15. Vix
Chapter 15
Vix
V ix blinked, wondering if she'd just hallucinated kissing the alpha.
Dropping her gaze to the massive bulge in his pants, she could see a small glistening patch where she'd left evidence of her desire on him.
So…he was just ignoring how ravenous he was?
Okay then…
But they were mates. How was he able to ignore how right it was every time they touched?
Watching him head for the door like nothing had happened made her want to pounce on his back and drag her claws through all those names until he was forced to pay attention to her – to acknowledge this thing between them.
But he couldn't scent her.
Even if he was aware her body wanted him, he couldn't smell it or the mate bond. She was soulless in shifter terms, and he probably found it disturbing.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to shove back the wrath boiling in her veins so she wouldn't take it out on him. Samuel had let her kiss him. He'd even kissed her on his own. This was progress.
Infuriatingly slow progress, but whatever.
Maybe she could tease one of the others into fucking her. Somewhere the alpha couldn't pretend not to see or hear it.
His bed would be too obvious, right?
Dropping the robe on the floor, she grabbed the clothes he'd put on the sink and pressed her face to the fabric, forcing her body to cool down – sliding back into that familiar ice.
Mylo's scent rose from the fabric and it was musky and warm like lemons under the summer sun. The fabric was pure white, and she pulled it apart to find a sweatshirt and sweatpants. He must have put these somewhere that would absorb his scent because she could barely smell the soap under all his deliciousness.
Vix trailed after the alpha, wondering if he was just taking it slow or if he never planned to take her body for his own.
If he didn't want her body, then why had he come looking for her? Was he just being possessive and territorial?
Or maybe his desperation was a bit more complicated than just physically claiming a mate.
Pulling the pants on, she stopped at the threshold, realizing the bathroom wasn't connected to the rest of the house on its own. No, it was connected to what looked like a bedroom…the alpha's bedroom.
Why the fuck had Mylo taken her here when this place was big enough to have more than one bathroom?
Samuel glanced back to see she wasn't wearing the sweatshirt and instantly looked away as he dug through his drawers for something. Ah, a shirt. What a shame.
Taking her time, she twirled Mylo's sweatshirt as she studied the alpha's bedroom.
It was pretty boring. The only thing she really liked was the painting of trees along one whole wall that matched the forest outside. It looked hyper-realistic and the green of the trees was the only color in this room, which seemed fitting.
The headboard was against that wall, and she eyed the large bed that looked like it could fit three or four apex predators, but the gray and white of the blankets and pillows didn't look very enticing. It was sterile and smelled of cotton and wool, nothing else – almost like he never slept in here.
She stepped into the room, glancing down at the cold, intricate, wood floor that was a stark contrast to the dark stone in the bathroom. It was much softer, but the colors were just as dark, if in shades of brown instead of black.
A gray rug under the bed tried to soften all the harsh edges of this room, but neither that nor the warm glow of the lights hanging from the ceiling on either side of the bed could wipe away the sharp loneliness of this room.
Such a fancy place with all its fancy glass, giving her a charming view of the forest, and still it felt so empty.
Without a word, she crossed the room, eyes on the swaying trees. The alpha tensed when she got closer, but he didn't try to get away from her.
Sliding her gaze from the trees up to those annoying jade-green eyes, she held out her hand and waited.
Confusion washed over him, and the way he raised his perfect, dark eyebrow almost made her smirk.
Flicking the hem of the shirt he was now wearing with her claw, she held out her hand again and waited.
It didn't take him long to figure out what she wanted.
Vix felt a little thrill go through her when he grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled it over his head. Samuel placed it in her hand and she eyed his chest, licking her lips as she reminded herself she needed to wait.
She didn't thank him because he didn't deserve it. Not after the way he'd put such a thick wall of ice between them when she was still burning for him.
Pulling the white, long-sleeved shirt over her head, she considered all the doors in this room and decided to just pick one.
The icy wildness of her alpha mate mixed perfectly with her golden mate's scent on her skin and she decided the brutal strength of her secret tiger's scent deserved to join them.
Wandering through an open door, she found another bedroom which felt strange. This wasn't a normal layout for a human dwelling, was it? Vix was pretty sure it wasn't, but what did she know?
This room was just as large as the alpha's but it was completely different.
Vix stood just inside, taking in the utter darkness as her eyes adjusted. There were no windows and for some reason, she really, really liked that. It kind of reminded her of her den, actually.
Black walls forced her to focus on the massive bed right in front of her, across the room. Wood floors didn't feel as cold or dead in here either, not when there was a loveseat on one side and a pair of overstuffed chairs on the other with a low table between them, furs piled on the floor to ward off any potential chill.
Even the ceiling was shaped differently. It wasn't slanted in one direction, but two. Like this room was tucked up under the roof, using the snow for insulation just like she did.
She took a deep breath and noted the blend of autumn and summer in here with just a tiny hint of winter.
Both autumn and summer slept in here, and she searched the room until she found another door, following the smell of woodsmoke and blackberries.
A soft gray coat made of wool hung from a hook on the back of the closet door and she tugged it off, feeling the scent mix with the other two perfectly. It was so large she could easily wear it over the sweater, and it was heavy enough to be as comforting as her usual furs.
This was her favorite room by far.
Even the bed was inviting despite the fact that they didn't keep it close to the floor like she did. Vix trailed her fingers over the fur covering on the foot of the bed, mundane sheepskin per her nose.
The rest of the fabrics smelled like a mixture of flannel and silk, which was interesting. Linen too, and she yanked the top blanket off to run her palm over the rougher texture.
It felt safe in here.
Yanking Mylo's sweatshirt over Samuel's shirt, she pulled Rune's coat over all of them before pulling the blankets back.
Vix arranged them until it was more like the bed in her den, allowing her to feel all the fabrics at once. Then she climbed up and lay down in the center of so many different kinds of softness, feeling weirdly sleepy again.
Tucking her feet under the fur, she curled up with her knees to her chest, far more tired than she'd anticipated.
When was the last time she'd slept? She couldn't remember.
That rumble in her chest started up again and it was soothing enough she felt like she couldn't stay awake even if she tried. She blinked and found the alpha leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest, watching her.
His eyes were gold, not green.
Vix closed her eyes as that rumble in her chest intensified and decided she'd take a small nap first.
Then she could meet the witchling.