Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
Freshly clean from a ten-minute shower, I sat on my bed waiting for Miko to finish his turn as Dawn dissipated into the carpet, done with its hunt for the day. It was the first morning it’d come this high into the tower for a long time, according to the alpha.
“There you go,” I told Wendy, feeding her breakfast.
Thank the stars she’d survived the downpour and the rough sex. She really was a tough virtual pet, not so much as a scratch on her orange casing.
She bleeped, free to make some noise for a bit.
“Is she alright?” Miko asked, appearing fully dressed, rubbing his wet hair with a towel.
“She is. Thank you.”
“Can I take a look?” He sat on the bed, his smile as soft as cotton.
“Really?”
“If you don’t mind.”
I handed her over.
He brought her up closer to his face, her body so small in his hands. “I won’t press anything.”
“You can.” I shuffled closer, my shoulder resting on his. “If you press the middle button, you can bring up the menu.”
He did.
“Now press it twice more and use the left button to select Play Time.”
“Which is the best game?”
“Whatever piques your interest.”
“What’s your favorite?”
“The matching pairs one.”
“I’ll pick that,” he said.
Without thinking, I rested my head on his shoulder as if it had the right to be there, receiving a heavy dose of the good fuzzies. Watching him play with Wendy kind of killed his broody image. Or at least maimed it somewhat.
After ten rounds of the game, he turned his head, his chin stubble rubbing my forehead. “You alright there?”
“I am.”
A light chuckle. “Good. I think Wendy is hungry.”
“She’s always hungry.”
“And I think she just took a shit.”
I groaned, lifting my head. “Want me to talk you through the clean up?”
“Yeah.”
He cleaned the poop, fed her some more, smiling at her beeps before handing her back.
“Can I ask you a question?” he said.
“Sure.
“You don’t have to answer.”
“Okay.”
“Can you tell me about Faery?”
Immediately, the pining for home flared. I stumbled over words, my scalp prickling, only managing to rasp an “Oh.”
“Sorry. You probably don’t want to talk about it.”
I clawed back some sort of stability, clearing my throat. “No… No. It’s fine. What do you want to know?”
“About your house.”
“Have you ever been to Faery?”
He shook his head, putting his arm around me. “Seriously, you don’t have to talk about this.”
“I want to. I’d love to do one better and show you my house.
It’s a beach shack actually, on the Blonde Coast in the south.
Right on the sand with a veranda, small and cozy with the best view in any world.
I… I was so desperate to come here, to get away from it all.
Now…” I closed my eyes, picturing the waves, hearing them, the air so clean, my soul hurting for everything I took for granted. “Regret is the worst.”
“It is.” He held me tighter. “You’ll see it again. We’ll fix this shit.”
My head returned to his shoulder, wordless again, my feet itching to sink into the warm golden grains right outside my front door.
“Sorry if I upset you.”
“Don’t be. Sorry I can’t really answer the question better.”
“You don’t have to. You can show me.”
“You’d come over?”
“A hundred percent.”
The warm and fuzzies swarmed in my belly.
“I’d better speak to James,” he said softly, after a good ten minutes of pleasant silence and holding.
He extracted his arm and slid off the bed.
I switched Wendy to silent mode. “Okay.”
“Make sure you eat.”
“I will.”
He returned the towel to the bathroom, serious face fully in place. “I’ll be busy all day. I’ll see you later. How about dinner at mine?”
I beamed at him. “That would be wonderful.”
“Good.” No smile from him.
“Before you go, can you ask James to put me on a run today, please?”
He clearly didn’t like the idea. “Why?”
“I can’t be cooped up inside today.”
“Are you in any condition to be going on runs?”
“Says the man who pounded me into a wardrobe.”
The corner of his mouth quirked slightly. “Not quite all the way inside.”
“Sure felt like it,” I retorted playfully. “And my hands are better now. See? No more bandages.”
“Point taken. I’ll speak to him. But you’re not going too far.”
Now I slid off the bed, matching his stern energy. “Listen, alpha. Don’t ever try locking me in a tower with no stairs like that long-haired girl from the human fairy tale.”
“Rapunzel?”
“That’s it. I’m not her.”
“I’m only thinking of your safety.”
“Thank you. But I intend to contribute and be a team player around here. Not stay in this room all day.”
“Not just the room. You’d have the run of the tower. And there’s plenty to do.”
“Are you taking the piddle?”
He nodded.
Hmmm. Deep down, I bet he wanted me to be a good fae mate and stay safe.
“There’s no debating this,” I said. “At all. I want to be outside.”
“At least it’s not raining.”
“Miko…”
“I’ll talk to him.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re scary when you want to be.” He delivered his line deader than deadpan.
“I know.”
“See you later. Stay safe or I’ll have to spank that perky arse of yours.”
No irony, no flirtation.
“What—”
“Goodbye, Orion.” He picked up Belle on his way out.
I stared at the closing door, buttocks twitching.
It might be in my best interest to misbehave and receive that promised spanking.
Wow.
What a thought.
I shared a cup of tea and some croissants with Trev in the mess flat.
They might be processed to the high heavens, but those pastries were really hitting the spot.
The troll eyed the door cautiously.
“I kissed Paige last night,” he announced as I took a sip of my drink.
I choked on it, tea spraying from my nose, burning the back of my throat.
“Mate!”
I coughed, holding up a finger for him to give me a moment.
He chortled. “Sorry for the bomb drop.”
The others were around somewhere, going about their morning, having eaten already. James was due to turn up with today’s schedule soon.
I regained a degree of decorum, wiping my chin. “Stars.”
“What do you think about that?”
I moved the cup away from me for safety reasons. “I think its sweet. I’m not surprised.”
“You’re not?”
“I’ve seen your shared googly eyes, remember?”
“True. Anyway, she came to my flat. Told me she couldn’t sleep. We talked, she leaned in and wham. Good old lip locking. It was amazing, mate.” He touched his mouth. “Still buzzing from it.”
That made two wolves making visits to their respective love interests last night.
“I’m happy for you,” I replied. “What happens next?”
“Dunno. We’ll see what happens. I’m not putting too much pressure on anything, you know?”
“That’s nice. I like that.”
He gave me a bright smile and nodded at my tea. “Not drinking anymore?”
“Most of it went up my nose.”
“There’s no more big news. It’s safe to drink.”
I slid the cup back to me. “Good, because I was enjoying that.”
Trev picked at the last bits of his croissant. “What about you? Big night last night. Make that a big day what with the bonding.”
I leaned back in my chair, scratching at my neck. “There’s a lot to process.”
“But you’re in a good place with Miko?”
“I think so.”
“And you don’t want to leave? I’d be gutted if you left here, mate. Really would.”
I smiled. “Agreed. Things were muddy and stressful. I’m okay now. Miko and I have talked…” I couldn’t tell him about the sex.
“And kissed?”
My mouth betrayed me, spreading into a grin. “Yes.”
He clapped his big hands together. “Boom! One night, two kisses.”
“Don’t broadcast it!”
“I wanna shout it from the rooftops, mate.”
“Please don’t.”
“What a story. Two non-shifter newbies join the pack and win the hearts of two sexy wolves.”
I cocked a brow at him. “A story for who?”
“Anyone who wants to listen. The grandkids?”
“Grandkids?”
“Why not? It’s a nice thought, right? Living in a zombie-free world with kids gathered around the fire at night to listen to your stories from a world they’ve never known.” He shook his head. “Sucks that it feels so impossible.”
“Trev…”
“I’m not saying I want kids or grandkids,” he added. “But I want the white picket fence dream. Every single shiny cliché, a life without blood and guts and worrying about my insides being some pissing zombie’s meal. I’m just… I’m just talking out me arse.”
“You’re allowed to say these things. You’re allowed to dream your dreams. I do all the time.”
He shrugged, falling into sadness.
“Trev…”
He looked up. “Sorry, mate. In my feels.”
“I’m here for you.”
“Thanks. Likewise.”
I left my chair on the opposite side of the table, taking the one next to him and put my arm around his big, muscular body, resting my head on his arm because I couldn’t quite reach his shoulder.
His sigh sent a rumble through my bones. “Oh, mate.”
“I’m here.”
We sat like that for a while, two friends against the sorrow.
James strode into the room wearing a green cap covered in embroidered bluebirds, their tiny wings spread in flight. “I’ve sorted the schedule. Do I need to come back?”
I lifted my head, patting Trev on the back.
“No. We’re good,” Trev answered.
I nodded in agreement.
“Okay.” James offered us both warm smiles. “You can have some more time if you need it.”
“Nah. All good,” the troll confirmed.
“Well, Miko and I are going out shortly for business.”
Meaning Lance-related business? I didn’t probe, despite my anxiety.
“Cate will be staying to deal with some weapons inventory, so that leaves you gentlemen and Paige to do a run.”
Trev liked that. A lot. “Awesome.” He gently nudged me. “Our debut run together.”
I giggled.
“Miko said you were insistent on going out today,” James said. “Are you sure you’re okay to do so?”
“More than okay.”
“Good. You’re not to go more than five miles out. Remember, make no attempts to cross the river.”
“Got it,” Trev said.
“Excellent. As soon as you’re done, link up with Paige and have a good run.”
“Have a good day,” I answered. “Both of you.”
With an air of hesitancy, James bowed theatrically and swept out of the room.
Stars, please protect them in whatever they’re doing.