Page 11 of Whispers of the Water

Our group had decided beforehand that everyone would bunk in pairs for safety, though it was never made known to me who would be paired together. Akira and Bassel walked past us. They smiled at me and waved before going into their own room to unpack. Avana and Marlow took up residence right across from Akira and Bassel. We were all close, for which I was incredibly thankful. I’d need them close by in case I got any late-night visitors who sought to disembowel me simply for being here, a threat with which I was unfortunately all too familiar.

Jonah had made numerous nightly visits during the past few months—though they were more so ambushes than visits—which forced me to be prepared for attacks like this. I had packed my dagger, a gift from Rune after our training sessions, as a precaution, though I wasn’t sure if I’d be strong enough to win against Myra if the need to use it arose. It was why I was glad to have the extra security blanket of having my friends nearby—both those here in the home and those like Dallas, who would be lurking nearby in secret.

I looked for Rune and found him at the other end of the hallway, digging through his pocket in front of a closed door. When he pulled out a key, he unlocked the door, then went inside without looking in my direction. He shut it behind him, and I heard the unmistakable sound of a lock clicking into place.

I wanted to go to him and see if he would confide in me about what was eating at him, but I also didn’t want to leave Ardley and the twins, who were over the moon as they bounded into my room. After all, Rune had locked himself in for a reason. He’d tell me what was bothering him when he was ready.

Or rather, if he were ever ready.

I tried pushing Rune out of my head for now as I followed Ardley and the boys into my room. My jaw nearly hit the floor as I took in my quarters. A king-size bed sat against the wall with a downy green and white comforter. A dark, oak entertainment center with a flat-screen TV took up residency across from the bed. French doors faced us from across the room, leading to a balcony that looked out on the backyard and a lake. The room also had its own bathroom, which contained a shower that could easily fit at least five people.

Looking around in amazement, I asked, “This is my room?”

I gave a nervous laugh as I walked toward the bed where my luggage sat. I guessed that either Charles or Edgar had brought it up while everyone had been talking downstairs.

Ardley smiled and nodded. He stood at the foot of the bed, watching me with a twinkle in his eye. “Even though no one else was expecting you, I was. My parents and I arrived here a few days ago, so Myra gave me the task of picking rooms for Rune’s guests. I picked this room for you since it’s one of the nicer ones. It’s also one of the few with a TV since Myra hates them so much.”

Early in our trip planning, Rune had told Ardley the truth about me. He let his cousin in on the charade we were putting on, as well as the fact that I was human. At least, they believed I was. Ardley was the only one who hadn’t arrived with our group who knew the truth about what was really happening and who I was.

Processing his words, I grinned. The knowledge that he was excited for my arrival made my earlier disappointment about him being the fox turn into guilt. Maybe he’d been looking forward to our meeting just as much as I had. His thoughtfulness in preparing a room for me was charming to say the least.

“Well, let’s unpack your bags!” Greshim said, climbing onto the lavish bed. Newt followed close behind, crawling toward my belongings.

Ardley rolled his eyes and scooped the twins up off the bed. They groaned before breaking out into fits of laughter. “Don’t be rude, you two. You can’t go through someone else’s things.”

I reassured the boys that they were fine and grabbed my luggage to lay it on a small settee in the corner of the room. I didn’t really feel comfortable unpacking all of my things in a house full of people who were against me. It felt odd, like opening my suitcase with items from my life would somehow open myself up, too. I wanted to keep my belongings guarded, just as I’d keep myself.

“Hey,” Ardley said, setting the boys back on their feet. “Why don’t you two go get Bria something to drink?”

“Okay,” Greshim said with a quick nod. Grabbing Newt’s hand, he pulled his brother toward the door. “We’ll be right back, Bria.”

As soon as they were gone, Ardley turned toward me. “Sorry about them. They’re just really excited to have everyone here.”

“They’re fine. I’ve been excited to meet them, too, after the way Rune talked about them.”

Grinning, Ardley slowly moved closer. “I hear they’re not the only ones you’ve been excited to meet.”

Cheeks heating, I fought for a less embarrassing way to phrase my desire.

His grin stretched from ear to ear as the distance between us grew smaller. “Am I everything you thought I’d be?”

I gave a nervous laugh as I quickly averted my eyes from his. My fingers fumbled with the zipper on my suitcase as I said, “To be determined. I haven’t had time to get to know you as yourself yet.”

“Well, you are most certainly everything that I remember,” he said. I glanced up at him as he closed the rest of the space between us. His eyes roamed over my body, a hungry look in his eyes. “Absolutely gorgeous. Ever since that day we met, I’ve wanted to—”

“Ardley.”

The dark-haired boy stepped away from me, giving us both a view of the doorway. Rune stood there with his bags, a glare aimed directly at his cousin, and his canines exposed. The deep command in Rune’s voice raised the hair on my arms, and oddly enough, it sent a jolt of want straight to my core.

Ardley laughed and held up his hands. “Calm down, R. I was only playing.”

Rune rolled his eyes and walked further into the room. “Whatever. Just go.”

Ardley saluted him. “Yes, sir.” He broke out in a wide smile and patted Rune’s shoulder on the way to the door. Ardley stopped at the threshold, grabbing the knob. He gave us a mischievous smile over his shoulder. “You two have fun.”

As soon as the door was shut, Rune sighed and turned to me. “I’m sorry about him. Did he do anything to you?”

“No, not really.”

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