“I’m locked in the bathroom by myself. I’ll be done as quickly as I can.”Bethany felt his presence in her mind lessen a little, like a glass being emptied. But she could still feel him there, hovering in the recesses of her mind. The feeling was both reassuring and terrifying at the same time. She climbed into the shower, feeling something that she hadn’t felt in more than eleven years—hot water flowing over her skin.Well, maybe I won’t be done quite as quickly as I thought.She let out a long peaceful sigh as years and years of grime, that had practically become a part of her skin, flowed from her body—cleansing her both physically and mentally.
Twenty minutes later Jen was beating on the door for her to hurry. Bethany was still in the shower and she didn’t want it to end. The water poured over her head, restoring a small part of her lost humanity. But then something other than Jen’s pounding pulled her from the paradise, and she sharply cranked the knob and shut off the water. A desperate plea had sounded in her mind.
“Please.”
It was one word but it was filled with such longing, such need. She felt his emotions briefly before he closed them off from her again.Chaos. That is the only word that she could think of to describe what was going on inside of him. His wolf wanted blood because someone had taken her from his presence. The man just longed for her by his side.
She dried off and wrapped the towel around her before opening the door just a crack. Jen was standing there with one hand on her hip and the other holding a bundle of clothes.
“What part ofbe quickdid you miss?”
Bethany frowned. “You didn’t say be quick.”
Jen huffed and pushed past her while at the same time grabbing Bethany’s arm to pull her back into the bathroom. She shut the door, turned the lock, and then handed Bethany the clothes.
The blonde turned to look at herself in the mirror and started running her fingers through her long hair.
Bethany realized after several moments that the other girl wasn’t going to be leaving any time soon. She started to protest, but already she realized that this one was used to getting her way. No doubt her protest would only be met with a smart remark, causing things to be more awkward than they already were.
So instead, Bethany laid the undergarments on the ground and then, slowly, deliberately, placed a foot in each leg hole. As carefully as she could, she bent down, holding her towel in place with one hand, and reached the other hand down to grab the panties, inching them up until they were firmly planted where they were supposed to be. Now, bolstered with the confidence of having her nether regions covered, but still holding the towel in front of her upper body, she grabbed a cute cotton skirt. It was black, long, and straight. Mimicking her actions with the underwear, but with, perhaps, a tiny bit less caution, she was able to pull the skirt up and fasten it around her waist. The fabric hugged what little curves she had. When she took a small step forward, leaning to grab the shirt, she felt the air hit her thigh. Bethany looked down and saw that there was a slit in the skirt from the bottom all the way up to…well, a nearly indecent spot at the top of her leg. It made her uncomfortable, but she didn’t want to offend Jen by complaining about the clothes she was loaning her, especially after the girl, who had no doubt noticed her subtle contortionist act to get into the skirt, had so far not made any embarrassing comments. So instead she discretely turned the skirt until the slit was closer to the back right side. She felt a little less vulnerable with her hip being the thing someone would see if the slit opened. Then, again one-handed, she slipped the long sleeved top over her head. Finally, she was able to let the towel drop to the floor. Once she was dressed Jen turned to look at her.
“Looks good. I went with a skirt because I thought it would be more comfortable even if it wasn’t a perfect fit. Pants can be utterly annoying and very uncomfortable if they don’t fit.” Jen grabbed a brush and signaled by spinning her finger that Bethany should turn around. Before she could stop herself, Bethany obeyed.
She wanted to slap herself for not speaking up. For so long she wasn’t allowed to question anything or anyone. It was going to take time for her to reprogram her brain.
Bethany met Jen’s eyes in the mirror. Jen was frowning at her. “You look like I just ripped the head from your favorite doll. Did you want to brush your own hair?”
She nodded hesitantly.
Jen stepped to the side and held out the brush to her. “If you want something, you have to speak up. You aren’t going to get in trouble. No one is going to spank you” —she paused and her eyes filled with glee. She waggled her eyebrows up and down— “unless you want him to.”
Bethany’s head tilted as her eyebrows drew together. “What?” She didn’t understand what the older girl had said. Why would she want someone to spank her?
Jen groaned and threw her head back. She raised her arms with her hands fisted and shook them. “Why! Why am I using good material on a chick so pure that she could be bottled without needing a filter?”
Now Bethany was even more confused. She began slowly brushing her hair as she watched the other female in the mirror. She was pacing and muttering under her breath. Once she laid the brush down, Jen stopped her pacing and looked at her.
“Food will be waiting for you back downstairs. You ready, Dasani?”
“Who’s Dasani?” Bethany asked.
Jen groaned again. “Bloody hell, it’s bottled water, and not nearly as funny since you have no clue about anything. But, that’s okay. We’ll get you educated soon enough and then you will be able to understand all my brilliant, hilarious comments. Let’s go.” She motioned for her to follow.
They didn’t run on their way back, but they walked at a brisk pace. Just as they reached the stairs that lead down to the room where Drake was currently in a cage waiting on her, Bethany stopped Jen. “How long are we going to have to stay down there?” She motioned down the stairs.
She saw the sadness in the other female’s blue eyes. “That’s up to you two, I’m afraid. We can’t let him out until Drake won’t kill the first male that breathes the air in the same room as you. And we can’t let you into the outside world because he would kill himself trying to get to you. So…” Jen shrugged, raising her eyebrows at the same time.
Bethany’s mouth opened slightly and her eyes widened. “Would he really do that?”
“You are the only person on earth that is safe with him,” Jen said. “The rest of us are prey. His wolf sees us as predators and, therefore, dangerous to his mate.
“What if he never calms down?” She didn’t know if she really wanted the answer, but her mouth acted before her brain caught up.
Jen’s eyes narrowed. “Let’s hope we don’t have to find out.”
Chapter 2
“At some point, the supernatural races will realize that they do not have to live in the shadows like cockroaches hiding from the light. That time is coming quickly. It is almost time for our brothers and sisters to step into the light of day and take their rightful places as shepherds among the sheep. It is almost time for us to rise up and put the world in its rightful order.” ~The Order
