The Bite (Book 1)

Original Edition - Chapter 34: Back to Back

Ethan and I laid silently in the grass for a little longer before we decided to head back. I felt better about him. My wolf liked being around him, she wanted him to coat her fur with his scent.

I groaned at her. I wasn't fully ready for that, I needed to take baby steps, but Ethan was letting me take baby steps.

It was hard not to like him. The man was first off a cool drink of water in the Sahara dessert. The whole time we laid in the grass, I couldn't help but sneak glances of him; his naked torso with light dark hair growing on in, forming a trail to a place that made me want to literally keel over in embarrassment from the heat on my cheeks.

But he was also kind. He was patient with me. He didn't push. For a male with blood as strong as his, he reminded me of a nervous adolescent; but then again, I didn't behave much differently around him. I felt so out of my element with Ethan.

We shifted and threw our clothes back on before we walked quietly back to the cabin. There was a nervous awkward energy around us circling us like a slow-moving hurricane that we were the eye of.

"I have to go look into the rogue attack from yesterday, but I think Evangeline was going to come get you and show you around?"

I smiled. I liked the little red headed wolf. She was funny and fiery. A ball of sass that knew how to make me smile. "Sounds good, she stopped by last night actually."

"Yes, I heard," he groaned. I chuckled nervously as my cabin came into view. "Do you see that cabin back there?"

I nodded as I looked to where his arm was pointing. It was a cabin much like ours, a little bigger. It was tucked back about a few hundred feet away from ours in some thick trees. Private. I could see a small garden in front of it, though. Flowers were starting to bloom and the leaves of what looked like cabbage and carrots were starting to sprout out of the ground.

"It's our cabin, well, mine and my siblings. If you need anything you can come over, whenever you want..."

His voice trailed off as my face flushed slightly. "I guess we're neighbors then?"

He let out a breathy laugh and pulled at his hair. "It would appear so." He pointed to his right, to another cabin not far from mine; about the same size as his with a trail of smoke coming out of the chimney. "That's Andrea and Billy's. Billy's kind of rough around the edges, but he's a good wolf."

We stopped in front of my cabin. I could feel the two vampires watching me, I knew that I was in for an interrogation when I stepped foot in that cabin. I let out a nervous breath and smiled a little. "Thank you again."

He nodded and sighed as he looked at the house. "I think we have an audience."

I rolled my eyes back at the house. "I'm never going to hear the end of it."

"Try living with Evangeline and Evan."

I laughed and nodded. I felt a spark along my cheek. He had pushed a long curl behind my ear and grazed the side of my cheek. It shocked me a bit. I stilled as I felt my breath catch in my throat.

"Sorry—" He started backing away, flustered while I tried to hide the pink on my cheeks, equally as flustered. "Have fun with Evangeline, ok?"

I nodded, and for some reason felt some disappointed. I turned to the house and started walking, mindlessly touching the place on my skin where he had touched me.

"Charlotte?"

I snapped my head around. Ethan was tugging at his hair nervously. "Could I see you tonight?" I felt my heart flip flop. I nodded and bit my lip as my wolf hopped around like a crazy jumping bean. Ethan smiled to himself and nodded. "Ok, see you later then..."