Quiver

18

The next day had passed with much the same fashion as the first, except I was slightly more relaxed thanks to Cole springing at me right away with his familiar smile. Sarah and Holden had opted for sitting on the loveseat nearby, watching the other members though they didn't speak, merely observing me. Yorik and Annalise had once again remained near the door, though I wasn't exactly sure why. To run out before the others? To block the exit until the other members could attack if I shifted? No matter their reasoning, I felt uncomfortable with their positioning though I was in no place to comment on it.

We had only stayed for an extra hour and then left. At the hotel room, Roman seemed insistent that everyone was slowly coming around and that the next day we'd try talking to the others more, maybe walk around a bit.

Elliere hadn't shown up again or contacted us yet in regards to taking down the Jaecars. We had said a week, but you never knew, he had seemed eager to wreak havoc upon them. I wasn't complaining though, I couldn't wait until we formed a plan and took that plan into action. I was dying for revenge on my evil adoptive mother... though she was far from motherly.

"Rori?" Roman murmured, his arms tightening around my waist as he snuggled as close to me as possible.

"Hmm?" I responded, my body warm from within at our contact. The bond was both a distraction and a blessing, I loved every part of it though.

"We need to get up and see the pack again today, maybe socialize more. I also heard that Bree would be coming back there today," he said softly, his warm breath tickling my neck and making me shift slightly.

"Bree?" I asked, my voice shaky. Would she reject me too?

"Mhmm," he answered, lightly kissing the spot behind my ear, sending tingles through me and making me almost forget about seeing the pack at all.

"Roman," I gasped. "If you keep that up, we won't be going anywhere."

"Well, we could be a little late. We have all day," he rumbled, his hands slipping down to my hips, pulling me back roughly into his arousal.

A small moan escaped my lips and I knew we wouldn't be leaving until later.

**

"Rori? What's going on?" Bree asked when I walked through the pack house door and everyone became tense aside from Cole, Roman, Sarah and Holden.

"You didn't tell her?" I turned to Yorik, speaking and moving slowly.

He shook his head, the tightness and strain in his green eyes never leaving.
"We figured that you should be the one to tell her," Annalise said, her voice and expression ever so slightly less tense than her mate's.

I nodded. "Thank you for that."

It would've felt wrong for them to blab about me and say horrid things about my new change to Bree. It would've taken away the only chance I had to win her over... if she was even bothered by it.

I turned to Bree nervously and opened my mouth to speak. Before I could say a word though, Cole threw himself into my arms. His happy laugh made me pause and enjoy it. It faded all too soon and I was left with the eerie, watchful gazes of the untrusting members of the pack and Bree's expectant one.

"Well?" She said, arching an eyebrow. "All of this is not normal. I leave for a few days and suddenly shít has hit the fan. So spill."

I sighed and sat gently on the couch with Cole and Roman.

"It turns out Claire did a lot more to me than I thought."

Bree's face turned serious in an instant, her wide green eyes radiating concern intensely against her pale skin and fiery hair. "What? What did she do?"