Chapter 6
After settling into the barn--er, house--Ramsay gave me a quick tour of the territory, saying that if I was going to live here for ten days I might as well know where everything was. Once again, everyone was polite and kind to me, even though I was an outsider intruding on their lands.
As the afternoon bled into twilight and the sky turned from orange to pink and purple, Ramsay and I strolled along the edge of a small grove near his home. Cicadas buzzed in the air and a warm, pleasant breeze touched my skin. Once in a while Ramsay would pause to pick something and toss it in his wicker basket, which was already full of various flora that I couldn’t even begin to identify.
“I wasn’t expecting such a warm welcome from the rest of your pack,” I admitted to Ramsay.
He stopped mid-stride and bent down towards a patch of plants with small white flowers, then picked a handful out of the ground. “What, you thought we were gonna run you off with a pitchfork?”
“Maybe notthatbad, but... yeah, basically.”
Ramsay stood back up and added the new plants to the basket.
“Why?” he asked simply.
“This whole situation is just kind of crazy, don’t you think?” I asked with a nervous laugh. “Like the prophecy, the chosen one… the gryphon showing up out of nowhere.”
“Does seem a bit ridiculous, doesn’t it?” Ramsay teased. “But it is what it is, I suppose. Nothin’ we can do about it except go along for the ride.”
I hesitated. “You don’t think it’s weird for you to try and fall in love with me?” I realized how the words sounded when they came out of my mouth, so I blushed and quickly added, “Or for me to fall in love with you?”
Ramsay turned around to face me. His expression was as warm and gentle as the breeze.
“I know that’s what this fancy prophecy says and all,” he began, “but I’ll be honest with you, Matheson. I don’t think it’d be that hard for me to fall in love with you in the first place.”
My eyes widened and my body temperature skyrocketed.
In lieu of waiting for me to reply, Ramsay stepped closer and lifted my chin up.
“Cute one, aren’t you?” he said.
My heart hammered. He wassoclose to me. Body heat radiated off his chest, enveloping me. Were all alphas this warm or was it just a Ramsay thing?
“I--um,” was the only thing I managed to say.
Ramsay never broke eye contact with me and I melted into those cool turquoise pools. He whisked his thumb over my lips, just like he had when he fed me a blueberry earlier, but this time it sent an intense jolt of electricity down my spine. I stiffened and let out a tiny whimper.
And then he pulled away with a grin, like it never happened.
He patted his wicker basket and waved me over as he strode towards the barn. “C’mon. I’ve gotta get all this stuff back to the house!”
I allowed myself a moment to pick my jaw back up and return to my senses before following him.
But my heart wouldn’t stop racing.
When I walked shakily into the barn, Ramsay was already in the kitchen. A large, red shank of meat sat patiently on the countertop as he emptied the wicker basket.
I cleared my throat--because otherwise I was afraid there’d still be a lump in it--and asked, “What’re you making?”
He glanced up with a twinkle in his sea-green eyes. “A wild dinner for a couple of wolves.”
I leaned on the empty edge of the counter. “I don’t know anything about cooking. Is that code for something?”
“Nah. Just means a venison roast with some stuff I found outside.” He winked and ran a glazing brush over the meat. “Wanna help?”
I brightened up at the opportunity to be useful. “Sure.”
“Wash these, then start cuttin’ ‘em up.” He passed me a paring knife handle-first. “And don’t cut yourself. If you do, I’ll bet Eric and Colton will have my head. Along with your Mom and Dad. And probably that gryphon, too.”
