3. Dominic

3

DOMINIC

Ronyn, Voss growled in groupthink, you get those fucking patrols out in those woods. We don’t let up on 24-hour surveillance until we can figure out what the fuck we’re doing.

On it, Ronyn snarled.

And Merida? he asked.

Yes, Alpha?

Get Bexley in a bath, Voss said as he stormed off in the direction of the woods with Ronyn’s troops. She needs to settle her ass down a bit.

My gaze scanned the crowd as everyone dispersed. The ground seemed to rumble with our troops as they shifted and made their way into the forest around us. The smell of the dead hung heavily in the air, chasing mothers and fathers alike back into their deodorized homes with their children. I stood on my tiptoes and looked toward the bath house. I watched Merida’s red hair flouncing about as she guided my mate toward the wooden structure at the other end of the compound.

I didn’t like the fact that Voss wanted her in a bath at a time like this. We had shit to do. We had a compound to reinforce. We had children to watch after. And Bexley needed protection.

A fuckton of it, if we were going to keep Delilah away from her.

Dom? Voss asked as he reached out.

I started toward the bath house, fighting the onslaught of shifters from our pack as they shoved me in the other direction.

What’s up? I asked as I slipped through the crowd.

Give Bexley some time. She needs to breathe.

I continued my journey toward the bath house. What she needs is protection. Delilah is coming after her.

She’s coming after all of us, Ronyn snarled.

I kept onward toward my final destination as I watched Merida and Bexley slip through the front door of the bath house. No, Delilah threatened her, specifically. And I’m not letting her out of my fucking sight until ? —.

Dom, leave her the fuck alone, Voss snarled. There’s a reason why I put Merida on her case.

I stopped just shy of the bath house’s door. That a command from my Alpha?

When he didn’t respond, I blocked off my thoughts and silenced my footsteps. Fine. If Bexley really needed privacy with another woman, I’d give it to her. But, I sure as fuck wouldn’t let her out of earshot. If I couldn’t keep my eyes on her, I’d keep my ears open for her, and I perched beneath the window of the bath house as it steamed up.

Then, their voices floated above the wind that kicked up.

“There we go,” Merida said softly, “this should help you relax.”

Hearing Bexley sniffle broke my fucking soul. “Thanks.”

“Need it to be any hotter?”

“No, it’s great. Thank you.”

“Are you sure? Because I can?—”

“Merida,” Bexley said with a heavy sigh.

“All right, all right,” Merida said cautiously. “But, let me know if you need anything changed about the bath. You can stay in it as long as you’d like.”

I leaned against the wooden facade of the bath house and kept my senses peeled for any sign of danger or threats around us.

But my ears were fully trained on the conversation happening inside of the building.

“So, the case Delilah mentioned,” Merida said softly.

I heard water being poured over something before Bexley spoke. “Please, don’t.”

“I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do, Bexley. I just want to know if you?—”

“I never want to talk about that case, so stop.”

I winced at how harsh her tone of voice was when she spoke. But Merida took it all in stride.

I swear, that healer of ours had the patience of a fucking saint sometimes.

“Well, whatever happened, I’m sorry,” Merida said.

Bexley sniffled again, and it took everything inside of me to stay rooted to the grass. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you. I just… can’t think about anything else right now.”

“I completely understand,” Merida said softly. “But, if you change your mind, please know that I’m always willing to listen.”

I felt myself gravitating around the bath house to the front door as they continued speaking.

“I miss him so much,” Bexley said breathlessly.

“Your partner?” Merida asked.

Water poured over something else as I eased my way up the steps to the bath house door.

“He wasn’t just my partner,” Bexley said with another sniffle. “That man was my brother. He single-handedly helped me pull myself up by my bootstraps. Had it not been for him, I would’ve never had the career or the life I had up until… well, you know.”

“Up until she chased you into the woods?”

“Pretty much,” Bexley muttered.

Merida sighed softly as water poured over something again. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it? Because I’m good at just listening if you don’t want advice.”

“I’m sure, but thank you.”

And before I knew it, I eased that bath house door open and relished the smells of the herbs and spices coming from the bath Bexley sat in.

“Uh, excuse me,” Merida said as she whipped her gaze to mine, “but this is a private affair.”

I ignored her as my gaze fell on my mate in the bath. “You could always talk with me, if you want.”

Merida cocked an eyebrow. “Dom, get out.”

“Actually,” Bexley said as she turned her reddened gaze to mine, “could I have a few minutes with him?”

Merida looked down at her. “Are you sure?”

Bexley nodded but her gaze stayed hooked with mine. “I’m sure.”

A grin splashes across my face. “I’ve got her, Merida.”

The red-headed woman clicked her tongue as she stood. “I’ll be just outside if you need me, Bexley, okay?”

“She won’t,” I said with a soft shake of my head.

“Dom,” Bexley warned. “This is just a bath. Nothing else is happening right now.”

I held my hands up in mock surrender. “I read you both loud and clear.”

“Uh, huh,” she said as she slid her stare down my body. Then she turned her attention back to Bexley. “I’ll be back in half an hour to check in on you, all right? I’m just going to have my healers do their rounds to make sure no one got injured in all of this shit.”

Bexley nodded softly. “Let me know if you need anything.”

Merida finally moved away from the tub, staring me down as she walked toward the door. “Will do.”

I nodded my head as I opened the bath house door for her. “Merida.”

She narrowed her eyes softly. “Hands to yourself. She needs rest.”

I slid my hands into the pocket of my suit pants. “I’ll be an absolute gentleman.”

Bexley giggled. “Sure about that?”

“I am,” Merida said flatly.

Then, she exited the bath house, leaving me alone with Bexley, while the sound of her giggling wrapped around my heart. It pulled me toward the tub where I found a wooden stool sitting right where Bexley’s head rested against the copper tub. I hiked my pants up and straddled the stool, reaching for a small cup that I was sure Merida used to pour water over Bexley’s naked form.

I wet her hair down and reached for the shampoo before I spoke. “Lean up a bit, your hair’s pretty long.”

She did as I asked, like the good little girl she was. “You don’t have to do this, you know.”

I simply squirted some of the shampoo into my hands before rubbing them together. I ran it through her hair, listening to her sigh and groan as I massaged her scalp. Her back was exposed to me, and I got my first glimpse of her skin. I mean, not that I hadn’t already seen her skin twice. But, I’d never really studied it. I let my lust get the better of me on both occasions, and now I had a chance to study her naked form right there in front of me.

I didn’t like the scars that littered her body.

“What are the scars on your back from?” I asked as I lathered her hair with the soapy suds.

She snickered. “Which one?”

I continued washing her hair. “Any of them. All of them.”

“Maybe some other time,” she whispered.

I nodded softly. “Fair enough.”

I washed her hair twice before I reached for the conditioner, and she stayed silent the entire time. I coated my hands in the slippery substance before I ran my fingers through her hair, working out the knots as I went along. She let her head tilt back. Her body leaned back against the copper tub as I gathered her hair on top of her head. I wanted the conditioner to sit there for a little while, if nothing else than because she deserved to be pampered.

After all, she had a ruthless vampire after her, and we still had to figure out why.

Which meant she needed to be comfortable talking with us about things.

“Thank you,” Bexley said softly after I piled her conditioned hair on top of her head.

I swished my hands around in the milky bath water. “Hey, sometimes aftercare is necessary, even without a scene.”

That turned her head slowly over her shoulder, and I found those piercing amber eyes of hers staring back at me.

“The fuck did you just say?” she asked.

But all I did was toss her a playful wink.

“Oh my God,” she said as giggles fell from her face, “you really did say that.”

I chuckled along with her. “Yes, I really did.”

She leaned back against the tub as her laughter grew. “Oh my God.”

Her laughter filled me with joy as she held her stomach in the bath. I watched the water softly undulate as guffaws poured from her mouth.

“Holy shit, Dom,” she said in between her laughing fits, “you’re one of those dudes that likes to tie up his women like a hog about to be smoked, aren’t you?”

My smile was devilish as I reached for the cup beside the tub. Her laughter permeated the space around us as I dipped it into the water. With one hand gripping it, I slid my other hand into her hair. I folded my fingers around her slippery locks, tilting her head back as her laughter turned into a soft gasp. I chuckled darkly at the way she immediately succumbed to me. She tilted her head back for me, allowing her conditioner-drenched locks to pour down her back. The ends of her hair slipped into the spiced water she sat in, and I poured the water over her head as I worked my fingers along her scalp.

“Mmmm, Dom,” she murmured softly.

My cock twitched against my pants, but I kept myself at bay. I continued pouring water over her head until all of the conditioning serum was rinsed out. Her body glistened with the herbs that relaxed her, and her skin flushed with a healthy shade of pink as I massaged her scalp. She relaxed against the tub for me. She groaned softly at me stroking my fingers along her skin. And as I worked my way down her neck, she shivered softly beneath my touch.

“You’re really one of those guys, aren’t you?” she asked softly.

So, I figured now was as good of a time as any to have this conversation.

Especially if it provided her with a much-needed distraction.