Wolves' Bane (The Order of the Wolf, #3)(16)

It was that thought that shattered over me, as his hand moved from one breast to the other. It was that thought that had me pulling away from him. It was the psychic—she was the one who had said those words. Two men, destinies entwined—how would I know who was the right one?

I jolted, eyes wide, brain suddenly snapping to attention. That settled it. This was no dream.

He looked down at me, a frown on his face, his teasing fingers halted. “What’s wrong?”

“I thought I was dreaming.” I stiffened, and started to pull away, mourning the loss of his touch as I did.

Cal captured my fingers in his massive hand and brought them to his lips, the tension in my body leaving as suddenly as it had come. “It’s okay. You don’t have to fight it.”

Cal continued to kiss my fingers, one after the other. Drugging me with lust, turning me into a puddle of want.

I forced myself to pull back, needing to put a stop to this before it went too far. The psychic’s words echoed eerily in my thoughts. There were two men—well, one werewolf and one man. I shuddered, remembering Lazarus. Where was the choice? My heart beat faster as Cal released my hand and moved his lips to trail along my neck, his soft touch almost unhinging my train of thought once again.

“I can’t do this.” I swallowed before continuing. “As much as I really, really freakin’ want to right now. I can’t. Not when so much doesn’t make sense to me. I’ve been down this road before. Can’t deal with another broken heart.”

Cal paused in his kissing, his lips resting on my collarbone. When he pulled himself up to look at me, the frown had returned and I knew that I’d effectively ruined the moment.

“You don’t have to worry, Morgan. I’m not going to hurt you.” He turned me around so that my back fit against his torso and once again began his gentle caresses along my skin, lightly trailing down my arm.

I wanted to argue. I wanted to protest—to extricate myself, put some distance between us, but I suddenly found myself so tired, so deeply tired that I couldn’t keep my eyes open. The last thing I heard before slipping into sleep was Cal whispering something I couldn’t quite make out.





Chapter Eight





Introductions


I cracked my eyelids open to discover the sun’s bright rays streaming into the room and a teenage girl seated across from the bed.

“Oh, did I wake you?” Her voice was sweet, but it held undertones of mischievous delight.

I glanced over at the now open blinds and cocked an eyebrow in her direction, but she was already off the chair and bouncing around the room like a pinball, opening the closet door, shifting books on the shelf, nudging my duffle bag that still sat on the floor.

“So, you’re like, Cal’s Huntress, right?”

I frowned. Huntress?

The girl turned to look at me when I didn’t answer. “Oh, shit…I mean, shoot. He hasn’t told you anything yet, has he?” She grimaced. “Sorry, didn’t mean to spill the beans.” She closed the drawer she’d been snooping in and moved back toward the bed, her hand stretched out in front of her. “I’m Candy.”

I sat up and clasped Candy’s hand. “Um, nice to meet you, Candy. I just got here.”

Candy pulled her hand away and smiled. “Yeah, you’ve been asleep for ages. A whole day and night. You must have been tired.”

I frowned again. Had I really been asleep that long? Candy was rooting through my duffle bag now. Apparently, the kid had some issues with personal space.

“Do you live here?” I asked.

Candy nodded enthusiastically as she pulled my cell phone from my bag. “Yep. I’m going to be bonded with Jeremy in a few years, once I’m twenty-one.” She held up the phone. “Hey, did you know this is dead? You should really keep it charged.”

I flinched at the words—the same words that Jimmy had uttered moments before he died. “Yeah, I did.” I wanted to get out of bed but felt a little self-conscious about being half-naked. “There’s a charger in the bag. Would you mind getting it out and plugging it in for me?”

Candy nodded as she riffled through the bag once again, yanked out the cord and quickly found a plug to connect it to. “There you go.”

“So what does it mean to be bonded, Candy?” I edged to the side of the bed, being careful to keep myself covered from the waist down.

Candy looked over her shoulder at me, her eyebrows raised in surprise. “You mean Cal didn’t bond with you yet?”

I shrugged. How the hell would I know?

“Oh man.” Candy’s pale skin flushed with color and she turned toward the door. “You know, I’d better go. You need to get up. Breakfast has been happening for a while already. If you don’t get downstairs, soon the guys will eat all the food. They’re pigs—they eat everything in sight.” She stepped out of the room but poked her head back in to add, “It’s nice meeting you, by the way. There aren’t any other girls here to talk to so it’s great to have you staying.”

I forced a smile, suddenly feeling like an idiot for not knowing about the bonding process. What did that mean—to bond? Were we about to bond the night before when I put the brakes on? Could it be something as simple as having sex? I rested my forehead on my upturned palm, too many questions rolling around in my head. I needed to find Cal.