28. Dirge

TWENTY-EIGHT

Dirge

L eigh waved off my mate's apology when we arrived at the rooms, her hair wrapped in a towel as she brushed her teeth while blasting "Disturbed" from her phone. Shay pushed Brielle toward the shower and then sank onto the end of the bed, curling into a ball where she could still reach to distractedly rub my ears. I leaned into the touch, craving it down to the center of my being.

Memories of our last time together blurred into a haze behind my eyes when I closed them, so I didn't. It was bittersweet, having a taste of the connection we couldn't ever have again. She looked into my eyes as she stroked, and I could practically see the thoughts buzzing behind her serious gray eyes, even as sleep started to weigh her down.

My thoughts were scattered too, after all that had happened in the last few days.

An incomplete mate bond wasn't the least of the complications. The music and the connection with my mate put me into a physical lull, the tension I always carried leaching out of me in the calm. Within a few moments, she was sound asleep. But as my mind continued to wander, I sensed something outside the cabin.

I stood slowly, carefully pulling out from under Shay's limp fingertips so as not to wake her. Padding to the window, I gazed out at the dark forest, where rain still came down in torrents.

There was absolutely no sign of trouble, and whatever I'd sensed had already faded. I was tempted to go out there and see if I could track it down, but Shay was asleep, and I wouldn't wake her to open the door for a passing suspicion.

I paced into the bathroom next, where Leigh was now dancing in her nightgown as she brushed out damp blonde hair. I whuffed, the quietest noise I could make to get her attention.

"What's up, Hairy?" she asked, not pausing her brushstrokes.

I whuffed again and jerked my muzzle toward the door.

"You thirsty? You can come in. Your water's right there." She pointed to the steel bowl Shay now carried for me. "I don't have any meat to give you at the moment, but?—"

I shook my head, and she frowned.

"It's really inconvenient that you can't talk to us. Seriously." She dropped the brush on the counter and faced me fully. "It's not food, it's not water… Is Shay okay?" She stepped past me into the room, where she could see my mate sleeping soundly. She walked over and flipped the end of the comforter over her, then turned on a lamp so she could switch off the overhead light.

"Okay, she's good, Sir Barks A Lot." She patted me on the head and went to step by, but I stopped her. "Seriously, I don't know what else you need."

I walked to the door and stuck my nose to the crack, whuffing again.

"Uh, I'm already in my pjs, dude. Besides, I think we should all stay together. The guys aren't back, and we're in unfamiliar territory." She crossed her arms over her chest and stood her ground.

I whined, scratching the door this time.

"Fine. Fine. But you better piss quick and get back inside so I can hide before the guys get back. I don't need any more Gael time tonight, so if you're not back in three minutes, you can wait on the porch. You copy?"

I nodded quickly as she yanked open the door and followed me down the stairs on bare feet.

We crossed the living area toward the front door, but it opened before we reached it.

"Shit on a stick," Leigh muttered under her breath and spun on her heel.

She didn't make it two steps before Gael was in the doorway, shaking raindrops off his hair.

"Leigh? Everything okay?" His tone was terse, but I could see the concern in his tense pose, the sweep of his gaze over her retreating form.

"Fine." She waved over her shoulder, then reluctantly turned. "He needed to use the little wolf's room."

"The… oh. I can let him out."

"Thanks. Just knock, I guess, when he comes back in. We're all bunking together."

Gael nodded, then watched her every step until her legs finally disappeared from sight at the top of the stairs. He sighed, shoulders slumping as he turned to me. "Sorry. Come on."

He pulled open the front door, then followed me onto the porch. I didn't actually have to pee, so I stood at the edge and sniffed, checking for signs of the strange magic I'd sensed. There was no trace, and in this downpour, all physical signs would be washed away.

But my mate was safe and sound, and I didn't mind the steady patter of rain on the porch roof, so I sat there and watched, waiting in case it came back.

Gael stood next to me, fingers laced behind his back in a rigid stance as he too stared out at the rain.

I was surprised several minutes later when he spoke, breaking the easy silence between us.

"I really messed it up with her. I don't… I'm not good with words." There was a lengthy pause. "But I want you to know that I don't want to hurt her. She's just this itch under my skin that I can't get rid of, even now that she hates me." He rocked back on heels as I looked up in surprise at the admission.

I whuffed an approving sound.

"We don't need to be enemies is all I'm saying. You're Reed's brother; you're not feral now. Hell, I don't think you need me to guard you anymore either. We don't need division in the pack, with killers out there probably gunning for Kane since his dad's gone."

At that, I nodded, in complete agreement. Packs were always strongest when all members worked together. Tiny rifts left unmended turned into chasms over time that you couldn't later cross.

I wished I could tell him that as long as he treated Leigh well, we'd be square. But he'd have to accept my nod and fill in the details on his own.

He froze and looked off toward the right.

"They're on the way back. Kane just told me through the pack bond."

Ahh.

We waited together, and for the first time, I found I didn't mind Gael's company all that much.