EMBER
The castle is quiet save for the soft hum of snoring wolves reverberating off the stones.
It’s a nice change of pace from the busy nights that I’ve become accustomed to.
It’s just what I was counting on to slip into the baths unnoticed before anyone wakes.
The stone steps are cold against my soles as I trek down three flights of stairs.
I find the large oak door by the entranceway steps, right where Roman said it would be a few nights ago.
It creaks open, echoing in the quiet hall, before I’m met with another set of stairs.
Ugh. Luckily, these stairs also descend.
At the end, there’s a set of glass double doors.
They open outward and a wave of steam hits me in the face.
Humidity is thick in the air as I trek deeper.
I can barely see in front of my face. But the stone tile grows warmer on my feet with each step and I’m desperate to sink into its heat.
Stone columns rise from the steam to a curved robin’s-egg-blue tiled ceiling. Before me is a long rectangular bath stretching from column to column with sea foam waters that smell like eucalyptus with a hint of lemon. The bath is so long I can’t even see where it ends at the other side.
I hum to myself as I slip into the warm waters.
There’s a ledge under the water that’s knee height that I sink onto.
It feels great on my sore leg muscles, compliments of all those damn stairs.
I sigh, allowing my shoulders to lean on the edge of the bath as I continue humming my song.
Now this is a luxury I can get used to. Back home, all we have is a small river, and it’s brisk in the winter months.
Most times, I wade in my wolf form. But this warm bath is heavenly and smells delicious.
“What song is that?” a voice cuts through the mist.
Caught off guard, I jump, my foot slips, and I fall underneath the water.
Super sexy, Ember.
“Ah!” I choke as I come back up for air. “I didn’t realize anyone else was here.”
I squint, shifting into wolf eyes to see through the mist. The shape of a man leaning against the far pool materializes. His muscular arms are spread wide across the edge of the bath. Blue eyes glowing back at me until the steam shifts.
Before me sits Thorn.
“I didn’t mean to startle you. I just wondered what that song was.”
“Uh, I’m not sure. My mother used to sing it sometimes.”
“It sounded familiar.”
Silence fills the bath. Again, I’m painfully aware that I’m naked and alone in a large bath with another male. An Alpha male. Not to mention, I came here to do girly things like shave my legs.
“Well, I didn’t mean to interrupt your bath. I thought I would be alone at this time. I’ll leave you—”
“No, I’ll leave. I was almost done anyway.”
As he rises, my wolf eyes watch the droplets of water that bead and cascade down the ridges of his abdomen. It slowly drips down every single ab muscle, making them glisten. I unconsciously lick my lips. Thorn’s eyes catch the movement, then he sinks back into the water.
“I…uh,” he clears his throat. “This is nonsense; the pool is big enough for the both of us.”
“I guess it is.” I lean back against the pool’s edge again, trying to relax. It’s a lot harder knowing the turn my thoughts have taken. I meet one scented mate, and my hormones are going crazy.
Get it together, Ember, you can’t be lusting over an Alpha, let alone one who lives in fucking Alaska.
Okay, focus. I came here to do something, and I’m not going to let one stupid Alpha male stop me from it.
Climbing up onto the lip of the water’s edge.
I slip the shell from my hair, prop my leg up, and slide the sharp side that’s been filed down along the inside of my calf and proceed to shave my legs.
When I switch legs, my eyes lock with Thorn’s.
His knuckles are white against the pool.
Wetting the shell, I continue shaving my other leg.
The shell slides slowly up my leg. I eye him out of the corner of my eye before twisting and slowly shaving the other side.
Thorn stands and takes a step forward. Water gliding past his powerful thighs.
Gods, what else can those thighs do? I meet his gaze.
It’s determined. Possessive and raw. My breath catches in my throat.
He’s beautiful. Big, broad shoulders — muscles literally everywhere — long snowy, wet hair dripping water down those ripped abs.
“Look at you two early risers,” a voice states behind me. I didn’t even hear the doors open. All this humidity and lemon scent is making it hard to smell too.
I turn to see a tall, lean man with steel gray eyes. His hair is slicked back, and his smile seems warm, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. Long legs slip into the water to my left.
“Steele.” Thorn nods.
When I look back at Thorn, he’s retreating to the opposite wall again.
“Hey, virgin, is this guy bothering you? Don’t worry about him, he couldn’t catch a mate if she fell in his lap.”
“My name is Ember.” If another male calls me virgin one more time … And I’m not sure about him not catching a mate. Something stirred between us just now. He doesn’t seem to have an issue holding a female’s attention.
“Ah, Ember, it’s a pleasure.” He mockingly bows before sinking into the bath. “I take it we all came thinking we’d get the baths to ourselves before the rush?”
“We thought,” I murmur, slipping my legs back in the water. Dropping my head back, my breasts kiss the air as I wet my hair. I’m fastening the shell back in my hair when I notice two sets of eyes on me. I need to get out of here before someone acts on their primal urges. One of them being me.
“This has been … weird; I’ll see you guys later.” I swim toward the steps.
“Oh, don’t let Thorn’s drooling scare you away,” Steele jokes. “We don’t bite, much.”
“Hilarious,” I deadpan. “Very original.”
“No, seriously you don’t have to leave,” he tries again.
But I’m already slipping out of the double glass doors and closing them behind me.
I’m ascending the stairs from hell when I remember the way Thorn looked at me when we were alone.
What would have happened if Steele didn’t interrupt?
A shiver runs down my spine. Truth is, whatever he would have done, I might have let him.
Geez, they weren’t kidding about these hormones during mating season.
I’m starting to understand how things can get dangerous.
“Look what we have here, girls,” an unfortunately familiar voice calls before Robyn strides into my path.
The gaggle of females block the second-floor staircase before me.
I side-step to avoid them, but one of them blocks me, I think her name was Sky.
Dove is noticeably absent from the group this time.
Did she have a change of heart after locking me in that bloody altar room?
“She smells clean; must have just found the baths we were looking for.” The shorter, stocky one leans in and comments.
“It’s down by the entrance.” I point behind me, attempting to be civil.
“I thought we weren’t supposed to be wearing anything in the temple,” Sky comments before reaching out for the shell behind my ear. The thought of her grubby hands touching my mother’s shell makes me sick.
“No,” I mutter, turning my face away from her, but it’s too late. Her greedy fingers grab the shell and swipes it out. The sharp side shears my hair across my shoulders as the shell falls from her hand, breaking on impact.
Red hair, lifeless, curled on the floor. Red pooling. My mother’s shell laying broken in two beside it. The sight breaks something in me.
“Oops.” She shrugs and giggles. Unbelieving, I watch as the tendrils of my red hair curl in wisps, landing next to the broken pieces of my mother’s seashell. “Did I do that?”
My eyes narrow as they rise to meet hers, my claws unsheathe. “You. Bitch.” I launch myself at her.