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“Winter?”
“Still locked down in that bathroom. Won't eat.”
I rumbled in concern. “Girl needs to eat to heal.”
“Yeah,” Silver sighed. “Gonna ask Carbon to bring her dinner. See if she’ll take that.” My mate let off a jaw-cracking yawn. “Speaking of food, I could really go for a big dinner.”
“Worked up an appetite today, did we, pup?” I teased.
“Yup.”
I nudged him from where he rested against my chest. Silver rolled off the bed, and I gave his ass a hard smack as he moved towards the bathroom. “Go clean up first.”
“I thought you needed to clean up?” He winked at me over his shoulder. “Don’t promise things your dick isn’t willing to follow through on.”
The little shit put an extra wiggle in his step as he crossed the distance and slipped into our bathroom.
“Oh, it's like that, is it?” I growled. The shower started up and I raised my voice to be heard over the spray. “Was that an invitation?”
“Sure was. And, in case you were wondering, that’s a standing invitation.”
I was through that bathroom door faster than my mate could say boo. Silver huffed in delight as I grabbed him and hauled him back into my arms as the water pounded down on our skin. My eagerness was perhaps a little undignified for a wolf of my stature. But who the fuck cared? Making an imbecile of myself for this man was worth it.
26
THE BITE WHICH BITES BACK
Sasha
Walking back into the room we were all sharing felt like sneaking back into my parents’ house after curfew. There was no way they didn’t know, yet you took your shoes off and snuck in the back door anyway. Quietly praying that this time they wouldn’t make a fuss.
Okay, it wasn’t exactly the same. My shoes stayed on and mom certainly wasn’t here. My parents had been gone so long I barely remembered the sound of their voices. Uncle Vick had been my guardian since I was thirteen and that man didn’t give a shit if I made it home at all.
But my charges did care. They would notice. I took a deep breath and marched in with my head held high. Sometimes you had to walk the walk and hope your internal landscape caught up with the badass persona you’d adopted.
Robbie and Talia sat on one of the air mattresses teaching Louise and Addy a new card game. It seemed to involve more slapping and flying cards than strategy. The sound of their laughter settled my internal jitters somewhat.
The door to the bathroom was open, allowing Winter to survey the room warily from her nest in the tub. It seemed to have grown since I left. She must have accepted whatever gifts Carbon had left before hitting the road. That poor bastard had to have stripped his bed bare.
Winter locked onto me as I entered, her face smoothing over into a placid look of disinterest that dang near broke my heart.
“Where were you?” Winter’s whisper was so low I almost missed it. “They worry.”
I took her whispered accusation for the invitation to talk it most certainly wasn’t, and padded over to the bathroom. “But you don’t?”
I leaned on the doorframe, keeping myself carefully out of her territory. We’d all taken to using the bathroom across the hall. Many of my fellow captives were more wary of my ruined friend than they were of the Soul Reapers, and that was saying something.
Though my heart clenched in waiting on her response, I kept my breath easy.
With Winter, you never knew what reception you were going to get. From stoic silence to yelling to having something close at hand launched at your head. Turned out Winter had almost as good an aim as Viola. She only threw hard projectiles, though. She hoarded the soft offerings Carbon brought by with a possessive ruthlessness I found strangely comforting.
“What the fuck is that on your neck?” Winter hissed.
Her sudden vitriol hit me like a ton of bricks.
I reeled back and put my hand over the slightly swollen mark Silver had given me. Damnit all to hell. I should’ve thought to cover it up.
“Don’t you cover it, bitch.” Winter rolled to her feet, swaying enough that I went to help her stay on her feet. She jerked out of reach before I could touch her. “You let them mark you?”
