“Did you happen to put the naked people back in?” I chuckle, gratefully taking my sweater back.
He sighs, rolls his eyes, and heads back inside. There’s a huffing amongst the wolves that sounds a lot like laughter.
Once we’re absolutely positive we have all of our belongings, and there aren’t random naked people left in the halls, I place my hands on the closed door. Since I’m mentally exhausted, it takes me a little longer to focus, my thoughts drifting like leaves on a river. Too tired to think of a more subtle way, I use raw power to fry every electronic device in the house. People are definitely going to notice, but it won’t link back to Nolan, and that’s all that matters right now. Finally, everyone gets a blanketed vague memory of tonight’s events. A lot of partying. A lot of drinking. Overall, they enjoyed themselves, but nothing really interesting happened other than a freak rainstorm that blew in. Finishing it off by passing off my own feelings of exhaustion to everyone inside, I release them from my earlier spell’s grasp. The sounds of groaning and yawning announce my success.
While we’re on our way back to the Tahoe, the wolves having been released to head back to pack lands, my phone starts buzzing in my pocket. It’s Donovan.
“What—” I answer, but I’m immediately interrupted.
“I need you here now,” he yells, panic filling his voice. There’s the sound of vomiting in the background. “It’s Nolan. He’s in bad fucking shape.”
I swallow heavily, looking up into Connor’s concerned eyes. “I’m on my way.”
Chapter 22
Donovan
Nolan is quiet the entire drive back to his place. He doesn’t even make a peep about how we’re getting blood all over the Shelby’s leather interior. It’s only when I grab him and throw him over my shoulder—his hands still bound behind his back with my belt—that he shows life again.
“I can walk, asshole,” Nolan hisses, furiously struggling to get down.
“You can’t be trusted to do what you’re told, so I’m making sure you do,” I reply, tightening my hold around his thighs.
His response is to attempt headbutting one of my kidneys.
“Knock it the fuck off,” I growl and smack his ass with the palm of my free hand.
Stunned, he quits struggling long enough for me to get us inside the house. It lasts until the base of the stairs, and then he rasps, “What the fuck was that? Did you just spank me?”
“It was that or drop you on your head,” I retort, taking the stairs two at a time to quickly get to Nolan’s suite. A wicked smile curls my lips. “Why? Did you like it?”
“Fuck you,” he curses, but wisely chooses to stop trying to break free.
“Yeah, you liked it.” I chuckle.
It isn’t until I reach his bathroom that I dump him on his feet. “Get in the shower. You look like you vomited blood all over yourself. Wait, that’s exactly what you fucking did.”
“That bitch deserves to die,” Nolan growls with a predatory glare from his position near the sink.
“But you don’t deserve to go down with her,” I argue, crossing my arms over my chest. One glance at the mirror tells me that Nolan isn’t the only one now covered in blood. “Now get in the fucking shower.”
“Are you going to untie me first, or am I supposed to turn the shower on with my teeth?” he snaps and goes back to wrestling with his restraints.
“Are you going to fucking behave?” I ask while shifting my weight to my back foot.
“What do you think I’m going to do now?” he yells, charging over until he’s inches away from me. “You ruined everything.”
I pull his letter to me from my pocket, the envelope now smudged with blood from my fingers, and shove it against his chest. “This! You could still fucking try this.” Rage burns through my veins, and I push him back against the bathroom counter, the letter falling to the ground. “We just got Felix back, and you pull this shit.”
“Why the fuck do you care?” he snarls, his stark features pulled into a hard sneer. “Afraid if I die then you won’t have your favorite drug of choice around anymore?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I growl.
Even tied up, he moves with fluid sensuality as he presses his lean body against mine. With his hot breath blowing against my ear, he savagely purrs, “You’re so desperate to get high on the bite that you’ll even let a man use you after. Anything to escape thinking about your shit-ass future for a while.”
Oh, he wants to play? Let’s fucking play.
“I do what I want,” I murmur, pulling far enough back to start unbuttoning his shirt. “When I want.” I tug it free of the belt that’s wrapped tightly around him. “With whoever the fuck I want.” My hand slides slowly up his torso, smearing the blood over his pale, firm chest. I lean in, brushing my lips against the shell of his ear. “I don’t need the bite to want to fuck you.”
