It wasn’t quite a change in subject so I let it slide. “I don’t know.”
My brain meant ‘I don’t know’ in the sense that I wasn’t sure what to make of any of this. I didn’t lie to Anise. Some part of me wanted love. I crawled into bed,ready to just let it go. But Declan took it as a personal challenge to his ‘no-touching-sex’ skills.
“I can do better. I just have to practice. It was my first time. Let me try.”
His eagerness struck me right to my core. No one else in my life had ever been eager to please me.
“Oh-okay?” His earnestness swept me away.
A wave of lust poured into me and my head flew back, all my muscles straining as my heart beat into my clit. My body lit on fire, pleasure pouring through my soul. He reached for me. I held him at bay with an outstretched hand.
“You got it. You did it, Dec,” I said through clenched teeth. Did he ever.
I would not come in my best friend’s bed when I had just told him we were friends who should keep a virginal distance. I squeezed my legs together, wishing for pain for once in my life. Anything to douse the flames slowly subsiding inside me. What if the bond grew into something else and we were stuck with each other? I would ruin his chances of finding a proper mate. The one he deserved.
“Uh... good boy?” I patted his head in the worst, post-almost-orgasm move my brain whipped up. He smiled up at me anyway, his eyes sparkling with adoration. I needed distance and a roll to my side of the mattress. Suddenly, this one bed was looking way too small.
Chapter 13
Declan
Istared down into my morning cup, my eyelids heavy after a night of barely grasped sleep. What was rest when “good boy” kept resounding in my head like a gong and Honey lay inches away? Granted, those inches might as well have been miles. Maybe that’s why dreams eluded me.
At least she wasn’t mad about the partial bond anymore. Though, knowing Fallon, it would circle back to her list. I had to do better at convincing her we deserved a chance before it made it back on there. Progress seemed possible when she told me to take off the nightgown. I didn’t like that I had misinterpreted her desire. Our friendship should have given me a better understanding of how to make her my mate, but this was a tricky business. I hadn’t forgotten that she still lied to me.
Fallon stood in the kitchen with Momma, who seemed ready to teach. I didn’t need to hover. I just wanted to. What if today was the day Fallon finally looked over at me and understood we were meant to be?
“King of Leisure.”
I snapped my head toward Briggs. “Don’t start.” I wasn’t awake enough for her teasing.
They were all dancing around my homecoming lie with me because I threatened them with revealing their own childhood weirdness. And because, ultimately, I had the power to exile them from Nightfell. Briggs especially loved skirting the line.
“If you’re done mooning for the day, we need you at the south perimeter. The patrol has escorted some creepy-ass guests into the territory.”
My brow creased. That wasn’t right. The Old Magic shielded us from most of the Harrowlands. Only the very determined and very magical could hope to find us. It’s what I hated about this territory as a pup because it meant we never changed. Now I appreciated that it also kept us safe, especially with some of our own disappearing.
I needed to check on the Whitewolfs today. After I dealt with this.
“If anyone can discover us in the first place, the guards are supposed to lead them away from theterritory.”
Had the pack gotten lax with my father gone? I would meet with them next. I just assumed they were still running fine, though they didn’t stop us at the border, so perhaps Ididneed to check in. My head throbbed.
“They tried. The bastards were persistent. Shooing didn’t work and we banned rending people limb from limb when Dad left.”
Well, maybe lax was a good thing if that was the case.
I glanced over at Fallon, engrossed in her lesson. Dread pooled in my belly. Would she notice if I were gone? How would I explain where I was? If I took her with me, these types of situations didn’t exactly call for my sunny demeanor. What would Honey think if, Godds forbid, I had to yell? Or worse. If I did have to rend someone limb from limb? I would do it to keep her safe and then probably eat an entire cake by myself afterward.
“Take me to them.”
Briggs eyed Fallon. “Shouldn’t your mate be part of the welcoming committee?”
I gritted my teeth. Our lies tangled up in an impossible knot. I couldn’t leave her when we weren’t supposed to stand being apart, but she couldn’t know why I was there. I would hide in the back while Briggs dealt with it.
“Briggs says there’s a bunch of dudes looking for a cup of sugar. Wanna go watch, Fallon?”
I knew she didn't want to from the way she hesitated. Momma smiled and said, “A good chance to practice inthe real world. Find some dormant void berry bushes and see if you can coax them into giving you some. I can show you how to make wine with them.”
