She shoves her snout between his pillows, the black silk at odds against her white coat. A loud snort follows, her tail wagging happily.
I lean against his door frame, grinning as she uses her little claws to dig at the blankets.
Tieran’s going to lose his fucking mind when he comes back.
I’ll do my best to stand in his way, but the little wolf really needs to learn some manners. So I’ll have to hand her over to him at some point.
She sighs happily as the comforter and top sheet move out of her way, allowing her to properly scent off his bed. Except she doesn’t roll as much here. Instead, she curls into a ball in the center.
Claiming her spot.
I arch a brow. “You sure you want to do that, sweetling?”
She closes her eyes in response.
“All right,” I say, chuckling as I push away from the door frame. “I hope you enjoy spankings, sweetheart. You’ve more than earned one.”
Of course, I’m partially to blame since I opened the door—something I’ll own up to when Tieran returns.
Until then, I busy myself in the kitchen, making dinner for four instead of three.
The moon is rising when Tieran and Caius finally return, their arms full of shit from the yacht. We left it all there earlier when we spotted the guards going the wrong way around the island.
Tieran sets my folded clothes on the table, the suit in relatively good condition considering how I left it on the beach.
Caius has the envelope of cash in his pile, along with a laptop bag and several other items from our trip to the mainland.
“Where’s the girl?” he asks, frowning at finding me alone in the kitchen.
“Taking a nap.” She hasn’t made a single sound since I left her downstairs.
“In the guest room?” Tieran’s tone and expression tell me he knows she’s not there because her scent is too subtle on this floor.
“No.” I smile, already anticipating his reaction. “She found a more comfortable place to sleep downstairs.”
His brow draws downward. “Where?”
I shrug. “Follow your nose. You’ll find her.”
But the way his eyes narrow tell me he already knows. “Fuck. Tell me you didn’t let that mutt into my room.”
I frown at him, but it’s forced and mocking. “You’re asking me to lie? I thought our brotherhood was built on truth.”
“You fucking dick.”
My lips curl back upward. “Sorry. She’s cute when she begs.”
He growls. “I would throw your suit back down to the beach, but I know you wouldn’t care.”
“Not at all,” I agree. “But feel free to do it anyway.”
Caius distracts the grumbling Alpha with a beer. “She’s scared and chose your bed because it made her feel safe. Take it as a compliment.”
“Yeah, because I love fresh salty fur in my bed,” he mutters at him, taking the beer and nearly breaking the neck of it.
I return to the stove, flipping the salmon steak once more to sear the opposite side. “If it makes you feel better, she rolled in all our sheets.”
“That doesn't make me feel better,” he bites back.
I shrug. “At least her salty fur comes with a sweet perfume.”
“Great. So I’ll feel grimy and want to jerk off.” He slams his beer down on the counter. “I’m going to go see if I can’t coax the human out of her furry shell so we can have an adult conversation about boundaries.”
“Try not to go too hard on her,” I call to him. “She’s cute.”
He grunts, disappearing from view as he enters the living area.
“Someone’s in a mood,” I say, glancing at Caius. “The beach party not go well?”
“Dirk challenged him.” Caius picks up Tieran’s beer to take a swig. “T put him in his place right quick, but he’s concerned.”
“About the girl?” I guess.
Caius nods. “Her scent is like a drug.”
“Like an Omega, you mean.” I’ve scented a few before and they were all sickly sweet, just like the little darling downstairs.
“Yeah. It’s going to rip this island apart.”
I turn off the burner before sliding the salmon onto a tray for the oven. I only singe the outside before baking it to help with texture and seasoning.
“It also may be exactly what we need,” I say, thinking out loud. “An Alpha isn’t complete without his circle.”
Caius takes another sip of the beer, his eyes more silver today than gray. They often change with his mood. When they shift to green, it means he’s angry. Silver and gray tend to imply he’s feeling more relaxed or content.