Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Emery
What the hell?
I wanted to say something stronger—much stronger—than hell, but the teacher in me had trained myself away from all cuss words. It would be just my luck to stub my toe or something, have a parent complain when a kid overheard me, and lose my job.
So hell was as strong as it got. At least out loud.
I’d been very tempted in the last day or so to experiment with fuck.
Although, I’d never been able to substitute it with the word fudge because I adored chocolate cake.
The fudgier and chocolatier the better. Condemning what was essentially, in my opinion, a complete food group to a curse word was wrong on so many levels.
An older man sat next to Phoenix, and the moment they both heard me, he stood.
He was clearly an older version of the annoying man I’d just had a night of non-stop sex with, so it didn’t take much guesswork to know who he was.
The man smiled. “Draven Colton. I can’t tell you how happy I am to meet you. ”
I held my hand out automatically, but Draven glanced at Phoenix before he held his own out and shook mine. I glowered when I saw Phoenix nod like he was giving permission. Just who the hell did this big gorilla think he was?
“We need to talk.”
I scoffed. “I think you just said everything I needed to hear.”
Guilt swam in his eyes. “I need to explain.” He took a step closer to me, and I—much as I could have kicked myself for it—took one back.
“I know jujitsu.”
Phoenix pressed his lips together, hard.
I fumed. Because the bastard was trying not to laugh.
“I mean it,” I lied. I actually knew zilch.
Tony Blake, the coach, had given all the staff a few self-defense tips, mostly involving pepper spray.
Although Gemma insisted anyone standing close to me while I was dancing the Macarena required a background in self-defense.
“Emery.” Phoenix’s voice dropped, and I shivered. “We have a lot to talk about, and you must be really hungry.”
I nearly groaned. I was starving and looked around. Phoenix was still a jerk, but I’d admittedly just had the best sex of my life, so I could hang around a little longer. Especially if I was going to get fed.
Give the man a chance to grovel a little.
Also, what was that delicious smell? Something smelled wonderful.
Smoky almost. Was there a fire somewhere?
Although anything burning wasn’t usually this…
exotic. I inhaled another lungful and glanced at Phoenix suspiciously.
It was almost like it was coming from him, which was impossible.
I was quite a connoisseur of fragrances, especially men’s, obviously, and I didn’t recognize it at all.
“What cologne do you use?”
Phoenix looked genuinely surprised at the question. “I don’t. There are quite a few members of the p— family that have very sensitive noses, and it would affect them if I wore an artificial scent.”
I nearly rolled his eyes at the blatant untruth. No one could possibly smell that good. The morning Phoenix had left, he’d smelled just as good, though it was stronger here.
Wherever here was.
“Where am I?”
“A friend’s cabin. It’s a little more isolated than the rest of the… family’s, so she let us borrow it.”
There was so much I needed to unpack with that statement.
Like why someone else would allow this massive sex orgy in their house?
Then I stopped. No, there had just been the two of us, thank goodness, as memories started trickling in.
A lot of memories. Trying my best not to turn scarlet, I ignored the heat climbing up my neck and thought about everything else.
I’d been sick. I was going to go to a hotel, but they were all full.
I vaguely remembered seeing Phoenix standing over me, then it had all gone rather hazy.
“You drugged me!”
“What?” Phoenix turned around rather indignantly just as he opened the door and stood back to let me go in first.
I flushed, knowing how foolish that sounded, besides which, I could hear the truth in Phoenix’s voice.
I hoped. Okay, so maybe not drugged, but I’d been sick.
I’d spent all night with some sort of nymphomaniac that got off on sick people.
I wrapped my arms around my middle, hoping my belly didn’t growl.
Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to go inside, especially as the other man had gone.
“Look, I’m not hungry.” My accompanying laugh was forced. “Not much of a breakfast person.”
Phoenix smiled, and he got that wicked glint in his eyes again. “It’s just after four.”
I absorbed that. Must have been a good night. Then I tried to sort out my memories again. I remembered eating, quite a few times, so why was I so hungry?
“I ought to get going, though. I’ve got to sort out a rental, so if you could give me a ride, I’d appreciate it.”
I glanced at Phoenix when he didn’t answer and was struck by his almost desolate expression, which he quickly masked.
“What’s wrong?” Because I would bet my life there was something. I rubbed my chest as a small ache started there.
“Look,” Phoenix said. “I know this has been a confusing few days, and—”
“Wait,” I interrupted. “What do you mean a few days?”
Phoenix took advantage of my shock and propelled me inside to sit in one of the comfy-looking chairs next to the fireplace. “Em, we met, and I stayed over at your place on Friday night.”
I nodded, trying not to smile at the nickname.
“I found you in the motel and brought you back here late Saturday afternoon.”
I just stared at him. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like this.
“Em, it’s Tuesday.”
My mouth fell open. After a moment, I remembered to close it.
A long moment. “Tuesday?” So I’d been sick, and Phoenix had really…
well, we both had. “I was sick.” In case I’d fallen off the bed in the motel and banged my head somehow.
Hard. But then why was Phoenix there? That made no sense. “How did you find me?”
“Process of elimination. We spoke—”
“We?”
“Kaylan. You met—”
But I just waved my hand, wanting him to get to the important part.
“We went to your apartment, and your landlady said you were going to check into a hotel for the weekend while you decided what to do. We went to the local ones, and then a woman in a store we stopped at told us about the motel.” Phoenix frowned.
“Which was completely unsafe, but we’ll have a conversation about that another time. ”
It was my turn to raise my eyebrows. In fact, I was willing to bet they disappeared under my bangs. “Who the hell—”
But Phoenix just carried on like I hadn’t said a word. “I brought you here. Esther is a good friend. She and Dad have been helping,” he finished lamely. Like helping wasn’t the right word.
I stood and took a deep breath.
Phoenix jumped up. “She’s got a dish of baked ziti keeping warm.”
I opened my mouth to refuse but caught the smell from the small kitchen, and my stomach growled like I had a bear inside it.
Phoenix grinned. “Juice, water, milk?”
“Water, please,” I said, giving up because I was actually starving, and maybe things would make more sense after I was fed. “It smells amazing,” I admitted grudgingly.
Phoenix beamed like I’d given him this huge compliment, but he didn’t make the food, so I had no idea why he seemed so pleased.
My mouth watered when Phoenix put the dish down on the table.
I inhaled slowly in appreciation. Why did everything smell so damn good?
Phoenix pushed the big spoon toward me, and I eagerly cut into the pasta, which was smothered in cheese.
Another major food group, as far as I was concerned.
Out of habit, I held my hand out for Phoenix’s plate.
Phoenix passed it over before I realized what I’d done.
I ladled a huge amount onto Phoenix’s plate and passed it back.
Phoenix thanked me and pretty much ignored the salad.
It was like we were freakin’ married or something.
Maybe, I thought as I took some for myself, I was asleep and having some weird alternate-dimension dream? Crap. Did I die?
“Are you okay?”
I dragged my gaze to Phoenix, who’d paused while I considered having a panic attack.
Was I? I considered that while I took an experimental bite and a zillion flavors burst on my tongue. Wow. If I was dead, then eating the best food I’d ever tasted was certainly a perk I’d never associated with the afterlife.
“Esther is an amazing cook.” Phoenix’s gaze softened, and I decided to take the practical approach and stuff myself.
I also decided, a good twenty minutes later, that whatever had been wrong with me clearly hadn’t affected my appetite, because I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten so much food.
It didn’t come close to Phoenix, though, and as I watched him hoover up his third helping, I couldn’t contain the questions any longer.
I probably should’ve started with where the hell am I, but what came out was, “How do you stay looking like that and put away enough food for five people?”
Okay, Emery. That might have been a little harsh. I was certainly eating for two, myself.
Phoenix smiled, a little nervously, in my opinion, but he nodded to the couch. “Why don’t you sit so we can talk? I’m just going to clear this, then I promise to answer all your questions.”
Because I was too full to barely move if I had to walk home, I went to the couch.
Phoenix came over after the measly amount of leftovers were put in the fridge and sat, but he dragged an ottoman over for his feet.
Then, much to my astonishment, he lifted my legs and settled them both on it.
Then he leaned back like that wasn’t weird at all.
I was lost for words. And that didn’t happen too often. Not at all, actually.
“Not sure where to start, to be honest,” Phoenix said after a moment.
“Are you going to keep me prisoner? Murder me? Keep me as your sex slave?” I wanted to slap myself as the last one slipped out. But inquiring minds and all that.
Phoenix laughed. It wasn’t a short incredulous one.
He put his head back and seemed to throw himself into it.
I had to force myself not to smile in reaction.
He quieted, but there was still a smile on his face.
“Sex slave, huh?” he mused. Of course, he had to focus on that one.
He looked at me like I’d just given him an idea, and I wanted to stamp my foot like quite a few kids in my class seemed to have a natural talent for.
“I’m going to explain, and I need you not to freak out.”
My pulse picked up. “Is this one of those times where someone says don’t worry before they tell you there’s an asteroid about to hit Earth in three days and wipe out every living creature?”
Phoenix paused. I worried he was considering it. “No,” he said firmly. “Nothing like that.”
“But it’s something,” I pushed.
I thought he muttered, “Here goes,” but his next words kind of obliterated everything else he might have said.
“I’m a wolf shifter. Same as my family. We can change into wolves whenever we want.
My dad—you just met—was the alpha of our pack up until Saturday, and now I am.
And you’re my mate,” he added as if that made the difference.
“What?” I whispered. I was dead. If I hadn’t had an aneurysm already, the chances had just increased exponentially.
He took a breath. “I’m a –”
I reached over before I thought better of it and clamped my hand over Phoenix’s mouth. Anything to stop a repeat of the utter garbage he’d just spewed.
“Just don’t. Don’t,” I snapped, dropping my hand, fury mixed with embarrassment. I’d just spent the weekend with this lunatic. I pushed the ottoman away and stood up. “Either you take me into the village, or I walk.”
Phoenix sighed, but he didn’t answer. Just stood and started unbuttoning his shirt. I eyed him incredulously.
“What are you doing?” But I didn’t need an answer when Phoenix started on his jeans.
I looked around frantically, my heart beating so loudly it drowned out whatever other nonsense he was spewing.
He was bigger than me, faster, stronger.
I lurched for the kitchen because he was between me and the door, and I grabbed the large knife from the block containing four others, whipped around, and brandished it threateningly.
Phoenix didn’t try and get any nearer but seemed to slump a little.
I might have felt sorry for him if the bastard obviously wasn’t about to rape me.
He shrugged his jeans to the floor and stepped out of them.
I waved the knife, tears pricking the back of my eyes, but Phoenix simply stood unmoving, and because the sex marathon had obviously damaged my brain, I didn’t seem to be able not to stare at his dick.
“Don’t be frightened,” he said. “I would never harm a hair on your head.”
And before even I could form a sarcastic retort, he seemed to shimmer in front of me and crouch. When I blinked, the biggest black dog I’d ever seen in my life stood in his place.
No, I was wrong. It wasn’t a dog.
It was a wolf.