Releasing the Wolf Read Online Free

do I do in my sleep that I don’t know about? “I can’t believe I fell asleep. I’ve got to get home. What time is it?”
    “Relax. It’s only just midday.”
    She pulled her chair back. “I need to clean—”
    “It’s done.”
    “Damn it. I’m not a slacker. You should have woken me.”
    “Will you calm down? Everyone knows you work hard – too hard – which is likely why you’re ill.” He placed his hand on her forehead and she flinched.
    “This isn’t a come-on, you know. I’m genuinely concerned.”
    She sighed. God, she felt like shit. “Sorry. I know.”
    “What were you dreaming about?”
    “I dunno – dogs or something…”
    He let out a low chuckle. “Explains the growling—”
    She shot him a look—
    “ And the drooling.”
    “Fuck off.”
    He laughed louder, then gently tugged her ponytail upwards. “Come on, firecracker. I’m not letting you walk home. I’ve got a spare helmet.”
    She rose from the table, and then swooned as a wave of dizziness grabbed hold of her.
    “Hey, hey, steady now…” Brendan caught her. “You need to take tonight off from the restaurant.”
    She shook her head. “It’s a show night. I can’t bunk off.”
    “You’re ill , for Christ’s sake, not bunking.”
    “I’ll sleep it off once I get home.”
    He muttered something under his breath. She didn’t quite catch it through the faint ringing in her ears.
    “You think you’ve got enough balance to sit on the back of a bike?”
    “I’ll be fine once I’m outside.” And actually, she believed that. Just the thought of the summer breeze on her face and the smell of the pine trees that sweetened the air was enough to clear her head a bit.
    “Good. Let’s go.”
    They made their way out to the front where Barry was stacking the last of the chairs, and Heidi was putting away the mop.
    “Hey, Lydi,” she called out. “You off?”
    “Yeah.”
    “See you next week. Feel better soon.”
    “Do I look that bad?”
    “Yep.”
    Wonderful. That would not go down well with the theatre’s maître d’. Simon was the stuffiest boss she knew, and constantly on some kind of OCD trip.
    Brendan held the door open for her. “You got all your stuff?”
    “Yeah … wait. Barry…” She turned, briefly wondering why she cared to ask her next question. “Who was that guy you were talking to this morning? He was leaning over the counter – well groomed, brown hair, green eyes…” She ignored Brendan’s gaze burning into her.
    “Oh, man alive!” cut in Heidi. “Taylor … now that’s what a biker should look like.”
    “Taylor?”
    “Yeah – Taylor,” said Barry. “Nice guy. Not seen him for a while. He used to come in quite a lot with his mates, but stopped about two months back.”
    “And my eyes have suffered for it,” pouted Heidi.
    Lydia mentally calculated the weeks from her start date. That would explain why she hadn’t seen him before. She’d only started working here about seven weeks ago – it must have been just after he’d stopped coming here. “Why did they stop?”
    “Who knows,” Barry shrugged. “Guess they found somewhere better to go; or maybe they don’t ride this way any more… Taylor said they were looking for one of his gang – Ryan. They used to come in together – three of them, sometimes more, but usually just the three. Fuckin’ inseparable, excuse my French. Until recently anyway – he said Ryan went missing ten days ago and no one’s heard a peep out of him.”
    The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and her feet froze themselves to the spot.
    “Ryan?” muttered Brendan behind her.
    “Coincidence,” she whispered, shakily. Because it was. Her Ryan was just a dream.
    “Yeah. Brendan, you remember Ryan… burly guy, bit taller than Taylor – not that other bloke; not the blond one…”
    “Yeah, I remember.” Then he looked at her with those heated eyes again. “I don’t think you were working here then.”
    “I wasn’t. I