“Stop fondling the girl, Cade,” Dorian drawled, standing near the end of the bed.
Cade sighed against my ear, and his grip loosened enough for me to push upright. The blanket fell to my waist, exposing my breasts. I yanked it up, trying to wrap myself with it, but Cade had it bunched in his fist, stopping me from making any progress.
Rafe reached over, his arm grazing mine, and he tugged it hard enough for it to slip out of Cade’s grip. I kept my mouth shut and shot him a look as I tucked the blanket around myself.
“How are you feeling?” Dorian tucked the collar of his dress shirt in place. Droplets of water hung from the tips of the strandshanging near his forehead. “We’ve been taking turns keeping you warm. You were shivering all night.”
“I was?” I scowled.
Cade rolled onto his back and tucked his arms behind his head. I turned to Rafe who still rested on his side, his bare chest on display. I stared at Rafe, and his eyebrows furrowed, his eyes flicking away from me. With a clearing of his throat, he rolled to his feet, dressed in sweats, unlike Cade.
“Meet us out in the living room,” Dorian ordered and left.
“What?” I gasped, but he was already gone. Dorian was so severe, it made me feel like I was in trouble.
Cade cupped my nape and tugged me toward him. His lips met my temple. I startled from the tenderness, gawking at him in confusion. What was even more mind boggling? He reflected the same shock at me. Cade almost leapt away from me, then stood and rolled his shoulders, not sparing me another glance as he strutted out.
Rafe hovered behind, standing near a half-open drawer. He plucked out a piece of clothing and returned to the side of the bed. His knees pushed against the edge as he opened the neck hole of the shirt and shoved it over my head. With his careful touch, he reached inside to collect my hair and tug it out of the collar. All I could do was watch his quiet, intimidating movements.
Then, he too, was gone.
How bizarre. They were behaving . . . decently. It was suspicious.
I tossed my legs over the edge of the bed and scooted off the unfamiliar mattress. The end of Rafe’s shirt landed at my shins, and I tugged the collar of the shirt higher to sniff.
A shiver spawned and rolled down my spine.He smells so good?—
I had to stop. Trudging out of Rafe’s bedroom, I wound up near the door closest to the last. The door from the following bedroom I crossed hung open, and the intense coffee scent I was becoming addicted to wafted out. That must be the third of the Alpha’s bedroom. I reached the end of the hall and took the right, passing their stupid sex room, the gym, then the room I’d been shoved in.
Hesitating near the door, I chewed my lip.Should I change?
Rafe’s shirt enveloping me was comforting. Like he was with me. That was the reason I should remove it.
I straightened my shoulders, rushed into the bedroom and shucked off the shirt, leaving it near the pillow, and dressed in my PJ set. Undressing and dressing, as little as it was, left me breathless and sluggish. I stopped right outside the door and focused on breathing so I wouldn’t fall apart. My body hung on by a thread of strength. Repressitol had done a number on me.
I forced myself down the few steps, striding into the living room. All three gazes pinned me. Nerves took flight in my stomach, but I continued forward and stopped at the start of the simple gray carpet.
Rafe studied me from where he perched on the coffee table across from Dorian on the couch. Cade entered through the entrance opposite from where I stood.
“Takeout is on the kitchen table,” he announced.
They were feeding me?I furrowed my eyebrows, scrunching them so tight that my forehead wrinkled.
“I don’t understand.”
“That there’s food? I ordered bagels?—”
“Not that.” I huffed and tucked my hair behind my ear. It lay in half of a mess. The strands I’d taken care to perfectly curl were limp. “Why did you bring me back?”
“You were sick,” Rafe was the one to answer.
I gave them the blandest look I could muster. “And you expect me to believe that you brought me backbecause I was sick?” Rafe’s mouth thinned, and he grunted. “Elias?—”
“Don’t say his name as if you know him intimately,” Dorian snapped. Cade seemed almost proud of his lash out. I was numb to it. I didn’t know what to think or feel.
“Whatever. Surely, it would have been better to leave me with them than to ‘make an enemy’ out of them.” I motioned quotes with my fingers, recalling Elias’ threat.
They remained quiet, and Dorian’s expression rivaled a thundercloud. They wouldn’t know or understand this urge to keep me near. Or the possessiveness they’d felt when I was on that platform with other Packs watching me.
