So I’m just going to have to trust. It’s a difficult process for me, because I haven’t had many people to rely on over the years. But for whatever reason, fate brought me here tonight. I might not believe that my future is predetermined in any way, but I was definitely lucky.
I get out of the shower, smelling like Carter’s bodywash, and wrap myself in fluffy clean towels. Only then does it occur to me that I don’t have a change of clothes. I glare at my discarded panties and t-shirt in distaste. What was the point of showering if I have to put the dirty work clothes back on? But a knock on the door announces Sebastian’s return.
He cracks the door open and peers inside.
“I brought you some clothes.” He hands me a long-sleeved t-shirt and a pair of boxers. “They’re the smallest I’ve got. I didn’t even go check in Carter’s and Troy’s closets because they’re both bigger than me.”
I smile. “Thank you. Is there any way I could wash my clothes for tomorrow?”
“I’ll do it,” he says. “Just leave them out on the floor when you’re done.”
I borrow some face cream from the bathroom cabinet and brush my teeth with my finger and a dollop of toothpaste. I don’t even bother trying to tame my hair. It’ll be a rat’s nest in the morning anyway. I put the still-damp strands in a braid and hope for the best.
When I emerge from the bathroom, I find Troy leaning on the wall opposite the bathroom door.
“Come on, honey,” he says, holding out his hand. “Let me show you to our room.”
I put my hand in his before his words truly register. When they do, I dig my heels in, stopping in the hallway. “Our room?”
Troy gives my hand a little tug. It’s not enough to really pull me along, but with his serious expression, I understand he’s asking me to trust him. He could pick me up, throw me over his shoulder, and carry me wherever he pleased. Carter did as much when he manhandled me into the truck. So the fact that Troy is asking me, instead of doing whatever he wants, gives me a sense of power I badly needed in this situation.
That’s why I follow him down the hall to where the spacious bedroom stands open, cozy, yellow light spilling out. He stops at the threshold and lets me look. I appreciate it because the arrangement of the room is anything but conventional.
I thought the other doors in the hallway led to their separate bedrooms. But a quick peek through the one on the right tells me it’s an art studio with tall windows open to the back of the property, dark now that night has fallen. From the stains on Sebastian’s hands and sweatpants, I assume it’s his. I don’t know what the other room holds. Hopefully, it’s not the remains of all their other victims, like Bluebeard and his brides. The bedroom, however, seems to be where they all sleep. There’s only one bed, and it stretches from one wall to the other, big enough to sleep four or five regular-sized people. Or three massive werewolves.
“Will this be okay?” Sebastian asks. He’s been changing the sheets on the bed, which I now see is constructed of three full-sized mattresses placed in a large frame.
Before I can answer, he takes me by the shoulders. His gaze warms me to my core.
“You look good in my clothes,” he says.
Next to me, Troy lets out a low growl.
Sebastian sends him a cheeky grin. “It’s not my fault you’re so big. She would drown in your clothes.”
As it is, his t-shirt is long enough to cover my ass, so only the bottom of his boxers peeks out. I’m not wearing a bra, and I’m trying very hard not to cross my arms all over my chest, because that would draw attention to my breasts. I don’t think I’m fooling anyone, though. Sebastian stares at my nipples, which are poking against the soft fabric, and swallows thickly.
My body heats up despite the tiredness. I like smelling like Carter’s bodywash and Sebastian’s clothes. But it seems like Troy doesn’t. He wraps his big arms around me from behind and nuzzles his cheek over the top of my head. His exhale tickles the nape of my neck, and he relaxes.
“If you want, you can take this bed, and we’ll sleep in the living room,” Sebastian says. “We have some camping gear that we can use. It’s no problem.”
Carter walks into the room behind me. “We want you to be comfortable. Let us know if this is too much.”
I fold my hands in front of me and swallow. “No, don’t be silly. I’ll take the couch.”
A low growl emanates from Troy’s chest. “No, you won’t. We’re not letting you sleep on the couch.”
I glance up at him, surprised at his vehemence. He seems like such a laid-back guy, but apparently this is where he draws the line.
“Oh, I know,” Sebastian says suddenly. “We can make you a pillow wall.”
“A pillow wall?” Carter repeats dryly.
But I’m already moving forward, happy with Sebastian’s suggestion. “That would be perfect. That way you guys can sleep without me bothering you. I’ll just take the corner here. So I won’t be in the way.”
Troy looks like he might object, but Carter stops him with a glare. Sebastian helps me by bringing some of the pillows from the couch, and together we section off a corner of the massive bed.
It’s a flurry of activity for a while. I snuggle down in my nest of pillows and blankets and watch the guys get ready for bed. Carter forbids Troy from sleeping naked tonight—which is apparently something he does—and stands there, scowling, until Troy relents and flops into bed on the other side of my pillow wall in his boxer briefs and t-shirt.
