Wolves' Bane (The Order of the Wolf, #3)(13)
Morgan looked up at Cal, eyes going wide with understanding. “Oh,” she said as she looked down at his arm again. “So, you like it when I touch you?”
When she looked back up at him, it was through her eyelashes, a coy gesture that did nothing to hide a sparkle of interest there.
Does she want me? Now?
He cleared his throat again as he quickly bent down to retrieve her bag. “We have a lot to talk about, Morgan, but first rest.”
She watched him as he straightened and secured the bag over his shoulder, staring for a moment longer before blowing out a burst of breath that lifted her bangs from her face. Cal motioned for her to move ahead of him with a shrug, she finally nodded and slowly began her trek up the stairs, her exhaustion evident in every dragging step. He might have been a horny fool, but he knew the need for sleep when he saw it.
They continued in silence down the long hallway, their feet barely making a sound on the plush carpet. Their room was located in the west wing, the part of the grand estate that boasted large suites, space reserved for each bonded couple. At the moment, there were three couples—including him and Morgan—only one of which was bonded.
But that will be remedied as soon as Morgan gets some rest.
The east wing was where the Hunters slept and trained. Until they reached the peak of their powers, and their Huntresses were found, they had no need for luxuries, just a hot shower, lots of food and a comfortable cot. The rest of their time was spent training. It was a simple life, but one that had suited Cal as long as he could remember. Being the only Hunter actually born of a Huntress, he’d lived at Wolves’ Bane his entire life. So this was, and always would be, home.
He opened the door to their room and watched with concealed amusement as Morgan’s smile grew wide—beaming, in fact. He had never understood the need for such luxury until that very moment. Obviously, it was for the Huntress’s pleasure that they catered to her in such a way.
“Like it?”
Morgan took a few steps into the room and turned in a slow circle, her eyes appraising each feature. “It’s beautiful.”
Cal followed her in, deposited her bag on the floor and surveyed the room himself. He had only been in one of the west wing suites, the Oracle’s, and hers was set up to look more like a hospital room than anything else—stark and functional. This room was the total opposite. It was warm and inviting, the plush carpet complementing the dark walnut furniture. A king-size sleigh bed was nestled between two large windows topped with the softest looking pillows. Nightstands were on either side of the bed and bookshelves lined one wall. The room looked fit for a queen. It was updated with the newest technology as well—a laptop on the desk opposite the books and a flat screen mounted on the wall across from the bed.
Morgan turned toward him, her eyes alight with excitement. “Are you serious? This is my room? What did I do to deserve this kind of treatment?”
Our room. “You’re very special to us, Morgan.”
She cocked an eyebrow but raised her hand when he started to explain. “I know, I know, you’ll fill me in later.” She turned toward a second door adjacent to the bed. “Is that a washroom? With a shower? I’m going to get cleaned up before I hit the sack.”
Cal clenched his fists. The thought of Morgan wet and sudsy in the shower had him hard and wanting her all over again. What he wouldn’t give to be there to help her scrub her back. He gave his head a shake and cleared his throat. Morgan whipped her gaze to him, suddenly making him feel like she knew exactly what he’d been thinking. She arched her eyebrows as if in challenge, looking all the more sexy and daring. But when she opened her mouth to speak, he stopped her with a few hasty steps to the door.
“I’ve got to go see the Oracle.” He pulled the door toward him. “I’ll check in on you later.”
The last thing he saw before shutting the door was her frown-lined face.
Holy shit! Unless he was reading that girl completely wrong—which by the pulse of his cock, he wasn’t—she shared his lusty interest, a revelation that he wasn’t prepared for. But he supposed that the bonding attraction would go both ways. If she was destined to be his mate, it would make sense she would feel attracted to him as well.
Giving his head a little shake, he turned in the direction of the Oracle’s room, suddenly conscious of his own need for a shower and a change of clothes. He assumed that his clean clothes, the few items he owned, had been moved into his new room with Morgan, and at the moment, it would be a bad idea to go back in there. Especially if she was all wet and…
Oh Christ, this woman is going to drive me mad!
Cal reined in his devilish thoughts and focused on the task at hand. One didn’t keep the Oracle waiting. Not because she was some kind of evil witch, but because she deserved all his respect.
Kelly, their Oracle, had come to the compound at the age of fifteen, so she had lived and trained alongside them for years. Once they’d become accustomed to having a woman around, all had grown to love her like a sister. When the time had come for her to be bonded with her mate, Andrew, the Hunters all expected status quo. No one thought that she would be lost in the process.
Cal turned down the hall that would take him to Kelly and attempted to straighten his clothes as he walked. He hoped bonding and then training with Morgan would have no major hiccups. Usually, the Hunters got to the Huntresses young—like their latest find, Candy, an eighteen-year-old who came to them only a year ago. She was adapting to the training well and by the time she was of age her body would be honed and ready for battle. Morgan looked good—damn, did she look good—but she wasn’t in fighting condition. Not yet anyway. It would take some hard training to get her in shape.