Page 79 of Fangs and Fudge

“A little. I just hate the way my mom thinks that being with the “right” guy will help me settle down. The right guy wouldn’t ask me to settle down. He wouldn’t try to stop me from hunting. He’d have my back, you know?”

I sat down on the edge of the bed and watched her move.

“Where’s this coming from all of a sudden? Because she suggested MC share a room with you? You know that was more to poke at your dad for supporting your choice of sleepwear.”

“Don’t kid yourself. She saw a man willing to drive from D.C. for his boss. Do you know what that is in her book? Responsible. Down to Earth. Safe. I should tell her he’s a werewolf.”

I rolled my eyes at her. “Should we raid the pantry for some rage snacks?”

“I’m not leaving this room.” She gave me sad eyes and handed me a flashlight. “But a snack might help.”

Shaking my head at how well I knew her, I motioned I’d go and silently slipped from her room. Across the wide hallway, the door to Shepard and MC’s room was still closed. Hoping that meant Shepard would keep MC contained for the night, I went downstairs.

While walking the hallway, a flash of lightning illuminated everything briefly. I counted to eleven before the boom of thunder rattled the nearby windows. After it faded, I used my flashlight to guide me.

Just outside the kitchen, a soft glow from Mr. Hunter’s study shone into the hallway. I poked my head in and saw him scribbling notes at his desk. Leaving him to his work, I slipped into the kitchen and hunted in the cupboards for a bag of chips.

The sound of the rain lashing the windows had my attention drifting to the windows, though, and I stared at the dark panes for a moment.

Cross wouldn’t still be out there, would he?

Setting the chips on the counter, I moved to the back door and cupped my face against the glass to look out. In the next flash of lightning, I saw him standing under the trees in the backyard. He wasn’t hunched or trying to hide from the deluge. He just stood there like it was a sunny day with a light breeze and stared back at me.

When I turned the lock, his lips curved at the corners. He was insane. Or just really didn’t care about the elements at all. He had fallen asleep on a stone slab after all.

Sheltered by the awning, I stepped out into the driving wind. It tugged at my nightgown as I quietly closed the door behind me and crooked a finger at Cross.

He closed the distance between us in a blink. Water dripped down his face and off his perfect nose.

“You shouldn’t be out here, Everly,” he said as his warm gaze swept over me, flickering with black.

“I was about to say the same thing to you. Not sure if you noticed, but it’s raining.”

His grin widened.

“The rain doesn’t bother me. But I do look forward to having a home of my own so we can have these conversations somewhere more suitable.” As he said it, he trailed a wet fingertip down my cheek, jaw, then neck.

I shivered lightly.

“Please don’t stay out in the rain.”

“Are you inviting me in?”

The words were barely out of his mouth when his gaze jerked to the door behind me. He snarled quietly and vanished. The door burst open, and Shepard blurred past me.

“Dammit, Shepard,” I said.

Knowing yelling or telling him to stop wouldn’t do any good, I went back inside and resisted the urge to lock the door on his ass.

Instead, I tucked the bag of chips under one arm, grabbed a bottle of wine with my free hand and headed to the hallway. Miles’ voice drifted out from Mr. Hunter’s study.

“...want to hear it, but it’s related. I know it is. I saw Grandpa’s book before Vena hid it somewhere again. The book has information about some valuable stones, and the map I found has–”

“Miles, that’s enough,” Mr. Hunter said sternly.

Cringing, I hurried past and tiptoed my way up the back staircase. Everything was quiet as I made my way to Vena’s room until I opened the door to slip inside.

The harshly whispered threats Vena was delivering to a very unintimidated MC immediately stopped. She retreated a step, taking a deep breath as she glared at the floor.

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