Chapter Ninety Two
Horst was waiting for me just inside the mansion's huge front doors when I finally hobbled my way up the porch steps and pushed them open. I was admittedly getting a bit dizzy and was holding a hand against the gash on my head to staunch the flow of blood.
He noticed immediately, however, and guilt flooded his tear-bloated features.
"Do you want me to heal it?" he asked in a small voice, and I looked at him gently. "I'm sorry... I saw Jak coming at you and... I just, I didn't think. I didn't mean to--"
"Shh," I hushed, wrapping my free arm around his broad torso and steering him out of the wood-floored entry hall and towards the grey-carpeted corridor leading to the kitchen beyond. "It was an accident on your part and you did it trying to save my life."
"Why are you so fuckin' nice to me?" he grumpily sniffed, ears still hanging limply.
"We're back to the needing a reason," I countered, rolling my eyes. "I try to be as polite and respectful to people as I can be, okay? It's just how I am... stop questioning it. Jeez."
"Sorry."
"It's nothing to be sorry for," I sighed, patting his arm as I turned the corner leading to the kitchen and the ballroom; I jumped when both of us unexpectedly walked into a hulking form that was already waiting for us with folded arms. "Oh... uh..."
I swallowed hard and slowly raised my eyes to see Sebastian looking down at me.
His jaw was clenched, and his eyes were shining white with a tinge of yellow.
I cringed slightly when he extended his hand and gripped my wrist, tugging it off my head and pulling it down. I saw Horst trembling in actual fear and he shrank back, moving somewhat behind me, which didn't go unnoticed since those searing eyes flitted to him for a second.
I was confused when they came back to me without any sort of interest in him.
"Bash," I tried to say, but he immediately shook his head, face warping, so I snapped my mouth closed and simply stood there while he pushed my blood-soaked hair out of my face and leaned down to look at the cut I'd been given. His lip curled in fury before those eyes looked at the pink lines of the bite on my shoulder, and he sighed heavily through his nose.
Without a word, he leaned forward and kissed me on the lips before lifting his mouth and licking my forehead, gently pulling me away from Horst as he did so and wrapping two gentle arms around me. I flinched at the sting that shot through my scalp, letting out an involuntary hiss.
His tongue was soothing, though, and I relaxed in his arms.
Feeling his grip on me... knowing that I was safe, that he was here, that it was over... well, it was in that moment that the emotions I'd been holding back came bubbling up and I started crying, but when he heard it or smelled it, I didn't know which--maybe both--he froze and pulled back to look at me blankly.
Those blinding eyes flitted across my face intensely as my expression broke, mouth quivering.
The sight of them blurred as the tears spilled over and I started to shake and hiccup.
His face darkened and he growled, leaning close and gently kissing my tears.
"I am so proud of you," he hissed, licking my tears away and pulling me into a hug that squeezed the air out of my lungs. "I saw everything, Beloved... what you did... you are brave. Strong. The audacity that fucker had... I was ready to bust through the damn window and wring his neck when he raised his hand against you, but the way you stood your ground... fuck."
"You... y-you were watching?" I asked in a watery voice. "W-why didn't you step in? I-I was terrified, Bash! I thought he was gonna... k-ki..."
It devolved into a sob and I clenched the hem of my skirt with shaking fists, biting my lower lip with my fangs to try and stifle it. He ran his hands through my hair and kissed my cheeks dry, tongue snaking out and clearing away the fear and heartache as it escaped, soothing me.
"If it had looked for even a second like he was truly going to hurt you," Sebastian hissed, clutching my face with both hands and staring straight into my eyes, "I would have been on his ass in a split second. He wouldn't have even seen me coming."
"So, you just... watched?" Horst spit out, and I twitched before turning to look at him; his face was red and he looked livid, bloodshot and puffy eyes screwed into yellow slits. "You watched as Jak attacked us? He's unpredictable and violent! He could have killed Aerin! Your life mate!"
"No... as enraged as I am by the way that fight between you all went down," Sebastian said slowly, reaching out and mussing up the kid's curly hair, "I am more... shocked... by the way it turned out, and especially how this one here held his ground. He stood up to an alpha werewolf far more dangerous than he for your sake... because that's just the kind of creature he is."
Horst seemed frozen under the hand messing up his curls, blinking as his puffy eyes dimmed.
I sniffed and rubbed my eyes dry, looking up at Sebastian's blinding irises.
"Why are you so angry, then?" I asked, and he scowled like a man about to commit murder.
"Because that fool had the gall to come charging at you, and then... attempt to put his hands on you for speaking a truth he couldn't handle," Sebastian said coldly. "We've already made that mistake too many times... I want you to be happy and have no more unpleasant memories for you to reminisce over in this house, but Jak... he's just lucky you intervened and shifted the situation before I had a chance to get involved. It would have been bloody had you not."
His hand slid down to the bite mark that Horst had given me when he'd been crying.
I tilted my head, closing my eyes as he touched the surprisingly sore spot, but the young hybrid behind us noticed and I heard the sound of hooves shuffling against carpet.
"I'm sorry about the cut on his head... and about, you know, biting him," Horst instantly said. "I lost my head for a few seconds and needed to... to gnash, so I wouldn't end up screaming at the top of my lungs, but... all I had was him, and--"
"Silence... it is all right, youngling," Sebastian grunted absently, and I felt his fingers probe. "This doesn't carry the scent of a love mark... it smells like a bite reeking of pain and anxiety. It will fade within a day because of the emotional imbalances within your saliva."
"Wait, what?" I asked, startled into snapping my eyes open and pulling back. "What do you mean?"
"Hn," he grunted, giving me a sour look. "What I mean, Beloved, is that letting him bite you was a foolish thing to do. You're quite lucky that I saw everything that transpired between you."
My eyes went wide and I froze, suddenly realizing with a gout of horror that Sebastian might have taken the healed bite in the most wrong of all ways and a cold chill swept through me. I flailed my hands as a sinking feeling of despair and horror and yearning crushed me.
"It wasn't like that!" I exclaimed, jerkily shaking my head. "He was having a breakdown, Bash! I couldn't just not hug him, and you know, when he bit me... well, my sister sometimes used to do that when she wanted to muffle it all, and I just thought... oh, man! I'm s--!"
"Don't," he purred, leaning close and licking my forehead one last time before kissing the spots where my tears had been. I was silenced by his mouth against mine and he kissed me deeply, hands sliding down my shoulders and holding my elbows. I melted, shivering as my feet instinctively turned into hooked claws. I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed.
Our lips tingled, burned, meshed together in heat.
I felt blissful, moreso when his tongue brushed my lips in a teasing swipe.
"Ugh..." Horst finally muttered, sounding disgusted, and I felt Sebastian's lips slide into a satisfied smirk against my own before he pulled back. "Get a room, you two."
"I would, but Aerin owes this night to you, young one," Sebastian rumbled, patting my cheek as he righted himself and turned his attention on the faun-like boy behind me. "You two concocted a plan that I think would actually be very beneficial for everyone involved. I applaud that."
"Wait, what?" Horst asked, stepping past me with his shoulders hunched. "So... you heard what we were talking about in the garden?"
"All of it," he said, and my heart sank when the kid looked horrified. "When Aerin was forced out of the room, an argument broke out between my pack and yours, and we adjourned it for a few minutes to take time for everyone to calm down. Most remained in the kitchen, but Jak and I left to discuss a few things on our own, but when he and I heard you two talking, he bolted."
Ah. That would explain why Jak had come running out even though nobody else had.
But... had Sebastian been watching what had happened the entire time? It was clear that he'd heard everything, but where had he been? How had he known? Watching us from a window perhaps? I shook the thoughts away and looked at him with another thought in mind.
"You're behind the movie night?" I asked, curious. "Really?"
"I am," he said, eyes still that same unsettling shade of molten platinum. "Go in and get this kid some hot chocolate to calm him down, Beloved. Nobody will bother you or ask questions. Most of them probably heard the way you stood up to their pack leader."
"Wait, what?!" Horst squeaked, eyes widening in horror. "Really?"
"Yes, you were all quite loud once things escalated," Sebastian confirmed, nodding once; he set his eyes past me and narrowed them in a way I didn't like. "Now, I have something to take care of... and once I do, I will head to Woodrow's cabin to retrieve all your flash drives."
"O-okay," I said, watching as he stalked past me with his arms and neck bulging. "Bash?"
He paused and turned his head, curls swinging across his neck; I noticed with a start that his hair had gotten a little longer since I'd met him, and I kind of liked it, too. "What?"
"I love you," I called quietly, and he turned all the way around, the platinum shine momentarily darkening to a more typical neon yellow.
"I love you, too," he uttered, "and I am proud to call you mine. I will never forget the way you stood up for yourself and this child tonight, mark my words. You are someone worthy of being loved... of being treasured... and I never should have hurt you."
"That's all in the past," I reminded him with a faint grin. "Remember, think future thoughts!"
He snorted, eyes darkening even further, dimming almost back to copper before they flared bright and his harsh expression came back. He nodded at me before turning back around and swaggering off in a manner that looked a little menacing. I swallowed hard.
His neck was tensed and his arms were bulging with exertion.
Fists, clenched.
Even the way he was hunched forward... was he planning on exploding somewhere else?
I shook the idea free and turned to look at Horst, who was staring off after him without a word.
"That's the alpha of this pack?" he absently rasped. "Are you serious?"
"Yeah," I said, frowning when he turned to me in genuine confusion. "Why do you ask?"
"Because he doesn't act anything like Jak," Horst said, rubbing his tear-swollen eyes. "He was pissed... I've never seen a werewolf's eyes glow that hard or that light before. I've never seen one get that fuckin' mad! He was mad enough to kill, yet he lovingly licked your wounds, kissed you when you started crying, and he even told you he was proud of you!"
"I was actually just as caught off guard by that," I admitted, and he stared at me. "Sebastian is a complicated guy, okay? I genuinely thought he was going to go off on us for getting ourselves into trouble, and also at me for getting myself hurt. I... well, what just happened was... different."
"You're lucky to have him as your leader either way," he grumpily muttered, letting loose a disheveled sigh. "Now that the cat's out of the bag, let's just get this shit over with."
"Yeah," I agreed, holding out my hand with a forced grin. "Let's go get you something sweet to drink and nibble on while I start making everybody some snacks for the movie night."
He looked at my palm, then back at my face and hesitantly set his hand in mine.
I held it tight and smiled a little more naturally before leading him down to the kitchen and pulling him in. I ignored the way everyone turned to look at me, including the wolves from Jak's pack, but for some reason the air felt different than before.
The tension was gone and in its place was something weird.
"Oi, vampire," one of the men sitting on the counter called, bobbing his sandy blonde soul-patch covered chin at me when I glanced at him with furrowed brows. Long, neat-looking dreadlocks bounced across his eyes and narrow, angular face. "Was that you we heard screamin' earlier?"
My eyes flitted around the room to see that every guy was looking right at me or Horst. None of them blinked, none of them wore any expression, and it disturbed me. Everyone from Sebastian's pack seemed subdued, even Tiffany and Woody, who were looking on in concern.
"Most likely," I said stiffly, swallowing hard when Horst squeezed my hand so tight it hurt.
"So, you really did stick up for our Horsey wolf, eh?" he asked, and I blinked since a twinkle lit up his dark eyes; he slid off the counter and swaggered over to me, and I realized with a blink that the guy was ridiculously thin, tall, and lanky like a reed.
"The way anyone watching a kid be abused by his parents should," I said flatly, and everyone stiffened; the man walking towards me faltered, smirk fading, but then he kept going, faster, approaching me with a gait of sheer intent--
Horst suddenly stepped in front of me just as he reached out.
The hand froze and the lanky werewolf seemed surprised; Horst, on the other hand, seemed to shrink somewhat.
"He's nothing like the vampires that attacked us," he said quietly, shoving his hands in his pockets and standing his ground. "I can understand why he's with these wolves. Why an alpha claimed him as a life mate, too... don't be... rude, okay?"
The surprise shifted into a wide, feral grin and the man in front of us laughed.
Almost abruptly, every other guy sitting and standing and lounging around the kitchen joined in, filling the air with a raucous cacophony that startled me and the boy in front of me, and presumably every single one of Sebastian's packmates if the growls I heard were any clue.
"We know, Horse," the man chuckled, rolling his eyes and snatching his horns; the kid squawked and flailed his hands when the older werewolf used them to pull him out of the way, but then he let go and continued toward me until we were right in front of each other. "You, Vampire... you got guts! Nobody's ever screamed at Jak like that before, especially not over the kid."
"That might be part of the problem," I said sourly, and he blinked, raising a frazzled eyebrow. "I don't really think talking about this is a good idea. I'd rather just get Horst some hot cocoa and start making food and snacks for the retro movie marathon night we're throwing for everyone."
"You're seriously doing that?" someone demanded in a hoarse, gravely voice; I turned to the speaker to see a very pale, dark-bearded, dangerous-looking man with a wide nose, extremely narrow eyes, and an ebony braid hanging down to the back of his knees. He was broad shouldered and had beefy arms from beneath a zipped leather vest.
Unlike most of the werewolves I'd seen, he had a bit of a gut. He was by no means fat or even chubby since I could tell he still had an extreme amount of muscle beneath it, but his physique boasted of someone who spent a fair amount of time drinking beer over football games.
"Yeah," I said, nodding before I turned to look at Diana, Cassidy, Leo, and the others. "Are you guys up for that after the meeting ends? It still has to happen, right?"
"I'm down!" Kyle instantly gushed, lunging onto Richard's back and wrapping his arms around his neck; two skinny legs curled around his waist when the bald man grunted and scowled, but instead of shrugging him off he gripped Kyle's legs and kept him in the piggy-back position.
"I admit, it would be nice to have something relaxing to look forward to after this," Diana said pleasantly, smoothing the front of her white skirt; I noticed Cassidy plucking at something on her beige turtleneck, too, but didn't get to see what since Woody and Tiffany stepped forward.
"We'll help you get the food and snacks started," she told me with a wide grin. "Okay?"
"How will he be able to cook us anything?" Leo suddenly snorted, and everyone turned to look at him, even me. "He can't taste food unless its got blood in it, remember?"
"Oh, fuck," I said, face pinching in dismay as the truth of his words went through me. "Actually, he's got a point, you guys... and the last time I tried cooking anything was over fifty years ago."
"That's why I said we'll help you, duh!" Tiffany drawled, rolling her eyes. "It's easy! Just have... um, what's your name again, Cutie?"
Horst blinked, then looked around before gesturing at himself with a confused, "you mean me?"
"Yeah, I'm bad with names," she said sheepishly, shrugging when Woody wheeze-chuckled. "I know Aerin introduced you to Woody and I earlier, but I already forgot it. Sorry!"
"It's... Horst," he said, blinking.
"Yeah, Horst," Tiffany said, turning to look at me. "I'll get you some yummy recipes from Diana and Cassidy's cook book and you can have Horst taste test them as you're making them!"
I thought about it, then glanced at the satyric hybrid in curiosity. "That sound like a good idea to you?"
"I don't care," he snorted, shrugging. "Why you askin' me? This was your idea, after all."
"Okay, then, yeah," I said, nodding; I instantly unbuttoned my denim jacket and took it off, turning and holding it out to Woody, who grinned at me with soft eyes. "Can you hold onto this for me while I get everything ready?"
He nodded and took it, but I noticed that his free arm was around Tiffany's shoulder and that he seemed happier than I'd ever seen him before despite everything that was going on. I smiled on the inside and walked over to the cabinets, moving past several strange werewolves who watched me silently. I didn't like the fact that everyone was so damn quiet, to be honest. It made me feel like I was being judged and it gave me a jittery vibe.
"I'll be back," Diana sighed, taking Cassidy's hand. "Come on, let's go get the recipe book."
"Fine," the thin woman deadpanned, following her out of the kitchen. I barely noticed them leave. I puttered around until I found a coffee mug, then opened other cabinets looking for some hot cocoa to make Horst. He came over and stood beside me, watching as I looked through each and every one, only coming into contact with dishes and other kitchen paraphernalia.
"Where the heck is all your canned food and, you know, the storage-based stuff?" I called, squatting down and looking through some of the lower cabinets. "I can't find it!"
"Pantry!" Kyle helpfully called. "It's through the other closed door in the wall!"
I turned my head, hair swinging across my cheeks and dusting the floor, instantly spotting the door he was talking about.
"Thanks," I said, squeezing past two brown-haired wolves dressed in leather and metal chains who smelled oddly like old-spice mixed with something else. They watched me without a word, bearded mouths quirked and eyebrows slightly raised. I felt uncomfortable under their gazes.
Under everyone's gazes, really.
I was happy when I opened the door to the pantry and went in since I was out of sight.
Jesus, this is a weird vibe, I mentally complained, searching the huge pantry shelves for some hot chocolate mix. Everyone's just standing around in silence, staring at me... I feel like a bug under a microscope and I hate it. They're not even talking to each other--
"Oh!" I exclaimed, thoughts shattering into pieces when I saw a box of yellow Nesquik chocolate milk mix sitting behind a huge container of square cheeze-it crackers. "Hello there!"
I picked it up and looked at it, spinning it around since I hadn't seen anything food-related like this since I was a kid. It brought back memories of drinking chocolate milk when I was little. I also saw, in bold lettering on the back, "THIS IS TIFFANY'S PROPERTY! DON'T TOUCH MAH CHOCOLATE MILK, BITCHESSSSSS!"
I snorted, covering a laugh with the back of my hand since I could see her writing this, and I momentarily debated snagging it so I could ask her if it would be okay to use, but I ended up choosing to wait and instead set it down so I could look for the hot chocolate mix.
In the process I found two huge bags of miniature marshmallows and I preened, mentally taking note of where they were just as I found what I was looking for. My jaw dropped when I saw thirty two boxes of the stuff, and I wondered for a moment if making some for everyone would be a bad idea. They were all going to be eating with us if things went well, right?
Plus, they were probably stressed over things being stagnant with the meeting.
"Can't hurt," I said, shrugging. "Might as well go get some more cups and mugs."
I grabbed as many boxes as I could carry without dropping them and carefully snatched the marshmallow bags with my left hand by squeezing my little and ring finger together. They dangled precariously on the way out, but I held tight, even when I ended up shuffling sideways to squeeze my way past the two brunettes who just continued watching.
"Whoa, why do you have so many boxes?" Tiffany asked, eyebrows shooting up when she saw how many I was carrying. "He doesn't need that many glasses!"
"I was thinking of making some for everyone," I said, setting everything on the counter when I heard a snort and a small intake of breath. "I don't get why nobody's talking, but the whole feeling in this room is suffocating me. I figured making hot chocolate for the people who want it would help ease whatever tension is going on here."
"Wait, you're making some for us, too?" a pale, scrawny man with piercings in his lips, nose, and ears and a messy dyed green Mohawk asked me. "Fuckin' yeah?"
"If you want some," I said, casting him a perplexed look. "Sure."
Almost every single guy from Jak's pack stood up.
"I'll take a mug!"
"Same!"
"Can ya add a shot to mine, pretty boy?"
I snorted, rolling my eyes, but then I froze.
My annoyed smile dissolving as a strange prickle swept across my brain, muddling it.
"What's the matter, pretty boy? I thought you said I was handsome.'
I winced and covered my left eye, grimacing as a sharp stab of pain went through my head. I leaned on the counter, trying to let it support my weight as the room spun and prickling black and red spots coated my vision. I saw something move in the spots, something... hands...?
Hands...
Hands.
My hands were tied, and I was kicking and screaming as I was dragged through the middle of the empty street, throwing my weight around as I fought to get free. I couldn't fight back, he was too strong, I couldn't get away! He was dragging me across the pavement like it was nothing!
By one arm!
"LET GO OF ME!" I screeched, kicking my legs as tears of rage and terror streamed down my face. "GET OFF! SOMEBODY HELP ME! HELP!
"Oh, poor pretty boy," a garbled voice chuckled, and all of a sudden I was dropped; a shadow loomed over me, surrounded by other silhouettes that swum and distorted like ink in water. I instantly tried to sit up and bolt, but a heavy boot smashed into my chest and flattened me so hard that I was winded immediately. My nightmare leaned down close.
"Get of me!" I wailed, struggling to get the rope off my hands. "LET GO!"
"How about... no?" he chuckled nastily. "We haven't even gotten to the fun part yet."
Terror electrocuted me when I heard low growls and chuckles echoing all around him.
"SOMEBODY!" I screeched, bursting into tears. "HELP ME! PLEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!"
My voice echoed in the emptiness, bouncing of the buildings, down the streets.
Dying into nothing.
"You wanna scream?" the shadow asked, static-filled voice turning rough, all amusement gone; a heavy hand gripped my hair and the mass of shadow leaned closed. "I'll even scream with you, bitch! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! See? Nobody's gonna save you. You're mine now."
"Aerin?"
"Stop!" I cried, screaming in pain as he instead started dragging me down the snow-covered road by the hair. "Ow! OW! OWWWWWWWWW--"
"Aerin!"
I twitched, the vision dissolving and leaving me gasping.
My head snapped back, hands shaking as I stared blankly at the ceiling. My breath came hard and ragged, and my mouth trembled as I came back to myself. Only... only... I... remembered.
"Someone had me..." I muttered, blinking rapidly. "I... he was dragging me by the hair... my hands... they were tied, and I was... screaming. I remember... I finally remember something."
"Wait, what?!" Richard growled, and I heard footsteps all around me before someone gripped my shoulder and forced me to turn; two harsh eyes looked at mine. "What are you talking about? Speak, dammit!"
"I... I remembered something from the month I have amnesia about, I think," I said slowly, dazedly, shivering as I went back over everything mentally. I could... nothing was hazy, it didn't slip away from like the last few times I'd experienced it. "I... I think... someone kidnapped me."
Kyle, on his back, shrugged and said, "well, that was a very long time ago and you're safe with us now. Don't worry about it! If anyone ever tries to kidnap you now we'll crush them!"
I blinked when the redhead grinned widely and reassuringly, and I looked past him and his boyfriend to see that Leo had his eyes narrowed, Jun was hiding in his hood, and Tiffany was looking at me with an expression of concern. Woody, however, was nodding with a smile.
When he caught my stare, those green eyes softened and he raised his hand, signing, 'I would never let anyone harm you, and neither would Sebastian. You have nothing to fear with us guarding your back so relax and enjoy the night. We'll talk about this more later.'
I admit, he had a good point... the idea of it relaxed me and I sighed, nodding.
"Thanks, you guys," I said, letting myself smile. "Now, how about that hot chocolate?"
The room instantly filled with cheers and more requests, which I happily obliged to. In the middle of the room, however, Horst stood watching me... confused, irritated, head tilting this way and that as his eyes followed my every movement.
I wasn't oblivious to it since I caught him watching me more than once, but when I'd finished microwaving the first cup of hot coco and had put a smattering of marshmallows into the steaming fluid, I turned to face him and walked over. He leaned back when I held it out.
"Here," I said, chuckling. "Take it, sit down, and try to calm yourself a little, okay? The things that happened tonight would jar anybody if they were in your shoes. You deserve to relax after all the fuckery earlier... and then, I'll get started on everyone else's."
"And after that?" Horst rasped, side-pupil eyes flitting up to meet my stare. "What then?"
"Then, you and I can make the food," I said, grinning. "And then--"
"Hold it right there," Cassidy's voice suddenly interrupted, and I paused when she came back into the room with a book in her hands. "Leave the cooking to me and my wife. We'll make the food and the snacks for this movie night you're so hell-bent on roping us into, got it?"
"Wait, really?" I asked, blinking in surprise. "You two will?"
"You gals are married to each other?" the dark-haired muscle-chub asked. "Damn... here I was hoping I had a shot with one of you."
Diana, who'd just walked into the room, made a sour face and uttered, "sorry, honey, but fuck no."
"You got balls for saying so, though," Cassidy drawled, giving him a pert look; he smirked and nodded, patting his crotch with a proud look.
"That I do, Spitfire," he agreed, winking. "Big ones."
"Ew," Cassidy deadpanned, instantly facing forward with a blank face. "Never do that again."
The other guys in his pack laughed and teased him with a few hoots and hollers and perverse guy-ish insults, but I was more focused on other things.
"So, if you guys are doing the cooking," I said slowly, "do you want me to help?"
"Sweetheart," Diana said, casting an unreadable look at me, "once you're done making the hot chocolate for everyone who wants it, all I want for you to do is take Tiffany, Woodrow, and that boy you brought in here and go relax somewhere until everything is over."
"Eh?" Tiffany scoffed, cocking her hip. "Why us, too? We're part of this meeting, and--"
"Keep them company until Sebastian and this Jak fellow comes back," Richard grunted, and she snapped her mouth shut before sharing a glance with the redhead beside her. "Tonight is just the first of many gatherings... we have a long few days ahead of us."
"Wait, are they going to be staying here?" Tiffany asked, eyes widening. "Don't give them my room! A lot of my stuff is still in there!"
"Ah, don't worry princess, we're staying at a nearby motel," the guy with the soul-patch and the dreadlocks commented; it hit me that I still didn't know any of their names. "This territory isn't ours, after all. Smells like all of you... makes my gut knot, you know what I mean?"
"A typical physical reaction when you're in another pack's territory," Leo noted, watching every single person in the room with razor sharp eyes that danced from face to face. "I can't imagine its a comfortable feeling to be surrounded by the scents of strange wolves."
"You know it!" green Mohawk guy laughed. "Not like any of you reek, it's just... not us!"
When others started talking about it, I looked at Horst and pushed the mug into his hands before sweeping back over to the cabinets and pulling out as many cups as I could find. I spent about thirty minutes making everyone their mugs, and by the time I was finished, both bags of marshmallows were gone and I was sweating from the heat of the steaming drinks.
"Thanks, mate," one of the brunettes who'd been eyeing me weirdly murmured when I handed him the last cup. "You didn't have to do this, but we appreciate it."
"He didn't have to stick up for Horse, either," the second one chuckled darkly. "The NC alpha found himself a sexy little treasure when he picked this one up, eh, Little Brother?"
"Definitely, Bro," the first one agreed, smirking deviously; a weird feeling sank into my stomach when they both eyed me in a way that had warning bells going off in my head. Still, I fought to hide it and smiled before backing away and turning to the faces I knew.
"I think I'm done," I said, glancing at Horst. "You wanna go hang out in the sitting room?"
"Sure," Horst said, shrugging. "Why not?"
Woody instantly took Tiffany's hand and followed us when we moved past him, leading her along as we turned and headed down the hall. Silence came from behind us. It was unsettling, made me feel weird, and I really just didn't like how quiet they were all being.
Then again... I guess I understood it since they were waiting on Jak and Sebastian.
It made sense.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair, since I was already exhausted from head to toe.
Why can't life ever not be complicated? I asked myself for the millionth time.
Predictably, I received no answer from above or below... at least, that's what I thought until a big, warm hand slid into mine. I felt my heart sink when I glanced down and saw that Horst had taken it. His eyes were on the floor and he looked sad, ears all droopy and face sunken.
"Thanks for the hot chocolate, man," he said simply, not looking at me. "It was good."
I smiled and squeezed his fingers reassuringly as I said, "anytime, kiddo."