Chapter 6 Silas
Silas
“Are you sure you want her to stay with you?” Jake asks.
I leashed up Cooper then went to find Jake after I heard the shower turn on, knowing the more I stayed in Junie’s proximity, the harder time I’d have walking away.
I don’t fucking know what it is about her.
There’s something deep in my bones that urges me to stay near her.
To not leave. To take her. Claim her. Protect her.
“I’m sure, Jake. She’s not going to stay with you.”
I swallow a growl.
“You sure you’re okay with her?”
“Why?” I demand, my voice elevated.
“You’re just…” Jake thinks better of his response and shakes his head. “Never mind, man, just call for me if you need anything. Okay? Or Fran. You could always call Mauve, too; she could use some pastries for our breakfast tomorrow.”
“Mauve never lets anyone help with the food.”
He shrugs. “Might be good to give Junie something to do, is all I’m saying. It’d help her be less terrified of you.”
I narrow my brows. “She’s not terrified of me.” Is she?
“Well, maybe not, but she didn’t seem to know much about wolves, Silas.”
I nod in acknowledgment, then walk away. I don’t get more than ten feet away before Jake calls out, “Oh, Silas.”
“Hm?” I turn back, having to pull Cooper to a stop.
“I liked her beanie.”
Oh, fuck me.
I roll my eyes and turn back around, Jake’s laugh fading as I get closer to my cabin.
A tote bag full of clothes sits on the porch. Bless Fran.
I’ll set it outside the bathroom door, then figure out what to make for dinner.
When I open the door, Cooper runs past me. I let him go, assuming he’s going to jump on the couch or get some food, like he normally does after a walk around the small block of cabins.
But then I hear Junie.
And I look up to see her squatting in front of Cooper in nothing but a fucking towel.
Seriously, fuck me.
I clear my throat. “You left wet footprints.”
“Oh?” Junie looks up. She twists her body to look behind her, but Cooper, being a dog, doesn’t understand that Junie is balancing, so when he launches himself at her for more pets, she falls over.
“Cooper!” she screeches, giggling. “What the heck.”
“Junie,” I say, trying very hard not to look at her newly naked body.
“What?” Her head whips to me, and I widen my eyes.
“Oh?” She stands and picks up her towel. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were sensitive to others being nude.”
My jaw hangs. I don’t know how to respond to her sass. She puts her towel back on and walks close to me, invading my personal space.
I’m just now realizing she’s nearly a foot shorter than me.
“Are these clothes for me?” Junie flutters her eyes.
“You’re a brat.”
“Better that than a princess,” she responds, grabbing the bag from my hands and heading to the bathroom.
There’s a slight knock on the wall I keep up in my mind at all times to avoid unwanted conversations.
It’s protocol for packs to only communicate with their mind during fights, or if you’re unable to reach someone, but I’ve always allowed my seconds and a few select others to contact me this way.
Once I confirm that it’s Fran, I let her speak freely.
You get the clothes? Fran asks.
Yes. Thank you.
Do you have food you can make for the two of you?
Probably not.
I’ll have Mauve drop some off.
With that conversation over, I put up the wall once more, not wanting any more distractions tonight.
I haven’t been back to the cabin in over a week.
I’m in the final stages of taking over as head of the North, and I’ve had to do a bit of traveling.
My time at home wasn’t supposed to start until a few days from now, but when I saw the snow coming in again, I knew I had to be back in case the pack needed help with rescues.
Fate has its hand in everything, one way or the other.
A few minutes later, the bathroom door opens, and Cooper greets Junie at the end of the hallway.
“Which bedroom is mine?” she asks.
“I’ll show you.”
I could have told her which door it was. There aren’t that many extra rooms, and she likely already knows. But I’m allowing myself to be near her on my terms.
Walking toward her, I can’t help my eyes as they drag over her body, knowing exactly what it looks like under the too-big tee and small shorts.
There are reactors going off in my body that I’ve been told are typical for when you find your mate, but that can’t be what this is.
My heart races thinking about the possibility of her being my fated.
Some of the signs are impossible to ignore.
The need to be near her? Undoubtedly.
Her smell? It’s slightly sweet, a mix of cinnamon and vanilla, and makes my knees weak.
Don’t get me started on the urge to pin her against a wall and fuck her senseless.
The signs are feeble, and they could be happening because she’s snarky, beautiful, and exactly my type.
The type of woman I’d let myself have for a single night before not contacting them again. That’s why this is more complicated.
She’s not just a random person. Well, she is, but she’s staying in my cabin for who knows how long. That doesn’t exactly bode well with my one-night-stand mantra and the ability to never see that person again.
I feel in my bones that I wouldn’t be able to do that with Junie, even if I tried.
“This is my room.” I point to the first door on the left. “And this is yours.”
“We share a wall.”
“For one night.”
Junie hums. “Do you not host often?”
“No.”
She smirks, and I have to bite back my own. Why is it that I can be around anyone else and maintain a straight face, but leave me alone with this insane human and I’m a different person?
I turn to walk away, but her nimble fingers grip my wrist. The few points of contact send my heart soaring, beating faster and faster with each weighted breath.
I’m conflicted. I want to be furious at the unwarranted touch, to shout at her to get away.
More than that, I suddenly want nothing more than to reverse the role and tug her to me, wrap her in my arms, and breathe her scent until I’ve memorized it.
My gaze lingers on the floor. There’s little stopping me from speaking my wants out loud, laying everything on the table, letting her decide if she’d like company for the night before she ventures back to town, where our paths are less likely to cross. I can’t let that happen, though.
“What?” The question leaves my mouth with a snarl, a hint of anger.
“I—” Junie drops my hand quickly, like she was holding hers over a flame until it began to burn. “Thank you. For, um, rescuing me.”
“Don’t thank me.” A few deep sighs have calmed my temperament down enough to know I won’t do anything dumb if I turn around. Looking at her now, I add, “I’m doing my job, Junie. You’re not special.”
Her smile falters. It’s quick enough that I would have missed it if I blinked.
“Don’t worry, Alpha, I’ll be out of your hair tomorrow.”