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I roll my eyes at him this time, but then Maddie keens like she’s been injured. Wolf and I are both suddenly on ultra-high alert. “Is everyone really leaving?”
Fuck. She’s not hurt. Thank God. My heart is still racing as I shake my head at her, though. “No, honey. I’m staying right here. I’ll tuck you in, okay?”
She smiles brightly. “Okay.”
Wolf’s muscles finally relax, and he glances at me with uncertainty shadowing his eyes. “You going to be okay?”
“I’m fine.” I’m sonotfine with the strength of her scent in here, but I’ll live. “Try not to get seen down here. In and out. Have the staff open the windows at the end of the hall to dull your scent.”
It smells like he just came from a workout, his scent, normally already strong as hell, is even stronger now. He gives himself a sniff and winces, nodding that he understands.
“See you in your room?”
He nods, then he gives Maddie a softer smile than I’ve seen him give anyone other than those closest to him. “Good night, Mads. Sleep tight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.”
She arches a teasing brow at him, matching his energy effortlessly. “It’s a palace. There are no bedbugs here.”
Laughter ripples out of him as he dips his head in concession. Then he and Antonio leave, and Maddie and I are finally alone. As soon as we are, the humor fades from her eyes. “I didn’t ask you any questions on our date you haven’t answered yet. What are you really doing here?”
“Nothing,” I fib. “I just wanted to check on you. Kaz told us about your deal. I came to make sure you’re okay. I would’ve been here last night but,uh, I got somewhat sidetracked.”
“By what?”
I shrug, flashing her a coy smile I know will tickle her curiosity. “Wolf and Kaz.”
Her cheeks flush a deeper shade of pink. The urge to claim her rises again, stronger than ever before. “What were you doing with them that got you sidetracked?”
She’s slightly breathless now, her eyes growing steadily more unfocused. Drunk or aroused, I’m not sure, but the fact that it could be both means I need to get out of here before I try to find out. “We got into it a bit, then we made up. Nothing huge. You didn’t answer me, though. Are you okay?”
“No,” she says, evidently a lot more honest with a few glasses of wine in her.In vino veritas, I suppose. “It really hurts that you can’t choose me. I wish you could, but I understand.”
As if realizing she’s saying more than she ordinarily would, she sighs and pulls back her covers. “Are you really tucking me in?”
I nod, rising off her bed and kneeling beside her as she lies down. My head is less than a foot away from hers. Her gaze flickers to my lips before she simply closes her eyes. “You should go now.”
“Yeah, I know,” I murmur, brushing her dark locks back and staring at her lips in turn. “Sleep it off, Maddie.”
“Can I have a good night kiss?” she asks as she opens her eyes again and gives me such a pleading look that I almost give in.
“No, I’m afraid not.” Sitting up higher on my knees, I brush a soft kiss on her forehead, hoping it’ll suffice.
“Why not?” she asks.
I smile, looking directly into her eyes as I rise to my feet. “When we do kiss, you’ll want to be able to remember it.”
Her green eyes widen.
“Sleep well, Maddison. I’ll have some painkillers sent to your room for tomorrow morning.”
Before I do something that makes Kaz birth a whale, I rise to my feet and flick off her lights on my way out the door. I’m halfway back to our quarters by the time I realize two things. First, I forgot my jacket at the foot of her bed, and second, I need to be alone right now.
I need to think and for once, I need to do that without Wolf and Kaz. While I won’t go as far as trying to block them out of my head, I just…I need some time. Although I’ve forgiven Kaz for everything he said last night, I’m uneasy about how he effectively took Maddie out of the running without discussing it with us first.
The fact of it is that I don’t want to go back into exile. Growing up, it wasn’t bad. If we could get away from here, then fine, but it would tear Kaz apart, and I couldn’t do that to him. There has to be a way, though. I just need to find it.
FOURTEEN
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