Page 58 of Magic's Rise

Haut growls at him, his moss-green eyes flashing dangerously. “You see enough nudity in Hartford Cove. Give it a rest.”

“True, but this is new nudity.” Like a leech, I tighten my hold as Haut tries to shake me off. “New nudity is always more interesting than the same old naked folks we’re used to.”

Levi laughs, distressingly still not offended. “Well, we don’t make a habit of walking around naked here, even in the compound. We have frequent visitors, and for the most part, we can’t shift without a full moon.”

“Good to know.” I kick Haut’s thigh to settle him down. “Free swinging giblets are a constant risk when going into town at Hartford Cove, even with the addition of vampires and witches.”

“Really?” Levi seems fascinated by this cultural difference as he leads us farther into the cabin, if it can even be called that, with so many rooms. “I’ll have to keep that in mind the next time I visit.”

“Have you heard any news about Aspen?” Worry fills me for my mentor.

Levi pauses to glance at his phone. “Looks like they found him. He has a minor leg wound and is getting settled at the clinic. We’ll drive you into town tomorrow to check on him.”

Phew. I didn’t get Aspen killed with this adventure. The tension in me relaxes.

Levi leads us down a hall in the opposite direction that Griffen went. “We have you set up in the guest rooms. The kitchen, living room, and dining room are at the center of the cabin, and the family quarters are on the other side.”

He stops in front of a door and pushes it open. “This is the first room. It has an ensuite, so no need to share bathrooms.”

Haut walks into the cozy bedroom. A warm glow comes from the lamps on the nightstands, and a handmade quilt covers the queen-sized bed. A sturdy wooden dresser rests against the wall between the closet and bathroom. A clean, lemony scent fills the air, with not a speck of dust in sight.

“We’ll take this one,” Haut announces.

Before I can demand to see the other options, he reaches up and grabs me by the scruff of the neck, peeling me off his back and tossing me toward the bed.

I land with a squeak, bouncing in the center of the mattress, which envelops me in ridiculous comfort.

Tris launches himself onto the bed beside me, stretching out his limbs. “Are you sure about this? It’s small for three people, don’t you think?”

“Not you.” Haut grabs Tris and tosses him into the hallway with a growl. “Find your own room!”

“Hey!” Tris protests, making grabby hands at me. “I need my spark!”

“Your spark will be fine without you for five minutes.” Haut slams the door in Tris’s face.

Levi’s voice drifts through the door. “We’ll have food ready in the dining room once you freshen up.”

Haut stalks toward me. “Alone at last.”

Feet lifting, I wiggle my sneakers in Haut’s face. “You realize Tris will just climb into bed in the middle of the night, right? There’s no point in throwing him out.”

“I know.” Haut undoes my laces and pulls my shoes off, dropping them to the floor. “But I… I need a minute, okay?”

“Whatever you need, bad wolf.” I stay still as Haut peels off my socks next, inspecting each of my toes for injury.

When he bends to scoop me back up in his arms, I squeal in protest. “Hey! I can walk, you know.”

“Your face still hurts from the fall,” he mocks me before his expression softens. “Let me take care of you.”

The crash followed by the fight in the woods must have affected him more than I thought, and my insides go all ooey gooey.

As he carries me toward the bathroom, I wrap my arms around his neck. “Oh, no, I just remembered that my legs don’t work. It’s a good thing you’re so strong and reliable.”

“That’s more like it.” He settles me on the counter next to the sink and brushes back the strands of hair that escaped from my braid. “That’s a nasty lump.”

His fingers graze it, making me wince. “It’s not fair that witches don’t have super healing like you wolf shifters.”

“No, it’s not.” Dropping a kiss to my lips, he walks to the linen closet and collects clean towels, then searches through the medicine cabinet until he finds a small first aid kit.

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