Page 20 of Laverna

Laverna could pretend that nothing had happened between them, but he wasn't going to. He would wait until they were alone before confronting her about it because he wasn't going to go back to how they were. He had been inside of her, had tasted her lips and skin. He couldn't go back to pretending he didn't want her. He wouldn't.

Rom found the baths, and they were almost as elaborate as his own. Everything was white and green marble with shining bronze fittings. One pool was high-density salt, the other hot, and one cool-off pool. There was a door leading to a steam room and a large bathroom.

He had always suspected Laverna went out of her way to look a little grubby and disheveled on purpose so that people would underestimate her. It worked too. No wonder she had turned down his offer to use his baths when she had this waiting for her at home.

Rom went through the duffle bag and found his phone and a fresh pair of clothes. He had a bunch of text messages. The first was from Hermes. I can't believe you walked into a spell and got whammied. Does your nose not work anymore? How are your eyes? Is it time for you to cross the rainbow bridge with the other old dogs?

"Dick," he muttered.

The next text was from Hecate. Submerge yourself at least three times in the salt water, just to be sure.

Rom growled and tossed the phone back into his bag, ignoring the other messages. He was embarrassed enough that he had fallen for the trap so easily. He couldn't believe Laverna had told everyone. He ran a frustrated hand over his face. Actually, he could believe it.

The gods were more gossipy than old nonne, and now he looked like a complete idiot. He had smelled the blood and reacted. Just like Canidia and her hags knew he would.

He needed to find Sidonius. It had been a lot of blood, but werewolves healed fast, and they would want to keep him alive for more bait...or parts. Fuck. He didn't even want to consider that, but he had to. Sidonius was an immortal creature that was like an all-you-take buffet of body parts for witches' spells.

Rom showered quickly and went straight for the salt bath. The aqua-blue water was perfect, and he sank into it with a sigh despite the stringing cuts on his back and shoulders made from Laverna's sharp nails. Sex, sleep, and a bath. If the circumstances hadn't been so fucked, it would have been a perfect day.

Rom didn't feel any of the spell still on him, but when Hecate told you to do something, you fucking did it. He dunked his whole body and head under the water three times, and the last of his brain fog vanished.

He wanted to stay in the baths longer, but Sidonius wasn't going to find himself. Rom couldn't lose him. He had been the second wolf he had made after Claudius, and he wouldn't leave him to become bits of love spells or whatever the fuck Canidia had planned for him.

Romulus showered, dressed, and felt a little more centered. He needed food and hot coffee and hoped Laverna had both. It dawned on him again that she had brought him to her actual home. He always suspected she had a secret safe house somewhere, and now she had exposed it to both Claudius and him. She must have really been worried. He tried not to smile and failed.

Laverna had cared enough to bring him to her den, and that was something he never would have expected. They also had sex. Another thing that seemed so out of the realm of possibility that he could barely fathom it.

She might be keeping a professional face on in front of the others, but he wasn't going to let her pretend it hadn't happened. He would deal with the witches, and then he would make her his mate once and for all.

Smiling at the thought of the hunt to come, Rom went to find out everything that he had missed while he had been sleeping.

13

Laverna, Roberto, and Claudius had spent the morning trying to pinpoint areas around the city where the witches had been seen and where children had been reported missing. So far, she had not only identified Canidia but also her old coven members, Sagana and Veia.

Should have killed all of them instead of letting them go. The witches had left Rome and hadn't returned until now. It made Laverna worry about what had brought them back. Was it this creature they had that caused them to now think that they were invincible?

They had been making good progress on mapping the area when Romulus had woken up, and all of Laverna's concentration had vanished at the sight of him all bare-chested and sleep-ruffled. It had only gotten worse when he had turned around, and she saw the state of his back.

"Are you two okay?" Claudius asked once Romulus had disappeared down towards the baths.

"You mean compared to usual? Sure. We had a big night of spell-breaking and whatnot," Laverna replied with a flippant hand wave. She turned to Roberto, who had looked curiously between her and Romulus's disheveled state. "Can I get you to go down to the kitchens and get us some pasta or something? He's going to be starving by the time he finishes that bath. Hecate said that kind of spell ravages your energy."

Roberto nodded and then grinned cheekily at her. "By the state of his back, it looks like his energy was just fine."

Laverna wasn't going to be baited. "He passed out on a mosaic floor, which was foolish, but he was too heavy to move. I'm sure his back will recover."

"Whatever you say, boss," Roberto replied and headed out the doors.

Claudius waited until they were alone before he said softly, "I told you not to hurt him."

"I haven't hurt him. At least, not in a way that wasn't consensual," she said. She might have been able to play naive with Roberto, but Claudius was a wolf and would've smelled sex all over Romulus. "It was nothing. Just a heat-of-the-moment thing. It doesn't change anything."

Claudius ran a hand through his brown curls. "Maybe not for you. It's none of my business. If you two won't stop being oblivious, then I'm not going to be the one to spell it out for you."

"So glad we clarified it is none of your business," Laverna deadpanned. "Pick a place for you and the wolves to search tonight. I'm going to make more coffee."

Laverna went through a door and into her kitchen. She usually ate in the mess halls, so it only held snacks and essentials that she couldn't live without. She ground fresh beans and tried not to think about waking up on Romulus. She had gone from warm, sleepy happiness to blinding panic in ten seconds flat.

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