I glanced at the array of fish--which, truthfully, all looked the same to me--and chuckled. “I don’t know what kind of fish I like, either. But I’m sure all of these are fine.”
“Oh.” Colton’s eyes fell.
Feeling guilty that I’d hurt his feelings, I leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. The speed at which his pale white cheeks turned pink was astounding. Colton lifted his hand to touch the spot my lips had been a moment earlier.
“Sorry. You went through so much trouble for us, and I really appreciate it.” I smiled at him. “C’mon, let’s eat.”
Colton returned my smile, and it warmed my heart.
Ramsay, who didn’t wait when it came to food, already had a few fish turning on a makeshift spit. He handed the first to me. It was crispy and savory, with a nice wood-smoked flavor, and I wolfed it down ravenously.
After we finished eating, we tossed the bones to a flock of gulls that had eagerly gathered to scoop up the remains. They cried and fought over the remnants.
“That wassogood. Seriously, I needed that,” I said. “Thanks, you guys.”
Both Colton and Ramsay brightened up.
“You’re welcome,” Colton said.
Ramsay grinned. “Like I said before, I’ll cook for you anytime.”
“Good. I’m counting on both of you.” I sighed. “For real, though. I’m really glad I don’t have to do this whole magic prophecy thing alone. I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.”
“You would figure it out,” Colton reassured me.
I chuckled. “Not so sure about that. I barely know what to do, except that I’m supposed to find love.”
Ramsay smiled gently. “Well, you’ve done a good job of that so far.”
He was right. If falling in love with the others was as easy as it had been with Ramsay, I was hopeful that in the end I could find my fated mate--or whatever the prophecy entailed--and unlock the mysterious that would save the shifters.
My gaze lifted to the horizon, which had turned pink as the sun set behind the western forest.
West Pack,I thought.Eric is waiting for me there.
“Ugh, I wish we had some s’mores,” Ramsay complained, slapping his belly. “Woulda helped me with all those calories I burned off swimming…”
“You could make s’mores out of fish,” Colton said. “Or crabs. Oh, maybe we can make crab-and-seawood s’mores.”
“Ew, what the hell’s wrong with you?”
As Colton and Ramsay continued bantering, I gazed into West Pack’s direction again and wondered what Eric was doing right now. Out of the three alphas, he was the only one missing. It warmed my heart to see Colton and Ramsay getting along so well, but how would snarky and sarcastic Eric fit into the dynamic?
I found myself wishing he was here, too.
As Ramsay demanded my attention (to ask if crab-and-seawood s’mores were as disgusting to me as they were to him), I couldn’t help feeling a strange itch on my back.
Almost as if we were being watched.
