Page 31 of The Fanged One

Don't be stupid, her wolf said with a snort. Your sex dreams are never that creative.

She shifted under the covers, and the tender ache between her thighs settled the question.

"So that happened," she whispered to the ceiling.

Linnea sat up and made herself look at the consequences of her life choices reflected in the dresser mirror across the room. Her chin and neck were red from beard rash, and a bite mark was on her shoulder. She covered her face with both hands and made a mortified sound into her palms.

Tor and Ciara were wolves and would smell him on her. That didn't matter anyway because Ciara could smell a guilty conscience at fifty paces, let alone one that had made out with the literal Great Wolf and gotten off on his hand.

Worth it, her wolf said. Don't forget you made him come in his pants without touching him.

Dear gods, stop. You aren't helping.

Not trying to help. Trying to gloat.

Linnea got up and dragged a thick gray sweater on over her T-shirt. She didn't bother doing anything with her hair. She opened her bedroom door and crept down the hall to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face before she went to find breakfast.

The kitchen smelled like coffee and the warm cardamom of skillingsboller from the bakery across the road. Tor stood at the stove in joggers and a thermal Henley, sleeves shoved to the elbows, flipping bacon in a cast-iron pan. He didn't look up when she came in, which was suspicious in itself.

Fenris was sitting at the kitchen island on one of the high stools, a glass of juice and a steaming coffee in front of him. He was wearing a new set of conjured black jeans and a soft charcoal sweater. The dark wool made the silver scar at his throat catch like a thread of moonlight. Linnea fought down the overwhelming urge to lick it.

His eyes lifted to hers, taking in her disheveled braid, her bare feet on the floorboards, and the high color that was making her look like a tomato.

Fenris grinned just a little and hid it behind his mug as he drank his coffee. Linnea forgot how feet worked for a second too long.

Mine, her wolf sang.

Hush, or I'll find a way to evict you from this body. I swear on Freya.

She made her body move toward the coffee machine and poured herself a cup. "Morning."

"You're just in time to eat," Tor said from the stove.

"Good. I'm starving," she replied, a little too cheerfully.

Fenris pulled the stool out beside him without a word, and she slid into it. His thigh radiated warmth against her, and she tried hard not to think about how good that same thigh had felt between hers the night before.

Ciara walked in from the hallway in one of Tor's T-shirts and a pair of leggings, her dark hair piled in a messy knot on top of her head. She looked at Linnea and Fenris, raising one eyebrow. Linnea willed her not to say anything, and the eyebrow lowered again.

"Smells good, baby," Ciara said, going up on tiptoes to kiss Tor's cheek.

"Even got you buns because of your unhealthy addiction," he replied and pointed at the white bag on the counter.

Ciara pounced on it, pulling a bun free and having a huge bite. "Wuv oo so muck," she said with her mouth full.

"Chew before you choke," Tor chuckled and started serving up scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast on plates.

The front door opened down the hall, and Layla's voice carried in before the door had closed behind her. "I told you he wouldn't be wearing pants. You owe me a twenty."

"I'm wearing pants," Fenris said without taking his eyes off Linnea. "For now."

"Yeah, but he doesn't know that, and I'm short of cash. Food!" Layla said and threw her arms around Tor. "You're the bestest brother in the whole world."

"Hey, cousin." Arne walked in behind his mate with his black hair still wet from a shower. "Tor, are all of those Ciara's buns? Please tell me there are more."

Ciara held the bag protectively, her cheeks bulging.

"Better share, or I'll have to start telling embarrassing stories like about that guy you dated when you were fifteen…" Layla began, and Ciara thrust the bag toward her.