Page 18 of Savage Trap

Because – fuck! - we left Angel at the club. Guilt and shame are twisting me up inside, but now I’ve got a little distance, I’m pretty sure I’m not going into heat. “I’m okay.” I clutch the doorjamb, my face burning. “I think it might have been a panic attack. You should make sure Angel is safe.”

Link shoots Cam a dark look, but he’s already heading towards the door. “Ten minutes and I can get back here. Stay cool and calm, get rehydrated, and hop into bed.”

I nod, walking numbly into the bathroom. I want a shower more than anything, but as I drift over to the vanity, my eyes widen at my reflection. My pupils are blown and perspiration is dripping from my hair. And it’s not just fun, club dance floor sweat. It smells sickly sweet, like scorched sugar. Like an omega soaked in terror.

I grip the edge of the vanity, my heart accelerating as Link steps up behind me. “Tell me, Kelly,” he says in that same eerily calm tone.

I stare into his eyes, but there’s only one image I can see in my mind and it doesn’t make sense. “I think it was a wolf.”

Elvi

I’m leaving the club with Rory and Nate when Cam meets us on the pavement, about to come back inside and find us. He breathes out a sigh of relief, but I take two strides and grip his arms. “Is Kelly okay?”

“Just shaken up,” he tells me, but I can feel the tension thrumming through his body. “Link’s got him, and we don’t think it’s a heat.”

I feel an echo of Kelly’s fear down our bond, although it’s strangely muted. “But someone really upset him. What the hell, Cam? He didn’t say who?”

His lips thin like he’s holding something back, and he tries to steer me towards a black car that’s idling at the curb. As much as I want to get back to my sunshine, I shake my head. I’m too keyed up for a nice sedate drive right now. Swinging away, I start in the direction of the hotel, my hands clenched into fists at my side.

We walk for a while, breathing in city fumes, while I try to get a grip on my anger. I do my best to blank out the honking horns and random chatter from other pedestrians, focusing instead on the fact that Rory is on my left and Nate is on my right. But Cam is like a black cloud at my back and I want to poke at him until he spills whatever shit Kelly told him, but I take a deep breath and turn to Nate. “You said something about getting the club security feeds?”

“Of course,” he says promptly, holding up the phone in his hand. “I’ve asked Trench to meet me as soon as we get back.”

“Trenchfoot?” Rory growls. “Forget involving that prick. This stays inside the pack.”

But Cam puts a comforting hand on Nate’s shoulder. “I’ll go with you,” he says. “We appreciate your help.”

I frown, not liking the idea of Nate asking a favor of the Leon Head of Security. But with Cam at his side, at least I know he’ll be safe.

“What about you?” Cam asks as we cross the street in front of the hotel. “Why couldn’t we find you?”

I shoot a glance Rory’s way, since I’ve already been through this with him. His green eyes gleam dangerously, but I decide to keep it low-key until we’re back in our suite. “I was in the chillout room. I ran into the Wolf of Washington. He wanted to hassle me about Arben some more.”

Cam’s growl makes the pit of my stomach heat up, and I turn and let him step right into my arms. His fresh air and sunshine scent is potent, even in a Chicago street, and I know it’s because of all the stress crashing through his body. “Thanks for getting Kelly out of there, and I’m sorry I separated us. I’ll do better next time.”

Cam tips up my chin. “Sweetheart, you don’t need to apologize. I’m not your keeper, and I know you can look after yourself. But we need to work on our bonds.” He clears his throat as he realizes Nate is watching us with unabashed interest. “Tomorrow morning, we’ll hit the gym and go through our drills. And you give me one hundred percent, okay? I want to feel you sweating down our bond.”

I roll my eyes at him, but rise up on my toes to give him a quick kiss. “As long as I get that massage you keep promising me.”

He smirks, dragging me back for a deeper kiss. Rory kisses with his whole body, throwing everything into it and leaving absolutely nothing untouched. Whereas Cam is like a focused assault, using his tongue and lips like they’re heat-seeking missiles. I groan and push him away. “Let’s go and check our sunshine. But hold that thought. I’m feeling… “

I don’t want to say hot, horny, and jumping out of my skin, but that’s the great thing about a mating bond. I don’t have to put any of that into words and my mates still get the picture.

The awareness flares in their eyes, Cam and Rory exchanging a look before they usher us across the street. But as soon as we’re inside the hotel, Cam brushes a kiss on my cheek. “I’ll go with Nate,” he murmurs. “But I’ll be up as soon as I can.”

I nod and give his arm a squeeze. “Kelly’s safety comes first.”

Another thing I don’t need to put into words, but saying goodbye to Nate is harder. He’s so quiet, I imagine a lot of people forget he’s around, but his calmness reminds me of the sensation of my wolf’s fur under my skin. Like it’s there, if I need to reach for it, but not something I have to acknowledge.

“Thank you, Nate,” I say quietly, aware of the night manager and security guards watching us out of the corners of their eyes. “Will you meet us for breakfast in the morning?”

He gives me a surprised look. “I’ll be going home tonight. I don’t stay here very often.” There’s something in his voice that catches my attention, but he quickly thrusts out his hand for me to shake. “But I’ll be around tomorrow.”

We shake, my hand lingering in his before Rory tosses an arm over my shoulders, breaking our connection. “Thanks for the dance, man,” he says with a wink at the beta, teasing a blush to the surface of his pale skin. “You move like you were made for wicked things.”

I dig an elbow into Rory’s ribs, but instead of blushing harder, Nate tilts his head, considering. “I’ve never thought of it like that. But I like the way it sounds.”

Rory gives a strangled chuckle and I quickly tow him away towards the elevators. As soon as we’re inside, he bumps my hip, pushing me up against the mirrored wall. “Is it just me, or is Mr. Spreadsheets a sexy little beast?”

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