Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

RIVER

R iver awoke stiff and sore. The sunlight filtered through the curtains, and she wondered how long she'd been asleep. She rolled over, and her shoulder winced.

The door opened, and Apollo peeked his head in. He walked to her and pushed her tangled hair from her face. "How are you?"

"Tired. Sore. How about you?"

His face took on a perplexed expression. "I'm doing fine."

He looked at her shoulder, and his expression turned to sadness and anger.

"It's not your fault."

He shook his head but wouldn't meet her eye.

She lifted his chin so he looked at her. "It's not your fault."

He searched her face for a moment and then smiled at her. "Hungry?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Wait… Have you been checking on me every five minutes to see if I was awake?"

"No."

"Then how did you know I just woke up?"

A smile played across his lips, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh… because the snoring stopped?"

"Snoring?" she said, horrified. "I do not snore."

"Of course not. You're right. I've just been coming in every five minutes."

She threw her hand over her face. How embarrassing could things get? Shot by a rogue. Drunk in front of Bennett and Lachlan. She said things she couldn't remember but was sure were embarrassing because she remembered them looking at each other several times. And now snoring in front of… well, everyone with wolf hearing.

"It's not a big deal. If it makes you feel better, you didn't drool."

She looked at him. "No. It doesn't."

He snorted. "I have no idea why snoring is such a big deal for females. Wait till I'm exhausted. I've been told my snoring can be heard on the other side of the estate."

She chuckled.

"Wait. Maybe I shouldn't have told you that. I am trying to win you over, after all."

"Don't worry. I'm not a light sleeper."

His eyes glittered, and he shoved his hands in his pockets. "So, food? I can send out for something. Whatever you want. Or we can go to the diner. Find a hamburger place. You name it."

Her stomach growled. "Bakery stuff sounds great. And also, maybe a hamburger. And the largest cola out there? Or two?"

He inclined his head. "Your wish is my command, Kitten." He winked at her and backed out of the room.

She sat up stiffly and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror across from the bed. Oh man, she needed a brush, or ten, to tame her crazy hair. She tried to run her fingers through it but couldn't even get them through an inch.

She was so screwed.

River slid off the bed and looked through the bags on the floor, cradling her injured arm against her. She picked a pair of terrycloth shorts and a heavy metal band t-shirt. Apollo knocked and then re-entered. River stood with the clothes.

"Let me help you with those." He ripped the tags off for her and then helped slip the t-shirt over her head.

She winced, lifting her arm, but refused to let Apollo see her pain as he helped slide it through the armhole. He blamed himself enough.

"Sorry, Kitten."

"You need to stop apologizing."

"I can't. Your pain is my fault."

"No. My pain is the fault of the rogues who thought they could grab me for Titan."

Apollo growled, and his eyes grew black.

She tried to remember what happened the night before. She'd been in the woods, and two rogues had shown up. What had they said?

Her wolf growled.

"How did he know I was out here?" she mused.

"He had rogues watching the two. They saw you and waited until you were alone."

"They said Titan had them on blockers like my mom used to make me."

He nodded. "Titan is getting desperate and also smarter. Using the blockers masked their scents from me as well."

"When I first heard and tried to smell them, they smelled like… nothing."

"That's what blockers do. In crowds or packs, it isn't noticeable because the other shifters mask the nothingness. But it's more noticeable one-on-one or in a group of two or three."

She nodded and then remembered something. "The one that saw me in town looked like he had a broken nose; that was you, wasn't it?"

"If I'd known then that he was more than a human, I'd have ended him instead." Apollo growled. "I'm-"

She pressed her finger to his lips. "Stop. They are gone, and I am healing, so stop apologizing. As far as Titan knows, they are still waiting, right? So it's fine."

His eyes began to clear. "How can you be so forgiving?"

"I place blame where blame is due. You didn't hurt me anymore than Ares did when we were attacked in New York. Honestly, I thought Titan would still be in New York. If I'd thought he was in Canada, I'd have been much more cautious."

"So would I."

She touched his chest. "I know you would have. Neither of us could have guessed he'd find us out here."

He touched her cheek. "Maybe we should go back to the estate. You're safer there."

"No. I don't want him to ruin our time together. We can just stay in the cabin until it's time to leave. Order in. Watch movies. Play games."

"If that's what you wish."

"It is."

He handed her the shorts, and she pulled them on while he turned away.

"Lachlan went to get food. He should be back shortly. What would you like to do in the meantime?"

She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror again. "Uh… you don't happen to have a hairbrush?"

"In the bathroom." He walked out and returned with a hairbrush.

She took a moment to section off her hair and try to brush it, but without using both hands, she couldn't make much headway.

"May I?"

"Thank you." She handed him the brush, and he sat behind her, wrapping his long legs on either side of hers.

He sectioned her hair, started at the bottom, and worked his way up. Cocooned in his powerful thighs, her thoughts heated.

He brushed the hair from her neck, sending a shiver through her skin. His scent swirled around her, and she remembered the feel of his body next to hers the night before. Her cheeks flushed, and his warm breath tickled her neck.

"You are so beautiful, Kitten." His lips brushed her skin, and she stifled a moan.

Then, as quick as he kissed her, he sat back and continued to brush her hair.

Tease.

Thirty minutes later, Apollo finished with her hair and pulled it into a scrunchie for her. She'd never been a scrunchie type of girl, but she didn't want to deal with a mass of tangles again by bedtime.

A knock on the door sounded, and Apollo opened it. Lachlan handed him the food, but his gaze landed on River.

"What's wrong?" Apollo asked.

Lachlan looked between them and shook his head. "Nothing, Highness." His eyes drifted to River again; she thought he wanted to talk to her.

"Well, if it's nothing, then goodbye." Apollo closed the door in Lachlan's face.

He returned to the bed and set the bag of muffins down before handing her a gigantic soda.

She took a gulp. "Why don't you like Lachlan?"

He stopped opening the food bags. "Because he's not loyal to me. He's loyal to Ares."

"He can't be loyal to both of you?"

Apollo's gaze met hers. "No. Loyalty is always slightly stronger to one Alpha or the other."

She knew he wasn't just talking about Lachlan. She dropped her gaze, and her thoughts turned to Ares. She wondered what he was going through. What was he doing right then? Was he thinking of her? Had he worked out his pent-up energy with another female?

Her wolf snarled at the thought.

No. He had meetings and things to attend to. He was the Prince, after all. And he's just had meetings in New York. Of course, he didn't have time to sit around pining for her. Besides, from what she could tell, there weren't any other females in the estate besides herself.

Her wolf whined.

River sighed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to remind you of the real reason you are here. I just want you to understand."

She looked up at him. "If you apologize to me again, I'm going to bite you."

A wry smile played on his lips. "Promise?"

She hadn't meant it to come out like that; even so, the idea didn't repulse her. She sipped her soda. She had never understood people who wanted to be with more than one person. She always knew as a shifter that she would find a mate, and that would be it. They would be together forever. But… that wasn't how things were playing out.

For the first time, she wondered if she could choose between them and what would happen if she couldn't.