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He took another deep breath—visibly controlling his emotions—and then looked at Belle and me. “We’d better get back to the car. Belle, you’re looking rather unsteady on your feet—are you going to able to get down that hill okay?”
She raised her eyebrows. “Why? Are you offering to carry me?”
“I could,” he all but drawled, “but I’m thinking Zak might not approve of us getting that close.”
She snorted. “He has no more right to tell me who I can and can’t get close to than I have him. Besides, werewolves play, not stay, with folks like us.”
“True enough,” Aiden said, his gaze briefly meeting mine.
A silent warning that he was no different in that regard, I thought, although my amusement was perhaps touched with a thread of annoyance. After all, it wasn’t as if we’d even done the short-term thing yet.
“Does that rather snarky reply,” he continued, “mean that you want a lift? Or not?”
Belle glanced at me. You won’t be offended?
I’d be offended if you fuck the man. Anything else, go for it.
Permission to kiss granted!
I mentally snorted. Loudly. She winced, and then added, Bitch.
I grinned and kept my hand under her elbow as we walked over to Aiden. Talking to Gabe really had drained her, and that meant she’d probably sleep for the rest of the day.
And probably much of the night, she replied.
So you’re canceling your date with Zak?
Sadly, I think I’d better. I’m not going to be much fun for the next twenty hours or so.
I could always make you a potion—
I’m not feeling that bad, she replied hastily. Seriously, I’m not.
She obviously was, but I didn’t press the point. Aiden handed me his pack and then turned around. Within a few seconds, he was piggybacking Belle out of the clearing and down the hill.
It might be far easier going down the mountain than coming up, but the path hadn’t magically smoothed out, and I had to keep grabbing at nearby branches to stop sliding into Aiden and Belle. Of course, it was also partially due to tiredness. Belle might have restrained from draining me too fully, but my strength was nevertheless half of what it should have been. Which meant Belle mightn’t be the only one sleeping.
As I slipped again, Aiden commented, “I’d greatly appreciate it if you’d avoid falling over and breaking something. I really can’t carry two of you down the hill, and I don’t think Belle would appreciate being dumped.”
“At least I know where I stand in the scheme of things,” Belle said, voice dry.
“Sorry, but I want to go out with Liz, and that’s mighty hard to do if she’s in the hospital with a broken something.”
“I rather suspect you want to do a whole lot more than just go out.”
“Also true, but I was being polite.”
“Not sure why,” Belle commented. “We’re underpowered witches, not undersexed ones.”
He laughed; the warm sound echoed across the forest and momentarily stilled the chatter of nearby birds. “I’ll make a note of that for future reference.”
“You might also want to note that it has been a long time since she’s had decent sex,” Belle continued sagely. “So if you don’t hurry yourself up, she might just have to go looking elsewhere.”
“Ignore her,” I commented, even as I mentally scowled at her. “She’s just trying to win a bet.”
“Do I dare ask what sort of bet we’re talking about?”
“One that at least half the town is apparently taking part in.”
