Chapter 12
Chapter
Twelve
CAELAN
Calm down.
My brain has always been a lot more reasonable than my heart. There was a perfectly good reason why Evie was lying next to my Second naked as the day she was born.
And an even better reason why Garrett was also in the buff.
Logic told me the structure they’d been cocooned in all night wasn’t large enough for them to do anything untoward.
Unless they used their hands.
Calm down, I told myself again.
Evie, seeing my look, put out a hand to stop Garrett from getting out first, but when her fingers touched his bare shoulder, my anger turned from hot to molten. My eyes cast a golden light over their bodies, Garrett lying perfectly still, his eyes lowered.
“Caelan.” She jerked her fingers away and held out a hand.
I knew perfectly well she could get out on her own.
“You know nothing happened. Sometimes this is the way I wake up. Garrett was so close to death, even my considerable powers couldn’t fully heal him.
The earth takes what doesn’t serve us. Our clothes are somewhere buried far beneath the ground.
If you look hard enough, you might spot pieces of them if Garrett was wearing manmade fibers. ”
Moira took a step closer to me, her eyes tightening at the edge. She probably wouldn’t be able to stop me, but she’d try, and I would hurt her.
That took me off the edge. Evie loved her. I loved Evie. I’d never hurt anyone she cared about.
I took Evie’s fingers. All the fight went out of her posture. Her legs wobbled as she lifted one leg to step out of the structure. Instead of letting her struggle, I scooped her into my arms.
She kissed the tip of my nose. “I was naked in front of your entire pack, and you didn’t react like this. What gives?”
“We were alone,” Garrett said, slowly rising.
He frowned as he looked down, his fingers gliding over his chest. He’d find no scar, only smooth, unblemished skin.
The same went for the rest of his body. I’d reset his biological clock back years, but it was too late to take back now.
I’d have to trust he wouldn’t reveal my secret.
“Nudity isn’t a big deal in a Pack, but you and I spent the night together in… ” He frowned.
“Whatever the hell this was.”
My jaw tightened.
Evie touched my cheek. “We both just woke up, less than five minutes ago. I don’t remember going under.”
“You’re going to need to give me a moment.” I crushed her to my chest and turned, not bothering to help my Second up. He’d understand. Garrett would have the same exact reaction if I’d woken up with a woman he’d claimed.
Moira touched Evie’s ankle as we passed by, relief brimming in her eyes.
I said nothing until I had Evie dressed and tucked into the couch with a steaming mug of coffee in her hands.
“Moira told you everything?”
I nodded. As much as I wanted to scream and rail, this was not the time. Garrett knew better than to get involved in shenanigans like that, but to go along with her and vandalize a Lord’s house…
I gritted my teeth and dug in her fridge for breakfast fixings. Evie expended a ton of magic last night and must be starving. “We’ll talk after we eat.”
“Should we check on Garrett?”
“He’s fine,” I said, wincing as my voice came out in a raspy growl.
“I’m sorry,” Evie said quietly. “But I did the same for you when you were injured in the woods. I didn’t wake up naked, but Garrett was worse off than you.
I woke up in a similar structure and was able to leave before you stirred.
The structure is the earth’s way of keeping me safe while the magic works. ”
“I’m not angry at you healing Garrett. I’m so fucking thankful I could kiss the ground you walk on.”
I messed with pots and pans and mixed eggs with seasonings and milk. She had heritage bacon tucked into one of the fridge drawers, so I put the pack to cook, and managed to find a bag of frozen biscuits.
“But you are mad.”
How could she look so pitiful and adorable, all at the same time? Dark shadows of exhaustion hung under her azure eyes, and her hair was tangled with leaves and sticks. Her lips were puffy and pink, and her cheeks were high with color.
“We will talk,” I said again, “once we’ve eaten.”
“What about Garrett?” she said softly.
“He knows not to come any closer. The Keep will have breakfast available to him.”
She let out a soft sigh. “I don’t mean to come between you two—”
“Evangeline. Enough.”
She clamped her lips shut and stared. Ignoring her for now, I connected my phone to the Bluetooth speaker she kept beside the stove and turned on Americana, something I knew she liked, and turned it loud enough to preclude us from having a conversation.
Her eyes narrowed. I turned before she could see my smile. Seeing her angry was far better than seeing her weak and hurt. To piss her off even more, I reached over and turned the volume up.
I heard the shoe flying through the air even over the music. With a grin, I reached up and caught it before it hit the back of my head, setting it gently off to the side.
“Keep throwing things if it makes you feel better.”
Evie huffed a breath of disgust. No other shoes came flying.
For now.