Chapter 5 - Cade #2
I finish and fill her coffee again. “You don’t have to worry about telling me everything right now,” I tell her. “The alliance alphas will be here soon. We can all talk it through then.”
She had been reaching for the coffee, but freezes when I mention the alliance. She hesitates a moment before taking the cup with a hand that trembles slightly, even though I can see the effort she’s putting into holding it steady.
“Can’t tell you what I don’t know,” she says, but I see the lie in her eyes.
I shrug and then gesture to her shirt. “Either way, you might want to get changed before they get here.”
We both glance down at her shirt, and I mentally curse as I notice how the buttons have come loose, showing a swell of creamy skin that’s hard to ignore. My wolf takes me by surprise, almost surging to the surface, and for a split second, I struggle to control him.
What the hell?
I’m not sure if she notices, but if she does, she doesn’t say anything.
Simply gets up and retreats to the guest room again, presumably to change or finally try to escape through the window.
I decide to let the security system do its job and go sit on the deck until the others arrive.
I feel strangely inclined to run my mouth around Mara, which isn’t helping.
I don’t have to wait long. A car crunches up the drive, followed by another, then the cough of an old Jeep that could only belong to Rowan.
I catch their scents before I see them; Rowan and Willow arrive first, and as they’re getting out, I spot the others rolling in: Alder, Brooks, and Kaiden.
He gets out last and scans the area as though he’s expecting an ambush.
I guess we’re all on edge. They probably think I’ve brought trouble back with me.
Maybe I have.
Damn.
I greet Rowan first, as he’s already halfway up the steps, all tailored black and predatory calm.
He’s the only one who doesn’t look surprised to see me in one piece.
Alder’s behind him, arms crossed and frown lines so deep they look like they’ve been carved with a scalpel.
Brooks throws me a salute, grinning with all his teeth.
Kaiden hangs back, scanning the woods like he expects an ambush.
Willow hangs back a moment, getting a bag from the truck.
She’s wrapped in a blue coat that makes her look far more fragile than she really is.
Brooks is the first to open his mouth. “Jesus, Cade, you couldn’t wait for backup five fucking minutes?” He sounds pissed, but there’s an edge of respect there.
Rowan takes in everything: my posture, the lack of physical injuries, and the fact that the security system is still running. “Is she alive?” he asks, voice low, for my ears only.
“She’s in the guest room,” I say. “I didn’t hurt her. She’s…not what I expected.”
Alder narrows his eyes. “Well, none of this is expected. The Order handed her over like a dog they didn’t want to shoot?”
“Exactly that,” I say. “And she’s human. But there’s something weird about her scent.” I lower my voice. “My wolf won’t leave her alone. I can smell it, she’s not a shifter, but there’s…something.”
Rowan’s face doesn’t move, but I can tell he’s listening harder than anyone. “Willow,” he says, “think you can run a blood panel?”
Willow gives me a look that says she’s not very impressed with me, and it almost makes me shrink. “I brought a kit. If she’ll let me.”
“She’ll let you,” I say, and I hope that’s true. If anyone can get her to do it, it’s Willow.
Rowan steps inside, and the others follow.
They fill the large kitchen, and I step into the hall to call Mara.
As soon as she steps out, I want to turn her around and shut her away again.
The response is instantaneous. She’s brushed her hair, and it now falls in soft waves around her shoulders, seeming longer than before.
She’s washed, and her eyes look clear, her lips plump, and she’s changed into her clothes from yesterday, minus the baggy hoodie.
Instead, she’s wearing a tight T-shirt that leaves little to the imagination.
I’d already had a hint of her body when I’d pinned her in the truck last night, and again when I saw her wearing my oversized flannel this morning, but this is different; the dips and curves of her figure are all laid out for me to see, and my mouth goes dry.
I look at the others, ready to tell them to shut their fucking eyes, but not one of them seems to even notice.
I can tell their expressions are neutral, their wolves are calm, and Willow’s already stepped forward to introduce herself.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
I listen as Willow talks soothingly to Mara and guides her over to the table. Suddenly, Alder is at my side, leaning in, and he mutters, “I’m not sure we can interrogate someone who looks like a fucking doll.”
I snort. “Tell me about it,” I reply. “Let’s hope Willow has more luck than I did this morning.”
“I’m sure that won’t be hard,” Rowan says before walking over to join his mate and introduce himself to a bewildered but stoic-looking Mara.
I find myself standing sentry in the doorway, arms folded, pretending vigilance.
Truth is, I can't stop watching her. Not just because she might be a threat, but because I’m obsessed with the way she holds herself despite being surrounded by shifters that should terrify her.
There’s a current of defiance under everything she’s doing.
I know I’m too old for her, old enough to be almost twice her age if you count the years my wolf adds, but still, I can’t help it.
The attraction I feel is feral and immediate, and the more I try to get a lid on it, the more her scent gets under my skin.