“Maybe if you’re lucky, I’ll attempt a two foot spin.” He motions for me to take the lead down the second set of stairs and follows behind.
“You know, I’ve never been ice skating before.”
“Really? Well, that’s even better then!”
“Oh, so you can laugh at me when I fall on my ass?”
Kole gasps with his hand over his heart. “I would never do such a thing!”
“You’re right. How could I possibly think you would do something like that after being a perfect gentleman today?”
He whirls around, stopping in front of me. “You needed to be taught a lesson on what happens to those who try to pit us against one another.”
Kole’s expression is teasing, but there’s a hint of seriousness to his tone that I don’t miss. Whatever has happened between the two of them has made their bond strong, and although Thane is the Alpha, I can tell Kole respects him despite the title.
“I guess next time, I’ll just have to kick Thane’s ass myself.”
“Good luck with that,” Thane growls from behind me. I whip around to find his face an inch from mine with a devilish look that has my heart jumping.
“Good,” I purr, keeping my composure—at least on the outside. “Keep underestimating me.”
I brush past both of them before they can make any more comments and slip into the secondary dining room. It’s half the size of the main one with a round white table in the center and gold accents that break up the white walls. The vibe is much more modern and inviting, the complete opposite of the main dining room we usually eat in.
Sophia strides in behind the brothers, and I quickly turn my attention to one of the paintings in an effort to avoid her.The painting that hangs on the far wall is of a small pond, surrounded by purple-blue flowers, and along the back edge sits a willow tree mirrored by its reflection. Even without the artist’s signature at the bottom, I can tell this isn’t Thane’s work.
“Hey, so uhh… I want you to know that I didn’t mean to get you in trouble with Thane.” Sophia steps beside me, but I keep my eyes trained on the painting.
“And yet you ran and told him I had that book the first chance you got.” There’s a bite to my words that I don’t suppress. She may be some werewolf warrior, but I refuse to be walked all over.
She turns her back on the painting, forcing me to look at her. “It’s not what you think. I promise.”
“Then what is it? Why would you feel the need to run off and tattle to your Alpha?”
She sneers at that last part, but I don’t regret saying it. “He’s your Alpha too, human.” I roll my eyes, turning my attention back to the painting. “How dare you dismiss me when I’m trying to apologize!”
She reaches for me, but Thane intercepts her, throwing her against the wall with a vicious growl.
“Yield,” Thane snarls with his forearm pressed against her collarbone. Normally, I find his overprotectiveness irritating, but right now I’m finding myself a little turned on.
Sophia looks both pissed and rattled by Thane’s response. I doubt she’s on his bad side too often, but no matter who you are, that’s a bad place to be.
“Apologies, Alpha,” she says through clenched teeth. It’s a forced apology, but Thane releases her, taking a step closer to me.
“Dinner’s ready!” Kole practically sings from the other end of the room, and I turn around to see that he’s already set the table.
Thane presses his hand against my lower back to guide me away and pulls out the chair closest to us. I take a seat, ignoring the backflips my stomach seems intent on doing.
Thane and Kole spent the whole dinner trying to ease the tension between Sophia and me, though I’m not even sure why I’m so angry with her. After everything Thane has done to me, her tattling is hardly of consequence. Maybe I’ve just reached my threshold of taking shit.
What is it about that damn book anyway? It’s not like it’s some book of werewolf secrets. What do they really think I’m going to do with it?
Honestly, I should probably just let it go. Sophia is important to them, and there’s no point in making the next couple of days she’s here uncomfortable. The ceasefire can start tomorrow, though. Tonight, I have a bubble bath with my name on it.
Earlier, Kole set my phone up with music and gave me a pair of headphones to use, which I was more than thrilled about. Other than Halloween night, I can’t even remember the last time I listened to music. It’s one of those things that I’ve forgotten about over time. I got so used to the silence over the past three years that it wasn’t until Halloween that I realized just how much I missed it.
While I wait for the bath to fill, I send Sienna a voice memo with all of the events of today. I figure she won’t reply right away, so I switch over to the music and slip into the clawfoot tub. The water burns when I first get in, but by the time I’m submerged beneath a blanket of bubbles, it feels like heaven. The song Hunger by Ross Copperman starts playing through the headphones, and I close my eyes, letting the sound of it transport me into a memory.
I was fourteen and had just gotten into a yelling match with my foster father for spending money on booze instead of food for the younger kids. I’ve never thought of myself as maternal, but I felt a responsibility to take care of the little ones the way I wish someone had taken care of me. It was downpouring that night, but I didn’t care. I ran out of the house all the way to a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop, where I spent two hours tucked away in a chair by the window, watching the rain flood the street.
