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“Shatter?” He knocked again, harder. “If you don’t answer, I’m smashing the door down?—”
“I’m fine!” Her high-pitched squeak came from inside. I saw a shadow shift beneath the door. “I, uh… changed my mind about that couch.”
“You what?”
“I’m going to stay in here, actually.”
Dusk went stiff, and I saw a flash of irritation cross his features. “You are not sleeping in the bathroom.”
“You said there were no rules.”
Oh, I really liked thatthingher voice did when she started getting bratty. She better not stop with that attitude. Dusk was just not wired for that, and seeing him bend her over the couch had been hot. I wasn’t wired the same as Dusk, but I’d have her all the same. It had been hard not to imagine how I was going to make her sweet little body squeeze me.
I saw—and felt—Dusk’s indignation, but before he could launch his aura into the space and actually break the door down, I got to my feet, catching his attention.
“Come on, mate,” I said with a laugh that was still too hollow. “We just got rid of the fuckingpeople.”
This was supposed to be our home now, but for the last few days it had been movers and fixers, bringing in the stupid couch Dusk had chosen. Sorting out our rooms to meet our needs. If he broke the fucking door, there’d be a repair man.
“Anyway, you fucking idiot.” I grinned. “You didn’t see it coming when she hauled her whole suitcase in?”
Dusk was still tense, but—perhaps not wanting to upset me so close to an episode, blood still dripping down my forearm—he gave in.
I wanted my space to bemine. Just me and my pack.
And Shatter.
I relaxed as Dusk took a step away from the door, even if his expression was tight. My smile felt more real.
I didn’t mind her at all—and Iknewher scent was going to be amazing.
SEVEN
SHATTER
I woke to the sounds and smell of sizzling bacon creeping through the crack under the bathroom door. I blinked sleep from my eyes in the dark room. It was uncomfortable dragging myself out of my suitcase. It had seemed like a more comfortable place to sleep than the floor or the tub.
I sat up, listening to the sounds of cooking from the kitchen, fingering the necklace I still wore. The wrong necklace.
It wasn’t hard to process what had happened since my dreams had been busy with yesterday’s events. Where I’d previously spent my nights imagining what would happen when I met my mates, now it was just Dusk and UmbragoddamnedVaris. Midnight opium, wolfsbane and blood, and a third scent, still faint and indistinguishable. It was better than dreams about my mates with Roxy Vasilli all night, which I was haunted by now I was awake.
Had they given her a nest?
Had she kissed them?
And here I was, captured by a pack I didn’t know, so far from the protection of my mates.
I bit my lip,then jumped violently at a banging on the bathroom door.
“Umbra talked me down last night, but Iwillbreak the door down if you try to skip the intro session this morning.”
I shrank where I sat, mind racing. The packs were supposed to attend a talk in one of the auditoriums this morning.
Icouldsurvive this. I just had to wait for the drugs to wear off and get to my mates.
Outside, I found Dusk setting the kitchen table and… shit.
He’d cooked?
