“That’s true, I suppose.” She sounded apprehensive, and her gaze kept flitting around the room as though nervously taking in the scene around them.
Daryl didn’t blame her for worrying. She was a new beta. This wasn’t the way any beta would want to get to know their team, and he didn’t envy her. But they also couldn’t afford her to be hesitant or anything less than a strong presence for her unit.
Walking over to stand next to her, Daryl gently gripped her shoulder. “You’ve been dropped in the shit with this, but Cam trusts that you can handle it. You’ll be fine. Whatever happens, we’ve all got your back.” He gave her shoulder a quick squeeze, then stepped back.
Her grateful smile settled his wolf a little. “Thank you.”
Their investigation of the lower floors served more than one purpose. With the four of them walking in and out of the rooms, their scents now overlaid what had been there before. The scent of pack, although still faint, surrounded them, and Daryl felt much happier for it. The others had lost the tense set to their shoulders, obviously feeling it too, and Daryl let himself relax fully.
For now.
“It’s late,” Rachel said, stifling a yawn. “I need to get some sleep or tomorrow’s going to suck.”
“Pretty sure it’s going to suck no matter what,” Daryl grumbled, making Jason laugh.
“Oh, I don’t know.” Jason’s eyes sparkled in amusement. “I’m sort of looking forward to it all.”
Of course he was.
“I’m not sure I’m looking forward to it, exactly,” Rachel said, glancing at Jenn. “But I do want to get started and find out a bit more of what’s in store.”
“Me too.” Jenn gestured back the way they’d come. “Shall we?”
Turning off the lights as they went, they returned to the foyer and parted ways.
Once back in their room with the door shut, Jason sat on the edge of his bed, expression suddenly serious. “All joking aside, do you think there’s going to be any major trouble between Rachel and Jenn’s units?”
Daryl bit his lip. It was a fair question. “I’m not sure. You know Jenn’s lot much better than I do.
Rachel’s team won’t instigate anything. They respect Rachel and Cam far too much for that. Nathan wants to take over from Rachel as beta eventually, so I imagine he’s going to be on his best behaviour.
But if they’re continually provoked?” He shrugged. “Who knows?” Shifters in their pack had great control, it was something Cam considered paramount, but even the most reserved of shifters could only be pushed so far. “Will Davies and the others provoke them?”
“I’d like to think they wouldn’t be that stupid. But . . .” He held his hands out. “Wes was a wanker. He probably did untold amounts of damage as their beta. Like we said earlier, some friction is inevitable. But hopefully common sense will prevail. This is their last chance. I hope they take it.”
“Yeah.” Daryl grudgingly agreed. The mention of Wes reminded him that although certain members of Jenn’s unit had behaved like arseholes—were still behaving like arseholes—they’d had Wes and Newell as role models. Maybe he should cut them some slack. The idea of that rankled probably more than it should have, and though Daryl hated to admit it, maybe he needed these two weeks just as much as they did.
“I’ll set my alarm for six thirty. That enough time for you?” Daryl asked, stripping out of his clothes.
Jason nodded, not looking up. “Yeah, that’s fine.”
The sheets were soft against Daryl’s skin, and despite the unfamiliar surroundings, with his and Jason’s scent filling the room, he was out like a light.
CHAPTER FOUR
Jason woke before Daryl’s alarm and made the mistake of rolling over and looking at him.
Ugh.
He slapped a hand over his eyes and rolled onto his back.
Of course Daryl slept naked, and of course the sheets would ride down in the night just to torture him.
Of fucking course.
Even with such a fleeting glance, the image burned into his brain. Pale, smooth skin, broad shoulders tapering down to a surprisingly narrow waist. Lying on his front, Daryl was bare all the way down to just above his arse cheeks. The tease of what lay beneath that quilt was worse than if everything had been on show. Probably.
Jason was no stranger to nudity. Being a shifter, it came with the territory. But seeing someone shed their clothes on the full moon in order to shift into their wolf was different. Seeing Daryl naked in their room, in bed, felt way more intimate.
