Page 13 of Truth
Lord, enough with the pet name. I could gag. “It was safe without his wards; I think we will be fine.”
Oak scratched his forehead, “Do you think until it is strengthened it will be strong enough to hold when adding these additional people? Each person steals the energy of the ward. I suspect James only had it warded for us four.”
“It should be fine for at least a day while he works on the wards.” I chimed in, before adjusting myself into the body-hugging seats with a moan. “Oak, make sure Maggie is on the ready with the supplies. If you could get Lenin hooked up and talking to her, that would be great.”
I swore this time the low growl I heard came from Liberty, but she didn’t argue the fact. She understood, even if she didn’t want to accept it so easily, that Maggie was a friend and an ally. And although she understood, I enjoyed the bouts of jealousy Liberty displayed over us, even the newcomer, which was interesting enough because, well, without that glamour, he had fucking tusks.
Liberty leaned back into her chair and took in a heavy breath before adding, “Call her. We need her help.”
Chapter 8
JUSTICE
We had beenin this mansion less than three hours and I felt panic clawing at me. It’s too much. Too much house. Too much city. Too much noise. I craved the quiet and rural life, not the bustle of activity. I was a beast. I was wild. I – fuck, I need air.
I didn’t even bother excusing myself as I exited the common room through a set of double swinging doors and situated myself on a balcony. I sucked in the air fast, nearly gagging at the pollution and filth that filled my lungs, hidden in the particles of air. I couldn’t do this place. I didn’t belong. I was an outcast among these men. Among the group. Among –
“Calm down, it’s okay.” Libby’s fingers wrapped around my forearm and instantly my body relaxed.
“I need to return to my people.” I announced, willing her to leave her touch upon my skin, giving me peace.
“What’s wrong? Are they hurt? We could be back out there in a few hours!” She seemed panicked. Panicked at the possibility that my people, people she just met, could be in danger and I swore I felt the bond tug slightly because of it.
“They are all well.”
“Then the issue is?” She stepped closer and released my skin from hers, and I felt the loss almost immediately.
Libby leaned forward; her arms crossed as she laid them to rest against the cement railing in front of us. Without thinking, I copied her stance. The position allowed us to look out onto the city. “I do not belong.”
“If it’s Ellis’s jokes, I can talk to him.” She offered.
“No, it is not him.” Though, his jokes can be annoying. “I have never been away from my people for so long before I got trapped. To return home, then to leave again feels so-“I paused, searching for the correct word to express how I was feeling. I came up with nothing. “Wrong. I feel wrong not being by my people. And Horo and I have always been close and I – I do not feel calm here.”
“You miss Horo?” She questioned.
I did miss Horo, but not in the way I suspect I would miss her, or even that oversized ogre if I parted ways. “As my beta, he keeps me level. We fight together flawlessly as we trained our whole life to do so. But I am wild, I am not meant for city life.”
She inhaled, then wrinkled her nose in the cutest of ways, probably from the unpleasant air. “I’m beginning to think I may not be a hundred percent made for city life either.”
It was because now she had a piece of me within her. Though I doubt she would agree. The moment my mark seared into her skin, was the moment she became a wolf like me. She may not be able to shift, or hell, maybe she could and we just didn’t know it yet, but she held a piece of the feral animal within her, and therefore she was one with the nature that surrounded her.
We sat leaning against the railing in silence for longer than we’ve ever been solely in each other’s presence before, until she pushed off of the stone and turned back toward the door. She didn’t ask me to follow, but I did so willingly. A fact I didn’t want to dissect right now. I still held grudges I wasn’t ready to just let go, I still hadn’t fully forgiven her for the use of her power on me, even if it wasn’t intentional.
Control over oneself, over your own being, is so fucking personal. And I lost it. For so many years I lost it and I fear maybe I never fully gained it back. Because even now, as I stand outside willingly, I can’t help but think of fate’s unwilling push for me to even be here, with her. Did I choose to come on this journey with Libby and her mates? Or did fate decide for me? I don’t know, I may never fucking know.
She pulled open the door and my hand shot up to hold it for her, another unconscious movement that I wished never happened. I didn’t want to do things for her. I didn’t want to save her. I didn’t want to feel this fucking pull that drags me to be close. Yet it was there. Just under the surface of my skin, begging me to explore it all. Explore her.
She found a spot between Sterling and Ellis and squeezed herself into it, each man moving over slightly to accommodate her. Without even asking, she took a cookie from the plate in front of Sterling, before dipping it in his coffee. She pulled it out and took a bite, moaning around the mouthful of sugar and chocolate. I felt my cock harden at the sound even though I despised myself for it.
She was midway through chewing when Oak and Lenin walked into the room. Oak reached down to take a cookie off the plate, and she swatted his hand, “Those are mine.”
“There has to be a dozen here, you share everything else, why not cookies?” The undertone of his voice and the way a smile danced on his lips told me exactly what sharing he was referring to.
“Sterling had these specially delivered.” She leaned into the mentioned vampire and kissed his neck while he watched us all smugly. I pushed down the urge to behead him.
Ellis took out his phone, “If feeding you gets us special attention, I could have anything delivered in twenty minutes, just say the word.”
She dunked her cookie again, then took another bite, ignoring Ellis, “So, I was thinking. Should we send for Horo?”