Page 65 of Scars of the Sun
I threw my phone on the cluttered desk and hit print with enough force to make the desktop mouse creak in protest. The two college students working today laughed loudly at some stupid shit they’d been talking about, and the sound of it made red flash at the edges of my vision. This was all so fucking stupid. I knew what it was like to be pulled down into the depths of mymind. Even Mara’s small, crazy hand that petted me when the coast was clear wasn’t enough sometimes.
I snatched the paper schedule from the printer and stomped out of the office. I ripped off last week’s and stabbed the new schedule to the cork board. We had a virtual calendar, too, but it was some weird tradition to keep a paper one up for people to look at and start shit when it was slow.
The rest of my shift dragged on in a way that was dangerous for everyone around me. The kids working caught on real fast that now was not the time to whine or even try to pull me into their goofing off. I did an inventory of the walk-in, cleaned the bathrooms, and swept the dining area. Anything to keep my hands busy, and that was even precarious.
When the time finally ticked to six, I tossed my apron in the bin marked for laundry and high-tailed it the fuck out of there. With my work t-shirt on and the smell of pizza still clinging, I climbed onto my bike. I shoved my helmet on, jostling my glasses that I’d fucking forgot I had on in the first place.
“Shit,” I cursed but kept going. There was no way I was going in the opposite direction of checking on Ramona to change and put in my contacts.
She’d never invited me into her brother’s place, but I still remembered the way. The sun blazed down on me, warming my already overheating skin and threatening to get in my eyes. But I pushed on, weaving in and out of traffic and gunning it down the quiet road that led out to the Pack Leader’s land.
Even the smell of it raised the hairs on the back of my neck. Technically, all of the forest was their territory, but as I drove through the trees and sent gravel flying, I sensed the claim of the land. What did it feel like for my princess, being around those that quite literally belonged here, while she didn’t?
I pulled up next to two sensible SUV’s that screamed ‘we have kids’ and killed the engine. My glasses got tangled in my hair and helmet while I fought it off.
From where I was, I could hear voices inside, and a quick stretch of my senses catalogued the two adults, two pups, and the female that was mine.
Did I know what the fuck I was doing? No. What would happen when the time came to get my head out of my ass and move us to the next town? No fucking clue. But I knew for certain that Ramona was mine. The unmistakeable bond rooted in my chest was evidence enough.
I flew up the front steps. The door was unlocked, but I didn’t get but a foot and half into the cabin before a hand grabbed the front of my shirt. Claws cut through the fabric and stabbed my skin while the thick scent of Wolf Leader was its own punch to the face.
Ramona’s brother was just an inch away, fangs drawn and half-shifted face twisted in fury. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he roared.
My own claws extended, and I took hold of the front of his sweatshirt. He was taller than me by an inch or two, but I wasn’t afraid. If anything, he should’ve been.
While his deepened voice was filled with hot anger, mine was ice-cold. I pulled him closer. “Get out of my way.”
To his credit, the Leader didn’t back down. The air around us continued to churn, two shifter males protective of what was theirs. If I were in my right mind, I’d agree that a random shifter barging into my house where my mate and children were would’ve been met with the same treatment. Well, actually, no, they’d already be lying on their stomach with blood pooling beneath them.
But even with my instincts taking the front seat, I knew that Ramona would never forgive me if I killed her brother or hurt him in any way. Fuck, would it make this easier, though.
“Río? What the fuck!” A set of hands forced their way between us and pushed. The cold that’d been filling my veins began retreating with her touch and scent filling me up instead. Honey eyes that blazed like the sun above met mine at the same time she smacked a heavy slap on my chest.
I immediately let go of the Wolf and pulled Ramona to me, plastering her body to mine so that I could feel the pressure of her and that she could feel mine.
“What’s wrong, Princess?” I didn’t have time to be embarrassed by the crack in my voice as I ran my face against hers. Her body had been stiff when I’d circled my arms around her, but she couldn’t resist me for long. I cradled her head, and purred when she leaned into my palms.
Her lips were still pinched, probably with irritation at me, but I caught sight of the dark circles beneath her eyes and the frizzy halo of hair that swayed with my breaths. An aroma of staleness surrounded her, like she’d been sitting in the same place for a long time without doing much. I couldn’t fucking take it.
I licked from the height of her cheekbone to the top of her hairline, and the sound of my rough tongue scraping her skin made my purr intensify. Dark, fuzzy despair clung to her, but underneath was the sweet and sour.
She placed her hands on my chest and gently pushed, despite her craning her neck as she continued to accept my grooming. One more swipe of my tongue, and I pulled back, but only enough so that she could look at me. Like hell was I going to let her go.
A v-shaped wrinkle formed between her brows as she took me in. “There’s nothing wrong.”
My arms tightened around her. “I told you that I don’t do that fake shit. Don’t fucking lie to me,” I begged.
A set of growling sounded from behind her, but I wasn’t tearing my eyes away from my mate. And the shift in her expression, like a crack that exposed the slivers of exhaustion and sadness beneath.
She did her best to wipe it away, to erase all emotion from her face, but the vacancy was even more telling. Anger surged back through me like a tornado that’d dropped down, and I set my sights on her brother behind me. “You’ve been here with her all this time and let her go on like this?”
The Wolf was still half-shifted with claws and fangs at the ready, but instead of continuing to go after me, he was staring down at Ramona with a look of frustrated confusion. And that just pissed me off even more. “Huh? I know dogs are stupid, but I expected more from her fucking family.”
That got him going, and when he met my challenging stare over Ramona’s head, I was itching for it. Warring growls erupted from both of us, but before I could drop my hold on Ramona to shift, she shot a hand out to block her brother as he tried to advance. Her bare forearm connected with his chest, and he reached up to pull it away.
When he did, though, his head snapped down to look where his fingers circled around her skin. I saw the moment Ramona realized what was happening, and pure panic flared in her eyes. She must’ve heard her brother and me fighting and rushed out here, completely forgetting to throw on something to cover her arms.
With my hold still on her, I felt Ramona try to pull her arm away from her brother, heard her panting breaths as she struggled while he didn’t let go.