“You’re mine. Everyone should know from now on.” His eyes flashed amber. “Leave it.”
I left it. He disappeared into the bathroom as I headed to the door, calling out, “Coming! I’m coming!”
Very poor choice of words, considering.
I pulled the door open to find Sloane, Margo, and Jade standing in the hallway. Sloane was holding a bag of pastries. Margo had a cardboard carrier with paper coffee cups. Jade looked dragged along against her will but happy about it.
All three of them stared at me.
“Uh,” I said. “Hi.”
Sloane’s eyes narrowed. “You look...”
“Healthy? Glowing? Well-rested?”
“Thoroughly fucked,” Margo supplied helpfully.
“MARGO.”
“What? I’m just saying what everyone’s thinking.” Margo pushed past me into the apartment, setting the coffee on the counter. “We came to check on you.”
Sloane followed her inside, eyes scanning the apartment. Detective mode. “I heard you arguing yesterday. Through the walls. Something about wolves and portals and... honestly, I thought you’d finally lost it.”
My blood ran cold. Of course Sloane heard. She worked in the building. I mentally face-palmed myself.
“How much did you hear?”
“Enough to be concerned.” Sloane set down the pastries. “You weren’t convincing on the phone last night. You weren’t answering texts this morning. We came to do a welfare check.”
“I’m fine...”
“You’re not answering your phone, you look like you got attacked by a vacuum, and your apartment smells like...” Sloane sniffed. Paused. “...sex and... another scent. A weird one.”
“It’s probably just...”
And that’s when Caelan walked out of the bedroom. Wearing a towel around his waist and nothing else.
Everyone stopped. Three sets of eyes went wide. Three jaws dropped simultaneously.
I wanted to melt into the floor.
“Good morning,” Caelan said pleasantly. Completely normal. Not half-naked in my apartment in front of my three best friends at all. “Riley, would you like coffee? I can make some for you and your friends.” He glanced at the counter. “Though I see they’ve already brought some.”
“I... you... we...”
“I see,” Margo said slowly, a grin spreading across her face. “You WERE busy.”
“I can explain...”
“Can you?” Sloane’s eyebrow was raised so high it might achieve orbit. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like mysterious-hot-Australian spent the night.”
“Several nights, actually,” Caelan added cheerfully.
“NOT HELPING,” I hissed at him. “He’s not actually Australian,” I blurted out, then immediately regretted it.
“I’m not,” Caelan confirmed, moving to stand behind me. His hands settled on my shoulders, possessive. “I’m from somewhere much farther away.”
“Farther than Australia?” Jade looked confused. “Like... New Zealand?”
