I’d gotten to the point of thinking how weird it was that we paid to go see those nudist colonies commonly referred to as zoos when I saw the door open.
“Finally back with us.”Dominic grinned at me.Thankfully, he was clothed.Flannel shirt.Huh.
“What happened?What time is it?”I rubbed at my eyes and my hair, which needed water and shampoo, like, yesterday.
Dominic walked over to the bed, sat down on it, and put the glass of water he’d brought with him in my hand.It seemed I was going to be served at every turn by these werewolves, and it was weird.But since I was thirsty, I drank the damn water.
“Nothing happened.You got Linc all flustered, snuggled with Ell all through dinner, and then fell asleep in his arms, so he carried your ass to bed.”
Loud growling came from somewhere else in the house, and Dominic chuckled.“See?Linc’s still flustered.”
“Fuck.”I rubbed at my face some more, but it really needed water and soap.At least I didn’t need a shave just yet.“You all have super hearing.”
Dominic shrugged.“Nah.Regular werewolf hearing.Ell said to leave you those—” Dominic pointed to a pill bottle on the side table.“—and to not let you shower, but you can still have that bath.”
“Perfect.”I really was getting ripe and in dire need of that bath.Not that moving was particularly appealing since everything was still sore, but I had my priorities straight.Fight body odor first, then be lazy.
Dominic looked off to the side as if he were listening to something before he said, “Linc is running your bath upstairs.”He reached out and ran his fingers over my forehead, then let them rest against my cheek.“You look a lot better than yesterday.”
His voice was low and caramelly warm.I stopped everything, not that I had been doing much.But I froze.Dominic’s green eyes examined my face.He licked his lips as if… I had no idea.Maybe he didn’t either.The moment seemed to stretch on and on, and it was broken only when Lincoln came into the room, his chestnut brown hair looking like burnished metal in the afternoon sun.
I pulled back a bit from Dominic’s touch, but neither Dominic nor Lincoln seemed to care.Dominic left his hand where it was, lightly resting against my cheek, and a humming growl started deep in his chest when I leaned back another inch.
Lincoln looked at us both, and Dominic finally let his hand drop from my cheek.
Lincoln smiled.It lit up his face.“All ready for you, Marcus.You’re not supposed to get your cut wet, so one of us will need to help you with your hair.”
Lincoln crossed his arms in front of his chest and just kept looking at me with…I had no idea.Some kind of potent expression.Unease?Probably not—he didn’t seem like someone who got uneasy—but there was a tension in his body, and that mademeuneasy.
“I could also climb in there with you and wash you,” Dominic offered, still in that deep, dark, annoyingly sexy voice of his.
I wasn’t sure what my expression looked like, but probably abject shock.Dominic threw me a grin that showed his teeth, up to and including his canines.They were pointy, and maybe a little longer than they should have been.Could he change the shape of his teeth just as easily as he turned into a wolf?Did I want to know?Yeah, I probably did, but I decided against asking.
“That’s a sexy look on you, Marcus.”Dominic stood.“You take care of him, Linc.I’ll go and make waffles.”
He what now?Seriously, what was it with these guys?Did they get off on feeding and pampering humans?Wait.I knew that fairy tale.It included a gingerbread house and a witch, but no werewolves as far as I knew.Maybe they wanted to fatten me up.Then, once I was all fat and juicy, they’d take me to the woods again and tell me to run.They’d chase me, and…
Dominic walked out of the room, and I was left with Lincoln, chilled and calm.I pulled the covers and blankets back and got to my feet.Once I was standing, my body informed me that getting up had been a terrible idea by making the world around me spin like a top.
I should’ve expected the strong arm I felt around me a moment later.I didn’t quite expect the massive chest I found myself pressed up against.
“Is this because you’re a werewolf, or do you guys just work out a lot?”I mumbled even as the black slowly receded from my vision.
Lincoln chuckled.I heard and felt it reverberate through his chest, and his warmth was better than a stack of blankets.“Come on, Marcus.Let’s wash the blood out of your hair.”He walked me out of the room.
“You can smell that?”
“Yes.”
“Sorry.”
He looked down at me, and damn, he was tall.“I didn’t mean it that way.You’re healing, and that’s far better than when I found you bleeding.For a moment I thought—” I practically heard him grind his teeth as he swallowed the rest of that sentence.“Why didn’t you just call for help?”
“In the woods, no one will hear you scream.”
He huffed.“No.Your phone’s working; why not call someone?”
My cheeks heated.“I forgot to charge it before I left, because… Doesn’t matter.I just forgot.”
