Page 123 of Crucible
Of course, she doesn’t move and continues to stare out of the glass.
Aurelia’s been doing that lately. At first, I thought it was because she enjoyed the view. It is pretty epic. But our devious captive doesn’t strike me as someone who appreciates nature.
No, it’s much more likely that she’s plotting another escape.
After our fight this morning, we’d pretty much stayed out of each other’s way, but it didn’t last. I hadn’t made it an hour without eyes on her before I tracked her down and found her up in the small loftsinging.
Her powerful voice had held me arrested long enough for her to realize she had an audience, and then—as if it had never happened—she stopped. Hoping she’d sing for me again, I offered to carry down the heavy boxes we’d stored up there and forgotten about. I’d even dragged up Khalil’s thick bedroll and extra pillow from the basement for her to sleep on, but all I’d gotten for my trouble was a cutting side-eye and her telling me to go away while she finished dusting out the loft. I’d sat on the couch watching her for a while before accepting that she wouldn’t sing again while I was around, so I’d left to chop wood.
Instead of explaining that I don’t want to risk her being spotted by a passing helicopter, I walk over to join her at the window. I wrap my arm around her waist, and she doesn’t fight me, even when I lean down to mark up her neck with my stubble. “Because I said so, wolf. Let’s go take a shower.”
We’re still pressed together when she lets me ease her away from the window.
“I can’t do this. I can’t do that. Why don’t you just throw me in the dungeon and be done with it? Grab that,” Aurelia points to the conditioner now resting on the coffee table, and I swipe the bottle as we pass.
“Kinky, but we don’t have one.”
“What about the root cellar? You could put a lock on the door and—”
Aurelia stops, and her expression becomes appalled when she realizes she is actuallygivingme ideas on how to lock her down.
I smile as we enter my bedroom, but it feels strained from the effort it takes not to give in to the dark impulse to do exactly that. “Don’t tempt me, wolf.”
Aurelia rolls her eyes half-heartedly and clears her throat. “You didn’t have to babysit me,” she claims once we’re in my bathroom. “I’m not going to run.”
My gaze flicks to hers as I reach for the thin bow tied between her breasts, and she stops breathing when I pull on the string. The small slit in her bodice parts a little while my hand drops to her brown corset with embroidered daffodils. “You’ve said that before, but I remember you running.”
“Okay, I’m not going to runagain.”
Slowly, I loosen the laces on her corset until it falls to the floor, and her bodice parts even more until her nipples spill out of her dress.
“I wish I could believe you, my wolf, but then you wouldn’tbemy wolf.” Aurelia wraps her arms around her stomach likeit’s upsetting her all of a sudden and chews on her bottom lip. I pause from relieving Aurelia of her dress. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing,” she says too quickly. “How did you learn to hunt?”
The swift change in subject stumps me for a second, but I play along. “A lot of trial and error. It was either learn or starve, and if it was just me, maybe I would have, but I had Khalil and Zeke and neither can hunt for shit.”
“Can you teach me?” she blurts. I raise my brows, and it’s the wrong reaction because Aurelia becomes flustered and tries to backpedal. “N-never mind. That was stupid.”
“Why?”
She huffs. “I don’t know why. I said forget it, okay?”
“Aurelia…whydo you think it’s stupid to want to take care of yourself?” I clarify.
“Oh.” She shrugs and then reaches for my jeans. I doubt she’s even aware she’s undressing me like this is normal for us as she talks. “I don’t know. I guess because I haven’t had to lift a finger for myself in…well, ever.” I toe off my boots and step out of my jeans once they drop to the floor while Aurelia lifts my shirt over my head with my help. “My uncle has always taken care of me. I wouldn’t know how if I tried.”
“Yes, you would.”
Aurelia skates by my statement like it will burn her if she gets too close, and I let her as I turn on the shower. Once the water is warm, we both climb in. She’s not as nervous as the first time we showered together, but I can tell she’s waiting for me to jump her like last time.
“So, what did you do before you came to be one with nature?” she asks to try to distract me.
Watching her step under the weak spray to wet her huge mound of curls, I answer while somewhat entranced. “Recon. Marines.”
“Oooh.” Her eyes bug playfully but then sobers when she remembers what I’m capable of. “Scary.”
Laughter punches out of me unintentionally. “Not really. A lot of watching and waiting. I can’t think of a more boring job.”
