The Runaways: Book 1 of the The White Goddess Series

14. The Tattoo

"What is this place?" Serafina's voice was small as she looked around the cramped underground space. Her once-fancy white dress was torn and dirty and her hair was tangled and wild from the wind. 

"A fallout shelter." Ian dropped the yellow backpack to the floor. "One of Conrad's friends is a survivalist." Jeremy had invited Conrad to check it out once and Ian had tagged along.

"A what?" Serafina turned and slapped her hand over her eyes. "Ahh! I forgot you were naked."

Ian chuckled tiredly as he began to search the shelves built into one side of the concrete room. She'd freaked out more seeing him naked when he transitioned back than she had about him shifting into a wolf in the first place. "A survivalist. A super-prepared paranoid person who hates the government. I'm sure he has some clothes stashed away."

"Well find them please!" Serafina kept her hand glued to her face as Ian opened and closed a few cabinets until he found a neatly folded pile of clothes. 

"You can look now," Ian said when he'd pulled on a loose pair of sweatpants. He grinned when she peeked between her fingers before dropping her hand. "Relax. I know that wasn't your first time seeing a dick."

Serafina glared at him. At the the Day of White Goddess service when she turned six, a Church member chosen for healing of his terrible migraines pulled his...thing out onstage and begged her to heal his erectile dysfunction. So she did.

Before anyone could move fast enough to stop her, little Serafina had her hand wrapped around the guy's dangling dick. And Ian never let her forget it. 

"It was my first time seeing yours," she grumbled. "And hopefully the last."

Given that he'd probably be shifting on the regular here on in, Ian doubted that, but he knew when to shut up. He wanted to distract Serafina, not piss her off. It was a fine line with females.

They had plenty to talk about tomorrow, but tonight what she needed was food, rest, and time to process. Hell, he needed time to process. Serafina wasn't the only one whose world had been turned upside down today. The Elders' betrayal, King's secret plans and identity, learning that Serafina had shifter blood in her... Not to mention Ian had killed someone today. Not that he had any regrets but Conrad had been right. He felt different. His first kill changed him. 

All that, plus what Serafina did tonight... It would blow his mind if Ian let himself think about it. The way she'd screamed the world into silence. How the shifters surrounding them had pivoted on her unintentional command and marched into the woods like zombies. Other than Boone, not even King had been able to snap them out of it. Had they all really jumped off the cliff?

Ian didn't think Serafina even realized what she'd done. What she was capable of. In fact, he knew she didn't. 

Tomorrow, he told himself. Ian pulled one of Jeremy's t-shirts over his head and chose another for Serafina. "Turn around," he urged gently. "I'll help you get that dress off."

Serafina's golden eyes were glassy as she nodded and presented her back. "Yes please," she said fiercely. "Get it off me."

Ian's heart ached for her. Just a few short hours ago she'd loved this dress. Admired herself in it. Laughed about how King was so 'over the top'. Ha. They'd had no idea yet just how over the top he actually was. 

Asshole. Fuck him. Ian clenched his teeth against a fresh wave of anger. Fuck King for doing this to her. Fuck the Elders, and Serafina's mother too. Fuck every adult that ever let Serafina down. Exploited her. Made her feel unwanted and unloved. Like she, the person, didn't matter.