Page 22 of Out of Peril

“Are you two going to be okay?” I asked.

“We'll be fine,” Maya assured me.

“Better if you stayed behind,” Dante muttered.

Lindsey growled at him as she lowered herself in the sand for the kids to climb on top of her. I started to follow them but she shook her head and snapped at me.

Once again I found myself in the clutches of her claws, dangling in the air as we took flight.

Day turned to night and still she flew. I was starting to worry about her but there was land up ahead. I could see the shoreline clearly by the lights. She flew over a city. Was that New Orleans?

We landed somewhere in the bayou. I was certain of it. A large Greek Revival home loomed in the dark.

Lindsey shifted once the kids climbed down, and I was dropped to the ground. She stared up at the house with a pained look on her face.

I wanted to reach out and comfort her, but I wasn't sure how it would be received.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

She nodded. “Come on.”

The steps creaked under our weight as we walked up the front steps. Inside, dust and cobwebs were everywhere. The furniture had been carefully covered with sheets. It was hard to tell how long the place had been abandoned, but I'd guess it had been years.

“What is this place?” Maya asked.

“My home,” Lindsey said.

“It's kind of dirty and smells weird,” Dante said, clearly not impressed.

I hid my smile and tried not to chuckle. He wasn't wrong, but it was nothing a good cleaning wouldn't fix.

“I'm tired,” Maya whined.

“We'll make do tonight and clean this place up tomorrow, okay?” Lindsey said trying to stay optimistic.

“Okay,” the kids conceded.

She led them up the stairs to the second story and tucked them into beds. I waited outside in the hallway, not wanting to make assumptions. If Lindsey needed a warm body to snuggle against, I was here for it.

I started to grow hard just thinking about it. The only time we'd had alone since meeting was when I briefly checked on her when she passed out on the beach. I was very much looking forward to spending time with her and getting to know my mate. I was still a little uneasy about the beast, but I was already starting to grow used to it. I had to believe that if this was the woman I was meant to spend my life with, then everything would work out somehow.

She came back out and frowned when she saw me like she had forgotten I was there.

Pain shot through my chest, and my wolf growled angrily.

“Where are we sleeping?” I asked her, smiling wide enough that I knew my dimples were popping. No woman had ever been able to resist my dimples, and I damn well knew it.

“I'm sleeping here,” she said pointing to the door across from the kids. “In my room. Whereas you can stay up there.” She escorted me to the other end of the house and then up a hidden staircase that no doubt led to old servants’ quarters.

My jaw dropped and I looked at her like she was crazy. Her arms crossed over her chest and she glared at me.

“I should have just left you on the island. I'm not even sure why I brought you with us.”

“Yes you do,” I told her. And I knew she knew exactly what I was talking about. She felt it too. I could see it in her eyes.

She growled under her breath.

“You'll sleep up there and you'll stay up there unless one of the kids or I tell you to come down. Am I clear? If Dante was right and people are coming for you, then I want you as far away from us in this house as possible.”

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