Page 8 of Healer's Call

Rose

“Your beta has a private wing?” Raechel asks, sounding impressed. She grins and looks at Max. “We’ll have to tell Liam that he’s missing out.”

Max looks down at her. “He has a house.”

“Yes, but does he have his own private wing in a house like this?” she asks with a twinkle in her eye. “Why is this place so empty?” Raechel asks after we walk back down the steps. “Is nobody around during the day?”

“It’s a hot day out,” James says, like that’s supposed to mean something to us. Raechel looks at me, but I give her a shoulder shrug. I don’t know where everybody is. “The pool,” James finally says. “Everybody’s probably gathered at the pool or they’ve died or are dying.”

I choke at his words. Raechel stops moving, but for a very different reason. “You have a pool?” When he nods, looking at her like she’s a little daft, she turns to Max. “Max! They have a pool!” She squeals. “We have to go swimming. I brought a bikini just in case, and this is perfect.”

Max doesn’t slow his stride or look at her. “No.”

“And by no, you mean yes.”

He looks down at her this time. “No.”

She turns to James. “Is it a big pool?”

He nods. “There are multiple pools.”

“They have multiple pools,” Raechel repeats to Max.

“There’s also a lazy river,” James adds.

“And a lazy river,” Raechel says in awe.

“And a two-story water slide.”

Raechel stops and tugs on Max’s arm, causing him to stop as well. “They have a water slide!” Her eyes are huge, and I bite my lip to keep from smiling.

“No,” he repeats and then takes a step closer. “You’re not wearing a bikini in front of a bunch of male shifters, especially ones I don’t know.” His gaze pins James in place. “You have any unmated males?” James, as if aware of the danger that Max is or can be, stays completely still. He simply nods. “A lot?” Max asks. He nods again, and Max stares down at Raechel. “No,” he says in a low voice.

“If you let me go swimming, I’ll let you take it off later,” she says with a big grin.

“Raechel,” Ava and I both complain at the same time.

“What my innocent cherubs?” she asks with a wicked grin. “You know I don’t need your permission, Mate,” she says, turning back to Max.

“I know,” he says in his deep rumble. “You don’t. But just remember that all the deaths of the males that look at you will be on your hands.” With that he turns and walks down the hall to where James stands a few feet away.

“You do realize you have a problem, right?” Raechel calls out after him. Then she turns to us. “What?” I try to clear the expression on my face, but I don’t think I do a good job. “So when should we go check this pool out?” she asks.

I stare at her. “Uh, did you hear what Max threatened?”

“I’m pretty sure everybody heard what Max threatened,” Ava says dryly.

Raechel waves me off. “It will be fine.” She starts off after the guys, and I hurry to catch up.

“I don’t think it will be; he sounds really serious, Raechel,” I tell her as soon as I reach her side.

“Oh, he is,” she responds.

“Then why are you going to do it?” I ask in exasperation.

“Because when I put on my bikini to go check out the pool, he will absolutely lose his mind.” She grins maniacally at me. “And that will lead to wild, crazy sex. I’ll never actually get out of the room.”

I close my eyes and shake my head as Ava groans. Raechel laughs and puts her arms through mine and Ava’s, walking between us. “Come on, my little innocents.”

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