Chapter 34
Hunny followed Nessa down the front hall and into the kitchen, letting out a small, delighted gasp. “Oh, Nessa, I love it!”
“Thank you. The kitchen is the main reason I bought the house. The view of the woods is breathtaking.” At least, she’d thought it was breathtaking until she’d seen the view from Murphy’s living room. While she loved her home, his cabin was a work of art.
Nessa moved toward the fridge, opening the door. She peeked inside. “Does anyone want a drink? I can offer you some bottled water or some tea.” She looked back at the small group, smiling apologetically. “Sorry, I don’t have anything else. I wasn’t really expecting guests.”
Plus, she’d forbidden Murphy from bringing a coffee machine in here earlier in the week, insisting that he’d love tea if he just gave it a chance.
Turns out he did not like tea, no matter how many chances he gave it.
The thought of Murphy caused an ache to form in Nessa’s chest. She hoped he was okay. She didn’t have all the facts just yet, but from what she’d heard, it sounded like Marcus was hiding Dante’s whereabouts from everyone.
And by Murphy’s reaction outside the restaurant and the haunted, wounded look in his eyes when he’d left, she knew the revelation had struck him hard. Who wouldn’t be upset after discovering something like that? Especially after everything her mate had been through?
She’d wanted to go with him, if only to offer him comfort, but he would have just turned her down.
He wouldn’t want her anywhere near two potentially dangerous shifters.
“We’re good.” Hunny’s sweet voice startled Nessa from her thoughts.
She shook her head, closing the fridge before making her way toward the small breakfast nook on the other side of the kitchen. Hunny and Tank sat on one side while Zeke leaned back against the wall across from them, arms crossed and a tired, pinched expression on his face.
She passed Zeke, a small fissure of anxiety balling in her stomach as she sat down, facing away from him.
She turned on the bench, angling her body so she could keep him in clear view with everyone else.
He seemed like a good guy, but she instinctively felt more secure with him in her line of sight.
“Wishing you’d gone with them?” Tank asked the man, his gravelly voice loud in the otherwise quiet room.
Zeke nodded. “I’m happy to stay here and keep a watch over things with you, but Marcus is my friend. If he’s really stabbed us all in the back, I want to hear it for myself.”
“We don’t know anything, yet,” Hunny interjected, pressing a hand to her belly. “This could all just be a big misunderstanding. Maybe he still has no idea where Dante is.”
“I don’t know why you’re so adamant about defending that male,” Tank growled, his brows furrowing in irritation. “Dante almost got you and Nessa killed, little rabbit. He doesn’t deserve your pity.”
Hunny sighed. “He was only trying to protect his own mate. Did he do something stupid? Yes. But Nessa and I made it out of that situation alive.”
Nessa looked across the table at her friend.
“Barely.” Instinctively, her hand went to her shoulder, lingering over the scars hidden beneath her shirt.
Memories assailed her, a flicker of panic twisting her insides until she felt nauseous.
“We barely made it out of that, Hunny,” she added in a low voice.
Nessa willed her rising panic back down, dropping her hands beneath the table and drumming her shaky fingers absentmindedly on her knee as her breathing stuttered. Her lungs felt tight, and a chill raced down her spine, the room threatening to close in on her.
Shit. Not now.
Nessa slammed her eyes closed, determined to quell her anxiety before it got any worse.
Deep breath in.
Deep breath out.
It’s over. You’re safe.
Focus on your breathing.
She didn’t know how long she sat there like that, tuning out the quiet conversation around her, but eventually, the blinding panic gripping her heart eased.
When her nausea finally disappeared along with the trembling in her hands, she opened her eyes, feeling no small sense of victory for overcoming her panic.
“I’m sorry,” Hunny replied softly. “I swear I’m not trying to make light of this mess or that I’m on Dante’s side.
I’m not.” She sent Tank a pointed look before returning her attention to Nessa.
“I just know that if the roles were reversed and someone was threatening to torture my mate unless I did what they wanted … I don’t think I’d react any differently. I’d do what it took to protect Henry.”
“You’d tell Murphy, though,” Zeke cut in without hesitation. “We all would. Dante should have known that our Alpha would protect his mate.”
Nessa smiled slightly at the conviction in Zeke’s voice. Clearly, he had absolute faith in Murphy. It was nice to see, after all the hardships her mate had endured, that he had someone fighting in his corner who wasn’t blood related.
“I don’t think anyone knows what they’d really do until they’re placed in that situation,” Nessa stated.
“There wasn’t any winning for Dante, no matter what he decided.
Jason was a sick bastard, and if he’d threatened to abuse Angela, to rape and kill her if Dante sounded the alarm, I’m sure he would have. ”
“Putting you all at risk wasn’t the answer,” Zeke argued.
“No,” Nessa agreed quietly. “No, it wasn’t.” But just like when Murphy had discussed with her days ago, she didn’t feel any anger or hatred toward Dante. Just a wave of empathy that refused to abate.
An even bigger wave of sorrow rose at her thoughts for Murphy. Whatever choice he made regarding Dante, and now Marcus, that burden would hang over him for the rest of his life. “Murphy’s going to be okay, right?”
“You think Dante will try to hurt him?” Zeke asked with a frown.
Hunny shook her head. “That’s not what she means.”
No. No, it wasn’t.
“I’ve had enough of this talk.” Tank wrapped an arm around Hunny’s shoulders, pulling her firmly against his side. He nodded at Zeke. “You really going with Jasper to that vamp thing?”
“Yes,” Zeke replied, his upper lip curling with distaste.
“Why?” Nessa asked, turning in her seat to get a better look at him. “I thought you hated vampires?”
He grunted. “I do. If they all dropped dead tomorrow, I’d piss on their corpses with a smile on my face.”
Nessa grimaced, the visualization enough to bring back her previous nausea full force. “Ew.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask why he hated them so much, but given the animosity radiating off of him, she thought better of it. Maybe Murphy would tell her about it later.
“Oh! I think we should do a puzzle. Wouldn’t that be fun?” Hunny clapped her hands together excitedly, ignoring Tank as he grumbled irritably under his breath.
Nessa grinned, more than ready to take her mind off of things for a little while. “I’ve got a few in the hall closet. I’ll go grab them.”
Getting up, she beelined to her destination, but only one thing played on her mind.
She really hoped Murphy was okay.
Nessa woke to the feel of her comforter and sheets being peeled back, cool air sliding over her bare arms and legs as the bed dipped behind her. Before she could react, before her nerves could skyrocket at the sudden intrusion, the familiar fragrance of pine, sandalwood and vanilla hit her senses.
Murphy.
She turned toward her mate, her eyes seeking him out in the pitch-black room. His outline was barely discernible in the darkness, but she relaxed into the mattress when she spotted him, studying his silhouette for any signs of distress. From what she could tell, which wasn’t much, he seemed fine.
Physically, at least.
“What time is it?” Nessa asked groggily, watching Murphy as he settled into the bed. Immediately, she pressed against him, his warm body combatting the chill even as he tugged the blankets over them both.
“Late,” he whispered, pulling her into his arms. His torso was bare, and she hummed happily, burrowing the side of her face against the dusting of hair covering his chest. Long fingers slid through her locks, gentle strokes along her scalp that had her eyes nearly sliding closed in contentment. “I’m sorry for waking you.”
Nessa brushed her lips over his chest. “It’s okay. I’m glad you came over.”
“I told you I’d come back, sweetheart,” Murphy whispered but his words were completely devoid of life. She could almost sense how exhausted he felt. She couldn’t imagine how rough his day must have been. What he’d gone through. But she was determined to do whatever she could to make it better.
Needing to be closer to him, to comfort him, Nessa entwined her legs with his, the fabric of his boxers rubbing against her inner thigh. She’d gone to bed in a tank top and her favorite sleep shorts, but now she wished there was nothing separating their bodies.
“I know, but you had a lot going on, and the drive here is pretty long, so I would have understood if you’d stayed home.”
Murphy gripped the back of her head, turning her face up and away from his chest. Leaning down, he captured her mouth with his, angling himself until he was partially on top of her, holding her head still as he licked the seam of her lips, silently demanding entry.
With a small, needy whimper, Nessa complied, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and tugging him closer.
Murphy’s tongue sank into her mouth, teasing hers with firm strokes that had heat igniting in her core, a rising desire causing her clit to ache with want.
She arched into him, her breasts pressing against his chest as her nipples hardened beneath her shirt, the material a delicious friction against the sensitive buds.
Murphy kissed her again, lighter than before. And then he pulled away, rolling onto his back. He lifted her with him, settling her until she was lying on top of him, her head resting in the crook of his neck.
She tried to regulate her breathing, but it was difficult when all she could think about was how easy it would be to dip her hand into Murphy’s boxers, to pull his thick cock free and guide him into her pussy.
Was now the right time for sex, though? It would be a hell of a distraction, and given how responsive she was from just a kiss, she didn’t think she’d have any triggers to worry about.
But would Murphy want that?
His hands found their way back into her hair.
Leisurely, he combed the thick strands. “You’re my home, Nes,” he murmured into the darkness, affection seeping from his voice and nearly melting into a pile of mushy emotions right on the bed.
“I don’t want to spend a single night away from you; I don’t care how long the drive is. ”
Her heart skipped a beat, and her breath caught; a different, tender warmth spreading through her at his words.
“You’re my home, too,” she admitted softly, emboldened by the dark surrounding them.
“I’ve been thinking about hiring an employee or two so I won’t have to devote so much time to the teahouse,” she blurted out suddenly.
Well, she hadn’t been thinking about it until right this second. Originally, the idea of handing over her baby to someone else only made her anxious. She hadn’t wanted anyone in her space.
But that was before Murphy.
Before she’d found herself falling in love with him.
Now she wanted to spend all of her time with him, and it made little sense for him to drive out of his way to see her every day. It was sweet, but unnecessary, and it would inevitably put a strain on him when he needed to be at his place to handle bear clan issues.
Besides, they’d live together eventually, wouldn’t they? They’d mate, hopefully sooner rather than later, and she didn’t plan to spend any of her nights away from him then, either. It just seemed right with him. Why hold off?
The only logical thing to do would be to hire someone for her teahouse.
Nessa wouldn’t have to worry about being in town every day to open or close.
Then she could sleep at his place and use his gorgeous kitchen, surrounded by his amazing views of the woods.
She’d wake up in his arms every day, feeling happy and safe and cared for.
Murphy’s fingers stilled in her hair. “Oh, yeah?” The interest in his voice was unmistakable, and she smiled.
Nessa burrowed closer to him, the heat of his body relaxing hers.
“Mmhm. I think it’s a good idea. That way I can infiltrate your home, take it over and move in before you even realize what’s happened,” she half-joked.
“One day, your bathroom will be neat and organized, and the next you’ll find a million bobby pins scattered across the counter and have no idea where to put them all. ”
“You make it sound like that isn’t exactly what I want, little mate.”
“Better put a claiming bite on me, then, before someone else tries to snap up this tempting offer.” Nessa kept her tone light, hoping that teasing him would take his mind off of Dante and Marcus.
Murphy growled playfully, rolling them over until Nessa was beneath him, his eyes glowing with that vivid golden hue that she’d come to adore so much.
His hips settled between her thighs, his hard length pressing through his boxers and over her slit as he kissed her tenderly on the lips. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too.” Nessa cupped his cheek, his stubble tickling her palm as she gazed up at him. “Do you want to talk about today?”
A slight tremor went through him, and the glow in his eyes dimmed. “Not yet. The only thing I want to think about tonight is you.”
“Okay,” she murmured.
Maybe it was time to try her other method of distraction …
Sliding her palm to the back of his neck, she pulled him down until his body pressed fully into hers. Her lips brushed against his as her free hand wandered from his chest, down toward his torso.
“I wasn’t exaggerating when I said I missed you,” she breathed against his mouth, kissing him again.
That flutter of desire in her core sparked back to life, and she knew the exact moment her mate scented it. He stiffened above her, and then a fierce, sensual rumble sounded from his chest as his muscular body coiled around her.
He nipped her lower lip, grabbing her hips and holding her still as he rubbed his stiff cock over her wet pussy. “Do you need me, little mate?”
“Yes, Alpha.” Nessa pulled at the waistband of his boxers. “You’re wearing too much.”