Smirking down at our combined puddles on the floor, he states, “Let’s get some towels and dry clothes. Maybe next time you storm out of the house—literally—remember an umbrella?”
“Hey, it could’ve rained for completely natural reasons,” I defend, while Nolan helps me out of the sunken couch.
“Was it?” he teases as we follow our trail of water back out of the gazebo, abandoning our shoes and socks to be retrieved in the morning.
“No,” I admit, hitting the light switch, “but I’m working on it.”
∞∞∞
When we reach Nolan’s suite of rooms, all the guys are sitting in this form of suspended action. The way people attempt to look busy so it doesn’t look like they’ve been waiting. Kaleb and Donovan are in the armchairs, with books from the library that shall not be named splayed open in their laps. Felix sits on the floor ‘watching’ the TV. Connor is on the couch staring at the door, but there are claw marks where he grips the arm of the couch, and his hair is damp. Guilt weighs on me, knowing he felt everything I did but stayed away because I asked for space. I told him not to come. Muffled wolf howls echo from outside, assurances that the Alpha and his mate are safely protected inside.
Donovan looks up at me with worried eyes, clearly fearing he’s somehow the cause of whatever new travesty that’s befallen me tonight. I subtly shake my head, hoping he understands that none of this is his fault.
Kaleb takes in Nolan’s and my sorry state and exclaims, “You’re both soaking wet. What happened?”
Feeling more stable and knowing there isn’t a good reason to keep any of this from them, I answer with as little inflection as possible. “Found out my aunt is actually my grandmother and I’m going to live to be a thousand, give or take a century or so. Thought I’d take a walk in the rain. And before anyone asks, no, I don’t want to talk about it.”
Various versions of, “Holy shit,” ripple from the others, Kaleb’s being some phrase in Latin. I sense conflicting feelings from Connor, one being a bittersweet happiness that comes from the knowledge that he won’t be the one burying his mate. Guilt flashes in his amber eyes knowing I know what he’s feeling.
Standing up from the floor, Felix puts his hands in his pockets and asks, “If you don’t want to talk about it, what do you want to do?”
“You,” I answer with relief, deciding that working on figuring out how to bring Felix back from the dead is just the distraction I need.
“What?” Felix squawks, his eyes huge.
Donovan starts laughing so hard he chokes on air, Connor blinks at me, Kaleb frowns, and Nolan makes a slight strangled noise and freezes at my side. I burn with mortification because I stepped in it again.
Stammering, I attempt to explain, “I-I mean, work on you… No. I mean, focus on you. Wait…” I groan as Donovan wheezes and Felix looks like he has short-circuited. However, the others start snickering, catching on that I’m not announcing I want to fool around with Felix instead of dealing with my problems. I give up and mutter, “Research. I want to research.”
“We can do that,” Kaleb kindly offers with an understanding smile.
“Thank you,” I respond with a sigh.
I’m so grateful for the save, I could kiss him.Except that would complicate matters tonight, not reduce them, which is what I need.With that thought, I decide that it’s time to clear the air a bit. Make some decisions on matters I can control. Just as soon as I can get my brain and mouth to work together.
“I’ll go get us some towels and changes of clothes,” Nolan whispers, mirth heavily lacing his voice.
“That’d be great,” I mumble, taking off his wet jacket and handing it over to him.
Draping it over his arm, he squeezes my shoulder before climbing up the stairs to his bedroom.
Shivering next to the door and feeling extremely awkward, my gaze bounces back and forth between Connor and Donovan. My close call with Nolan outside makes me appreciate them all the more. They’ve made their feelings clear to me—Connor overzealously so—and they deserve some honesty in return.Fuck it. Let’s go for broke. If it goes horribly wrong, then dealing with my… grandmother won’t be so bad.This has the taste of insanity, like I’m about to break my leg so I’ll forget my wrist is sore.
“Felix, can you tell Kaleb that stuff you showed me back in Phoenix and see if anything like it is mentioned in the notes?” I request, startling him out of his shocked haze.
Felix nods, croaking out a “Sure,” then decides the floor is fascinating. Kaleb has his scholar face on, always interested in new information, and is already rising from his chair to collect the notes scattered on the kitchenette table.
With Nolan, Kaleb, and Felix safely busy, I give Connor and Donovan a look, motioning with my head at the sliding glass door. “Can we talk?”
Connor stands without comment, while Donovan offers up a mumbled, “Sure,” before standing and putting the book he was reading down behind him.
Noticing us leaving, Felix stops explaining to Kaleb how I’ve become one of his anchors mid-sentence, his expression a clear inquiry about where we’re headed.
“I’m dripping all over the floor, and I have a few things I need to say to these two,” I tell him, making my tone harsh to imply Connor and Donovan are somehow in trouble. It’s not something I’m proud of, but I don’t want either of them eavesdropping. And nothing keeps them minding their own business more than the fear of an angry witch.
“It’s been nice knowing you,” Felix jokes, looking at Connor and Donovan beside me. “We promise to wait at least a week before we start divvying up your stuff.”
“Appreciate it,” Donovan drawls, flashing the bird before walking outside.
