Page 26 of Planet Wolf
“Is it really necessary?” Carl spoke low. “She’s happy being asleep.”
“And you’re happy being pressed against her. I get it.” Alfie tried again. “But she’s going to want to see the message from her cousin that’s coming through her watch. I’d never wake her otherwise, but their relationship is close. We can all smell that. So, yes, it’s necessary.”
I wrenched my eyes open. “Yes, watch please. Whatever it is that Patrice wants, if she’s messaging in the middle of the night, I need to see it.” I rubbed my eyes. “Assuming it’s the middle of the night?”
Carl leaned against me, lounging, totally naked. He didn’t seem particularly worried about moving right then. “You’ve been asleep about an hour.”
“You weren’t?” I grabbed the watch and started reading as he answered me.
“Too busy basking in what a lucky bastard I am.”
In labor, my cousin wrote,and trapped in the house.The Union is here blocking streets. I don’t know what’s going on.
I jumped from pseudo-stupor toward the end of the bed. Alfie grabbed my arm. “Let’s go help your cousin. We’ll get her somewhere safe to have that baby. There aren’t blockades that keep Wolf shifters contained if we don’t want to be, but let’s be smart about it.”
I grabbed for my clothes before I realized I didn’t want my dress. No, I had to change. I grabbed my suitcase and pulled on the pants and shirt I’d meant to wear the next day. My hair went quickly up in a messy bun. Carl must have dressed, because when I turned around, he wore jeans and a shirt but I didn’t have any sense of him doing it. Both men stared at me with such awe, I had to glance in the mirror to make sure I hadn’t done anything weird.
Finding nothing, I slipped on my shoes. “Let’s go.”
“Right.” Alfie nodded. “Come.” He put out his hand, his thumb stroking my fingertips. “His mark looks good on you. I’m already picturing my own.”
My family was going to think I had the weirdest hickey in history. I shot another glance at it in the mirror. It was red and raw, but it would probably fade until it was just noticeable to me and anyone close to me.
For the moment, however, everyone would know that someone had bitten me.
Alfie sniffed me, pressing his head against my own, and closed his eyes for a second. “You’re so beautiful.”
I smiled at him. There was clearly no jealousy about anything that had gone on with Carl and me. Of course, if they all mated in groupings, they really couldn’t have those feelings. For my part, I was just as attracted to Alfie as I had been before. Maybe even more so, since I had a sense of exactly how wonderful it could be to do what Alfie likely wanted to do with me.
Carl cut in front of us, going out of the door first before a thought dawned on me. “Jadon doesn’t know what’s happening.”
“Oh.” Alfie smiled. “He will in seconds. I can guarantee he knew the second you stepped one foot out of the house. Yes, see? There he is.”
Like he stepped out of the darkness, Jadon walked toward us. He’d been totally unseen by me in the shadows. Faster than I would’ve expected, he was in front of us. With a glance at my neck, he turned his attention to Alfie and Carl. “What’s happening?”
“We have to get to her house. Her cousin is in labor, and the Union is putting up barricades,” Carl filled him in, looking left and right. “Switch with me. I’ll go ahead.”
Jadon nodded before smiling at me. “How exciting. A baby. Such a gift.”
True enough, although it was the second part of the problem that really had me confused. “Why are the Union putting up barricades?”
“Not sure. They’re not here yet, so they didn’t catch my attention. I promise you, I’ll find out. Do they usually not interfere here?”
I shook my head. “No, this is the rich part of town. They leave us alone.”
Jadon nodded. “Despicable but not surprising. Come. Carl found a path. We’ll walk it too.”
Alfie let go of my hand to run ahead, leaving Jadon with me. He put his hand in mine, and I tried to keep up. They’d gotten really great at bringing me along in the woods, and I fell back into step easily. I was probably frustratingly slow, but Jadon made no mention of it.
Finally, after dodging sight from trucks and avoiding checkpoints, we arrived at my house. “Do they know you’re here?” I whispered to him.
He shook his head. “No. They really don’t. This has nothing to do with us. They’re looking for someone, but it isn’t us.”
“They’re missing someone.” Carl appeared as silently as Jadon had earlier. “An executive has gone missing. They think he’s somewhere nearby looking for you, Esther.”
What?I startled. “Why would he be looking for me?”
“I don’t know, but I broke into their system and saw their orders. They know you went out tonight. They’re hoping to find the executive before he makes contact with you, but if they don’t, then they want to waylay you on your way home to stop you from talking to him.” He nodded toward the house. “Patrice doesn’t know how to get to the hospital through this. Alfie went in. He couldn’t help himself. She’s in distress. The healer couldn’t stand it.”