CHAPTER 16
RueThe next morning, I’m awakened by my appetite and my stomach’s need for sustenance. I’m practically as ravenous as a hungry wolf. Fitting considering my company. But my brain isn’t fully awake yet and I’m not ready to return to the real world, so I ignore the grumbling.
When everything catches up to me from the night before, I bolt up in bed, heart racing. Flashes of Caylix’s wolf wanting to claim me, Rhys cuddling me during the movie, Kathan’s words in the hallway, and Slade finger fucking me all play out like a movie in my head.
Hexes, yesterday was a lot.
I guess it’s time to face the music.
After taking another shower in the small guest bathroom to wash off the sweat and scent of last night, I use a little of my magic to dry and style my hair into soft curls. Small parlor tricks like that are about the only things I can do. With a sigh, I consider exploring some of the other rooms like the one Kathan disappeared into last night, but my stomach rumbles again and I decide against it.
“I’m starving.” I groan, waltzing into the kitchen where I find Rhys reaching into the bread bag like his stomach is on the same schedule as mine. He holds out a slice that’s currently sporting a spot of mold and shoots me a sheepish look.
“Seems like it’s gone bad.” He walks over to the trashcan and pops open the lid, tossing the spoiled bread inside. When it slams shut again, he glances up at me. “Why don’t I head to the grocery store? We could really use some food if we’re staying here for the foreseeable future.”
“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” I respond, rubbing my grumbling stomach for emphasis. “You don’t want to see me hangry. I’m probably worse than a feral.”
The face Rhys shoots me… no words can properly capture it. “Rue,” he breathes, his mouth dropping open in shock.
“Too soon?”
Before he can respond, Caylix appears with the car keys in hand and Kathan trailing not far behind, his usual resting dickface in place. RDF?
Is that a thing?
“Great. You’re leaving me alone with Kathan again?” I ask, noticing Rhys only included himself and Caylix is holding the car keys. It’s not that I don’t like Kathan. It’s that I don’t trust myself alone with him. There’s a dangerous simmering attraction between us, and I’m still angry with him for wanting to erase my memories.
“Actually, we alerted the pack that you’re under our protection,” Caylix responds. “We kept it vague enough to buy us some time until we think of something else. They won’t question your presence with us.”
“Really?” I ask, hope sparking inside me at the prospect of getting out of here for a few hours. “Wait, is it safe enough with everything going on?”
Rhys nods. “Yeah, it should be fine. The ferals don’t usually hunt during the day. Plus, we’ll be there every step of the way in case something does go wonky.”
I beam at him. “So, what I’m hearing is that I get to come with you?”
Caylix shoots me a soft, open smile that makes my stomach flip as he spreads his arms out toward the door. “Yep. Let’s go rectify your hunger, shall we, little witch?”
“Um, yes, please. That would be great.” How I go from dropping dark humor one second to sort of shy the next is beyond me. These men bring out another side to me that I’m not used to. As I’m heading out the door, I glance down at my rumpled shirt, or rather Kathan’s shirt, bare legs, and frown. “Let me get changed first. I’ll be right back.” There’s no way I’m going out in public commando with only one of his shirts on. Even if it would drive him crazy.
Heading to Kathan’s room, which fuck it, I’m now considering my room, I walk into the closet. There’s an array of dark jeans, cargo pants, and other such items hanging up, but his jeans will be way too big on me and aren’t an option. I sigh. I guess my leather pants from the other night are my only choice. It takes me a hot minute, but somehow, I manage to finagle my way into them and pick out another random shirt from the closet. It’s so long I have to tie the excess into a knot, but it’s as comfortable and worn as the last one.
When I’m finished, I find the rest of them outside, chatting about pack business. Once again, I find it mind-boggling that I’m casually chilling with the leaders of an entire pack of shifters. I clear my throat. “Mind making another stop while we’re out? I really need some new clothes.”
“We’ll pick something up in town,” Caylix responds before popping open the door to their sleek SUV for me. Flashes of my delirious state the other night flood my mind, freezing me on the spot. Only his soothing hand against my back snaps me out of it. “You’re safe now, Rue. We’ve got you,” he murmurs, attuned to my panic as if he could feel it for himself.
I give him a tight smile and climb into the back. To my surprise, Kathan and Rhys pile in beside me. Rhys immediately puts his arm behind my seat, getting comfy beside me while Kathan crowds my space, spreading his legs as wide as possible as if he’s trying to make me uncomfortable. He almost sticks his elbow into my side and has to readjust, placing his forearms on his legs. It backfires on him though because as soon as his arm grazes mine we both suck in a sharp breath, an invisible cord between us snapping into place.
It seems to make his expression even more thunderous, and he retreats as far against the door as he can get. Rhys on the other hand snuggles in closer as Caylix starts the SUV and puts it in reverse, backing down their driveaway. Now that I’m paying attention, there are several other cabins lining the small cul-de-sac.
Rhys notices my line of sight and gestures toward the wooded area behind said cabins that appears to lead to a swamp. “Our property rests against the Pearl River Wildlife management area, which is on the Louisiana and Mississippi border,” he explains.
“Truthfully, I haven’t been out of the city much, so this is all new to me. We learned about shifters in school, but to be honest, most of it went out the window with the rest of the knowledge on supes when I graduated. The Witches Council doesn’t like us to study such things…” Kathan’s mood sours further at the mention of the Witches Council, his angst is like a hot poker in my chest, and I clamp my mouth shut. Someone really did a number on him, and it makes me want to dig in deeper and find what’s making him so grumpy.
“If you have any questions, ask, and I’ll be happy to explain,” Rhys offers, ignoring Kathan’s weird brewshit.
“All right, for starters, do all shifters form smaller bonds like you all?” I ask, gesturing between them.
“Yes. Male shifters link up into sub packs of three since we outnumber our females.”
Huh, interesting.
“I think you mentioned something about this being a honeymoon cabin?” His eyes heat at that. “Is that what the rest of the cabins are for too? They seem pretty deserted, though.”
“That’s because nobody’s needed them lately. They only get used when there’s a newly mated pairing or when our females go in heat.”
“Oh, gotcha.” Sounds reasonable enough to me. “Why all the way out here? There isn’t much around other than the swamps.”
Caylix glances at me in the rearview mirror, a knowing grin fixed on his lips, and I feel like I’m missing something. “Trust me, newly mated wolves are insufferable around their mate. Jealous, and possessive, sometimes even to the point of being deadly.”
“Plus, wolves have a wicked sense of smell,” Rhys adds. “All those pheromones are rough and can cause unmated wolves to go into a rut.” Good thing I took a shower then. I can only imagine the inquisition and growling that would happen if they caught a whiff of Slade on me from last night.
My cheeks heat and I duck my head. “That makes sense. Seems like it’s for their safety then, right?”
Kathan snorts. “Yeah. Until they can get their heads screwed on straight and fuck themselves out of it, they’re sequestered out here.”
I hold in my gasp at his blunt way of explaining things. He likely knows more than I do about the mating habits of shifters, but in my head, I was picturing something a little more romantic considering they’re called honeymoon cabins. “Crude much?” I snap.
For the first time since we started moving, Kathan’s gaze flicks over to me and he leans in, brushing a piece of hair off my neck. I shiver from the trail of warmth his finger leaves on my skin. “If I remember correctly,” he starts, watching me intently, “you don’t have an issue with that, do you? I recall a certain someone telling Rhys where she was staying and that’s not exactly saintly qualities, is it? Or how about when you rode Slade’s—”
For a split second I was worried he was going to say fingers, which would be silly. How would he even know about that? Either way, I’m glad his sentence is cut off by a protesting growl from Caylix, followed by Rhys. Mentally, I tick off another check in the asshole category. If it weren’t for the heat in his eyes, which he douses when he finds me staring, I’d probably try to zap him with my magic. It wouldn’t do much because I don’t have the power behind it, but it’d get my point across.
Thankfully, I don’t have to because Rhys smacks Kathan upside the head. “Fuck off, asshole. You’ve never had an issue with casual sex before.”
“It wasn’t with a spying little witch,” he grits between clenched teeth.
An outraged squeak bursts out of me, and once again, I consider zapping him with my magic, but that would let him know he’s affecting me. “This again? Seriously?”
His heated eyes meet mine and he leans in, nose inches from mine. He’s so close, his breath feathers across my lips. “I’ll find out all your secrets, Rue Delacroix. That’s a fucking promise.”