Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Almost as soon as her emerald green eyes meet mine, her head snaps away, like she’s embarrassed to have been caught watching. I fumble my robe back on, flushing more brightly than I ever have before and thanking all that’s holy that at least the guys kept their clothes on.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Edith stammers, putting a hand up and turning away. “I should have knocked. That was my bad.” In spite of her sheepish words, she doesn’t look that put off about it, which somehow only serves to heighten my own embarrassment. “I’ll just, ah…” She turns to go.

“It’s okay,” I hasten to assure her, not wanting to draw any more attention to myself than I already have. “Was there something you needed?”

“I was just…” She takes a hesitant glance back up, her posture relaxing when she sees that I’m decent. “I realised you guys didn’t have any clean clothes. I wanted to get yours so I could wash them and maybe see if Mollie has some spares for you until then.”

“Oh.” Silas blinks. “That’s… very thoughtful of you. Thank you.”

“I sure as shit could use something else,” Shade complains. “I smell like a swamp.”

I move to my bag, which is still damp, and pull out a sopping wet bundle of shirts, pants, and underthings. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the guys going to do the same. Silas looks like he’s been caught doing something he isn’t supposed to, while Shade doesn’t seem put off by the audience in the slightest; I’m starting to think the wolf shifter is just generally unflappable… Except when it comes to me getting injured, I realise after a moment, my stomach sending up a rush of warm sparks.

“Here you go,” I say, passing my clothes to Edith.

“Are you sure you don’t want help?” Silas asks cautiously, giving me an uncertain glance. “First you ward the place and now you’re doing our washing for us.”

Edith’s eyes linger on the dragon shifter for just a moment longer than normal, like she’s drinking in the sight of him. “I... wouldn’t say no,” she admits at last.

“I can help,” I interject. Edith looks at me with a surprised expression as I add, hoping to lighten the mood, “It’s the least I can do, considering you’ve had to see me naked.”

Edith hesitates, looking unsure, but then laughs her tinkling laugh again. “Fair enough, Millie. The laundry room is just on the other side of the foyer. I’ll meet you there in five minutes?”

“Sounds good,” I say, giving her a curt nod. Seemingly satisfied, the witch shifter backs out of the room, the bundle of clothes tucked under her arm.

Groaning, I run a hand through my hair, turning back to the guys self-consciously. “Sorry about that,” I tell them, feeling the need to apologise even though it wasn’t my fault. “Does it count as cockblocking if it happens after the fact?”

Shade cackles at that, and even Silas can’t hide his snort, although I have to give him credit for trying. “Should’ve locked the door, I guess,” the dragon shifter mutters.

“Why?” Shade protests. “I like having an audience.”

“Of course you fucking do,” Silas retorts, rolling his eyes before turning to me. “Don’t apologise, Boots. She didn’t knock first.”

“Did you see the way she looked at you, though?” Shade asks, raising an eyebrow at Silas. I can feel my hackles go up before I can even stop myself, ashamed at my reaction but unable to stop it. “Probably picturing you without clothes on.”

“Give me a break,” grumbles Silas, but it’s all too good-natured, like neither of them are feeling the same unease that I am, and it’s frustrating because I know I’m being irrational.

Still, I can’t stop myself from asking, “What do you guys think of her?”

“Who, Edith?” asks Shade, raising his eyebrows. “She seems fine to me.”

“I don’t really know her well enough to say,” Silas says. “Why?”

“No reason,” I reply, a little too quickly. “She’s just… not what I was expecting. That’s all.”

Damn my lousy poker face. Shade eyes me for a moment before breaking into that shit-eating grin of his. “Wait a minute, Boots. Are you… jealous?”

“What?” I exclaim, shaking my head. “No! Of course not! I just… I mean, it’s not like…”

“Holy shit, you are,” the wolf shifter teases. “As I live and breathe! Millie Brix is getting territorial! What is this world coming to?”

“I am not,” I protest, my cheeks flaming. “We just don’t know her, that’s all!”

“Sure, sure,” Shade says indulgently, smirking. “Whatever you say.”

I stare at him for a moment and then shake my head. “You’re being ridiculous. I’m about to go help her with the laundry.”

“Uh huh. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact that she was just undressing Silas with her eyes.”

I give him a playful shove, overhearing Silas’ good-natured laughter at my response, and the tension in my stomach eases up a little. “I owe her one,” I rationalise. “If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have been able to teleport us out of Boston.”

“Fair enough,” Silas remarks. “Let us know if you need anything.”

“Oh, you’ve already given me everything I need,” I reply coyly, giving the guys an exaggerated wink that has them chuckling again. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go be a good houseguest even with slightly wobbly legs.”

The guys exchange a triumphant look as I turn and walk out of the room, keeping my head high in spite of my earlier embarrassment. It’s only after the door is closed behind me that I give myself permission to ruminate. What is it about her that’s bothering me so much? I try to tell myself that I do just feel indebted to her -- she did help make me, after all -- but that’s about as hollow of an excuse as they come.

Am I really that insecure, that I don’t want Silas helping her with something as mundane as washing clothes? What am I afraid is going to happen, exactly? We’re all adults here, and the guys can do what they want. I don’t have a claim to them; hell, it’s pretty damn hypocritical of me to be getting possessive when I’m more or less juggling four different guys at once. It makes me feel shitty, and the guilt only darkens my mood further.

At least the orgasm has me feeling better, the pain in my side having dulled to a distant ache. The fact that Shade and Silas were willing to have a threesome isn’t lost on me, either. Who would have thought the two guys who butted heads the most at the beginning would end up in sync when it comes to my place in the group? It’s enough to give me tentative hope about the future of my relationship with the rest of them. Maybe I won’t have to choose. At this point, I don’t know if I even could. Shit, I think as I walk across the common area. I’m in deep.

Landon is sprawled on the couch, fast asleep and snoring softly, looking as gorgeous as ever in the beam of sunlight shining through the back window. I tiptoe around him, listening to Hazel and Xander’s muffled voices coming from the other room, and make my way to the laundry room, where Edith is already sorting our clothes. “Hey,” I say, hugging myself self-consciously as I come to stand next to her. “Sorry again about earlier.”

“Don’t apologise,” Edith replies, giving me a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “I should have knocked. Thanks for offering to help.” She nods to the pile of clothes on the bench. “I’m doing brights first.”

“Got it,” I say, gamely beginning to paw through the damp clothes. “I’m a little surprised you’re not using magic to clean these,” I remark. “You did a bang-up job with the glyphs earlier.”

“Oh, please.” Edith laughs, flapping a hand. “That was child’s play.”

“Wouldn’t be for me,” I murmur glumly.

“Well, it’s not like I can turn into a dragon or a wolf,” she reasons. “We all have our gifts.” Her green eyes flicker up to me, her expression unreadable. “Funny how these things work out.”

“Yeah,” I echo quietly. “Funny.”

For a moment we continue to work in silence. “You and the guys are close,” Edith observes finally.

I swallow hard. “I, uh… Yeah. I guess we are.”

“Is your… relationship like that with all of them?” she asks, sounding almost deliberately nonchalant. “Like with Silas and Shade, I mean.”

I close my eyes for a moment, feeling put on the spot. “I mean… not exactly, no,” I admit. “That is, I think they all care about me, if that’s what you mean. We’ve… been through a lot together.”

“I have to say, I feel a little left out,” the witch shifter says with a half-smile. “You guys have known each other longer than I have. It’s going to take me some time to catch up.”

I balk at that and then kick myself for the knee-jerk reaction. “Well, we’ve got nothing but time while we’re here,” I reply. “I’m sure we’ll all be too close for comfort by the time this is all over.”

“Guess I’d better get started, then,” she says indulgently. “That Landon sure is gorgeous, even if he is a bit of a goofball. Hunter, though…” She makes a low, appreciative sound in her throat, her face lighting up. “I love the broody, sullen types. Call me a glutton for punishment. I’ve got a thing for gingers, too,” she adds with a wink. I’m stuck wrestling between panic and anger, so I settle on staying silent. Edith seems to pick up on this, inclining her head slightly. “Unless… That’s not a problem for you, is it?”

“Of course not,” I reply hastily, not meeting her eyes. “They’re their own people.”

“Sure, but you seem to be the one calling the shots here.”

I just shrug, forcing myself to keep my voice level. “It’s really none of my business,” I tell her.

So why am I so bothered, then?