Chapter 18
C onsidering we were four people stuck in a cabin, it was shockingly hard to find the guys sometimes; they were all off doing their own things. The rain had finally let up somewhat, so I wandered out to the deck. None of the guys were anywhere in sight, but I wanted to get some fresh air.
I was less than three steps away from the front door, wearing one of the guys’ long-sleeved T-shirts and a pair of sweatpants, as well as a pair of fuzzy socks I’d pilfered from one of them. In my warm clothes, I sat on the deck chair outside, legs crossed, taking several slow, deep breaths, relishing in the cooler air. It wasn’t the cold temperature I was enjoying but rather the freshness of the air. The air in the basement had been stale and musty. Though there’d been air circulation, it wasn’t that good; it was all by a machine. Nothing could beat true, fresh air.
“Juniper!” a voice called from the woods.
My eyes flew open, and I sat up straight, looking directly at where the voice came from. A momentary panic gripped my chest. I’d expected someone to call my name from inside the cabin, not outside. The panic was quick and all-encompassing. My entire body broke out in a sweat, my heart rate skyrocketed, and the panic only lessened when I saw Carter standing in front of me, carrying several logs in his hand.
“Oh my God, Carter,” I said, letting out a deep breath. “You scared the daylights out of me.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to. Are you okay?” he asked, walking up the steps and wandering over to me, taking a second to place the logs in a basket by the front door. “Your fear is really stinking up the place,” he added with a smirk, scrunching his nose.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I should’ve kept my eyes open. I was just enjoying the fresh air.” Taking another moment to steady my breathing, I looked around before turning to Carter as he sat down on the lounge chair next to mine. “There definitely is a beauty to this place, isn’t there?”
“There is. Deciding to move here was the best decision we ever made, even though we only get two-to-four months here a year. It is well worth it. Everything is just so calm.”
I looked out towards the trees. “It certainly gives you a lot of time alone with your own thoughts, doesn’t it?”
“That’s true,” he said, nodding. “You know, if I hated myself, I’d truly despise being out here.”
“It also shows just how good a pack you guys are,” I said. “The fact that you can come out here with no contact with the outside world and not want to strangle each other. I feel like if my family went to a cabin like this for four months, there would definitely be blood drawn.”
Carter nodded with a grin. “Oh, for sure. If our siblings were here, we would be fighting each other tooth and nail. No one bickers as much as siblings. Tell me about them, your siblings,” Carter said. “But, first, give me your feet."
I gave him a perplexed look. "My feet? That’s a bit of a weird request, Carter."
He laughed, shaking his head. “I want to check the cuts on your feet. Why else would I be asking for them?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. All I know is the weird ones like feet.”
Carter burst into another laugh. “Well, I can assure you I am not a fan of feet. But I do want to make sure they’re healing okay—feet can get infected really easily.”
I knew that because Dylan had told me repeatedly, “ If you develop an infection, Asher’s definitely going to jab you with a needle full of antibiotics. ”
I grimaced. “I don’t want that.”
“In that case, give me your feet,” Carter said, wiggling his fingers in a “come here” motion.
I turned so I was facing him, placing my feet in his lap. He quickly pinched the end of the fluffy socks, pulling them off in one swift motion.
“That’s cold!” I whined.
“Well, unfortunately, it is what it is,” Carter said with a shrug, gently picking up one of my feet and inspecting it closely. I had taken off the majority of the bandages days ago, and now I just had a few plasters. Carter inspected all of them carefully and nodded, so I assumed it was going well.
“Judging by the fact that you don’t look horrified, I’d say I’m in the clear?” I asked hopefully.
Carter nodded. “Actually, yeah, it looks like they’re healing really well. Are you in any pain?”
I tilted my head. “A little bit, but it’s completely manageable. I’m used to being in a certain level of pain.”
Carter’s face darkened at my words. “You shouldn’t be in pain,” he said, frowning.
I shook my head. “I’m really not,” I replied, “honestly. Compared to what I’m used to, I’m on vacation.”
Carter didn't like that, either. “You never should’ve been in a situation where you were in that kind of pain.”
“No, I shouldn’t have. But, unfortunately, it happened. Now, I just need to focus on getting back home. And once I’m back home, I’ll be getting a boatload of therapy.”
“A boatload ?” Carter asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yep.” I agreed. “It’s going to be a boatload or a fuck ton, I’m not sure which, but it’s going to be a lot of therapy. I mean, after being locked in a basement for several years, a girl needs a bit of therapy. Actually, everyone could benefit from therapy. Hell, I’m pretty sure Dylan could probably benefit from a bit of therapy, you could benefit, all of you guys could benefit from some sort of therapy," I said, wiggling my toes in his face.
Carter’s hand was warm on my foot, and I shouldn’t have been enjoying it so much. When he started pressing his thumb into the arch of my foot, a positively ungodly groan left my mouth.
“Holy fuck,” I said, “that feels far too good.”
“Want me to stop?” he teased.
“Don’t you dare,” I told him, narrowing my eyes. “If you stop, I will hurt you. You can’t just offer a foot rub to a girl and start rubbing her feet, and then back away. That is mean, murder-worthy, even.”
I was babbling, and I knew it, but Carter was smiling as I spoke, so I knew I wasn't being too embarrassing. He resumed rubbing my feet, and I leaned back, letting myself enjoy it. We were developing a closeness that I didn't seem to mind so much. Despite only being here a short period of time, I found myself actually welcoming their company.
“You’re not so bad,” I murmured, closing my eyes and tilting my head back, enjoying what I was feeling.
“Oh? Is that all it takes to get on your good side?” He chuckled. “Foot rubs?”
I nodded. “Foot rubs and food are the way to any omega’s heart.”
“Don’t forget blankets,” Carter interjected.
“Oh, that’s a good one,” I agreed. “Also blankets.”
I don’t know how long we sat outside for, Carter rubbing my feet as I watched the trees, their branches swaying lightly. Eventually, the breeze picked up and the weather grew colder.
“You’re freezing,” he said. “You should get inside.”
“Nooo,” I whined, “it’s so nice out here.” But the impact of my words were lost a little bit with the fact that my teeth were starting to chatter.
Carter gave me a firm look. “In. Now.”
“Fine,” I muttered, reluctantly pulling my feet from his lap. He stood when I did, and as we walked into the cabin, we were next to each other, our shoulders brushing.
“Are you doing okay, Juniper?” Carter’s voice made my steps falter.
We were in the kitchen now, so I turned to face him. “Of course, I’m okay. You guys are treating me so nicely.”
He cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. “We’re trying, but we’re far from perfect.”
I shrugged. “This is better treatment than I’ve had in a long time, and you guys really aren’t that bad.”
“Not that bad, huh?” Carter said with a laugh, his face only inches from mine. His scent was invading my space, but I didn’t find it offensive. In fact, I leaned forward ever so slightly to take a deeper inhale. His scent was like a type of crack that made my entire body relax.
“Juniper…” he murmured, looking away, then looking back at me. I was still leaning forward, utterly transfixed by his scent. I didn’t know who moved first, but it was like something pushed both of us at the same time, and before I could even understand what was happening, our lips touched.
Carter’s hands flew to the back of my neck, holding me in place, his lips warm, demanding, and so impossibly soft. My mind went blank, unable to process what was happening. His entire body was pressed into mine, and it felt so good.
It took a second for me to reciprocate, but after that second, I kissed him back with as much enthusiasm as he was kissing me. But just as I started, he pulled away, taking a step back and looking at me in horror.
“I’m so sorry,” he said, looking panicked. “I shouldn’t have done that.” He muttered it again before turning on his heel and disappearing, running into the back of the cabin, leaving me standing there, shell-shocked.
I gently lifted my fingers to my lips. I’d just had my first real kiss…and the alpha in question had run away.
Way to make a girl feel wanted.