Chapter Thirteen #2
Marcus watched another shiver travel through my body. He pulled his sweater over his head, sending a wave of earth and pine straight into my lungs. He held it out to me. “Put this on.” He’d said those exact words to me at Club Luna… I wondered if he remembered.
And whether he was now picturing what’d happened after we left the club.
I tried in vain not to. But as I studied the way his tank top hugged his chest, before allowing my gaze to flitter down his muscular arm to the cream sweater hanging off his finger, the phantom hands of the memory stroked my skin.
I am allowed to feel good.
“I’ll get makeup all over it,” I said lamely, my words unconvincing even to my own ears.
“I don’t care.”
“I’m not cold.”
“You’re barely dressed.”
I frowned. “Do you make it a habit of criticizing what women choose to wear, Matthew?”
He dropped his hand, the sweater now trapped in his clenched fist. “We don’t like how they were looking at you,” he muttered.
I glanced around, expecting to find my sister. But Marcus and I were still alone, and when I looked back at him, his eyes were glowing.
I gave Marcus and his fucking wolf a tight nod of my head before attempting to walk away. And as expected, Marcus’s hand curled around my wrist.
“Joanna,” he whispered, “the full moon is less than twenty-four hours away. Every wolf who finds you attractive is praying for a chance to fuck you. Please. At least give them a reason to pause.”
With that, he threw the sweater onto the countertop and stormed out of the kitchen.
I grabbed it on my way out, cursing while I draped it over my shoulders and secured it with a knot.
“Damn, newbie!” Lamar exclaimed when he saw me.
I kept my head down, pretending not to notice.
Lamar looked at Marcus, who had taken a seat on the couch next to an alpha male with long dark hair. “You don’t waste any time, do you?”
Marcus gave him a friendly grin. “Be nice, and I’ll consider sharing.”
Lamar leaned over the couch to dap Marcus up. “Bet.”
I rolled my eyes.
Werewolves didn’t steal from one another, but they obviously didn’t mind passing their humans around. And Marcus played the part with that comment a little too well for my liking. Those words were so wrong coming from the lips that, just moments ago, were begging me to be careful… I felt dirty.
I shrunk away from anyone who could sprout fur and introduced myself to the other humans at the party.
There were five of them: two men and three women. All of them had been to Club Luna at least once. And after talking to them, I determined that only one of them knew what our hosts were.
Of course, Vince didn’t come out and say that he was a wolf groupie, but his mocha-colored eyes gleamed bright with awe whenever Silas walked by. We watched as Latoya and Heather giggled their way down the spiraling staircase.
“Is that… really your sister?” he asked as I was about to walk away. “How long has she been friends with Silas and Lamar?”
My eyes darkened. “I wouldn’t know,” I spat. “Thought she was dead for a while.”
I stormed off, hurrying to the table bearing the colorful charcuterie board. As I pretended to scan the arrangement, my mind replayed all the slipups I’d made since walking through the fucking front door.
I was a hunter. Emotions were a liability.
And still…
Shit.
I am calm, peaceful—
No, the fuck, I wasn’t.
I snatched a plate off the table and began piling on some fruit.
I was jealous. And angry. And—
A presence snuck up behind me, interrupting my thoughts… And then Silas cleared his throat. “Are you having fun?”
I forced my pulse not to rise. Why now? Why, when I was focusing my energy on suppressing an emotional reckoning?
I took a quick breath, furtively scanning the room as I turned.
Marcus was no longer seated; He’d moved closer, talking to the humans nearby.
The women leaned in to be near him, chests pushed forward, and eyes locked onto him with predatory gazes of their own.
Marcus shook his head, laughing at something one of them said, and his eyes cut to mine for a brief second, loosening the knot in my stomach. He’d be listening to every word.
I took a bite of the strawberry in my hand, forcing a smile. “Are you back for round two?” I teased.
Silas chuckled, preparing a plate of meat and crackers. “If you’re anything like your sister, maybe I should throw in the towel now.”
I shivered at how easily he spoke about Latoya.
“Still cold?” he asked, glancing down at Marcus’s sweater.
I shook my head. “Nervous tic.”
He loomed closer. “Oh? Do I make you nervous?” He stole a grape from my plate and popped it into his mouth.
I stiffened and caught Marcus moving in the corner of my eye.
“Are my two favorite people actually getting along?” Latoya appeared by Silas’s side, her heavy eyes red and glassy.
I released the breath trapped in my lungs and backed away. “I was asking Silas what he did for a living.”
Silas’s eyes grew wide. “Were you?”
I shrugged. “Your home is beautiful. I was just curious.”
He nodded, looking around the room. “It’s most beautiful when it’s filled like this, I think.” He looked down at Latoya and smiled. “When I’m surrounded by the people I love.”
My grip on the plate tightened.
He looked back at me. “I’m an architect.”
“An architect,” I repeated. “Of what?”
His smile widened, sending another shiver down my spine. “New beginnings.”
I tried to suppress my eyeroll and failed miserably.
Silas laughed, shoving Latoya with his elbow. “Your sister’s a little cynic, isn’t she?”
Latoya chuckled nervously, reaching for my arm. “Later, Silas. Give her the speech later.” She pulled me closer. “There’s some people I want her to meet, and she’ll want to leave if you bore her to death.”
Silas’s eyes flicked to Latoya, and my sister went still. She noticed the frown on his face, and her grip on my arm stiffened. “I didn’t mean—”
He threw his plate down on the table and smiled as pieces of cheese fell to the floor. “When you’re right, you’re right, babe.” He peered down at me, his green eyes like poison. “Go have fun.”
Latoya’s watery smile remained on her face until we were back with Heather.
The two werewolves introduced me to their friends and, like Marcus warned, I felt like I needed a bath after meeting a few of them.
I couldn’t tell if Latoya was fucking blind or if she was simply okay with it all. Marcus wouldn’t have been, that’s for damn sure—not with his ‘I licked it, so it’s mine’ wolf mentality. So, I was relieved when I spotted him immersed in conversation with Silas.
Bloodbath averted.
There was no shortage of compliments on my sister’s behalf. The werewolves adored her. She’d surprised them all with how quickly she rose within Silas’s ‘corporation’.
And for some reason, they assumed I’d be just as remarkable. Each one of them asked whether I would stay for their festival. Two lip-lickers were most eager for my answer. And when I declined, the lust in their eyes glowed hot.
I excused myself quickly after that, deciding the company of groupies was the lesser of evils.
“Brothers and sisters.” Silas’s thunderous voice stopped me in my tracks. “Please gather around.”
Marcus, Latoya, and I exchanged furtive glances from where we stood.
All the werewolves in the house congregated in the living room. Silas waited while twirling a… silver-tipped arrow between his fingers.
I swallowed hard. Shit.
His eyes locked with mine, and he smiled, halting the arrow between his fingers. He used it to point at me. “Joey, do me a favor and stand next to your sister.”
I nodded, forcing my mouth into a small smile.
Silas looked at Lamar. “Who’s missing?”
Lamar glanced about the room. “Just Brody, I think.”
Silas agreed with a bob of his head. “He’s heard this all before. Let’s start.” Silas rose from where he’d been leaning against the fireplace. “Thank you all for joining me. In a time of strife, family is the secret to survival. And each one of you in this room is my family.”
Vince gasped, and the werewolves all snickered.
Silas nodded. “As you’ve probably noticed, we have a few fresh faces tonight.” His eyes darted from the humans to Marcus before settling on me. “Welcome to our pack.”
The werewolves cheered, one of them patting me on my back.
Silas raised the hand holding the arrow in the air, and the shapeshifters quieted down.
“I don’t know how many of you are aware,”—his eyes darted to Latoya—“but we lost many members of our family a few weeks ago. They were on a mission to help disseminate plans for the new order when they were murdered by cowards.”
Latoya played the role and covered her mouth in feigned surprise. She looked at Heather, who gave her head a solemn nod and took my sister’s hand in hers.
Silas snapped the arrow in two using one hand. “Humans afraid of learning their place beneath us murdered our kin. Humans who fear proving their worth to stand by our side slaughtered the ones we love.”
Lamar appeared behind the shaken humans and pushed them to the center of the room. I’m guessing talks of murder did something to their composure.
“But these humans,” Silas continued, beckoning Vince forward. “They’ve been fortunate enough to receive a chance… to prove their worth.” He looked around the room. “I think we’ve already decided that Joey can stay for the festival?”
Murmurs of consent filled the room. Latoya released a sigh of relief.
“What about our other new friends? Like handsome Vincent here? Does he stay for the festival? Or is he only invited… to dinner?”
I followed Silas’s gaze around the room, and my stomach tightened. There was no escaping the hunger burning in those eyes.
The werewolves took a vote. Only one of the men and one of the women would make it to the festival.
Vince was found to be too eager. He and the other two ladies would only make it to…