Page 14 of Glass
6
FELIX
“You have to stop pacing,” Doc groans from the bed at the back of the RV. He smacks a pillow over his face as I continue to take advantage of the limited floor space from one side of the RV to the other.
I can’t stop pacing because I can’t stop thinking about how a woman is sleeping in my tent less than ten feet away. And not just any woman…thewoman.
No one finds a mate in Acadia. The odds of two mates both coming toThe Losthas to be impossibly low. But apparently not impossible. My wolf is restless, desperate to go to her, but my logical human side is holding on to a thin shred of self-control.
I know Poppy Glass must feel our mate bond, but she seems to have a one-track mind. Which means I have to keep my head until I decide what to do about her siblings.
Lane is sleeping curled up on the plaid bench seat of the dinette against the wall. He always wants to stay with Doc when we stay at the Blackwoods Campground. I gave up trying to convince him otherwise after the kids’ first year with us—even though Lane is far too big now to be sleeping curled up on that small space.
I’ve been the chosen Alpha of The Lost for seven years, and in all that time, I never cowed to anyone who came to search for missing family or friends. The whole idea of our misfit group of shifters is that we don’t belong anywhere or to anyone. We come here because we’re outcasts and outlaws who need a safe space away from shifter society.
It’s safe here because we keep a barrier between us and the outside world. I’ve never been tempted to break that unspoken rule until now.
Doc fills the RV with a strangled sigh and jerks upright on the bed. He glances at Lane, and my eyes follow his gaze to see the kid in a dead sleep. “I know a mate bond when I see one, Felix. You and I both know that no matter how much you pace tonight, the decision was made for you the moment you set eyes on her.” He glances at Lane again, affection shining in his eyes as they soften for the boy. “I wouldn’t have brought her here if I thought she would be dangerous for the kids. They’re the closest thing I’ve ever had to kids of my own, you know that.”
“I’m going to ask you something I swore I never would.” I grind my teeth together, pausing to gather the right words. “Where did the kids come from, Warwick?”
He pushes himself out of the bed and rises to his full height. He braces himself against the doorway to the cramped bedroom as I force myself to wait. This isn’t how things are done; we don’t ask where people come from, we simply take in the people who need somewhere to go. And no one comes to The Lost if there’s somewhere better for them to be.
This woman showed up a few hours ago, and I’m already breaking all the rules that keep us functioning as a unit. It feels like a bad omen.
“I’ll tell you,” Doc says eventually, “but I think you should be the one to tell your mate the story. I think we’ve all reached our limit for tonight, though. Let’s get some damn sleep, and I’ll tell you everything you want to know in the morning when your mind is fresh.”
I grumble incoherently, knowing there’s no argument in my favor here. There’s no chance in hell I'll get any sleep, but I know if I don’t let Doc get some sleep, we’ll be in trouble tomorrow. There’s constantly someone or another from the pack getting hurt—he needs to be at his best for when the pack inevitably runs him ragged.
It’s theperkof adopting all the rough and rowdy shifters that other packs don’t want.
“I’m going to take a walk. I’ll bunk with someone when I get back.” I stomp across the RV and fling open the door before he can protest. I’m sure he wants me to stay where he can see me to make sure I’m not going to do anything reckless, but I’ll never survive the night in here. Not to mention there’s no way in hell I’m climbing up into the small bed above the RV’s front seat.
I slam the door shut behind me and take off across the campground on foot. I would shift if it weren’t for the unpredictability of the human campers nearby. There are only a couple hours until sunrise, and early morning hikers aren’t unusual in the park.
About ten minutes pass before awareness prickles at my skin.Someone is watching me.
I slow my steps slightly and let my head turn side-to-side with a controlled movement that’s hopefully imperceptive to anyone unfamiliar with my movements. It only takes a moment for me to assess the lack of danger and relax.
“You were supposed to be sleeping,” I call out, my voice carrying into the sparsely wooded area to my left.
Poppy steps out with arms crossed over her chest, and I zero in on the fact that she’s wearing one of my shirts. She follows my gaze and wrinkles her nose when she looks back at me. “I just needed to borrow something clean to wear, I promise to give it back before I leave. I’m not a thief; my stuff is a mess because I didn’t plan for clothed shifting. It’s not the way things are done.”
“Our way is better.” I shrug. I’ve long forgotten what it was like to shift and leave behind torn clothing. I don’t pretend to understand what’s behind my pack’s adaptation—science or magic—but I know I appreciate the hell out of it. There’s never been anyone in Acadia I cared to see naked,until now.
She tugs at the hem of the t-shirt. “It’s not normal.”
“In case you haven’t heard, nothing around here really is.” The Lost settled Acadia a long time ago because the energy here is good and it makes for a strong pack. Not that anyone outside of the area considers us a true pack, but we’re strong together and we know it. Even if everyone else is quick to discount us because we didn’t follow a bunch of archaic rules about how to be shifters.
“Why is your face scrunching like that?” Poppy asks curiously, taking several steps closer.
I force the muscles in my face to relax; I didn’t realize my thoughts were so clearly projected on my face. “You shouldn’t be out here alone,” I say, changing the subject.
“I know.” She laughs lightly, and I swear something shifts in me at that moment, and I would die to hear that sound falling from her lips over and over again. “I was actually just realizing I lost track of how far I came from your camp when I heard footsteps walking this way. And then I realized it was you and…” She trails off and hugs her arms tighter around herself.
“And what? Decided to take in the view?” A surge of satisfaction flows through me as I realize she was enjoying watching me. A bit of voyeurism never hurt anyone.
She takes yet another step closer, and even though I can see the hint of dark circles under her eyes, she looks wide awake. “It’s a good view,” she admits breathlessly, her eyes widening slightly, like the words surprise even her.