Chapter Fourteen – Carina
Fourteen
CARINA
Twisting around, I find him scowling. I shouldn’t be surprised, but I’m unprepared for the depth of dislike found within it, and the way the air feels heavier, stagnant, and as tightly wound as he is.
His brows draw into a thunderous knot, eyes narrowed into slits.
The muscle in his jaw ticks as movement in the corner of my eye distracts me.
Leah rises to her feet and wipes her hands on her nondescript black leggings.
It’s only then I take note of only her clothes, but also Ryder’s and the rest of the pack’s.
They dress quite human, and also not much for the weather.
Which at this time of year, seems to flip between summer heat and autumn cool temperatures within the same day.
“Ryder.” Leah tips her head respectfully, only commanding a second of his attention. If she were his girlfriend, or whatever, surely there’d be a more intimate interaction.
Despite me facing away, his eyes drill into the back of my head. They’re a slow crawl over my neck and shoulders that has me wanting to both run away and remain still and await his order.
Because all of that makes so much sense. What is it about him?
“Leah,” he greets in that rumble of his. “How’s Claire doing?”
“Good. You missed the magick show Carina put on for the kids.”
Damn you, Leah.
“Is that so?” he drawls, and I dig my fingers into my bare legs where the dress stops at my knee. “Carina was showing off her powers.”
“Claire’s gesturing for me, gotta go. Nice meeting you, Carina. Alpha.” With a final wave, she jogs to the other end of the camp. I watch her go from the corner of my vision, wishing with every fibre of my being I could follow and get away from the prickly act he’s mastered.
His shadow moves until one leg comes into view, and then the other as he steps over the log and plops down beside me. The heat from his attention is hotter than the flames, simmering as with the occasional breath. “You have a question. Ask it.”
How the hell did he know that? He and Leah didn’t seem overly friendly, but maybe it’s because I’m present. Then again, he never indicated he shared his cabin with anyone, and if they were dating, I’m sure that’s a step towards permanence within the pack.
Why am I even analyzing this? I certainly don’t care who the psycho shifter spends his time with.
“She your girlfriend?”
Ten tense seconds pass. “Mate. Shifters don’t conform to the human custom of ‘girlfriend’ and ‘boyfriend.’”
Why did my heart jump? What the hell is wrong with me?
“If you’re asking, I assume witches must. Is there a warlock waiting for you?” All the sharpness around his eyes moves into his tone.
He never answered exactly about Leah, but I regret asking even more now. He’s asking about my non-existent romantic relationships because I stupidly began this conversation.
“Nope. Single.” Please shut up. “We probably adopted the terms since we mingle with humans. Banff is very touristy.”
“Well aware. Their fucking trucks and campers litter the mountains. Plus, we need to keep an eye out for the hikers.”
Huh. Never thought about that. “You didn’t answer me about Leah.” At the very least, it’d explain her weirdness about me sleeping in his cabin.
Why. Do. I. Fucking. Care? His lack of response was the prime opportunity to end this topic.
“Leah isn’t my mate, nor intended. There’s no one I’m interested in.” He pauses, that storm continuing to brew, the atmosphere charged. “Not yet anyway. Where’s this coming from?”
“She’s young, you’re young. Seemed like it’d work. She was asking where I slept last night and seemed awfully interested by it.”
“Leah’s basically a sister to me. Even if I was interested in her, I’d be fighting another male for her attention.”
Oh.
My embarrassment needs something to grip, and I retrieve my apple again, though the taste isn’t as sweet as earlier. The crunching is awkwardly loud between us but serves as a break from this topic—small mercies.
“So,” he says after I’ve taken a few bites, “think your mother will be up for an impromptu visit?”
They said yes. I can save my coven. Or at least give them information. This was my purpose for coming with Ryder yesterday and now I’m able to return with details proves it was the right thing.
Victory surges a wave of excitement through me until I’m grinning exuberantly—even stupidly. Although I have no interest in being High Priestess, at least I won’t be completely terrible at it. If I survive the coming weeks.
I scramble to my feet and reach a hand around his bicep to lift him up. Mister Muscles, of course, doesn’t budge. “The sooner we leave, the sooner we get this figured out. Why are you sitting?”
He kicks a leg out to fence me in on either side—a realization met with heat in the base of my stomach. “If I knew telling you the truth would have made you cooperative, I’d have done it sooner.”
“Yes, well, next time you kidnap someone, remember this moment. Up, Ryder.”
“Xander’s gathering a couple wolves to come along and until he checks in, we won’t be going anywhere. Which means you and I have time to keep talking. Sit.”
I glare down at him and purposely step back, putting a bit of distance between his body and mine before he senses my unwelcome reaction to it. I rotate my thumb in circles on my opposite palm, and my chest gets tight over my concerns about what else he has to say. “About?”
“Why risk magick in front of others, given where you are?”
“They asked. Wasn’t gonna crush their childish wonder. In case you haven’t noticed, not all witches are bitches who brew evil potions to curse those who annoy us. People who are assholes to children should burn in Hell.”
His brows draw together, eyes unreadable but studying my own, my cheeks, even towards my neck, searching for answers. It’s oddly intimate—and thankfully broken by someone calling his name.
“That’s our cue. Let’s go.” He stands and gestures for me to follow. This time, I do so happily.
As we approach the trio of waiting pack members, the wind picks up, casting a frosty chill against my bare legs. Given the way we travelled here, it’s likely to the same return method. Speed plus wind doesn’t make for an enjoyable trip.
“Could we grab my cloak?” I call out to Ryder, my teeth gnashing together in the back. Having to ask him for something he could so easily be a dick about and deny me is frustrating.
Ryder shifts his path slightly to head for his cabin. His strides get larger so by the time I’m nearing the three waiting wolves, he’s returned, a hoodie that is most definitely not mine dangling from his grip.