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“Do you feel the pull?”He sent his question to all of them.“Vera seems to feel it more than I do, but it's there and strong. If I were alone, I don’t know that I’d manage to resist it.”
Spencer stepped to the edge of the clearing, ears pricked forward.“I do. Is that place the source of it?”
“It seems to be. I don’t dare approach it now, not until we’ve learned more.”Adria circled away from the cabin, ushering Vera into the cover of the woods. “We should get her away from here. We don’t know what kind of effect this is having.”
The four of them took up behind Vera, pushing her forward until the smell of the cabin faded, replaced by the fresh green scents of the forest.
“We should go back in human form and see if the compulsion is as strong.”Jonah sent to the group. His tail was low, ears pinned back against his head.
Rami couldn’t fight the urge to look over his shoulder. Though they were clear of the overbearing presence back at the clearing, he felt the eyes of the forest on him, following him. His skin crawled with the sensation of being watched.
“Agreed,”Spencer replied.“And no Rosewood is to enter the woods alone.”
That gave him some comfort. Vera would never listen to Rami forbidding her from entering the woods solo; in fact, she’d probably venture in just out of spite if he tried, but she’d respect her Alpha’s command. He hoped.
Sticking close together, they made their way back to the road and shifted out of their wolf forms just as the first drops of rain started to land. Vera covered her hair with her hands, cringing.
“Ijustdid my hair,” she muttered, glaring up at the sky like it might back off.
“How do you feel now?” Rami stepped in front of Vera and stared into her eyes, searching for any sign of the daze he’d seen in wolf form. Blue, defiant orbs stared back at him. But her cheeks turned pink.
“Fine. I don’t know why it bothered me and not you guys.” She rubbed her hands over her arms, breath pluming in front of her. “What am I, more malleable or something?”
The group burst into quickly stifled laughter.
“Um, no,” Adria said, hiding her smile. “I don’t think that’s it. We’ll have to do more investigating before we know what’s going on in there, but I don’t think you’re weak. It has to be something else.”
The rain picked up, scattering the group for their cars. Rami climbed into his and started it up, the burbling engine drowning out the sounds of the rain. He waited, watching Vera get into her car. She spotted him staring and flipped him off before pulling away.
He snorted. Like it or not, she’d have to accept that he’d be keeping an eye on her until the curse business was sorted. Especially now that he knew she was susceptible. It’d put a wrench in his plan to keep away from her as much as possible, but he’d known that was a losing battle anyway.
She was his mate. His brain might have rejected her, but his soul hadn’t, and it demanded that he protect her. He wasn’tgoing to burden her with all his unresolved shit that made him unsuitable as a mate, and she’d just have to accept that. Just like she’d have to accept him watching out for her.
***
Rain beat against the bookshop windows. At least it wasn’t snow; they’d had enough of that over the winter, but he wasn’t looking forward to the trek home when the shop closed that evening. It was a slow day, few customers willing to venture out in the downpour for a book, and he’d had the place mostly to himself.
Despite the quiet pace of the morning, he’d barely gotten anything done. How could he when all he could think about was Vera? She was in his house, in his dreams, in his thoughts. The bell above the door chimed. He looked up from the pile of books on the floor—his third attempt to set up a seasonal display, and there she was.
She must have forgotten her umbrella. Her hair was soaked and clinging to her face, nothing like the sleek bob she styled it into every morning, regardless of whether she was leaving the house or not. Like a crack in her armor, it made her look vulnerable. Made him want to reach out and pull her into his arms so he could warm her up.
“Vera, what are you doing here? Where’s Jessa?” Rami tossed the book onto the pile, giving up on his fourth attempt. No matter what he did, it wasn’t quite right.
Vera sniffled. A raindrop rolled off her brow and down her cheek, dipping into the curve of her cheekbone. “She’s with Moira. I needed to talk to you.”
He got to his feet, brushing dust off of his hands. “What happened? Is it something with the curse? Did the Rosewoods discover something?”
She shook her head and looked away, down at the pile at his feet. “No, it’s nothing to do with the curse.”
Rather than explain, she ducked forward and started going through the books he’d strewn about, stacking them into piles by color. He watched her for a minute, at a loss for words. She definitely hadn’t come here to help him work. Picking up after a man was not Vera’s style, as she’d let him know early on in no uncertain terms.
But she’d yanked up a prickly shield over the vulnerability he’d seen on her when she’d walked in, and Rami was afraid to pry, afraid he already knew what she was there to talk about. Them. Their relationship, or lack thereof.Fuck.He hated talking about feelings. Hated that stomach-churning sensation that came with knowing he’d hurt someone. Couldn’t they just ignore it all and move on?
“What else do you have?” She looked up at him from her knees, and he swallowed, feeling a sudden rush of heat. Vera snapped her fingers. “Rami. For decorations. What else do you have? This table is sad. No one wants to buy anything from your sad little table.”
“Uh,” he said, stupidly. “I might have some stuff in the back, maybe? I’ve never really gone in for that kind of thing.”
“Show me.” She got to her feet and shooed him toward the back of the shop.
