by Melissa Haag
I pulled my face from the towel and caught Ethan leaning in the doorway of the exercise room. He arched a brow at me when I scowled at him.
“I’m drained.”
He grinned at me.
“If that were true, you wouldn’t be scowling at me.”
Damn him, he was right.
“Fine. Whatever.”
I tossed the towel aside and faced Carlos. He wore the clothes I’d bought for him. The sleeveless t-shirt stretched across his broad, muscled chest. The material clung to his chiseled abs, too. His shorts encased his massive thighs. I swallowed and met his eyes.
“You make it look like I shopped in the junior’s section.”
He didn’t react one way or another, but Ethan chuckled.
“I’ll be in the room watching Bonanza. There’s a marathon.”
He turned and left, and I shook my head at the empty doorway. Ethan’s taste in TV was weird. A person would never guess his love of Westerns by the way he spoke or dressed.
A brush along my spine had me spinning; but Carlos was a distance away, watching me.
“Kicking,” I said. It seemed a good idea to keep him at a distance.
He nodded.
We settled into a rhythm, and once he had my pattern, I picked up speed. I loved sparring against these werewolf guys. I could go as fast as I wanted, and they met each move. And I didn’t seem to hurt them like I could Ethan.
Fingers stoked my ankle as Carlos deflected a kick. The lingering tingle returned my focus to the sparring. I bounced back a step and eyed him. Was he playing with me again?
He waved me forward. I balanced and kicked twice, turned, and jabbed at his right shoulder. The unexpected combination caught him off guard, and I connected with him. He flashed me a quick smile. It was like lightening, there and gone again.
After that, I kept things random. He never attacked me, only blocked. But whenever I left an opening, he would let me know with a soft, trailing touch. When I focused on kicks, I usually felt his hands on my legs. When it was my fists, he left the skin on my face and neck prickling.
Fifteen minutes later, I stopped. My chest heaved and sweat soaked my back. I could feel a trickle trailing down my lower spine. I’d depleted everything and dodging his roaming touch was now impossible.
“I’m done,” I said, bracing my hands on my knees.
“Five more minutes.”
Something in his tone stopped my panting breaths. My lungs screamed for oxygen as I looked up and met his focused gaze. He stood before me, balanced on the balls of his feet as if ready to spring. His hands shook. No, his whole body shook. Did that shaking mean he wanted to go full wolf? Right now? I’d seen him like that twice before and didn’t want to see it again.
I forced myself to inhale slowly and keep still.
“For you or for me?”
He closed his eyes as if struggling for control. He’d never seemed to struggle before. That he did now worried me. I knew how fast he could move. Could I make it to the door? I shifted my weight to my right foot, ready to turn and find out, but his eyes popped back open. I stopped moving again.
“Five more minutes.”
Dude was like a broken record. I would have laughed if not for the shaking. Where was that old guy when I needed him?
“Is Grey going to need to put a choke hold on you again?” As I spoke, I eased back a step.
The shaking grew worse.
“Come here.” The softly spoken command made my stomach flip weirdly.
I took another step and gasped when Carlos blurred before me. One second he was five feet away; the next, he was coming at me with open hands. He brushed my forearm, and I batted him away. He caressed my bare shoulder, and I jabbed him in the gut. He leaned in, and I freaked out and slapped his face.
Why did I always go girly on him? Next time, aim for the nuts, I scolded myself.
The slap did the trick, though. He straightened away, and the shaking eased.
“I apologize,” he said.
Then he left the room.
“What the hell was that?”
Unfortunately, the exercise equipment had less of an answer than I did.
I took my time walking back to the room and opened the door warily. Ethan lay back on the bed, his head propped up with several pillows. The room was otherwise empty.
When he heard the door click, Ethan turned and looked me over.
“Looks like Carlos worked you good. I like it when you’re all sweaty,” he said, grinning at me.
I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me.
“Yeah. I’m empty for real, this time.” But I shouldn’t have been. As soon as Carlos had started acting weird, I should have started pulling. Even though I couldn’t pull from Carlos, there had probably been other people nearby. Enough to feed me the energy I would have needed to protect myself. Why hadn’t I tried?
I crossed the room and grabbed some clean clothes out of the bag.
“I’m hitting the shower.”
“Want some help?”
“Keep dreaming,” I said; and, with a laugh, I closed myself into the bathroom.
When I came out several minutes later, clean and refreshed, Ethan hadn’t moved.
“So, are we going to talk about the big guy?” Ethan said without taking his eyes from the TV.
“What do you mean?”
“He keeps watching you. You move; his eyes follow.”
“Yeah, right.” I stretched out next to Ethan on the bed. It felt good to lie down despite the recent nap. Some days that felt like my routine. Sleep, eat, exercise, repeat.
The show Ethan watched didn’t interest me, so I closed my eyes.
“I’m serious,” he said. “What do you feel from him?”
“Nothing.”
“Ever?”
“Ever.”
“Don’t you find it weird that he doesn’t have any emotions to pull? You always said you couldn’t be with anyone because you’d drain the guy. Z, you can’t drain him.”
I opened my eyes and turned to look at Ethan. He was still facing the TV. He looked relaxed, and I couldn’t feel anything from him, but his words told me he was feeling something. What, though? Worry? I gave a little pull, testing his hold.
“Don’t, Z.”
“Then tell me what’s going on in that head of yours.”
He turned and met my gaze.
“I never had you, and I’m losing you.”
My heart went “aw!” and my brain went “oh, crap.” I took a moment to sort through the two emotions.
“You’ve always had me, and you always will.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I’ve never loved anyone more than I love you, Ethan. What we have has to be enough. If it’s not, if you push for more, I’ll leave because I love you. I won’t hurt you.” Guilt hit me. “More than I already do.”
He closed his eyes and heaved a sigh.
“I can handle a bruise from a girl.” The derogatory way he said that made me smile. He lifted his right arm and pulled me to his side. I gently laid my head on his chest, avoiding his bruised shoulder.
* * * *
Soft sounds brushed my consciousness enough to pull me from sleep. I lifted my head from Ethan’s chest. The room was dark, and Ethan breathed evenly beside me. The clock showed it was the middle of the night.
The hushed rustling stopped. No doubt one of the other two had shifted in their sleep.
I eased myself from Ethan’s side and stood, needing to go to the bathroom. I kept my hand on the mattress to guide my way around the bed. Where was the light from the hall? I didn’t think hotel rooms got so dark. I moved slowly, so I wouldn’t trip on anything.
A thread of worry soured the air, and I paused by the end of the bed. Someone wasn’t sleeping.
“Who’s awake?”
I strained to hear something and was rewarded by a whisper of noise right in front of me. Something brushed my cheek. I jumped a little, and
a hand gently cupped my bruised jaw. I knew the hand...that gentle touch. My pulse leapt when both of his large hands cradled my face, and his fingers burrowed into my hair.
His hold should have made me feel trapped or threatened. However, I felt anything but. For a moment, neither of us moved. Then, his thumb brushed over my lower lip.
My breathing hitched, and my lips parted in surprise. I felt him move closer as his thumb continued its soft caress.
“Z?”
Ethan’s tired voice stopped the gentle touch on my mouth, and the fingers at the back of my head twitched.
“Going to the bathroom,” I said quietly, as if Ethan and I were the only two awake.
I listened to him roll over and grunt when he jarred his right shoulder. Guilt poked a hole through the moment and whatever might have happened next. I turned my head slightly, freeing myself from Carlos’ hold and walked the rest of the way to the bathroom.
I closed the door before I turned on the light and almost screamed to see Carlos standing right behind me in the mirror. He spun me around and backed me against the wall before I could blink. My eyes grew wide when he leaned in, and my heart started to feel like it was trying to beat free from my chest. But he didn’t kiss me. He rested his cheek against mine, breathed deeply, and spoke close to my ear.
“You’re sleeping in the other bed.”
His words were a rumbled growl, and my insides went crazy. He wanted me to sleep in his bed? I didn’t think so. I remembered my knee and lifted it with every intention of bringing him down.
One of his hands dropped to deflect the move with ease. At the same time, he brushed his lips against the shell of my ear. I struggled to breathe.
Then, he moved away and plunged us into darkness. The door clicked softly. I reached out, found the wall, and then the light switch. I checked the mirror. My reflection looked pale and shaky. Pale was my norm, given the red hair. The shakiness wasn’t.
Ethan had been right about everything so far. It was weird that the other girls were all matched with a werewolf. And, though I desperately wanted to deny it, the black hole was interested in me. Worse, my pulse jumped and my stomach reacted like I’d swallowed a bowlful of butterflies around him.
I took a calming breath, used the bathroom like I’d intended, and then opened the door with the light still on. If Carlos thought I was going to sleep with—
Grey lay on the far side of his bed, closest to Ethan. Carlos lay near the window. In the same bed as Ethan. The light reflected off Carlos’ eyes as he watched me. He wanted me to sleep with Grey? I studied Grey. His eyes were closed, and he was on top of the covers. A thread of worry drifted from him.
What was Grey worried about? Maybe he was afraid I’d spoon him. I shook my head, turned off the light, and shuffled to my new assigned spot. As long as it wasn’t with Carlos, I was too tired to care.
I pulled back the covers, and as I slid under, another wave of worry washed over me.
“Relax, Grey,” I said softly. “Your virtue is safe with me. No spooning unless requested.”
Rolling on my side, I grinned as amusement replaced the worry. It tapered off, and I let myself relax.
I hadn’t lied when I’d told Michelle I didn’t care about what made werewolves tick. I was just along for the ride. The almost kiss in the bathroom, Carlos’ apparent jealousy, and my sudden girly hormones didn’t change a thing. Once I was done with these people, it would be just me and Ethan again. An E-Z future.
Why was I having such a hard time believing that?
Seven
“I know you’re hot, but I’m not into guys.”
Ethan’s wry words cut through my light sleep. My eyes popped open as I recalled Carlos in bed with Ethan, and I sat up. Light from the parted curtains illuminated the room enough so that I could see.
Ethan was on his back with his head turned so he eyed Carlos, who lay on his side facing Ethan. It looked a bit too cozy, and I could understand Ethan’s concern.
Grey remained still with his eyes closed, though by the smile tugging at his lips and the waves of humor rolling off him, I could tell he was awake.
Carlos opened his eyes and glanced at me before eyeing Ethan.
“You’re safe with me.”
I wasn’t sure that was the reassurance Ethan was looking for.
Ethan turned his head as he searched for me. He eyed Grey for a moment before meeting my gaze.
“Did he spoon me? I feel recently spooned.”
“Minor spooning,” I said, keeping a straight face. “Pants off, but boxers on.”
Ethan sat up and swung his legs off the bed.
“You’re warped. How can such a twisted mind hide behind that pretty face?”
“You like warped.” I couldn’t stop the grin.
“Lucky for you. If no one is calling dibs on the bathroom, I’m grabbing it for the next ten minutes.”
“All yours,” I said, lying back down.
As soon as the bathroom door closed, Grey got out of bed and left the room.
Don’t look. Don’t look. I turned my head and looked. Yep, Carlos was staring at me.
“Want to tell me what that was about last night?” I asked.
“No.”
“You keep too much in. You’re going to give yourself an aneurism.”
He didn’t say anything, but I didn’t expect him to.
For the next ten minutes, we stared at each other. It drove me crazy that I didn’t know what he was thinking or feeling.
When the bathroom door opened, I bolted out of bed to grab my bag and claim some alone time. It wouldn’t pay to take a shower yet; I needed some time on the treadmill before we headed out. So, I splashed some water on my face before brushing my teeth and combing out my hair. After pulling the mass back into a ponytail, I braided it.
Ethan was the only one in the room when I reemerged. He sat on the bed with his shirt off and the tube of cream in his left hand.
“I think you’re milking this,” I said, setting the bag down.
“Guilty. So, you wanna tell me how I ended up in bed with Carlos?”
Ethan handed me the tube. Then, he managed to pull off his own shirt while I squeezed some of the athletic cream onto my fingers.
“You were right,” I said as I started to rub it in.
“Hold up. Say that again. Only this time, say it like you’re selling it.”
“Shut up.” I poked his side, then went back to spreading the salve. “Carlos caught me on my way to the bathroom last night. He said we were switching and took my spot. At first, I thought he meant I should sleep with him.”
Ethan snorted.
“Like to see him try,” he said.
I grinned, remembering how I’d tried to knee Carlos.
“I think he’s jealous of you,” I said as I stepped back to signal I was done.
“Good. Guess what he did before he left?”
“What?”
“Changed into workout clothes.”
That sneaky giant...
“Want to go for a run outside?” I asked.
Ethan bent down and lifted his running shoes. He knew me too well.
* * * *
It was early enough that the sidewalks were still clear. Ethan and I ran in unison. We didn’t run together often, but when we did, he stuck to me. I liked the sound of our feet hitting the pavement together.
The gestapo caught up to us seven blocks from the hotel. Grey’s worry gave them away. I didn’t slow down or give any indication that I’d noticed them tailing us. Ahead, I spotted a fast food chain restaurant. I veered that direction.
Sweaty, but not yet breathing too hard, Ethan and I stepped inside. I ordered double of everything we would normally eat. To go.
“You always play nice,” Ethan said under his breath.
He was right. I did. When I could. I tried to make up for the times my mood swings wouldn’t let me be nice.
Ethan carried the bags, and I carried the large orange juices. G
rey and Carlos were waiting just outside the doors. The sight of Carlos in his tight exercise clothes made my palms sweaty. I ignored the weird phenomenon and pushed my way through the doors. Carlos’ gaze swept over me then locked on my face. I pretended not to notice and focused on Grey instead.
“Grey, you’re going to need something other than jeans if you plan on taking up running.” I handed him an orange juice.
“If the point of the exercise is to burn off the emotion you absorb, doesn’t stopping for breakfast defeat the purpose?” he asked.
“Sleeping in a hotel defeated the purpose before the breakfast run did. If you would have felt what was coming from the room above us...”
He winked at me and took a bite of his breakfast sandwich.
“I’m going to have to tell Gabby to stop ratting me out,” I said, handing a juice to Carlos.
“She didn’t.”
“How did you find us?”
Grey answered by tapping the side of his nose before taking another bite.
“You should have showered,” Ethan said to me under his breath.
“Shut up. I don’t stink.” Did I?
He laughed at my frown and dug into his sandwich.
“Might as well walk back,” I said as I unwrapped my own food. I wasn’t about to run with the two of them following us. The whole point of leaving the hotel was to give myself some distance from Carlos.
Grey turned and started walking. Carlos hung back, waiting for me to follow. What did he think I would do? Run away? Where would I go? They had the cars. I rolled my eyes and sped up to walk beside Grey.
“Hey, Grey...do you fight?”
He grinned at me, a twinkle in his eye.
“Nah. I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
Darn. I needed a partner before we left. And it wouldn’t be Carlos or Ethan.
My partner happened to find me as we rounded the corner near the hotel. Luke stood waiting by the doors.
“Isabelle, may I speak with you for a moment, please?”
His proper speech made me grin.
“Sure thing. What’s up?” I stopped to talk to him while everyone else went inside. Carlos lingered just on the other side of the doors. I wished Michelle had never said anything because my stomach wouldn’t settle down around him.
