Chapter 22
Ansley
The rest of the night doesn’t feel like punishment.
I spend part of it on my back, climaxing helplessly with Remy buried inside me. Then I’m on my knees, taking Hayden from behind, my body making up for all the pleasure I was denied during my punishment.
When they’re both finally still, I’m exhausted. I sleep between them, not moving an inch until the sun is peeking in through the windows. Remy is the first to stir. I feel him pulling away and I snuggle closer to Hayden’s chest. It feels so good I don’t want to get out of bed at all.
I’m not sure how much time passes before Remy returns.
“What time do you have to be at work?” Remy asks.
My eyelids flutter open. “Um, eight-thirty,” I groan. “Please tell me I have time for a shower.”
“You do,” Remy says. “Want to take one here, or wait until you get your apartment?”
“Here. Your shower is so much nicer than the one at my apartment,” I sigh, pulling away from Hayden.
“Coffee is ready when you are. I’ll have breakfast ready shortly,” Remy says this in a lilting tone but he is watching me with hunger in his stare as I walk to the shower. “Fuck, you’re impossible to resist. I wish I’d woken you up an hour earlier.”
“After last night? I’m surprised I’m even conscious,” I groan, walking into the bathroom area and starting the shower.
Hayden gets up while I’m showering. He’s waiting for me when I step out, and before I can say a word, he pulls me close. I’m still damp from the shower, water droplets caught between our bodies, but he doesn’t seem to care.
His lips crush mine, and it’s different from anything before.
Not just claiming. Not just need. This is something deeper.
I melt into it, drinking him in, our tongues intertwine so long I’m practically seeing stars when our lips finally part.
My heart is hammering, goosebumps spreading across my skin.
“That’s the first time you’ve kissed me like that,” I breathe out.
“I shouldn’t have waited so long,” he rumbles. “I was worried because it felt like something was missing. Now, I think we’re figuring out what that is.”
“Because I’m not just your mate… not just Remy’s mate?” I ask, feeling like I already know the answer.
“Yes,” he says. “If you belong to the pack, it’s only a matter of time before we’re able to complete the mating ritual properly. You’ll feel all our knots, and then…” He pauses, his hand sliding to rest on my stomach. “It’s only a matter of time before our future is growing inside you.”
I eat breakfast while Hayden showers. Remy is as good a cook as Hayden, but Remy seems to favor meat and protein. Hayden grumbles about there being no biscuits when he gets to the kitchen, but he doesn’t sound genuinely upset.
“I just heard from Storm and Wyatt,” Remy says. “Apartment is safe. Office is safe. Surveillance is all set up so we’ll know if there’s trouble.”
“They already did all that?” I ask, some surprise in my voice.
“See how much better this works when you talk to us instead of running off on your own?” Hayden grouses.
“If you hadn’t been so growly when I said I needed to go to work, I wouldn’t have had to run off,” I tease, giving Hayden a nudge.
“Don’t push it, mate,” Hayden’s growl proves my point, but there’s some playfulness in his voice. “We could always finish your punishment. Is that what you want?”
“No,” I pout. “I thought I was forgiven.”
“For running off,” Hayden says. “Next, you might get punished for that smart mouth.”
“Remy liked my smart mouth last night,” I say, grinning at him. “Didn’t you?”
“Don’t put me in the middle of this,” Remy chuckles. “Otherwise, you’ll end up between the two of us again.”
“We don’t have time,” Hayden growls, pushing his plate away and downing his coffee. “Let’s get a move on.”
“And after work, we get to go see Daisy, right?” I ask.
“Provided there are no complications,” Hayden replies.
Hayden and Remy shift into their Third Forms, then get dressed. I wait by the door until they’re ready to go. Remy and I exchange numbers before we leave.
We stop by my apartment so I can freshen up and change clothes. After that, they drive me to York Financial and stop the car in front of the building.
“One of us will be nearby,” Hayden says. “If there’s trouble, text me, then get as close as you can to a window and try to communicate with us. Remy and I will take shifts.”
“You really think I’m going to run into trouble inside?” I question.
“No, just being cautious,” Hayden says.
It’s another surprisingly pleasant day at work.
Blithe Holdings is still doing well. Ms. Frost is happy.
My boss is happy because she’s happy. I spend most of the day working on reports and monitoring the ups and downs of the stock market.
I’m just about to sign out for the day when Mr. Fleming walks up to my cubicle.
“Ms. Frost wants you to research a few companies,” he says, leaning against the cubicle frame. “I emailed them to you. She expects a full report on each of them by the end of the day tomorrow. Think you can handle that?”
“Oh, absolutely!” I say, glancing over at my email. I quickly review the names. I’m familiar with two of them. One, I’ve never heard of. “Yes, sir. I will make sure you both get those reports tomorrow.”
“Ms. Frost will also expect a recommendation,” Mr. Fleming says. “She trusts you after what you did with Blithe Holdings. If you think any of these companies are worth our time, you’ll be managing those investments.”
I can read between the lines. The more they trust me, the bigger the portfolio I manage becomes. That’s what I’m here for, and how I turn this job into a career.
“Understood, Mr. Fleming,” I reply. “You can count on me.”
I shut down my computer as soon as he returns to his office. The finance nerd in me wants to dive right into my new assignments. Have the reports done before I go to bed tonight. But I’ve got to wear a different hat now. Daisy’s best friend. I really hope she’s okay.
I text Hayden before I step outside. I barely get down the steps before the SUV rolls up to the curb. I’m a little disappointed when I see that it’s only Hayden. I like spending time with both of my mates now.
“Any luck hunting vampires today?” I ask as I climb inside.
“No, the trail is going cold,” Hayden growls. “There were some disappearances in a different part of town last night. Remy’s putting together a map. We’re going to check them out tonight.”
“Sounds like a lonely night for me,” I sigh, looking down.
“We’ll come back to you when we can,” Hayden tries to reassure me. “But we’re going to need to move a different safehouse.”
“Why?” I ask, raising a brow.
“We need one with walls if we’re going to have a guest,” Hayden says.
“A guest? Oh, you mean Daisy?” I blink in surprise. “She might not be as obedient as I am.”
“You’re hardly obedient,” Hayden chuckles. “I wouldn’t do this unless I had to. The vampires know we saved Daisy. They’ll be looking for her. It’s best if she stays in hiding until we deal with the threat.”
“She won’t like it if I’m going to work every day and she’s stuck in a safehouse,” I sigh, nibbling the inside of my lip. “How much can I tell her?”
“Our kind has a word for what she is to you. Mitra. Back when wolves ran free, and there was more forest than concrete, we considered a Mitra an honorary member of our pack,” Hayden explains. “If you trust her, then you do not have to hide anything from her.”
“That will make it easier,” the relief apparent in my voice.
“However, revealing everything to her does require her to be as secretive as she is trustworthy. You understand the risk that comes with being exposed,” Hayden continues.
“The Crimson Templars,” I say, shuddering a little. “I’ll make sure she understands. Oh, um, what’s your policy on cats at your safehouses? Caddo is going to be her top priority after she wakes up.”
“The cat is staying with her mother,” Hayden puts a not-open-for-debate punch into his words. “That’s probably for the best right now. I don’t think her mother will react well if Daisy shows up and immediately runs off again.”
“True,” I admit. “Plus, the police are looking for her. I’m sure she’ll be okay if she knows Caddo is being taken care of.”
“Most cats don’t react well to our kind anyway,” Hayden says. “They can sense the wolf in us. I was a little worried about feeding it to begin with.”
“You could have mentioned that,” I say, glancing over at him.
“No, because then you would have insisted on going,” he says. “I’d rather have a scared cat climbing the curtains than put you in danger.”
I look out the window and recognize the street we’re on, even in the daylight. The last time I was here, I was riding on Hayden’s back, praying that Daisy was going to make it. I really hope she’s okay.
“Let’s go,” Hayden barks, parking the SUV near the alleyway.
I follow Hayden down the alleyway until we reach Morgan’s door. Hayden knocks and a few seconds later, the door opens. Even in the daylight, Morgan’s eyes glimmer like gemstones. He gestures for us to enter and takes a step back.
“How is she?” I ask as I step inside.
“She’s still sleeping, but her wounds have healed. She reacted very well to my treatments,” he reports. “Better than most humans, honestly. She doesn’t have marks from where she was bitten. Not even a scar.”
“Really?” Hayden asks, looking at the ones on his skin. “Mine are healing, but I can still see them if I look closely.”
“You’re a centuries old wolf. Your skin has seen plenty of battles, and some of your scars have scars.” Morgan shrugs, leading us down the hallway. “She still has the resilience of youth, for a few more decades at least.”
“Centuries?” My eyebrows shoot up with surprise. I turn to look at Hayden, really look at him. He doesn’t look a day over thirty. “I knew you had been around for a while based on some of the things you’ve told me, but I didn’t realize it had been that long.”
“Yes, my pack has suffered for a long time,” he says. “But that’s over now, thanks to you.”