I pressed my clammy palms against the nape of my neck, trying to lower my bodytemperature.
August cocked an eyebrow, as though waiting for my approval to open thedoor.
I reasoned that Liam deserved to hear what was happening. And yet, I abhorred the thought of him finding out. I was afraid of what it would do to him . . .tous.
I finger-combed my hair so that it draped around my cheeks andnodded.
August stepped away from the door at the same time as it flew open. And then Liam was standing there, crowding the entire space, slashed, bloodied T-shirt flapping. Although the cut over his heart had sealed shut, the remnants of the pledging ceremony had left behind a razor-thin pale mark and reddish smears. Like Liam’s chest, my wrist had also sealed shut, yet the place I’d sliced stillsmarted.
He shut the door behind him with a bang. “I waited. I’m done waiting. What the hell’s going on?” he demanded, a brittleness to histone.
I rubbed the thin streaks of dried blood on the inside of my wrist, careful not to skim the knitskin.
Silence.
The sound of it was so hostile that I almost explained everything, but the words kept jamming in mythroat.
Slowly, Frank said, “I was explaining to August and Ness the dynamics of matingbonds.”
“Mating bonds?” Liam’s eyes flared. “Is that why—why they smelled likethey’d—”
I cringed. “Please don’t say it.Please.”
“Like we what?” Augustasked.
MaybeIwould leave. Race away from Boulder until I didn’t feel like I was about to die ofembarrassment.
No one spoke for a long second. At least, not out loud. From the surprise rippling over August’s features, I suspected Liam had finished his sentence through the mind-link.
I couldn’t sit here any longer. “I need to go home,” I said, shootingup.
“Home?” Liam lifted one of his darkeyebrows.
Right.He expected me to go tohis home. “To theinn.”
There was a tiny hitch in his breathing.This doesn’t change anything, Ness.His voice stroked my harriedbrain.
“Doesn’t it?” I whisperedhoarsely.
Not tome.
Frank had gotten up too. He clapped a hand on Liam’s shoulder. “It’s not wise to get betweenmates.”
Liam shrugged off Frank’s hand. “With all due respect, Frank, it’s not wise to tell your Alpha what todo.”
Frank let his hand drop. “You’re right. Iapologize.”
“Besides, we both know firsthand that mates don’t always end up together,” Liamadded.
Did Frank have a mate? Or did Liam have one? No. If he’d had one, he would’ve known why August and I smelled like we’d . . . like we’d—Ugh. I couldn’t even think it without growingembarrassed.
“When do you deploy, August?” Liamasked.
A vein throbbed in August’s neck. Even though his expression didn’t betray his annoyance, I felt the insistent pop-pop of it deep in my belly. I didn’t understand the reason for it since the choice to leave was his. Liam wasn’t chasing himaway.
“In the morning.” August’s gaze hadn’t moved off my overheatedface.
“If you’re going back to the inn, Ness,” Frank said, “can you take Jeb with you? Eric got him here, but he needs to hang around a whilelonger.”
