller male attendant.

"I assure you the meat is cooked long enough to kill any dangerous bacteria, but cooking the meat beyond medium-rare will ruin the diet we have scheduled for you," his attendant argued.

"What you have scheduled for me is a bunch of diarrhea, now get me a well-done steak!" the man insisted.

"I'm sorry, but it just can't be done," the attendant told him.

At another close table a pair of middle-aged women turned to their female attendant and one of them stabbed their menu with their finger. "We don't eat meat. Can we just have a salad?"

Their attendant shook her head. "No, I'm afraid it's mandatory to have meat with your lunch and dinner. We can make exceptions if you're not feeling well."

"I'm feeling fine, but not for meat. It's disgusting to eat it," the woman argued.

A tall gentleman in black dress coat and pants with a white shirt strode over to their table. "Is there a problem?" he asked the women.

"Yes, we don't want to have any meat. We're vegans," she informed him.

He smiled down at the pair, but shook his head. "I'm afraid that can't be avoided, ma'ams. The diet here specifically demands you eat meat, and it was in the contract you signed before booking a reservation."

The vegan scoffed. "We thought it was a joke. Who in their right mind would make somebody eat meat?"

"I'm afraid those are the-"

"Waiter! I want to see the head waiter!" the large man cried out.

The man in black straightened and the smile nearly slipped off his lips. "Would you ladies excuse me for a moment?" He moved to the man's table before they could reply. His end of the conversation was unintelligible, but the man spoke loud enough to quiet the rest of the room.

"I'm not going to get sick at this stupid one-star resort! I paid too much damn money to be here!" the guest argued.

The waiter spoke something to the guest and then man's attendant, and hurried off. The din of the room partially returned, but the man was still red in the face and his attendant stood awkwardly by his side.

"Wow, dinner and a show," Susie quipped.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. It doesn't happen every time," Linda spoke up.

I smiled and shook my head. "It's not your fault. We'll just take the chef special."

She bowed her head and took our menus. "Your food will be here in a pinch." She strode to the kitchen to put our food on the waiting list.

As my eyes swept over the tables I saw many of the guests still had their menus. "I don't think we'll have to wait very long for our food," I commented.

"Yeah, everybody's really picky this session," Susie agreed.

The irritation in the room was palpable. Half the attendants tried to explain to their guests the contract rules and got as far as their fellow attendant with the angry man. Amid all the tension the lights in the dining hall dimmed, and a hush spread over the crowd when a man walked out onto the stage and the head waiter waited in the wings. My eyes fell on him and widened. It was the guy from the trail.

# 4

Much as before, I found myself gawking at his handsome appearance. Gone was the jogging outfit, and in its place he wore a casual blue suit that showed off his blond hair. Under the bright stage lights I noticed his eyes were a brilliant blue. I was captured by those blue eyes and felt myself lean toward him for a better look.

Susie noticed my open mouth, and she leaned toward me with a sly smile on her face. Her eyes flitted between the man and me. "You think he's cute, don't you?"

I shut my mouth and straightened. "He's not bad," I admitted.

She snorted. "You were practically drooling over him. I don't really blame you. He's good looking, but you can have him. Blond just isn't my type."

I rolled my eyes. "Funny, I thought your type was anything that moved."

Whatever retort she had stored in her crazy mind was interrupted when the man grabbed a mic from a stand in the center of the stage and tapped on the ball. A piercing shriek like nails against chalkboard swept over the few remaining conversations. He smiled at the trapped audience.

"Good evening and welcome to the Gardens. My name is Scott Young, and I am the manager and owner of the Gardens. I hope your trip up to our fine resort was uneventful because we have a full schedule of activities for you in the coming two weeks." He stepped away from the mic stand and strolled to the front of the stage. "One of the first activities is this dinner where you have the opportunity to meet your fellow guests and our staff. Unfortunately, Timothy the head waiter tells me there are a few concerns about the food. I can personally assure you that the food is cooked beyond where any harmful bacteria could survive, and medium-rare meat is a specialty we offer our guests that's infused with unique nutrients and sauces to give you the energy and vitality we guarantee will make you feel years younger."

"Why can't we have it well-done?" the gruff male guest spoke up.

Young smiled at his guest. "A good question. If we were to heat the meat to a higher temperature than the nutrients would be destroyed. However, if you still prefer to have your meat cooked beyond medium-rare, or prefer not to have any meat at all, we can certainly oblige. Unfortunately, our guarantee that you will feel years younger is no longer valid."

A ruckus erupted from some of the more vocal guests, particularly the vegans and the heavy-set gentleman. The manager set the mic back on the stand and walked into the crowd to address each complaint individually with the head waiter at his side. Susie and I watched the circus as angry voices shouted objections and hurled insults at the manager. Linda reappeared with our plates full of steaming meat and side orders of the salad.

Linda set our plates in front of us and the aroma of the food was enough to stimulate my appetite. "Fresh off the grill and the vine," she assured us.

"It looks great!" Susie replied.

I glanced around and noticed the vegan pair glare at us. "It looks like some other people disagree," I mused.

Susie picked up her knife and fork, and dove into the food. "They don't know what's good cooking," she returned through a mouthful of food.

I leaned toward Susie and lowered my voice. "All this stuff about the food is in the contract, isn't it?" I asked Susie.

She shrugged. "Yeah, but I guess they don't get a lot of people who read it."

"Or maybe they have a friend like mine," I teased.

Linda glanced around the room and lowered her voice so she couldn't be heard over the ruckus. "My-um, the manager, Mr. Young, told me most of the guests these last few sessions come here looking for a quick cure."

"So this spiel is for the guys who think they can get the youth guarantee without any of the pain?" Susie asked her.

I shot daggers at my friend. "You never said anything about pain."

Susie grinned at me and waved off my concerns. "There won't be much for two beautiful, athletic ladies such as ourselves."

"You're always so modest."

"I try."

Our conversation was interrupted when the manager returned to the stage and removed the mic from the pedestal. The grumblings from the irate guests were down to a dull drone and he smiled at the crowd. "If there are any further questions you can speak to me after the dinner, but I have a few important rules to set down before we let you enjoy our fine facilities. If these rules are broken then it's immediate expulsion from the camp without your money back. You may also never be allowed here again." There was a twitter of whispering at the severity of his tone. He held up a finger and the crowd silenced. "The first is that the other side of the lake is off-limits to everyone except staff. That's where they reside during their employment with us and they would like some privacy." He held up a second finger. "The second is don't try to swim outside the designated areas. Those are the areas cordoned off with floating lines. The reason is that we've had trouble with an invasive weed. If this weed wraps around your ankles or arms you could become trapped and drowned." There were several gasps from the audience. "There are no weeds in the designated areas, so you have nothing to worry about so long as you stay inside the floating lines." He held up a third finger. "Third and finally, there is no hiking allowed after dark, especially on the trails that lead west of here past the other side of the lake." He paused a moment to let the three rules sink in. "Are there any questions before I let you enjoy your dinner?" he asked the audience. A woman's hand raised, and he pointed at her. "Yes?"

"Does the water here really make you feel younger?" she wondered.

He smiled. "That's part of our guarantee, or your money back."

"So I'll feel like a horny teenager?" a man of about seventy spoke up. The audience roared in laughter.

Young chuckled. "Close to it, and on that note I have to warn you that with all this new energy that fighting isn't allowed. Anyone caught creating a disturbance of any kind may be expelled. After a thorough investigation, that is. We can't have all those raging hormones causing a problem with the tranquility of the Gardens. Are there any other questions?" Nobody else raised their hands. "Good, now enjoy your meal and welcome to the Gardens." He bowed his head and walked off the stage.

The clamor of the room resumed and I dug into my plate. Susie wasn't just being nice when she commented on the deliciousness of the food. The meat was tender and juicy, and there was a strange but tasty spice injected into the muscle that invigorated me. I felt more active at the end of the meal than before, and I reluctantly pushed away my empty plate.

All the while Linda stood aside and saw to our needs. I glanced around and noticed a few spare chairs along the walls. "Why don't you take a seat?" I suggested.

Her eyes widened and she shook her head. "No, I couldn't do that."

"Yeah, pull up a chair," Susie insisted.

"No, I really couldn't. I'm supposed to attend to your needs," Linda argued.

I caught Susie's eyes and nodded at one of the empty chairs. She returned the nod, stood, and scooted the seat over to our table so it sat on her left. "We can't be comfortable if you're not comfortable," Susie told our attendant as she gently grasped Linda's upper arms and plopped her into the chair.

Linda's face paled and she fidgeted in her chair. "But I really do need to-"

"Stay right where you are and enjoy yourself," I interrupted her. I pushed my bowl of salad toward her. "I've had as much as I can eat. Why don't you have some of my salad?"

Linda's lips curled up in a smile, but she shook her head. "I'm fine. I don't usually eat salad."

"Too bad, this stuff's great!" Susie spoke up. She broadly smiled and showed off a piece of lettuce stuck between her teeth.

Linda covered her mouth with one hand to stifle her laugh and I sighed. "You have something in your teeth," I told my friend.

Susie squinted and tilted her head to one side. She reached up and picked at the leaf, and managed to retrieve half of the piece. "Did I get it?"

Linda choked on her laughter and I rolled my eyes. "No, but we'll get it later," I replied.

"How are you ladies enjoying your meals?" a voice spoke up.

Linda jumped to her feet and Susie and I turned to find a man standing between us. It was the manager, Mr. Young. "I-I'm sorry, Scott-Mr. Young. I didn't mean to sit on the job," Linda told him.

He smiled and waved off her concerns. "You don't have to be worried. It's great to see our attendants getting along so well with our guests." He glanced between Susie and me. "You must be Miss Lee and Miss Baker." Young turned his full attention on Susie. "I remember your last visit a few months ago. I hope this one will be bringing you back in a few more months."

"If you keep with the same cook I might have to come back here every week," she quipped.

Young chuckled. "I'm glad to hear that." His gaze fell on me, and I blushed and looked down. "And you must be Miss Lee. It's a pleasure."

I noticed he held his hand out toward me, and I hastily shook it and my hand retreated to my lap. "A pleasure," I mumbled.

"If there's anything I can do for you lovely ladies just tell me," Young insisted.

"Well, I was hoping for some personal swimming lessons with your cutest swimming instructor and a massage session with your most handsome masseuse," Susie replied.

I shot daggers at her, but Young only rubbed his chin and there was a twinkle in his beautiful blue eyes. "That's a tall order to choose between our men, but I'll see what I can do."

"Oh, and-" I jabbed Susie in the ribs and let all the steam out of her endless demands. "On second thought, that's enough," she squeaked.

"I'll see who's on your schedule and look into your requests. Good evening, ladies." Young bowed his head to us and disappeared into the lobby.

Linda ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "He is so going to kill me later," she mumbled.

"He'd better not," Susie growled.

Linda shook her head and took our empty plates. "It's fine. I'll deserve whatever punishment I get because I should have known better than to sit down on the job. It's just that-well, I'm a little new on the job."

"How new?" I asked her. She blushed and mumbled something. I leaned one ear close to her. "I didn't catch that."

"This is my first session," she admitted.

Susie snorted, wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and hugged me to herself. "That's okay, it's Abby's first session, too. You two are both noobs compared to me."

I glared at her and disentangled myself from her grasp. "Thanks, that makes us both feel so much better."

Linda smiled at our antics. "It makes me feel better, and I'm really glad I have two great guests to be my first attendees."

Susie beamed. "That's us! The perfect guests!"

I stood and grabbed her arm. "Uh-huh, now these perfect guests should get some sleep. That was a long drive here and I'm exhausted."

"Did you want me to walk you back to your cabin?" Linda offered.

"No, I think we've got it," I told her.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow. Did you need me to call you when breakfast is served?" she asked us.

"That'd be great. See you tomorrow," I called to her as I dragged my troublesome friend from the dining hall.

"But don't you want to meet our lovely fellow guests?" Susie quipped.

I snorted. "No, I've got a big enough headache on my hands."

# 5

Susie couldn't free herself until I dragged her outside the lodge. She yanked her arm from my grasp. "Not so hard. It's the only right arm I have," she protested.

"And I have only one brain, but you keep killing the cells with your insanity," I countered.

We walked toward our cabin and Susie shrugged. "It's the least I could do for a friend."

"Yeah, thanks," I replied. I paused and glanced up at the sky. The sun had set during our half-long dinner and a show, and over our heads was now the clear night sky. The bright moon hung just above the horizon and hinted at a full moon in the near future. A few loose gray clouds lazily wandered by and a small breeze wafted by us. I sighed and couldn't help the smile that slipped onto my lips.

"I forgot how fast the sun sets here," Susie mused.

I gazed at the western sky and noticed the tall, shadowed mountains that stood there. They set the sun a few hours earlier than was usual. "This place seems to have no end of beautiful views," I murmured.

Susie grinned and prodded her elbow into my side. "Liking this place?" she teased.

I straightened and coughed. "Well, maybe just a little," I admitted.

"It's a great view, isn't it? Not something we can get from our apartment window," she agreed.

"Yeah, we'd better enjoy it while we can. We've only got two weeks here," I reminded her.

Susie rolled her eyes and gently wrapped her hands around my arm. "You're such a spoil sport," she commented as she pulled me along toward our cabin.

I shrugged. "It's the truth. This is only a vacation."

Susie leaned toward me and wagged her eyebrows. "But what if you got sweet with that manager? I bet he stays here year-around and then I could visit you two in your love nest."

I snorted. "Uh-huh, and I bet he has a gorgeous dumb blond waiting for him at his place."

"And she probably has some assets on mortgage, too," Susie added.

We cackled and reached our cabin in a few moments. Susie flopped herself on the bed, laid her hand on her stomach, and sighed. "You know, I don't know how I lose weight here with all the food they give us."

"Must be all the mountain air," I commented. I sat at the end of my bed and pulled off my shoes. The stiffness of my feet told of the long day. I studied my shoe and glanced over to Susie. "Did that manager go around the tables the last time you were here?"

Susie shook her head. "Nope." A grin slowly crept across her lips and she rose onto her elbows. Her eyebrows wagged at me. "Maybe he saw you staring at him and wanted to get your number."

"Or maybe he was just being nice and saying hello to everyone," I argued.

She snorted. "He didn't go to any other table after ours and the way he snuck up on us I'd say he came from the lobby or some place like that."

I shrugged. "Well, whatever he was doing we'll see if we meet him again. He's going to have his hands full with all those other guests."

Susie sat up and frowned. "Yeah, they weren't very easy to get along with. I'm glad Linda got stuck with us so those guys didn't chew her up."

I yawned and stretched my arms over my head. "Well, whatever happens it's going to have to happen tomorrow. I'm going to hit the hay."

Susie jumped up and grabbed her bag. "Ditto."

In a few minutes we slipped into our beds and fell asleep. Whatever they put in that special sauce on the meat must have been part-waking powder because I slept horribly. I tossed and turned for a few hours, long after Susie was out like a light. There was a nightstand between our beds with a simple clock, and I glanced at the time. Midnight. The witching hour.

In this case it became the howling hour as a sound like the wailing of a wolf wafted came to my ears. I sat up and so did the hairs on the back of my neck. My eyes flickered between the window and my friend. Neither moved. I flung aside the covers, slipped on my slippers and shuffled to the window. I looked out the glass, but still nothing came to my sight. Another howl was heard, and this one sounded like it came from the direction of the lodge. I grabbed my coat and went for the door. I could have woken Susie, but she was impossibly slow in an emergency and I was curious.

I slipped out the front door and crept onto the gravel road that ran along the cabins. The moon was still low in the sky but on its downward march to disappearing. I turned my head to the left and right. Nothing. Not even a twitch of a shadow.

Wait. There it was. The howling. It definitely came from the lodge. I strode down the road toward the shadowed building. Everything was shadows. Only a few stars dared show their faces against the light of the moon. I wish I hadn't been in such a hurry and forgotten to bring a flashlight.

I reached the front doors of the lodge and a few dim interior lights allowed me to see into the lobby. Nothing again. I turned back to the main road and the forest that lay beyond it. "I swore the noise came from here," I muttered.

"Good evening, Miss Lee."

I yelped and spun around. My arm was outstretched for a fight, but a hand caught me by the wrist. I pulled and yanked. "Let go of me!" I yelled.

The man stepped closer to me and by the weak lights of the lodge lobby I realized it was Mr. Young who held me. He had a wide smile on his face as my cheeks blushed crimson. "I'd like to be sure you don't try to hit me again before I let you go," he teased.

"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Young. I didn't-"

"Scott."

I blinked at him. "Beg your pardon?"

"My name is Scott. I prefer that one to Mr. Young," he explained.

"Well, I didn't mean to try to hit you. You just sort of came out of nowhere and I was following this strange sound-" I glanced behind him to the lodge doors. I had not idea how I'd missed him. "Where did you come from?" I asked him.

He chuckled. "The darkness, of course, but you forget that I know this place much better than yourself." He released me and scrutinized my face. His lips twitched up in a sly grin. "Miss Lee, it seems to me your cheeks are always red when we meet. Do you have a fever?"

I spun away from him and turned my face from his prying, dashing eyes. Even in the dark their blue color sprang out of the night shadows. "I-it's nothing, I'm just-um, cold. You know, not used to this night air or something."

Scott chuckled. "Well, whatever your reasons I must remind you that you're out after dark, and that's prohibited."

I glanced back to him and raised an eyebrow. "No, you said being on the trails after dark was against the rules." I pointed down at the gravel beneath my slippers. "I'm on a road."

Scott grinned and bowed at the waist toward me. "I stand corrected. However, I must ask that you return to your room. It isn't safe to be walking around an unfamiliar area in the middle of the night, and I'm sure you must be tired."

I shrugged. "Not really. I couldn't get to sleep."

He raised an eyebrow and his lips thinned to a line. "I'm sorry to hear that. Are you often unable to sleep in new places?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Usually I'm asleep faster than Susie, and that's saying something. Maybe it was something I ate."

His smile returned, but not as wide nor as jolly as before. "Possibly, but I hope that won't stop your eating our diet. It's very important for the guarantee."

I snorted. "You honestly believe in your guarantee?"

"Absolutely." He spoke in such a firm tone that I furrowed my brow.

"But how do you guarantee that?" I persisted.

"Through fun and vigorous exercise, a strict diet, and relaxation in-between," he told me.

I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. "And that's somehow supposed to make people years younger?"

"You can ask any of our previous guests in our sessions. I'm sure Miss Baker will agree," he insisted.

I sighed and shrugged. "Yeah, Susie told me about the place and got me to come, but I still don't believe it, and I don't think you'll be able to use this session for any advertising posters. You almost had a mutiny on your hands during dinner."

"Not all our sessions are a complete success, but every round has their jewels among the rocks," he argued. His eyes wept over me and my damn cheeks performed their blushing routine. "But it is getting late, and this night air, refreshing as it is, isn't always the warmest," he warned me.

"Um, yeah, I guess," I replied. His beautiful eyes had transformed my mind to mush.

"Would you like me to escort you back?" he offered.

"What? Oh, um, no, I'll be fine. I'll just follow the cabins back," I assured him.

I turned and scuttled away without actually dashing. Halfway down the rows of cabins I paused and glanced over my shoulder. He was gone. It was both a relief and a disappointment. The man was much too handsome for his own good, and he had such a way of wrecking my natural confidence that it unnerved me.

I slunk back into my cabin and shut the door behind myself. Susie still snored softly in her bed and I tiptoed to mine. Just as I pulled the covers over my body I recalled one very important fact: I hadn't found the source of the noise. Hell, I hadn't even asked Scott-er, Mr. Young about the sound. I furrowed my brow and narrowed my eyes. He'd actually done a really good job of distracting me from my purpose. Him and his wondrous blue eyes.

"Bah," I muttered. I flung the sheets over my head and buried myself into the pillows and mattress.

# 6

The night walk must have sapped my energy because I fell into a deep sleep. There were no alarms in the cabin, so the noise that woke me up was a hard, quick knock on our cabin door. "Susie? Abby? It's breakfast time," I heard Linda call for us.

I sat up and squinted at the light that beamed through the east-facing windows. It must have been eight o'clock, a good two hours after I usually dragged myself out of bed.

Susie rose like the living dead and her bleary eyes stared at me without recognizing me. "Mommy, I don't want sunny-side eggs. They run everywhere and I can't catch them."

I snorted and flung aside my covers. "Good news, my little daughter. You can have any type of egg you want today providing it's part of the continental breakfast." I walked over to the door and tapped back. "We'll be right out, Linda," I called to our attendant.

"All right, I'll get a table for you," she promised, and I heard her feet crunch away on the gravel.

Susie blinked and most of the vacant look left her eyes. Sometimes I wondered if anyone sane was ever home. "What? Food?"

"Yes, food," I confirmed as I grabbed some clothes. "You can eat as much as you want, but after you dress."

Her eyes widened along with her smile. "Breakfast!" She jumped form her bed, grabbed some clothes, and outraced me to the bathroom. The door was shut in my face and I scowled at the entrance.

"It's just a continental!" I shouted through the door.

"Yeah, but you haven't had continental until you've tried the stuff they have here!" she shouted back.

A few minutes later we were dressed and out the cabin door. A dozen of our other fellow guests joined us in a shuffling line for the lodge. Susie jabbed me in the side and nodded at a pair of women ahead of us. They were the vegans from the night before.

"See how they're walking?" she whispered.

I scrutinized their gait and didn't find anything wrong. They were a little slow, but so was a lot of the other zombies around us. "Yeah, why?"

Susie stifled a snort. "They're not going to last up here much longer."

I frowned at her. "Why?"

"A guy during my last session tried to avoid eating the meat. Said it didn't agree with him. He ate only the salads and after a few days he was so weak they had to drive him home in his own car," she told me.

"Did anybody know why he got that weak?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "Nope, but he didn't get a refund and I heard he was banned from coming back unless he ate the meat."

"Tough rules," I commented.

"Tough manager. That Mr. Young runs things like a well-oiled machine," she added. Mentions of oil and Young caught my imagination. I envisioned him wearing only a loincloth and covered in slick sweat. He would grasp me in his strong arms and stare at me with those entrancing blue eyes. It was enough to make my body heat up with desires I shouldn't have experienced for a man I didn't really know. It was also enough to distract me from the world around me. I started back into reality when Susie waved a hand in my face. "Hello? Susie to Abby, is anybody home?"

"What? Oh, yeah, um, tough rules," I answered.

"You already said that," she reminded me. She leaned close and we bumped shoulder to shoulder. "You look a little red. You coming down with a fever or something?"

I pushed her away and scowled at my friend. "I'm just fine, I was just-um, distracted."

She snorted. "You never get distracted."

"Well, maybe it's the mountain air," I defended myself.

"Uh-huh, or maybe it's a certain manager I was just speaking about," she teased.

I was saved by the lodge as we reached the doors and Linda met us just inside. She smiled and gestured to the stairs to the far left of the room. They led up to the open second floor. "This way, please."

Linda led us upstairs to the morning eating area. Round tables like the ball room below were positioned around the area and at the far back were long tables loaded with food. Delicious smells wafted from an open door to the left of the tables, and I caught a glimpse of a stairway that led down to the kitchen. There was no wall that separated the second floor from a view of the lobby below, and Linda led us to a two-seat table beside the thick wood railing that wrapped around the eating area. The second floor wove around two sides of the lobby as wide catwalks, and the very front was the exterior balcony which we could see through the glass walls. Not a shabby place, especially with the food that loaded the tables.

I knew now why Susie so looked forward to the meal. This wasn't your hotel-chain continental breakfast. There was every type of egg, cereal, bread, and drink. Susie abandoned us and raced for a place in line, though there was only a half dozen guests ahead of us.

"I'm glad she enjoys the food here," Linda commented.

"Yeah, but I hope she saves some for everyone else," I added as we watched Susie pile her plate full of goodies.

Linda smiled. "There's much more in the kitchen, so feel free to have as much as you like."

I raised an eyebrow. "I thought we were supposed to lose years here, not gain pounds."

Our attendant chuckled. "So long as you eat what's offered during the lunches and dinners you won't have any trouble with weight or those pesky years."

"How can you be so sure?" I persisted.

"Because that's Mr. Young's guarantee, and his word is as good as a contract," she assured me.

I frowned, but time was of the essence in getting food before Susie took what was available. I stepped over to the tables and grabbed what remained, and from the kitchen door came a stream of fresh, warm food to fix the devastation caused by my eager friend. My plate was dutifully filled and I returned to our table to find only Susie scarfing her face.

"Where's Linda?" I asked my friend as I took my seat opposite her.

"Said she had to go get something for us, but she'll be right back," Susie told me.

I picked up a croissant and tapped it against my lips. My eyes wandered over the dining balcony and I watched the other guests wearily shuffle up the stairs and to the buffet table. "You ever get the feeling something isn't quite right here?" I mused.

"Yeah, they need more jelly in their jelly-filled donuts," Susie replied as she scarfed said donut in a few bites.

I rolled my eyes and glared across the table at her. "No, I mean with the Gardens itself. The way it's run and the promise they make. I mean, who can promise youth when they let us stuff our faces most any meal?"

"They can," Susie replied.

"There's just something not right with it. It's too good to be true," I insisted.

Susie paused in her scarfing, set her bread down, and sighed. "Abby, listen. I've been here before and it was pretty unbelievable to me, too, but I'm telling you _it happened_. I felt like a teenager when I left this place last time, but after six months it kind of wore off, or maybe life wore it off. Either way I'm really hoping to get that feeling back when I leave this time."

"But how do you know it really worked? I mean, what do they do that nobody else can do?" I questioned her.

She shrugged and clasped her hands together. "Maybe it's the air, maybe it's the water, or maybe it's the food. I don't know. What I do know is that they're not lying, and I'm not going to miss out on this chance to feel like a kid again." She stared me straight in the eyes and her usually goofy demeanor vanished, replaced by pursed lips and tense jaws. "Stop worrying about everything, Abby. These guys aren't out to get us, there's no conspiracy, they just want to help us feel younger and make a tidy profit from it. Now could you please stop being so suspicious and enjoy yourself?"

"But-"

"Please? For me?" She leaned toward me and batted her brown eyes at me. "Pretty please?"

I scowled at her. "Don't pull that on me. I won't fall for your puppy-dog eyes anymore. Last time you got me into that mess with the neighbors when you pleaded with me to go skinny-dipping in the pool we could see in their backyard."

"But we weren't caught, and this time it's for your own good, so pretty please?" She inched closer.

I leaned back. "I'm not-"

"Please?"

"Don't-"

"Pretty please?"

Will you-"

"Pretty please with sugar on top?"

"Gah!" My shout echoed around the balcony and the other diners stared at us. I sunk into my chair and sighed. "Fine, you win. I'll take your word for it and stop doubting this place. Happy?"

Susie leaned away from me and beamed. "Yep. Now you have to try these jelly-filled donuts. They're great!"

I was a woman of my word and set aside my doubts. For the rest of the meal, that is. We ate our breakfast, and Susie leaned backed in her chair and patted her stomach. "I couldn't eat another bite," she groaned.

My eyes swept over the carnage of empty plates and glasses. I pointed at a slim slice of bread on a corner. "You missed a spot."

She plucked the slice from her plate, popped it into her mouth and sighed. " _Now_ I couldn't eat another bite."

Linda returned and smiled at our empty plates. "Did you enjoy your meals?" she asked us.

"Yeah, but you really need to fire your cook. He's too good," Susie commented. Linda laughed and took our plates. Tucked beneath her arm were two brochures. Susie nodded at them. "Those the schedules?" she guessed.

"Yep, it's what I went to get." Linda handed them both to Susie and hefted her hands full of plates. "I'll be right back to answer any questions." She hurried to the kitchen and I looked between my friend and the papers in her hands.

"Schedules?" I asked her.

"Yep. These babies tell us what we're going to do and when," she explained as she opened hers.

I took the spare and browsed the contents. There were dates and times for swimming lessons, hot spring sessions, and when food was available and a small list of menus. I couldn't complain about this unexpected scheduling because there was ample free time to do whatever we wanted in between the activities. "No gym?" I commented.

Susie grinned over her brochure and shook her head. "Nope. Just swimming and some hiking."

I raised an eyebrow, but tamped down my doubts. Swimming and hiking were good sources of exercise, and the meals were balanced. Nothing suspicious at all here. Nope, nothing at all.

I would learn later how wrong I was.

# 7

For now I glanced over our schedule. "So we don't have anything to do until tomorrow?" I mused.

"Nope. This is the free day to go wandering around," Susie explained to me. She pulled out another slip of paper from the brochure and unfolded it to reveal a map of the resort. There was the lake, the hot springs, and the lodge with its little cabin children. She tapped her finger on the hot spring to the south of the lake. "How about we go there first? If we hurry we could beat all the old people shuffling up there."

My eyes were on the lake. "I'd rather go see that again," I told her.

She frowned. "But we already saw that and the water's a lot colder," she whined.

"Well, how about you go to the hot springs and I go to the lake?" I suggested.

"It's hot springs or bust," she insisted.

"Then I'll take bust and go to the lake. See you later." I stood and sauntered toward the stairs.

"Hey! Wait! I'm not done complaining!" Susie shouted. She scrambled from her chair and hurried after me. An evil grin slipped onto my lips and I quickened my step. "I saw that!" she yelled.

"Not for long," I quipped.

I broke into a dash and raced down the stairs. Susie's feet pounded after me and I hit the lobby running. In a moment I burst through the front doors and down the gravel road with Susie at my heels. Our laughter hampered our speed and by the time we reached our cabin we were both winded. I bent over and put my hands on my knees. Susie collapsed on our porch.

"Now. . .do you. . .believe me?" she wheezed.

"About. . .what?" I choked out.

"About. . .the place. . .making. . .you feel. . .younger," she reminded me.

I gathered my breath and straightened. I winced when a few bones in my back cracked. "Not quite."

"Well, you'd better believe it because I haven't seen you run that fast since you and I shopped for apartments two years ago and the realtor guy showed us a really expensive one," Susie persisted.

"It _was_ expensive, and I'll see you later," I replied. I walked toward the rear of our cabin toward the trails.

"Aren't you going to put on a swim suit?" Susie called to me.

"Not going swimming," I answered.

"Then what's the point of going to the lake?" she yelled.

I lifted my arm and waved to her without turning around. In a moment the trees swallowed me and I walked into the valley of the wilderness without fear. The traffic was light with only a few other guests who meandered their way to the hot springs. I moved with the traffic flow and left them behind when I turned onto the lake path.

First, though, I paused for a moment at the intersection of spa and lake. The broken sign from yesterday was repaired. Gone were the claw marks and askew post, and in its place was a freshly hewn and painted sign. Recalling those deep marks reminded me of my little adventure the previous evening with the dark lodge and Mr. Young. The loud howl I heard might have been the same creature who destroyed the sign. The howl was certainly loud and deep enough to come from an animal with large enough claws.

I continued my walk down the lake path and ruminated over what beast could be so large as to destroy a thick sign such as stood at the intersection. The howl implied a wolf, but nobody had warned us yet of any dangerous creature like that in the area. There was always a cougar, but again no warnings, and cougars didn't howl. Maybe it was a wolf and we weren't warned about the danger because Young and everyone else didn't want to scare the customers. Maybe they kept things a secret to avoid bad publicity and possibly a police investigation. Maybe-

"-maybe you need to stop over-thinking these things," I muttered to myself. I promised Susie I wouldn't be so suspicious, and I was a woman of my word.

All this time I had my head bent down and watched my step on this relatively unfamiliar path. I heard a branch break behind me and glanced over my shoulder. My inattentiveness caused my foot to catch on a root, and I gave a small yelp as I fell forward. The fall wouldn't have been catastrophic, but still rather uncomfortable. Fortunately, a pair of strong, steady arms caught me, but my face bumped into their chest and the shirt that covered them. I tilted my head back and found myself staring into the blue eyes of Young.

"We seem to stumble into each other quite often," he teased.

"Y-yeah, must be my luck," I returned. I wasn't sure whether it was good or bad. What was definitely bad was when my stupid cheeks blushed. I really had to learn how to apply a pale makeup.

He chuckled. "More fever?" he mused.

"No, nothing like that," I replied. I pressed my hands against his thin white shirt to push away, but I was amazed at the warmth that emanated from beneath the cloth.

"I hope you're enjoying yourself," he commented.

"What?" I glanced at our positions and noticed I practically leaned my whole body against him. I was comfortable, but if anyone caught us the situation would be difficult to explain. "Sorry!" I stepped from his grasp and smoothed my clothes.

Young chuckled. "I was referring to your stay here," he added.

"O-oh, that! Um, yeah, it's great here. Nice people, nice food, nice bodies-um, bodies of water. The lake, I mean." I couldn't have been any more flustered.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself so far. Linda tells me you've been very kind to her," he commented.

I shrugged. "It's nothing. We're just treating her like a little sister," I countered.

"Some of our guests are not so kind, and your kindness is especially gratifying since this is Linda's first session," he replied.

"That's what she told us, but I wish she'd tell us how the guarantee about this whole Fountain of Youth thing works," I commented. That opened a hole in a conversation I'd been meaning to have with someone of higher rank at the resort. "How does that work, anyway?"

"You mean how is it done?" he wondered.

I gave a nod. "Yeah. I'm guessing it's through the food because you were pretty insistent last night about everyone eating the meals."

Young paused for a moment and his crystal-clear blue eyes scrutinized me. I felt like they were x-rays that examined not only my body but my very soul. "You're right to guess it's in the food because it is," he admitted.

I raised an eyebrow. "So is it the cut of the meat or something?"

He shook his head. "No, it's a special herb sauce in which the meat is soaked before cooking."

I raised an eyebrow. "That's it? Just an herb?"

Young nodded over his shoulder in the direction of the lake. "The herb is grown on the other side of the lake in the employee garden. That's how the resort received it's name."

"So is this just any old herb you can get at the store?" I wondered.

He chuckled. "If it was we would be out of business very quickly. This is a rare herb that I discovered on my property many years ago."

I swept my eyes over his young appearance and snorted. He couldn't have been older than thirty. "You look pretty good for speaking about many years ago."

A grin slipped onto his lips. "It's good advertisement for our youth product to look young," he pointed out.

I crossed my arms and scrutinized his interesting physique-er, his interesting reveal about the origins of the Herb of Youth. "So if this is such a big secret, why are you telling me?" I asked him.

He smiled and shrugged. "You don't seem the type to sneak into a garden and steal a secret ingredient."

I snorted. "No, only the type to sneak around the lodge and cabins in the middle of the night, but to be honest you're probably right. I wouldn't know what I'd be looking for. I'm not that into vegetables."

"Then I'm afraid you're going to have a terrible time here. All our meals are served with vegetables grown from our garden," he told me.

I shrugged. "I guess I'm just going to have to be a meat-eater."

The corners of his lips twitched up higher and his eyes widened just slightly. I swore I saw a flash of strange color glide over his pupils, but the look was gone in a moment and I doubted my senses. "That can be arranged, if you desire it," he offered.

I shook my head. "Nah. My friend will probably convince me to try all the food here and I'll end up liking it. I'm funny that way."

"I'm glad to hear your friend can persuade you." He glanced at his wristwatch and frowned. "Unfortunately, it appears I have to cut short our interesting conversation. I'm scheduled to conduct a meeting this afternoon with a group of the less easily pleased patrons to discuss the menu, and I need all the time I can get to prepare for it."

I cringed and stepped to one side. "Good luck. I think you're going to need it."

I expected him to pass by, but instead he stepped closer to me and grasped my hand in his. He leaned down and pressed a soft, chaste kiss on the back of my hand. His eyes flickered up to me and I saw a hint of some strange, orange-ish color in them. The were the color of an autumn forest with a clear blue sky. "I hope to see much more of you later."

"Y-yeah, definitely," I stuttered.

He released my hand and straightened. "Have a good day."

Young left me alone, or so I thought. When the brush and trees hid him from view I heard a squeal. I spun around and glared at the bushes behind me. That squeal sounded familiar. "Susie, what the hell are you doing?" I snapped at the bushes.

Susie stepped out with a wide, sheepish grin on her face. She wore her bathing suit with the addition of shorts. A towel was draped over one arm. "You two are the cutest couple I've ever seen," she teased.

I nodded at her towel. "Aren't you supposed to be drowning in a hot spring?" I growled.

She shrugged and walked over to me. "It's no fun doing all this stuff alone, so I thought I'd catch up to you and see if you had a change of heart."

"You mean see if you could give me your big brown eyes look again and get me to come with you," I corrected her.

She winced and her bottom lip trembled. Her eyes got bigger, the better to see me with and mesmerize me with her puppy-dog look. "You don't have to be so mean about it," she whimpered.

"Oh no, you're not going to do this to me twice in the same day. No. Just no," I insisted.

She dropped the puppy eyes, but a sly smile slipped onto her lips. "Young and Abby sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love-"

"That's not how it is!" I insisted.

She slowly retreated down the path toward the intersection while still singing that diddy. "-then comes marriage, then comes Young with the baby carriage."

I picked up a non-threatening twig from a tree and chased after her. She laughed maniacally and turned tail down the trail with me hot on her heels.

# 8

Susie led me on a merry chase back to our cabin where I caught her at the rear. We tumbled to the ground and I ended up on top of her as she lay on her back. I grinned down at her and wiggled my fingers. "Time for some revenge," I quipped.

Her eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Yep." Susie was notoriously ticklish and I took my revenge by tickling every nook and cranny of her upper body.

"No! Stop! Please! Uncle!" she laughed. Tears streamed down her eyes and she tried to whack my hands away.

Our fun was interrupted by a loud, angry voice that came from the other side of our cabin. "What do you mean you don't know what time I have my swimming lessons?"

Much was our surprise when Linda replied to the man's angry words. "I'm really sorry, sir, but only your attendant and Mr. Nelson the scheduler would know that information. I can go find one of them and ask them-"

"I can't find that idiot attendant! He said he's be right back and that was fifteen minutes ago! What kind of service are you guys giving me here, huh?" The man's voice echoed over the cabins and I wondered if people at the lake could hear him.

I climbed off Susie and she followed me as we tiptoed to the corner of our cabin. We glanced around the corner and saw the I-want-my-meat-charcoal-style guy from the night before standing over our little quivering attendant. His face was red and his hands were clenched into fists at his sides. He glared down at Linda, who smiled back at him with a shaky smile.

"If you would just give me a few minutes I'm sure I could-"

"So you're going to what? Leave me here like that asshole did? Hell no, I'm coming with you, and you'd better move it!" he demanded.

"Of course, sir," Linda agreed. She inched past him, quivering in fear, but I wasn't going to stand for this.

I looked at Susie, who glanced back at me. "Ready?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Yep."

We both pulled up our sleeves, well, I did and Susie pretended to do so, and marched around the corner and over to the pair. Susie took hold of Linda's shoulders and pulled her away while I stepped in front of the guy. "You don't want to be too close to this," I heard her whisper to Linda.

I stuck my chin out and my full height reached to the middle of his chest. "Who the hell do you think you are yelling at our attendant?" I growled at him.

He sneered back. "Who the hell do you think _you_ are," he shot back.

"A paying guest like you, and someone who knows how to treat someone who's trying to help you as much as she can," I argued.

The man crossed his arms over his wide chest and glared down at me. I winced. His volume was still set to eleven. "I paid good money to come here and I'm not going to get some sub-par service from an idiot girl!"

"She's new here, so give her a chance. You'd want a break if some ogre started yelling at you," I countered.

His face reddened and he dropped his arms to his side so his hands could ball into fists. "What the fuck did you just call me?"

"An ogre and a jerk. Does somebody need to tell you everything?" I snapped at him.

He raised one of his fists which was near the size of my head. "Why I should knock your head off-"

"Is there a problem here?" a voice spoke up. We all turned to see Mr. Young stroll toward us with another young man by his side. They stopped beside us and Young glanced from my face to that of the stranger. "Well?"

The red-faced man pointed a finger at me and nodded at Linda. "She interrupted me when I was talking to that employee of yours."

Susie scoffed. "Talk nothing. You were yelling at her and calling her stupid."

Mr. Young frowned at the man. "What was the problem with my employee?" The stranger cringed and mumbled something I couldn't hear. Young leaned toward him and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. Could you repeat it?"

The man coughed and straightened. "I said she didn't know what time was my swimming lessons."

Young leaned away and raised an eyebrow. "I see. Well, that's understandable considering she's not your attendant. For privacy reasons my companion here Mr. Nelson is the only one privy to all the schedules. However, if she refused to find out the time for you then-"

"She didn't," the stranger mumbled.

Young frowned. "She didn't what?"

"She offered to find my attendant and get the time," he rephrased.

The manager's face darkened and his eyes narrowed. "I see. I'm afraid you may have broken one of our rules for fighting, but I will personally look into the matter and-"

"I don't want any trouble. Just drop it." The man pushed past the pair of men and hurried to the lodge.

Young tilted his head toward the man at his side. "Make a note to find out which guest that was and his cabin number."

Linda pulled out of Susie's grasp and hurried up to the manager. "I didn't mean to do anything wrong. It was-" Young held up his hand and silenced her.

"I don't think any of this is your fault. He knew the rules about fighting and chose to break them. If anyone is to blame it's that ill-tempered gentleman." She hung her head, but nodded. He set a hand on her shoulder, and she dared raise her head to look him in the face. He smiled down at her. "You did pretty well for your first time dealing with a rude guest. Keep it up and you'll be a cabin manager in no time."

A smile brightened her pretty features. "You think so?"

He laughed and gave a nod. "Yep." Young looked past her to Susie and me. "But it seems I owe you two a special thanks for saving my little sister from a lot of trouble."

We turned to each other and then back to him, and both our eyes were big and blinking. "Your sister?" I repeated.

Linda moved to stand beside Young and her cheeks showed a faint blush. "My full name is Linda Young. I don't use it because I don't want people to know how I got my position."

Young wrapped an arm around both her shoulders and squeezed her against his side. "You _earned_ your position today," he corrected her. He returned his attention back to Susie and me. "And I believe you two have earned a reward yourselves. How would a private dinner on the balcony suit your tastes?"

I shook my head. "It's great of you to-ugh!" I winced and rubbed my side as I glared at Susie. She'd elbowed me in the ribs.

"We'd be glad to take it," she answered for the both of us.

Young smiled and gave a nod. "Good. We eat at six sharp. Wear whatever you like."

"Even if it's nothing?" Susie teased.

Young's eyes fell on me and I detected a distinct hint of interest. "As tempting an offer as that is the rules must be obeyed, so you must wear something."

Susie's gaze flickered between us and her grin grew wider. "You know, I haven't been feeling well. I might have to sit this one out and let you two go alone." I glared daggers at my friend.

The man beside Young, Mr. Nelson, coughed into his hands. Young smiled at him and gestured to his friend. "It seems I haven't introduced my friend to you. Miss Lee and Miss Baker, this is Mr. Daniel Nelson. He's the financial adviser and time manager for the Gardens."

Mr. Nelson bowed his head to us, but Susie stepped forward and grasped his hand in a hearty shake. "Nice to meet you. I saw you around last time I was here, but I didn't know you weren't a guest. Don't believe those names Mr. Young gave us. I'm Susie and she-" she nodded her head toward me, "-is Abby."

"Don't shake his arm off," I hissed.

Mr. Nelson chuckled. "I like a good, firm grip. It shows sincerity." Susie released him and I gave him a more polite shake.

"It's a pleasure," I told him.

"That was a very brave action you performed," he complimented.

Susie snorted. "That's nothing. You should see her fight tigers."

I whipped my head to her and frowned. "I do not fight tigers," I hissed.

Nelson chuckled and kept his eyes on Susie. "You have a healthy sense of humor for a sick person," he commented.

"She does, doesn't she?" I agreed. "She must not be as sick as she thinks she is so I think we'll both see you tonight, Mr. Young."

"Please, call me Scott," he reminded me.

"Great!" Susie spoke up. "We'll see you tonight!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me into our cabin.

She shut the door behind us and I spun around and glared at her. "What the hell are you trying to do?" I questioned her.

She batted her eyes and practically floated across the room. "I don't know what you're talking about, dear friend," she replied in her best innocent tone. It wasn't very good because she was never very innocent.

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about. You tried to get me on a dinner date with that Young guy," I accused her.

"It's Scott, remember?" she teased.

"He's the manager of the resort and we just helped out his little sister, remember? He's just being nice," I argued.

Susie flopped onto the end of her bed and winked at me. "Uh-huh, just 'being nice' means a private dinner at his table."

"It means nothing!" I insisted.

Our argument was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Susie? Abby?" Linda's voice called through the closed entrance.

"Come in!" Susie shouted. I scowled at my friend. I wasn't done scolding her and she knew it.

Linda slipped inside and smiled at both of us. "I didn't get a chance to thank you for coming to my rescue."

My heart melted for the young girl. She really was like a little sister to us, and too damn cute for her own good. I wondered if she'd been raised in a monastery. "It's nothing really. We were glad to help out," I insisted.

Linda shook her head. "No, it really was a big deal. You see, as a novice attendant I'm not allowed to make physical contact with the guests to defend myself."

Susie's jaw dropped open and I frowned. "So if he beat you up you couldn't stop him?" she asked our friend.

Linda gave a nod. "That's correct, so you see how you saved me from a very awkward situation. If he had become violent I could have only run away."

"That's a stupid rule!" Susie argued.

"It's for the safety of everyone," Linda insisted. She smiled and bowed at the waist to us. "But anyway, thank you for rescuing me. Did you need anything before I prepare for your special dinners tonight?"

"I can't think of anything," I replied.

"Nope," Susie answered.

"All right, then enjoy yourselves, and thank you." Linda hurried out.

Susie glanced at me and nodded at the closed door through which Linda left. "You think she was raised in a monastery?" she asked me.

I snorted. "I was thinking the same thing, but I think she's just a little naive."

Susie's eyes took on a dreamy quality. "Ah, the days of youth. Do you remember when we were that innocent?"

I strode over to my dresser and rifled through my clothes. "You were never that innocent. Now help me pick something out to wear for this mess you've gotten me into," I ordered her.

She slyly grinned at me. "I thought you said this dinner didn't matter."

"No, what I said was you were trying to set me up on a dinner date with a cute guy. I didn't say it didn't matter," I corrected her.

Susie jumped to her feet and pointed an accusatory finger at me. "Ah-ha! The tell-tale sign of a smitten woman!"

I rolled my eyes. "What?"

She slid over to me and wagged her eyebrows in my face. "You called him cute."

I pushed her away, but I couldn't wipe the smile from my face. "All right, I admit it. He's cute. So what?"

"So that's the first step in getting to the k-i-s-s-" I didn't give her a chance to finish because I launched a ball of socks at her.

She cringed and jumped away. "Using those are illegal according to the Geneva Convention," she scolded me.

"Good thing we're not in Geneva, so help me pick something out," I retorted.

# 9

The rest of the day flew by and by five forty-five I was more than a little nervous. Susie noticed. "Will you stop pacing? You've got me with you, remember?" she growled at me as she sat at the foot of her bed.

I wore the wood floor boards through as I walked to and fro in front of her. "Yeah, that part still worries me," I quipped.

She smirked at me. "It's not like this guy is rich, handsome, responsible, and into you. I mean, if it turns out he doesn't really like you then so what?" she teased.

I stopped my pacing in front of her and glared at my friend. "Sometimes I wish you'd keep your helpful words to yourself."

She beamed at me. "I try."

There came a knock on the door and I smoothed my clean blouse. Susie rolled her eyes, strode past me and opened the door. Linda stood on the other side. "Are you two ready?" she asked us.

"Yep," Susie replied.

Linda led us down the row of cabins and to the lodge. Dinner was served in the ballroom and I looked for the angry man, but he was nowhere to be found. Susie was more direct in her curiosity as she sidled up to Linda.

"So what happened to that guy who wanted to smash us?" she asked our attendant.

"I'm afraid he had to leave," Linda informed us.

Susie snorted. "He must have thrown a hell of a fit over that. And no refund, right?"

"Unfortunately, that's true," Linda replied.

I frowned at my friend and jabbed her in the side. She glared back at me. "What?" she asked me.

I lowered my voice so Linda couldn't overhear. "I think this subject's a little touchy."

Susie blinked at me and her eyes widened. "Ooh, right."

Linda directed us away from the ballroom and to the second floor. We bypassed the breakfast balcony and walked along the catwalk to the front outdoor balcony. The lights from the lobby ceiling and a few outdoor lights above the lower panes of glass illuminated the area. A table was set out there with an ice bucket, and two slender wine bottles chilled in the ice. Young and Nelson stood by the railing. They appeared deep in conversation, but broke off their talk when Linda opened the glass door and allowed us through ahead of her. I heard the door clack shut behind us, but didn't see nor hear Linda walk with us over to the men.

Young smiled and strode over to us with his arms spread wide. "Good evening. I trust you ladies brought your appetites."

"Yep. I barely touched my lunch," Susie replied. I rolled my eyes. She'd consumed the meat and salad meal with all the daintiness of a famished lioness.

"Good, then please have a seat." Nelson and Young both walked to the round table with its four chairs and scooted out two of them. I noticed the two chairs weren't side-by-side, but rather opposite each other.

Susie looped her arm through mine and dragged me to the table. "Come on, don't be shy," she whispered to me. She plopped me in the chair set out by Young and took the one offered by Nelson for herself.

"I hope you don't mind this being a foursome. Daniel and I often eat together," Young told us.

"We could make it a five-some if we could find Linda," I suggested.

Susie glanced around us. "She is gone. Where'd she go?"

"I told her she could have the night off before she went to fetch you," Young admitted.

"So what's on the menu?" Susie wondered.

"A special steak with a special thank-you, and these." Young pulled out one of the bottles while Nelson took the neck of the other. I was shown Young's bottle, and Susie got a look at Nelson's.

"Late-harvest viognier, 1950," I read the label. My eyes flickered up to Young's face and I was glad for the limited light. His eyes couldn't bewitch me. "Was that a good year?"

"A very good year. This has a unique flavor that no other bottle in the world contains," Young promised. He eased the cork out, and the last half inch it spared him the trouble and flew from the neck. The cork sailed into the sky and dropped a few feet from the table.

"Cool!" Susie commented. She looked to Nelson. "Do that to yours."

Nelson chuckled. "I make no promises, but here goes." He slowly opened his cork and leaned his face back. At the last quarter inch his cork burst from the neck and made an arch above us. It dropped close beside its fallen brethren near the table.

I furrowed my brow. "I didn't think anybody could get a cork out with their hands. Are you sure the contents aren't tainted?" I asked them.

"I told you these were very special bottles," Young reminded me.

"Are we talking expensive or actually tastes good?" Susie wondered.

"Both, because of the rarity and the flavor," Nelson promised. He grabbed their two glasses while Young took a hold of ours.

Susie covered the mouth of her wine glass with her hand and shook her head. "Not for me, thanks."

Nelson raised an eyebrow and I noticed Young's eyes flickered between our complimenting pair. "Any particular reason why you don't want it?" Nelson asked Susie.

"I don't drink wine. It just doesn't agree with me. Too fruity, I think," she admitted.

The men visibly relaxed, and Nelson smiled and poured only one glass. "I see. I'll have to make a request to have the contents mixed with our steaks. You can't taste the flavor that way."

"That sounds like such a waste," I spoke up.

"A used drink is never a wasted drink," Nelson countered.

Young chuckled and pushed my drink toward me. "My friend is quite the philosopher when it comes to management. That's why he's in charge of the finances and I get the honor of handling the guests," he commented.

"How did the meeting go with the other guests, if you don't mind my asking?" I wondered.

Young picked up his glass and winced. "I don't particularly mind, though I'm afraid there was nothing constructive accomplished," Young replied.

Nelson raised an eyebrow. "They slaughtered you," he corrected his friend.

"I wouldn't go that-"

"There were no survivors," Nelson interrupted him.

"They took no prisoners?" Susie added.

"Not alive," Nelson answered.

Susie cringed. "Ouch, brutal annihilation."

"Devastation."

"Destruction."

While the two went back and forth showing off their thesaurus skills Young leaned toward me and nodded at the pair. "They seem to get along," he commented.

"Like two patients in an insane asylum," I agreed.

He chuckled and held his glass between us. "I'll drink to a little insanity in life. It's a refreshing change from the ordinary."

I lifted my glass so it was beside his. "I suppose I can drink to that." We chinked our glasses and he swallowed half of his in one gulp. I took a tentative sip of mine and found the flavor not only sweet, but with a hint of something I couldn't decipher but found delicious. "What's in this?" I asked him.

"Oh, an old specialty of mine," he replied.

"Yours? From 1950?" I wondered.

"That is, an old specialty of my family," he corrected himself. His eyes scrutinized my face. "How do you like it?"

I shrugged. "Not bad." To prove my point I downed the rest of the glass and held it out to him. "May I have another, gov'ner?"

"Don't get drunk on me," Susie spoke up. Their back-and-forth was finished, but I wasn't sure who was the victor. Probably not the thesaurus.

"If I do you can help me back to the cabin. I promise I won't make too many passes at you," I teased.

Young smiled and poured me another glass. He refilled his own and raised his glass above the center of the table. "To new friends and new futures."

Susie furrowed her brow. "That's a strange toast."

"It's my motto. It keeps me looking forward without dwelling too much on the past," Young explained.

Nelson raised his glass, and we girls followed suit. "To new futures," we chanted. We chinked our glasses together and downed what drinks we'd chosen. At that moment a cart wheeled through the glass door and to our table. A metal cover shielded the food from our gaze, but wonderful smells wafted from beneath the lid.

"What's for dinner?" Susie asked our host.

Young shrugged. "Daniel demanded he be in charge of the meal, so everything's a surprise to me," he told us.

"Tender sirloin steak with side dishes of salad, mashed potatoes and gravy, and corn," Nelson replied.

Susie picked up her knife and fork in each hand and widely grinned. "I'm game."

* * *

An hour later and the game was finished, and so was my friend. Susie packed away the last of the meat and Scott poured me the last bit of the late-harvest wine. Our wonderful food had been punctuated with lively conversation about the Gardens, Susie and my boring lives, and future career plans for all of us.

Scott set down the empty bottle beside his plate and his eyes flickered to me. "You've spoken a great deal about your jobs, but I wondered what your plans were for your life."

Susie snorted and nodded at me. "Her job is her life," she informed him.

"Is it? That's a pity," he mused.

I raised an eyebrow and narrowed my eyes at him. "You seem pretty engrossed in your business, too," I pointed out.

He leaned back and smiled. "In this case the business is a family one, and it's impossible to disentangle the two," he defended himself.

"Well, the same is kind of true for me, it's just that I don't own the business," I argued. Young chuckled, and I scowled at him. "What's so funny? Can't a girl work for a living and like it?"

"By all means, but you shouldn't let it consume you," he scolded.

"Maybe I'm not 'consumed' by anything. Maybe I just like to have a future somewhere," I argued.

"But at a company? That doesn't sound like a very fulfilling future, and definitely not a fulfilling life," he countered.

"But it's my life," I insisted.

"Have you ever wondered if maybe you're taking the wrong path in life?" he challenged me.

My pride was pricked, and I wouldn't take it sitting down. I stood and flung my napkin on the table. "So you're saying women shouldn't put work first?"

His smile slipped off his lips. "Not at all, but there's more to life than a career."

Susie made slashing motions across her neck at me. "Abby!" she hissed.

I ignored her and scowled at Young. "Well, maybe other people don't think the same way you do. Maybe they don't have the luxury of owning a large resort that practically runs itself and only has to deal with a couple of complains every few months. Maybe other peoples' lives are a little tougher than being a rich playboy."

That hit the wrong button on Young because his lips pursed together. "If that's what you think of the situation then you're gravely mistaken. There are more responsibilities here than you can imagine."

"Scott," Nelson warned him.

I snorted. "Yeah, right. I'll believe it when I see it. Thanks for the meal." I stomped from the balcony and down the inside stairs.

Footsteps hurried after me and Susie caught up to me in the lobby. "What the hell was that?" she questioned me.

"A disagreement," I growled.

"More like a tongue-lashing. He didn't do that much to deserve that," she insisted.

By this time we were halfway down the row of cabins, and I spun around and glared at her. "If you think he's right then go back and stay with him," I snarled. I knew I'd gone too far when Susie shrank from me. I clutched my head in one hand and ground my teeth together. I felt like I'd just emerged from a bad dream or a terrible hangover. "What the hell did I just do?" I murmured.

"Probably get us kicked out because there's no fighting allowed," she told me.

I sighed and dropped my hand to my side. My shoulders drooped and I shook my head. "I'm so sorry, Susie. I. . .I just don't know what came over me."

She patted me on the shoulder, and when I looked up there was a smile on her face. "Well, at least we-um, we-" She pursed her lips and tapped her chin. "Actually, I can't think of any good reason to leave here early."

I snorted. "Thanks. That makes me feel a lot better."

"What a friends for? Anyway, let's get a good night's sleep in case the eviction notice comes early tomorrow morning. They wouldn't dare throw a couple of beautiful girls like us on the streets at this hour." She turned me toward our cabin a few buildings down, but I paused and glanced at the dark night sky.

I was still restless from my argument with the owner, and sleeping didn't sound like what I wanted. "You know, I think I'll break one more rule before we leave."

Susie raised an eyebrow. "Which one?"

"I think I'll take a walk to the lake," I told her.

A devilish smile slipped onto Susie's lips and her eyes took on a faraway look. "Maybe I'll go try out those golf carts," she mused.

"No. We're not adding homicide and property damage to our list of broken rules. You stay here," I commanded her.

Susie's shoulders slumped and she sighed. "I guess. Want me to come with you?" she offered.

I shook my head. "No, I've got a lot of thinking to do."

"Ooh," she replied. She patted me on the shoulder and smiled at me. "Well, don't go beating up yourself, or any trees, too bad about us leaving early. I'll forgive you someday."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks, and I'll see you in a bit." I strode between the cabins and toward the trails into the shadowed trees.

"Have fun," Susie called to me.

# 10

I walked through the dirt path with my eyes on the ground and my mind lost in deep thoughts. I really couldn't figure out why I'd blown up at Young. It's not like he'd insulted me too bad, he'd just given me some piece of advice. A different way of looking at my life, if you will. Then I had to go and take it personally, and try to chew his head off. It left a bitter taste in my mouth.

In the dark I was heedless of where I traveled, and I must have taken the wrong path on these unfamiliar trails because fifteen minutes later I found myself in a loop backwards. Ahead of me was the cabins, and at my back was the forest. There was a light on in my cabin. Susie was still awake. I thought about joining her and giving up on one last moonlit glimpse of the lake.

I changed my mind when I heard a howl. It was the call of the wolf again like last night, but this time it sounded mournful, frustrated, angry. My mind was indecisive. The safety of the cabin or the unknown of the dark woods? Another howl came to my ears and the sound slipped into silence. Why not go after it? Susie kept telling me I needed to be less suspicious and more spontaneous.

I spun on my heels and hurried into the woods. It was just my luck that the noise didn't return, but at least this time I paid attention to where I walked. I reached the intersection of hot springs and lake in a few minutes, and looked from left to right. Nothing stirred. All was quiet. I strained my ears. There! A sound from the lake!

I hurried on my way. The sound was like something splashing in the water. It couldn't be a guest. They weren't allowed out at night. Well, unless they were as stupid as me and planned on getting an eviction notice tomorrow. In a minute the trees parted and I had my first glimpse of the lake by moonlight.

The calm, serene water glowed beneath the bright, round night light in the sky. My eyes skimmed the area for signs of wolf. Something fifteen yards from the shore caught my eye. The unknown shadow broke the surface of the water and paddled to and fro in long, swift strokes. I couldn't make out who, or even what, it was, so I snuck over to the lifeguard chair for a closer look. From my new position I caught a glimpse of human arms break through the surface of the water and human feet propel the person forward. It wasn't a wolf I'd found but another human breaking the rules.

I set my hand atop the seat of the lifeguard chair and yelped when I felt something soft move beneath my weight. The thing slid off the seat and dropped to the ground atop my feet. I let out another squeal of fright and reversed. The sand slipped from beneath my retreating heels and I fell back onto my rear.

My frightened noises caught the attention of the swimmer. The person directed their strokes toward the shore, and I scrambled behind the high chair. I peeked my face around the rear corner of the chair in time to watch Scott Young emerge from the depths of the water. He stood and showed off his muscular chest and arms. His damp hair clung to him and his shorts showed off his thick legs.

Young splashed to the shoreline, and his bright eyes swept over the area for only a moment before they fell on me. He raised an eyebrow. "Abby?" he called to me.

I cringed, but emerged from my poor hiding place. "Um, nice night," I replied.

A half-smile slid onto his lips. "It is, but I wonder what you're doing out here when you know it's against the rules."

I shrugged. "Susie and I guessed we'd be kicked out tomorrow, anyway, so I thought I'd see the lake by moonlight. I guess I've definitely gotten us kicked out now because you caught me, huh?"

"I'm not sure. I'd first like to do an investigation into the matter," he replied.

I cringed. "Starting with our fight earlier? I'm really sorry about that, I don't know-"

"What do you think of it?" he asked me.

I blinked at him. "What do I think of what?"

He swept an arm over the lake area. "The lake. You told me you wanted to see the lake at night. What do you think of it?"

I looked out on the dark, unbroken surface with all the reflections of the shadowed trees. A small breeze wafted over the beach and sent ripples along the water and over my skin. It was deliciously cool to the touch, and I realized for the first time that the night air didn't cause me to shiver. My body felt-how to describe it? Alert, tense, warm? All of the above? I felt a pull inside me, like I wanted to run through the shallow waters kicking up sprays or exploring the depths of the woods in a search for-well, I don't know, for something.

"Abby?" Young spoke up.

I shook myself and blinked at him. "What?"

"What do you think of the lake?" he repeated.

"Oh, it's beautiful. I don't know why, but I really like it at night better than the day," I told him.

He stepped up to me so only a foot separated us. "You know, I really should escort you back to your cabin."

I raised an eyebrow. "So why don't you?"

His stunning eyes swept over me and I shivered beneath his penetrating gaze. He dropped his voice and there was a sultry quality to it that excited and surprised me. "Because I like to look at you in the moonlight. You look as beautiful as the pure moon." I blushed, and he smiled. I don't know how he saw the faint red in the night light. "Blushing again?" he teased.

I rubbed my cheeks with the back of one hand. "No, it's just a little cold. Anyway, I really should be going." My legs didn't obey me, and Young didn't give me a chance to force them.

He moved closer, so close that we nearly touched shirt to bare chest. I smelled the faint scent of sweat and water on his body. Droplets slid down his muscles and glistened in the moonlight. His eyes looked down at me with unmistakable desire. My body reacted to his presence in a most awkward and pleasant way when heat pooled between my legs. I parted my lips for air. This wasn't right. I'd leave tomorrow and that would be the end to this short courtship.

I willed myself to look away. This couldn't be. We needed to get away from each other before something happened that we would regret. I pressed my hands against his chest to push him away, but my nerve failed me when I felt the heat and smoothness of his skin. There was a silky quality to his flesh that excited my passions. I panted for breath. His arms wrapped around me. They were warm and strong. I'd never felt such comfort and such desire.

He leaned down and his whispering breath brushed across my neck. "Don't fight the urge. Live it."

I sighed as he planted soft, delicate kisses on my trembling flesh. My heart pounded in my chest and my hands slid against his soft, strong chest muscles. I pressed against him and gasped when I felt the size of his need hidden inside his shorts.

He lowered me to his towel and covered me with his hot, wet body. His leg opened mine and he settled himself between them. His hands worked magic over my skin as they explored my clothed body. I frowned and fidgeted. The material got in the way. I wanted to feel his warm fingers against my flesh.

I grabbed my shirt and pulled it over my head. It broke our contact for a moment and he leaned back to inspect my full, swollen breasts. They stretched my tight bra and ached for his touch. His breath came out in sharp, deep growls that excited my passion further. I squirmed and arched my back, giving him permission to taste what he could of me.

One of his hands reached behind me and unclasped my bra. In a moment the clothing was thrown aside and he had a clear view of my pert pink buds atop those quivering mounds of soft, pliable flesh. He cradled one in his hand and massaged me. I groaned and pushed myself deeper into his grasp.

"Beautiful," he whispered. His voice was hoarse, strained. I excited him, and that power over him increased my desire for him.

He lay over me and his hot, wet lips swallowed one of my tight buds. He suckled me and the motion of his lips on my body made me moan. I clasped his head in my hands, willing him never to leave me, never to stop doing what he was doing.

His hands roamed over my body. They snagged on the waistband of my pants, but that was quickly remedied when I felt him unbutton my pants and pull down the zipper. His fingers dove into my underwear. My coarse hair was soaked with my need. His fingers brushed over my folds before they spread them and touched my sensitive nub. He pressed hard against me and rubbed a finger across the quivering, aching nerves. A bolt of pleasure shot through me. I gasped and thrust into his fingers.

Then he took all of himself away from me. He leaned back on his hands and stared down at me with glistening eyes. "Do you want me?" he growled.

I squirmed on the towel. My hot, tight body needed him to fulfill his sensual promises. "Please," I whimpered.

"Say it," he insisted.

My hands grasped the sand. I arched my back, tempting him with my bare breasts. He didn't budge. "Please. I can't take this," I pleaded. The heat inside me was maddening. It craved his touch, and nothing else would satisfy it.

His voice was hoarse as he denied both of us what we so desired. "Say that you need me," he demanded.

I couldn't take it any longer. All my pride was swept aside for this godly creature who had such control over me. "I need you! Oh god, please take me! Take me and make me yours!" I cried out.

He grinned, and the look was feral. "Only mine forever."

In a moment the rest of my clothes were gone and so were his. He thrust deeply and powerfully into my hot, waiting core. I eagerly accepted his large, swollen manhood. This was where he belonged, inside me, a part of me. His rhythm matched perfectly with mine as we began the dance of lustful lovers. Our sweat-soaked bodies slid against each other in harmony to music that came only to our ears. I grasped his back and pressed myself against him. My mind and body reveled in the feel as he penetrated me again and again. Each stroke slipped against my bundle of sensitive, quivering nerves and sent tingles of pleasure through my body.

My groans filled the air followed by my whispered pleas to this beautiful god who had chosen me as his companion on this wondrous night. "Please don't stop. Don't ever stop."

He grunted like a wild animal and thrust harder into me. My flesh tingled and tensed. His strokes demanded satisfaction, and to be satisfied they needed me to achieve that height of pleasure meant only for lovers. I wrapped my legs around his waist and allowed him deeper penetration, deeper love-making. He clutched onto me as though I was the last woman on earth and would be no one else's, the world population be damned.

"Faster! Oh god, faster!" I demanded.

His grunts and groans filled my ears. His pleasure was mine, and mine his. Slick body melded with slick body in a passionate rut on that beach towel under the night sky. As I lay there beneath my lover I felt my body shift and begin anew. My tense muscles seemed to thicken and expand. My breasts grew larger and pushed him away from me. Their sensitive flesh was massaged by his tight chest muscles, and that sent me into a sensual pleasure that only orgasm could appease.

I came in a brilliant burst of light. My whole body convulsed with pleasure I never imagined. My lover thrust into me again and again, expanding the bliss into infinite heights. He thrust once, twice, and then I felt him finish inside me. We were finished, and so very complete.

# 11

Euphoria and paradise, even one as deep and penetrating as ours, never lasts forever. The sensual lust faded and was replaced by exhaustion and fulfillment. Scott slipped to the side so he wouldn't crush me, but he wrapped his arms around me and pressed me close to his chest so the cool night air wouldn't chill me, covered as I was in sweat.

The cool breeze swept over us, and I shuddered and snuggled against his warm body. His chuckle reverberated through us. "Comfortable?" he teased.

My damn cheeks blushed and his words reminded me of how sudden and how foolish my actions just now had been. I tried to pull away from him, but he held me tight. I avoided his eyes, but my voice was firm. "I need to go," I told him.

"So soon?" His question wasn't teasing. There was sincerity and surprise in his voice.

"Yeah, I-um, I have to get ready for tomorrow," I replied.

"Your schedule will wait," he promised me.

I pushed against his chest, but he didn't budge. "Well, evictions, or banishments, or whatever you want to call them are usually early in the morning to prevent a scene, so I'd like to be ready."

"Eviction?" He pulled me to half his arm's length and I couldn't avoid his eyes as they bore into mine. " Abby, what are you talking about?"

"I broke two rules in one night, one of them very knowingly. That means I need to be kicked out," I reminded him.

"Is that what you think will happen tomorrow?" he wondered.

I frowned at him. He was treating me like an incompetent child again. "What do you think I'm supposed to think?" I growled. I pushed away from him, grabbed my clothes from the sand, and slipped into them. The sand inside them grated against my skin like Young grated against my nerves.

"Abby, listen to me." He stood and ignored his shorts. I couldn't help looking down at his nakedness. It was a good view, but my propriety forced me to look away from him. Young came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. I cringed, but he ignored my reaction. He leaned down and his breath wafted against my neck. I shuddered and turned away. "Do you think I could let you go after this night?" he whispered.

"Couldn't you?" I argued.

He spun me around and I looked into his blue eyes. They burned with a lust that wasn't quenched, and a love that melted my fears away. "I could never let you go. Not now, not ever. You could break all the rules at the Gardens, or even all the laws in the world, and I don't think I could stop loving you."

I blinked at him. "Really?"

A smile slowly slid onto his lips. "Really."

I leaned away from him and scrutinized his face. "Prove it."

"My pleasure." He leaned down and captured my lips in a kiss that ignited my body with renewed lust. I wrapped my arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Our bodies rubbed together, and I regretted donning my clothes. We broke apart for air, and my cheeks were flushed from the exhilaration. He chuckled. "Coming down with something?" he teased.

I smirked. "Yeah, I think it's a bad case of love. Any way to cure it, doc?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid there's no cure, and it's completely fatal to your status as an old maid."

I shrugged. "I guess I'll just have to live with that."

Scott grinned. "Care to try-" He paused and his eyes whipped over my shoulder to something behind me. I turned and followed his gaze, but saw nothing except the path into the trees. "What is it?" I asked him.

"I think your friend's looking for you," he informed me.

My eyes widened and I gasped. "Oh crap. What time is it?"

"Almost eight," Scott replied.

I reluctantly pulled away from him. "I have to go. Susie probably thinks I'm dead somewhere or dragged off by a wild animal."

Scott grabbed my hand and I glanced over my shoulder at him. "I'll see you tomorrow, and for the next two weeks," he promised.

He smiled and nodded. "See you tomorrow."

He released me and I hurried to the forest path. I had traveled ten yards into the trees when I caught a glimpse of my worried friend. She saw me at near the same time and we met halfway.

"There you are! You had me worried sick! I thought you were dead or dragged off by a wild animal!" she scolded me.

I sheepishly smiled and shrugged. "Sorry. I guess I got distracted by the moon."

She rolled her eyes, grabbed my hand, and pulled me back toward our cabin. "Did you forget we might have to get up early tomorrow so when they toss us out we'll be awake enough to land on our butts?"

I glanced backward toward the lake and smiled. "I have a feeling we'll be okay."
**A note from Mac**

> Thanks for downloading my book! Your support means a lot to me, and I'm grateful to have the opportunity to entertain you with my stories.
> 
> If you'd like to continue reading the series, or wonder what else I might have up my writer's sleeve, feel free to check out my website, or contact me at mac@macflynn.com.

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**Sign up here for the Mac Flynn Newsletter, the online newsletter with a bite!**

# Continue the adventure

Now that you've finished the book, feel free to check out my website for the rest of the exciting series. Here's also a little sneak-peek at the next book:

* * *

**Garden of the Wolf #2:**

> Night hung over my quiet little cabin. I lay in my bed and watched through the window in front of me as the clouds drifted across the moonlit sky. The cabin was empty but for me. I didn't question where Susie had gone. I only knew I was relieved she wasn't there. My body was tense. I grasped the covers beneath me. My breaths came out in short, quick gasps. I waited eagerly for something. I couldn't understand how I knew something was coming, but I did.
> 
> A shadow appeared beneath the door. The knob turned and the door opened. In the entrance stood a tall shadow. I recognized the shadow. It was my lover come to seduce me. My pulse quickened as he walked to the bed. He stood by my side and his yellow eyes gazed down on me with barely-restrained lust. My body felt on fire as he leaned down. His warm breath wafted over my neck. I shuddered as he planted soft kisses on my flesh. His hands swept over my trembling body. I shuddered and sighed. This delicious torment ignited a lustful fire within me. His hand slipped beneath my shirt and he cupped my breast in his hand. I groaned and pushed myself into his touch. This was where I wanted, and what I wanted. Nothing could ruin this moment.
> 
> Except waking up. That ruined that wondrous dream as slumber was replaced with consciousness. My eyes fluttered open and I groaned, this time from disappointment.
> 
> I awoke to birds chirping and the sun shining brightly on my face. Another day had dawned, and with it came the disappointment that I had dreamed that sensual encounter. Fortunately I had real memories to compensate for the dream, and those memories gave me a pick-me-up. I felt more ready for the day than I'd felt in a long time. I sat up in my bed and stretched. In the other bed lay Susie, fast asleep and with a slight snore to her slumber. Between us was the clock, and the time showed eight. That was a late hour for me, but I couldn't scold myself. I felt too exhilarated from last night's tryst to be bothered about anything.
> 
> A rap on our door alerted me to a visitor. "Susie? Abby? Breakfast time," Linda called through the door.
> 
> "We'll be right out," I called back.
> 
> I flung aside the sheets and almost hopped out of bed, but paused. There was such a spring to my step that my eyes flickered to Susie's bed and a devilish grin slipped onto my lips. I stood atop my bed, faced Susie, and bent my knees. My butt wiggled as I tried not to giggle.
> 
> "Banzai!" I cried out just before I launched myself at the other bed.
> 
> I landed with a hard thump atop my unsuspecting friend. Susie yelped and shot up, but our heads collided and we both fell back. Our legs and arms tangled in the sheets and created a mess of flailing bodies. I freed myself the hard way: I fell off the bed onto my back and dragged half the covers with me.
> 
> In a moment Susie peeked over the edge of the bed and glared at me. "What's the big idea?" she growled.
> 
> I couldn't help but giggle a little bit. She looked like a ruffled hen with her hair and clothes askew from our tussle. "I couldn't help it," I told her.
> 
> Susie raised an eyebrow and leaned her face closer to me. "Are you drunk?" she asked me.
> 
> I gathered control of my giggling and shook my head. "No, but I'm starting to believe this places' advertising."
> 
> "I'm starting to believe you're nutty," she quipped.
> 
> I sat up and scooted backwards so my back leaned against my bed. "I'm fine, really. I just couldn't help it. You looked so peaceful, and Linda called us for breakfast, so I thought of a new way to wake you up."
> 
> Susie swung her legs over the side of the bed and frowned. "I'm the one who's supposed to think of all the devious plans, remember?"
> 
> I shrugged. "Some of your insanity must have finally rubbed off on me."
> 
> My friend glanced at the clock and cringed. "And what a time to do it. Couldn't you have given me a few more minutes, or maybe two hours?"
> 
> "Breakfast waits for no one," I scolded her.
> 
> "I could have raided the kitchen. Someone told me how to do it last time I was here," Susie informed me.
> 
> "Don't push our luck with being expelled. Scott-Mr. Young might not forgive us if we make any more mistakes," I warned her.
> 
> Susie grinned and raised an eyebrow. "'Scott?'" she repeated.
> 
> "I said Mr. Young," I insisted.
> 
> "I'm sure I heard you call him Scott," she persisted. She leaned toward me and her eyes narrowed. "Tell me again how you got us out of being thrown out of here."
> 
> Under her scrutinizing gaze I turned away and shrugged. "I met him at the lake and we-well, we talked things over. He said he wouldn't throw us out because I apologized for my behavior."
> 
> "And you taking a night walk? He was fine with that, too?" she continued.
> 
> I spun around to face her and crossed my arms over my chest. "He said we could stay. Let's just leave it at that, okay?"
> 
> Susie shook her head. "No way. You practically chewed his head off and everything's all nice and forgiven? How big of an apology was this?"
> 
> I folded my arms across my chest and glared at her. "If I can't be suspicious, then you can't be suspicious," I demanded.
> 
> "Well, maybe my suspicion will decide the fate of the world," she countered.
> 
> I snorted and tossed a pillow at her. My aim was true and the soft weapon hit her in the face. "I don't even think it will decide the fate of a sea slug, so let's get some breakfast."
> 
> Susie wrinkled her nose. "You just had to mention sea slugs before food, didn't you?"
> 
> "Lost your appetite?" I teased.
> 
> She flung aside her tangled sheets and hopped out of bed. "No, but I could have and it would've been an innocent bystander."
> 
> We dressed and stepped outside. The crisp mountain morning invigorated us and Linda awaited us with a bright smile. "You're both looking very well," she complimented.
> 
> "And feeling very well," Susie chimed in. She rubbed her hands together and grinned. "I feel like I could eat everything at the buffet."
> 
> Linda laughed. "I'll be sure to tell the cooks to make double of everything so the others get some."
> 
> Speaking of others, I looked around us. The hour was early enough only a few people were out, and they, too, had a lively step to their walk. "I'm guessing we can start seeing the effects of this place on everyone else," I mused.
> 
> Linda guided us towards the lodge and nodded. "That's right. The effects are very quick for many people, but some of the others are a little slower."
> 
> "What about the ones who don't show anything?" I asked her.
> 
> Her smile faltered. "I'm afraid they will often leave the session early on account of ill health. Sickness is a sign that the food isn't agreeing with them."
> 
> "Well, that won't happen to us," Susie commented as she wrapped an arm over my shoulders. She patted her stomach. "We've got some hard constitutions."
> 
> I slipped from her grasp and rolled my eyes. "And you have an even harder head," I commented.
> 
> She sheepishly grinned and shrugged. "What can I say? I was dropped a lot as a kid."
> 
> "That explains a lot," I teased.
> 
> We reached the lodge and stepped inside. The smells of breakfast wafted across our noses and Linda walked up the stairs with Susie close behind. I paused when I noticed a tall man in front of us who walk over to the front desk. He wasn't familiar to me. I guessed his age at about thirty-five, and his skin was ruddy with the last hints of youth. His hair was as black as night and he had a muscular build. He wore a simple polo shirt with matching pants, and walked with an air of confidence. I would have called him handsome were his eyes not so dark. Their dark depths held a certain bit of sly cruelty in them.
> 
> Frank was at the desk, and he turned at the man's arrival. The smile on the young man's face slipped off and his eyes widened with fear. He coughed and tried to gather himself, but failed miserably. "H-how can I help you?" he asked the gentleman.
> 
> "I wish to speak with Young," the man requested. His voice was quiet and calm, but there was a tension in the words which told the listener that 'no' was never an answer.
> 
> "Y-yes, sir," Frank readily agreed. He pulled out a phone receiver from beneath the desk and rang up a number. "Sir, there's a gentleman here to see you. The-um, the neighbor, sir." The color slowly drained from Frank's face, but he nodded. "Yes. Yes, sir. I'll tell him." Frank hung up the phone and turned to the mysterious man. "Mr. Nelson will be down in a moment."
> 
> The man's dark eyes narrowed and he leaned over the desk towards Frank. "I requested Young," the dark man reminded him.
> 
> Frank cringed as though he'd been slapped. "I-I know, sir, but Mr. Young isn't available so Mr. Nelson will meet with you."
> 
> Susie sidled up to me. "Looks like trouble," she whispered.
> 
> Trouble was averted when Nelson appeared from behind the Employees Only door at the rear of the building. He had a strained smile on his face as he strode over to the gentleman. "Good morning. If you would follow me we can discuss what you wish in private," I heard Nelson whisper to the man.
> 
> "Hey, Dan!" Susie shouted as she waved her hand above her head.
> 
> I jabbed her in the ribs hard enough to make her gasp, but it was too late. Nelson paled and the tall stranger turned toward us. He raised an eyebrow as Susie recovered from my abuse and looped an arm through mine. She dragged me towards Nelson and the stranger. Linda, who had hurried up the stairs with an unusually quick step, paused halfway and looked over her shoulder at us. She bit her lip and reluctantly turned around, but Nelson held up his hand and she stopped.
> 
> "You look really great for all the wine you drank last night at the dinner, Dan," Susie complimented Nelson.
> 
> The stranger's eyes flickered between Susie and Nelson, and a smirk slid onto his lips. "You are on a first-name basis with your 'guests?'" he asked Nelson.
> 
> Nelson grew a little pale, but cleared his throat and smiled. "We encourage friendship here among the guests and employees," he returned.
> 
> "Then care to introduce me so I can make friends?" the stranger suggested.
> 
> Nelson pursed his lips, but gestured to us. "These are some of our guests for this session. Susan Baker, Abigail Lee, this is Mr. Andrew Blackwood. He's a. . .a neighbor to our business."
> 
> Blackwood bowed his head to us. "A pleasure to meet such interesting ladies," he complimented us.
> 
> Susie whipped out her hand to him and smiled. "Pleasure to meet you, too, sir."
> 
> He smiled and shook her hand, then turned his attention to me. His eyes swept over my body and I had the impulse to shudder under his gaze. "How are you both enjoying the 'session?'" he wondered.
> 
> I had a feeling the question was directed at me, but Susie stuck her head in his line of sight. "Great! I can't wait to go swimming and hiking, and maybe taking one of those golf carts out for a spin-"
> 
> "Those are only for the more infirm of our guests," Nelson reminded her.
> 
> Susie sighed and shrugged. "Can't blame a girl for trying."
> 
> Blackwood chuckled, and the sound sent a shiver down my spine. There was something dark about him that made me want to slip away from his presence. "As eager as I am to hear more about you both, I must be going. Mr. Nelson and I have much business to discuss."
> 
> "I will see you both later," Nelson promised. Our friend eagerly turned and led Blackwood into the depths of the building.
> 
> Susie sidled up to me and lowered her voice. "You get a creepy vibe off that guy?"
> 
> The way the guy looked at me still made me shudder, so I changed the subject. "You mean your boyfriend?" I teased.
> 
> She stuck her tongue out at me. "No, the other guy, that Blackwood guy. The way he looked at us was kind of weird." She raised her shaking hand and rubbed the knuckles. "He's got a really strong grip, too. I thought he was going to break something."
> 
> "Well, you're okay now, so why don't we go get some breakfast?" I suggested
> 
> Susie ignored me. Rather, she looked where the men had gone and rubbed her chin with one hand. "Nelson said he was a neighbor, right? You think we can swipe a golf cart and find out where that Blackwood guy lives?"
> 
> "We almost got kicked out last night, and you want to steal a golf cart?" I scolded her.
> 
> "Yep," she quipped.
> 
> An idea hit me and a sly smile slipped onto my lips. "If you really want some excitement why don't you try to drown yourself in the lake and have that Nelson guy give you mouth-to-mouth?" I suggested.
> 
> Susie was unperturbed. She actually smiled and slung an arm over my shoulder. "That's the way! That's what I've been talking about!"
> 
> I blinked at her. "What have you been talking about?"
> 
> "About having a fun time here and cracking jokes and stuff! That means you're feeling younger!" She flung herself on me with her arms draped over both my shoulders and buried her face into my chest. "You're the old Abby I used to know!" she sobbed.
> 
> I rolled my eyes and peeled her off me. "You're making an idiot of yourself. Worse than usual," I scolded her.
> 
> She grinned and shrugged. "I still think you joking around is a good sign," she insisted.
> 
> I turned her towards the stairs and pushed her ahead of me. "Good or not, let's go eat breakfast."

# Other series by Mac Flynn

**Contemporary Romance**

Being Me

Billionaire Seeking Bride

The Family Business

Loving Places

PALE Series

Trapped In Temptation

**Demon Romance**

Ensnare: The Librarian's Lover

Ensnare: The Passenger's Pleasure

Incubus Among Us

Lovers of Legend

Office Duties

Sensual Sweets

Unnatural Lover

**Dragon Romance**

Blood Dragon

Dragon Bound

Dragon Dusk

Fated Touch

Maiden to the Dragon

**Ghost Romance**

Phantom Touch

**Vampire Romance**

Blood Thief

Blood Treasure

Vampire Dead-tective

Vampire Soul

**Urban Fantasy**

Death Touched

Oracle of Spirits

**Werewolf Romance**

Alpha Blood

Alpha Mated

Beast Billionaire

By My Light

Desired By the Wolf

Falling For A Wolf

Garden of the Wolf

Highland Moon

In the Loup

Luna Proxy

Marked By the Wolf

The Moon and the Stars

Moon Chosen

Moon Lovers

Scent of Scotland: Lord of Moray

Shadow of the Moon

Sweet & Sour

Wolf Lake
