AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m going to go after Chayton and make sure he’s okay.”
Lorn’s gaze fell back to the bubbles floating along the hot water.
“You stay with Lorn. I’ll go.” I passed Lorn the washcloth and squeezed her hand before standing.
“You sure?” Dason raised a brow at me when I reached the doorway he was leaning against.
“Yeah. He and I have some shit to talk about.” I clapped Dason on the shoulder. “Take care of her.” I glanced backward, reassuring myself Lorn was alright before I took off.
“You okay, little mate?” Dason’s low rumble reverberated through the bathroom as I walked down the hall, leaving them alone.
Shaking my head, I smirked to myself.
Dason and I had been such stubborn, blind bastards, but our beautiful mate was slowly capturing us both, claiming us in a way neither of us could escape.
Yet I had a feeling that with each passing day, neither of us wanted to any longer.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
Chayton pacedalong a creek in his wolf form, his big paws ripping up the grass and moss along the bank as he wore a path in the earth.
I prowled closer, slinking through the shadows in my panther form. Clawing my way up a tree, I balanced on a branch and perched among the leaves. With my tail twitching, I waited.
Thanks to the bond, Chayton knew I was here, and I was wise enough to give an upset wolf his space. Pack hierarchy had placed Chayton as my beta before our pack had been torn apart, and old habits die hard.
While I could hold my own, I had to admit Chayton was stronger than me. His entire job as beta had been to back up Dase, and that included more than politics and the supporting role he played in our little family of misfits. Chayton was a skilled fighter, all toned muscle and patience. I supposed his ability to always know when someone in our family needed him stemmed from it, but he was observant as fuck, and as poised as a coiled cobra ready to strike when he had to be.
Eventually, red magick sparked to life and glimmered over his skin, shifting him from agonized wolf to tormented man.
Chayton rolled his neck to adjust back to his human skin and then stared up at me with his hands propped on his jean-clad hips.
“Is she okay?”
I yowled in response, and in one fluid movement, I jumped from branch to branch, descending the tree and landing gracefully on all four paws.
I shifted to my human form right in front of him, tugging up the jeans that settled low on my hips.
“She will be, no thanks to you. What the fuck, man?” I prowled into his space, challenging him, and swiftly jerked my head to remove a strand of hair hanging in my eyes. “You left her, naked, on the kitchen counter.”
“You left her in the forest. Twice,” Chayton growled, pushing at my shoulder, his hackles rising.
“You left her aftersex,man.” I shoved him back. “That takes the cake. Besides, running off when shit gets real is my bit, not yours.”
Chayton retreated, the fight in him lessening. He knew he was wrong, and he appeared tortured, his pain as bright in his eyes as the moonlight overhead.
“I just needed a minute. I lost control. I didn’t want to hurt her.”
“You didn’t succeed then, brother.” I drove my hand through my messed up hair. “She’s hurting just as much as you are. Maybe more. Watching you leave was the cherry on top of all the shit stacked against her. Don’t you see how much she’s dealing with? All the crap with the veil, being worried about her father, having zero leads on the grimoire, and trying to learn in a world she knows fuck all about.” I spoke with my hands, gesturing as I spoke to make my point. “She’s still adjusting to being a fucking vampire. She doesn’t even have a hold on her thirst. She’s as broken up about the mate bite as we are, and if you think she’s not blaming herself for the failed attempt, you’re as fucked in the head as I’ve been this whole goddamned time.”
“I know,” Chayton whispered, all the fight leaving his sails. His hands dangled at his sides, palms facing out in surrender. “You think I’m not beating myself up about leaving her like that? I feel like the world’s biggest asshole.”
I blew out a breath, and some of the tension left both of us. “Nah.” I shook my head. “Luckily for you, I think that title still sits with me.”
Chayton’s mouth tilted in one corner. “Lorn doesn’t think you’re an asshole.”
“Heh.” The tiny laugh was hollow. “She probably should. I’ve done nothing but push her away this entire fucking time.”
Chayton scrubbed a hand down his face and looked around the clearing, seeing it for the first time. Moving to some rocks beside the creek, he sat and scooped up a handful of pebbles, tossing one into the rushing water with a plop.
