Those In The Forest

Part 9: Rose

"I think I should go home." Reagan didn't even attempt to get up at her statement.

          I don't know what came over me. I have never been so out of sync with my emotions. I lunged at her like a rabid beast. I have never been so embarrassed in my life. I can still feel my body shaking with anticipation. For what? I have no idea. I wouldn't have taken her against her will. I just... I don't know. I don't think I should be near her now. I don't deserve it.

          I swallowed down my anger and jealousy.

          Ivy growled. "To get back to Bryce?"

          I stared up at Ivy. It seems I'm not the only jealous one—just the only one who can't control themselves. And I'm not even the one with the highest libido. I would have expected hit behavior from Hazel, not me.

          Reagan smirked at Ivy. "Yes. What are you going to do about it?"

          She is one cocky woman, that's for sure. We all glared at her, daring her. To do what I can't even say. I honestly want her to do something. From the way she acts, it seems she's just all talk.

          Karina cleared her throat, pulling all of our attention away from each other and over to her. "It's a long way back home, and it's late. I have my issues with taking you back, but I don't think us taking you back tonight is going to happen."

          Celia laughed and stood up from the coffee table, moving to the other couch opposite Reagan. "That and she doesn't want you to see how to get back to the city from our home. Very paranoid, my mate. You'll soon learn to look past that."

          Karina huffed like a pup. It is very common when she converses with Celia. "And why exactly does she need to learn to look past it?"

          Celia met Karina's challenging stare. "Because she is their mate. And getting rid of her will put our Runts in danger as well as her. Like it or not, love. She is here to stay."

          There was silence for a few minutes—most likely them talking through their bond, saying things they didn't want to chance saying aloud.

          "I don't want to talk more about this in private," Karina whined. "It's final."

          My eyes shot open when Celia bared her teeth at Karina. "Use that tone with me again, and you will see yourself sleeping outside my door." Her eyes flashed yellow in warning.

          Karina groaned and walked out of the room.

          Celia sighed. "Reagan, oddly, I trust you won't tell anyone, but you have to understand this is a lot bigger than secrets. Lives can be put at risk if you are too far away from your... mates."

          "I haven't accepted them as my mates, so why must I live a life with people I don't know." Reagan's jaw clenched. "Look, I need to get back home at least now that I have one because that may not last long."

          "What do you mean?" I blurted out the question before I could stop myself. A protective urge rushed through my body. Did this have to do with Bryce? Was that person hurting her?

          She ran her hands over her face. "Don't worry about it. Just know that if you get me home now, I won't tell anyone. I doubt being homeless and trying to go to tell the story of four gorgeous werewolf women in the forest will get me a job."

          Gorgeous?

          She looked at us and right back down at her hands. A light pink tint crowded her tanned skin.

          The door bursts open, and Avah and Lennox walk in with worried expressions wrapped in the sheets we keep outside. They looked at Reagan, who was staring at them with wide eyes, then back at us.

          "Avah! Lennox! Wonderful timing." Celia pointed toward Reagan. "This is Reagan—our Runts mate. Reagan, this is Avah and Lennox."

          Reagan looked them over, then waved. "Hello."

          "She can stay with us." I blurted again, not really wanting to hear what Avah and Lennox had to say right now.

          My lovers stared at me. One of us had to be bold enough to say it. From the way their mood shifted, they were pleased with my decision.

          "Have you lost your mind?" Avah asked in a harsh, loud whisper.

          "I think it's a good idea," Hazel shouted.

          "You only want her around because she is your mate, and you feel the natural urge to. You are all really young, this... You don't understand what you are doing right now." Lennxos pointed out.

          I watched Reagan frown. "You all look the same age. How can you say this like you know more?" she asked with a raised brow.

          "Werewolves age slower. A lot slower. Lennox and I are in our fifties. And Karina and Celia are in their seventies." Avah said like it wasn't one of the craziest things Reagan had heard today.

          I stood back, folding my arms over my chest. Reagan looked at us, brushing off what Avah just said. "I mean, it is late... I would like to stay the night. It's been a really long say, and I need the rest."

          Celia looked at us and then over at Avah and Lennox. "Tonight can't hurt. She already knows more than we would like. It's not like she can figure anything else out by sleeping here." Celia stood up.

          Reagan finally stood up, and we all froze. "Where's your room?" she addressed us.

          My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to pound out of my chest. "You want to sleep with us?" Iris asked.

          Reagan laughed. It's such a beautiful sound. "No. I'm taking your bed because... well, I have my own reasons. You can sleep wherever else."

          "Bossy," Lennox commented from the door.

          Celia raised a brow. "The room is all yours. It's just upstairs, second door on the left."

          Ivy frowned. "How did you know we slept together?" she asked carefully.

          Reagan shrugged. "Just a thought. You're pack animals. From what your Elders told me, I figure that if it hurt you to stay away from me, it must hurt to be away from each other. So you all sleep together."

          She said this like it was just a straightforward assessment. Like she could read us like nothing.

          "Why can't we be with you?" I asked, hurt.

          "Because you are all strangers," she said, going to the room.

          Celia took a deep breath. "I would like to finish this, but I need to go have a talk with my mate. How fucking dare she walk away from me?" she whispered that last part to herself.

          I want to be happy that she's even here, but the greedy part is hating that we still must be apart. 

A/N: Three chapters in one day!! Whaaatttt?!