I looked up at the cabin, expecting to see the devastation of broken panes and smashed windows, but the windows were intact, and there was no evidence of the carnage that had taken place a few hours ago.
The guys had been hard at work it seemed, and now it was food time.
The shifters didn’t let cold weather stop them cooking outdoors but watching them lounging in T-shirts made gooseflesh break out across my skin. Yeah, I was keeping my jacket on.
Conversation ceased as I approached, and all eyes were on me, but my attention was on Tor as I waited for him to react to my presence and ask the burning question I saw in the others’ eyes.
I waited, allowing my gaze to skim over his form. He’d donned a black, sleeveless T, gray joggers, and sneakers. The T-shirt showcased the ink on his shoulders and upper back, symbols I didn’t recognize. They hugged his skin, begging to be touched.
“What are they doing with her?” His voice was a low gravelly rumble that made my stomach flutter.
“Blackmore Prison.”
His shoulders relaxed. “Grab a beer and take a seat. Food will be ready in ten minutes.”
* * *
It was getting cold enough for my breath to fog in front of my face, but these four were unaffected by the chill. Leif built up a fire anyway, and we sat around it, eating, drinking, and chatting. Rune took up the bench beside me and laid his head on my lap.
Leif chuckled. “Staking your claim, huh?”
Rune opened one eye lazily and then peeled his lip back as if to say, you fucking know it.
“He’s pissed he couldn’t be with you in the city,” Halle said. “Says he would have whooped Tor’s ass for attacking you.”
Leif choked on his beer. “Excuse me?”
“You wish, old man,” Tor said. “I’d have kicked your ass.”
Rune chuffed.
“I won’t translate that,” Halle said with a twinkle in her eye.
The guys didn’t need Halle to know what Rune was saying, she was there for me, and I appreciated that.
“Is Rune older than you guys?”
“No,” Leif said. “He’s actually the youngest, but he’s also the wisest. Even when we were kids, he’d be the sensible one, avoiding the stuff that would get us into trouble, or making up for any shit we caused.”
“Like the lemon cake?”
Rune’s ears pricked up.
Tor groaned. “I could have killed you both that day,” he grumbled.
“You don’t fuck with Tor and his sleep.” Leif swigged his beer with a smile.
“What about you, Cora?” Leif asked. “Any pet hates we should know about?”
His question threw me. I’d never really thought about it, but now that he asked…
“Lies and betrayal. I can’t stand them. If you fuck up, just tell me. I’ll be pissed, but I’ll get over it. If you fuck up and lie to me about it, then we’re done.” I looked from Leif to Tor then down at Rune, who was watching me with bright hazel eyes. “If this thing between us is going to work, then you need to promise you won’t lie to me. No lies, no secrets. Those are the quickest ways to kill our friendship, and that will be the core of our relationship.”
Tor’s eyes narrowed. “Just friendship?”
I met his gaze levelly. “That’s all I can offer you guys.”
“Cora spoke to Charlotte,” Leif explained. “She knows what happens once the anchorship is dissolved.”
Tor nodded slowly. “I respect that. I’ll always respect your wishes, but you know it doesn’t have to be that way. Not all anchorships that are dissolved end with the love dissipating.”
“I’m not willing to take that risk. I’m not willing to give my heart not knowing if what you guys feel for me is real or just the product of a fake mating bond. If I have to wait a century to fall in love, then so be it.” I grinned and dropped them a wink. “I’m a tulpa; I got time.”
Tor’s ferally handsome face tightened in sympathy. He raised his bottle. “To an epic friendship.”
“To an epic friendship,” Leif and I said in unison.
But Rune merely looked up at me, and for the first time since I’d met him, I wasn’t sure what he was thinking.
* * *
My room at the cabin was small and cozy, with a queen-sized bed and its own tiny hearth. The fresh air, the food, and the beer made for a sleepy Cora.
I was out like a light, but, like most nights, I was up again a few hours later. I’d left the drapes open and the room was saturated with silver light. Sometimes I’d roll over and be able to drift back to sleep, and others, like now, I’d be totally and inexplicably awake.
Back in Necro, when this happened, a walk and warm milk helped. I slipped out of bed, dressed in joggers, a baggy sweater, and shoved my feet into the pair of battered sneakers I’d brought with me.
The world was silent. Leif had the room opposite mine, and the door was closed. Tor’s room was next door to me, also closed. It gave me a sense of security to know they were here with me, even though I didn’t need it. I was perfectly capable of being alone. Had done it for months after moving out of the pack house.
Being alone was awesome. Total control of the TV and bathroom, and I could leave pizza in the fridge and still have it be there an hour later.
Yeah, solo life was great, but being here with the guys today forced me to admit how much I’d missed company.
I padded down the stairs, not wanting to wake the two wolves. The fire in the lounge had burned low, and a huge shape lay on the rug in front of it.
Rune looked up as I entered, his bright hazel eyes drifting to my face and then to the patio doors.
A shiver of a breeze kissed my skin. The door was open. Rune chuffed and laid his head back on his paws as if to say, go investigate then.
“Fine, I will.” I pushed open the doors and stepped onto the wrap-around patio. The garden was bright with moonlight, the fire pit was lit, and a hulking shadow sat hunched on the bench.
Tor.
He turned his head to acknowledge my approach then shifted on the bench to make room for me.
I lowered myself onto the seat and held my hands out to the flames, warming them.
I studied his profile, clean lines and hard planes. “Can’t sleep?”
“I haven’t been to bed yet.”
“Why not?”
He studied the flames. “I’m not tired.”
But the smudges under his eyes told a different story.
He lifted a half-full glass of whiskey to his lips and sipped.
“You think that’ll help you sleep?”
“It works.”
“How long have you had this problem?”
He exhaled heavily. “Forever. Sleep is reticent, and when it comes, it’s fleeting.”
Wait a second, was this why he hated being woken up in the morning? “Have you seen anyone about it?”
He gave me a like hell look. “I’ve got it under control. What about you? How often do you wake up in the middle of the night?”
“A few times a week.” I shrugged. “I can usually fall asleep again, but sometimes I’m just wide awake, like now.” I plucked his glass from his hand and raised it to my lips. The whiskey was smooth and woody. “This is good.”
He arched a brow. “You like whiskey?”
“My alcoholic beverage of choice.”
His mouth lifted in a half-smile. “I have quite a collection.”
“Then I hope you’re willing to share.” I took another sip, and he swiped the glass off me with a small smile.
“I might, if you’re a good girl.” His tone dropped to a gravelly caress.
My pulse spiked, but I schooled my expression to return his arched brow. “A good girl? What does that mean?”
His gray eyes were dark steel as they roved over my face. “Unfortunately, that information is very much outside of the friend zone, and I promised to respect your boundaries, so until you move them, you’ll never know.”
My sto
mach flipped, and a pang of disappointment lanced through me for what wouldn’t be. But it wouldn’t be the first time I’d denied my body what it wanted.
“It won’t be easy,” Tor said.
“What?”
“Keeping the boundaries. The bond will draw us closer. It will open you to us and us to you, and there are so many delicious ways to circumvent the no sex rule.”
My mouth was suddenly dry. “I’m sure there are, but I can handle it if you can.”
He met my gaze with an intense one of his own. “I never renege on a promise, Cora. You have my word I’ll keep things platonic.”
I shivered as a breeze slid down my spine.
He handed me his glass. “Wait here.”
He strode into the house but returned a moment later with a blanket and Rune. He draped the blanket over my shoulders, and Rune lay on the bench, then rested his head on my lap.
Tor reclaimed his seat beside me and took his glass back. “Now, tell us about Necro City. Tell us about you.”
And so, I did. I told my potential mates everything there was to know about me, and then I listened to Tor, his warm baritone a soothing rumble in my ears as he told me stories of their childhood. Ones that made me laugh and ones that made me wince. Stories that told me that these three wolves were an unbreakable unit, soon to be bound to me.
My eyelids began to droop as the sky turned gray, and I was in Tor’s arms, his scent heavy in my head, cedar and pine and comfort.
He tucked me into bed and smoothed back my hair as Rune settled at my feet. “Goodnight, Cora.” He brushed his lips across my forehead in a featherlight kiss.
But I was already drifting away, ready for the days to come. Ready to be bound to these amazing men.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Are you excited?” Charlotte asked over the rim of her coffee mug.
“If you’re asking if my stomach is in knots, then yeah.”
The male wolves were out on a run, tradition before an anchor ceremony. Before they left, Sten, Arne, and Toke had gathered around Charlotte like a human shield, each hugging her for long agonizing seconds. Toke had caught me watching and smiled tiredly. He had Rune’s eyes, hazel but flecked with more green than gold, and his hair was a deep, almost black brown. He kept it tied in a man bun. Out of the three of them, he looked the most exotic with dusky skin and almond eyes. I’d looked away, not wanting to intrude on the moment, and now they were gone.
Charlotte drained her cup and offered me a watery smile. Her eyes were red-rimmed from crying.
“I’m sorry, Charlotte.”
“Don’t be. I’ve had a century with the men I love. It would be greedy to ask for more.”
“You don’t know for sure ending your binding will affect your relationship.”
Her smile was sad. “No, but I know what’s happened in the past. The love the wolves feel is linked to their mating instinct. Once that’s gone, the love usually fades.”
“But not always.”
“No. not always. There have been cases in the past…” She shrugged. “It’s a risk, always a risk.” She sighed. “But today is an exciting day for us all. A new anchor, a fresh sheen on the seal, and rest for me.” Her smile was weary but warm. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll lie down for a while.”
“Of course.”
She still looked young, mid-forties, if that, but when she walked, it was painful to watch. I resisted the urge to get up and help her. Charlotte was a proud, strong woman, and I knew instinctively she wouldn’t appreciate the reminder that she needed assistance.
I drained my coffee mug just as the sound of raucous laughter drifted through the kitchen door. A moment later, it was flung open, and Tor and Leif spilled in, dewy-skinned, damp-haired and bare-chested, joggers hanging low on hips. Rune padded in next, and the scent of the forest overpowered the lingering aroma of bacon. My eyes did a happy dance at the feast of cobbled abs, prominent Adonis belts, and bulging biceps.
The guys filled the kitchen with their powerful presence, sucking the oxygen from the room, and I was content to sit there and suffocate because the view was epic.
Leif caught me ogling and winked. I winked back. Tor went straight to the fridge, pulled out a carton of orange juice, and began to glug. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the column of his throat. Okay, I lie, I totally tore my eyes away, but then my gaze was on his chest, roving over the ink that decorated his taut bronze skin. My fingers itched to trace the lines and whorls of the pattern, and my tongue ached to lick the dew drops from his skin.
Rune nudged my thigh, breaking my concentration. I looked into his hazel eyes flecked with gold and felt my neck grow warm.
“No judging.” I widened my eyes. “A woman can appreciate beauty when she sees it.”
He chuffed.
“Damn straight,” Leif said. “You look all you want, Cora.” He pulled out a chair opposite me and sat back, thighs wide. “You can even touch if you like. Sharing is caring, and what are friends for, right?”
Leif wasn’t as hulking as Tor, but his body was just as toned and powerful as his friend, and his creamy skin, unmarred by ink, was just as appealing. He sucked on his bottom lip and smiled.
Yeah, Leif was going to test the boundaries, no doubt about it, and after the hot kiss we’d shared in the Rover, I knew exactly what I’d be missing out on. Our gazes locked and heat lanced between us. He was recalling it too. The way we’d ground together, wet and hot through our clothes. The way his tongue had invaded my mouth, plundering and stealing my breath.
Okay, now I was getting hot.
I wasn’t usually the first to quit an eye-off, but there was a first time for everything, and self-preservation trumped winning.
I dropped my gaze to Rune. “Where are the others?”
“They came around the front and went straight to Charlotte,” Leif said.
And just like that, the mood shifted to solemn.
Tor growled. “Fuck this. Get dressed.” He jerked his chin at me. “We’re going out for breakfast.”
I looked down at my plate, smeared with yolk from the runny eggs I’d just eaten, and made a meh face. “Yeah, I could eat.”
Tor bared his teeth in a feral grin. “I like a woman who isn’t afraid to sate her hunger.”
Leif blinked sharply. “Whoa, Tor, have you been reading paranormal romance novels again?”
“No, Leif,” Tor smirked down at the crimson-haired Adonis. “Your collection of literature is safe.”
I bit back a smile.
Leif shot Tor a mock annoyed look. “Aw, fuck. Now she knows where I get all my lines.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
I had a feeling there wouldn’t be a dull moment living with these guys.
* * *
Eyefucking is an actual thing.
Women do it just as much as men, and I discovered women love to do it to Leif and Tor, although to give the women credit, it would have taken great force of will not to fall into eyefuck mode around these guys.
Tor and Leif were gorgeous man candy that begged to be devoured.
Oh god, I’d be living with them.
It was fine.
I’d probably become desensitized to their looks soon enough.
Liar.
The guys didn’t seem to notice the waitresses were drooling over them. Their focus remained entirely on me. Being the center of attention was a new experience. I was used to being on the side-lines, the sidekick, the back-up. I was used to watching my best friend be surrounded by adoring men willing to lay down their lives for her.
This, right now, with Tor, Rune, and Leif, felt surreal.
We spent a pleasant few hours at the diner that took us from breakfast to lunch and into mid-afternoon. It was over too quickly.
But there would be more days like this because, in a few hours, these guys would be mine.
Mine. Ha, how possessive did I sound?
The guys dropped me back at the cabin before
heading off on patrol, and it wasn’t long before Bramble turned up to take me to the mansion.
I waited for knots to form in my stomach, but nothing happened.
I was ready.
* * *
JASPER
The warlock is staring at me like I’m speaking a foreign language. A warlock with a room in a coven. Never thought I’d see the day. I wonder what this fucker’s done to wheedle his way into Grimswood.
He’s scrutinizing me, taking a mental picture, no doubt. It is, after all, his first time seeing me in the not so corporeal flesh.
I allow him to take a good look. “If you’re done gawping, then maybe you can answer my question. What do you know about The Sons of Adam?”
For a moment, I think he’ll ignore my question, refuse to engage with me, but then he sits forward, forearms braced on his desk. “They’re vampires, the first of the species.”
“That’s all you know?”
He nods.
“Well, even I know that much.” Maybe coming to this fool is a mistake, but I can’t shake the urge to keep digging. “Find out about them. Everything you can.”
He gives me an incredulous look. “Why would I do anything for you?”
“Not for me, you fool. For Cora. I believe they want her.”
Elijah sits back in his seat with a frown. “Why would you think that?”
I hate having to explain myself. It’s so much easier when people just do what I tell them without questions. Being bound to Cora is a lesson in patience, though, and I’m getting better at talking first and breaking bones later.
I resist the urge to haul the warlock’s ass out of his seat. “I overheard your shady elders speaking about it.”
He sits up straighter, finally taking me seriously. In hindsight, maybe I should have led with that tiny fact.
But then he shakes his head dismissively. “I’ve been with this coven for a long time, and I’ve never come across any association with The Sons of Adam.”
“That doesn’t mean there is none. We need to find out more about them.”
Witch Unexpected: The Thirteenth Sign Book 1 Page 22