Page 66 of Fated to Her

“Addie, your scent is strong. Just let him, please,” Cyrus says.

“But I want to shower. Can it wait, please?” I ask, pushing Eli’s furry head away.

He growls before shifting above me. I cringe, feeling the bed move, only to open my eyes and see him in his human form hovering above me.

“You shower, then I scent you, no whining,” he says.

I sigh, but nod.

“Fine, come here,” he says, standing.

“I can walk, Eli. It’s embarrassing that you keep carrying me everywhere. Please, just let me walk.”

He growls but lets me up. Cyrus snorts at him and his moody ways but follows me through the little house. Before I can walk out the door, though, Eli shoves me behind him. I huff, annoyed, before following him out. Cyrus follows behind me with towels.

I walk outside and around the side to the small bathroom. Eli opens the door, and I step in flicking on the dim light, Eli and Cyrus follow close behind.

“Ah, what are you doing?”

“Showering,” Eli says, stripping his clothes off.

The room is not big enough for three adults to stand in. It consists of a toilet jammed in the corner and a shower in the other. You can actually sit on the toilet and shower at the same time. They are that close with no shower screen and a porcelain sink next to the door.

“It’s too small in here.”

“I fit in smaller places,” Cyrus says, and Eli snorts.

“That’s true,” Eli replies to him, obviously thinking of some memory.

I shake my head, tugging off my clothes. Eli hangs the towels on the hook behind the door. Everywhere we move, one of us is bumping the other, and being the shortest, I nearly get elbowed three times in the head while they undress. They care nothing for privacy.

Showering in that small bathroom is like playing a game of Tetris. They seem to have no problem moving, probably because they just keep bumping me out of the way. So, I shower super quickly; pretty sure I’ve broken a record for the fastest shower. I dress before hopping out. I go to close the door while they get changed, but Eli pushes it open.

“Leave it open, so I can see you,” he tells me.

I sigh, tapping my foot.

No one has tried anything; in fact, they won’t even come near me. He’s a little overprotective—well, a lot—but I do as he asks. Eli is first to be one, stepping out in just his shorts, his chest bare. Cyrus is wearing shorts and a singlet before slipping some crocs on. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him wear crocs.

“What?” he asks when he catches me staring at his feet.

“Nothing, just admiring your old man’s shoes,” I tell him.

“They’re comfy.”

“Wouldn’t be caught dead in those,” Eli chuckles.

Cyrus growls at him, shutting the bathroom door and walking past us and toward the house.

“Nice shoes,” Emery comments as she walks past him with a towel over her shoulder. She winks at me when I laugh at his ridiculous shoes.

Walking to the front door, the gathering place has lanterns lit everywhere and is bustling with pack members. Eli tugs on my arm when I stare a little too long at the people, turning and going inside. He closes the door, and I follow Cyrus into the bedroom. As soon as he gets into the room, he closes the door then takes off his pants.

“Ah, come on, they aren’t going to do anything, Eli,” I whine when he starts shifting.

Cyrus laughs when suddenly Eli turns toward him. “No! I’m not breakable like she is. Scent her. I’m done with your protectiveness.”

Eli growls at him before sitting in front of me, expecting me to sit. I groan but do what he wants, and Eli climbs on the bed, the mesh breath groaning when he forces me to lie down.