Page 30 of In Plain Sight

“Hey, it’s nice to meet you both,” I said cordially, trying to slow my racing heart.

Wolf shifters had fantastic hearing and that meant that we could generally tell when someone was lying or nervous by the cadence of their heart. It had saved my hide numerous times, and while most shifters gave little thought to something like that, Cole Anderson was the kind of man to take notice.

“Is the house still flooded?” Ruby asked. I looked at her in confusion. “Oh, yeah, you were with Thomas when we were talking about that the other night. Lizzy and Cole got called home, only to find their place flooded.”

“Busted pipe,” Cole said with gritted teeth. “It’s been a bitch to clean up, but at least Gage and I found the break and were able to repair it.”

“So no more water pouring in, but we still have plenty that pooled all over the house to deal with, and the flooring to rip up and replace, and who knows what else,” Lizzy added.

Cole wrapped an arm around his mate and pulled her close to his side. He affectionately kissed the top of her head and I knew he was trying to reassure her that everything was going to be okay.

“Ignore them,” Clara said. “Their bond is fully sealed, and they often zone out and forget to include anyone else in the room as they speak telepathically to each other.”

I was confused. I thought they had only just bonded within the last year. A sealed bond usually took decades to achieve.

“I know what you’re thinking, but it’s true,” Ruby said. “Their bond started as they were just kids really, and despite years of separation I guess it just kept growing. When they finally mated last year, their bond fully sealed almost immediately.”

Cole grinned happily down at his mate. He looked content, where I had always heard he was a dark and ominous man.

“I didn’t know something like that was possible,” I said.

“Neither did we until it happened to us,” Cole said. “But after the years of hell we both went through with our bond in limbo, it was the greatest gift ever.”

I looked at Ruby and saw the emotions playing across her face. She had told me she bonded with me so quickly because she’d seen firsthand what an unresolved bond did to a person and she would never live that way. I suspected that person was Lizzy.

My hand found its way to her waist on its own accord and I tugged her closer to me, sensing she needed the contact.

“So we brought blankets and snacks,” Gage said, changing the subject quickly. “Where do you want us to set up?”

Ruby stepped from my grasp and showed them around and told them where to put their things. I stood back and watched, then remembered we had dinner coming in about an hour.

“Hey, have you guys had dinner already? Wyatt’s bringing Ruby and me over something in a little while from the diner. Anyone need anything?” I asked.

“We’ve been staying at Clara and Gage’s,” Lizzy said. “We were finishing up dinner when Ruby called, but thanks for the offer.”

I nodded. Everyone in Collier seemed sincerely nice. They cared about each other and took the time to say as much. It didn’t even feel like the same world I’d grown up in. My father had led our Pack like a commander led his battalion. We all had each other’s backs, but there were no genuine feelings towards one another. The simple gestures like a little “thank you for thinking of me even though I don’t need what you’re offering,” or the handshake Wyatt greeted me with every morning at work, those things made this place stand out above anywhere I’d ever been before. They weren’t demanded or required, they were real emotions, and they were screwing with my head.

It had barely been a week since I’d arrived in Collier territory and I could feel the place changing me. I couldn’t run away and just go back home. My Alpha would never accept that. The blood oath would kick in and force my actions back towards the goal of killing Elena the witch anyway. I was stuck with no way out of that. It was the true reason my Alpha had insisted on the oath. Maybe he already understood the harder things I’d face here, like love and respect, concepts only before that I couldn’t possibly have prepared myself to face. I would never know for certain because my path was already written.

For the first time, that thought terrified me. Regardless of whether my plans to kill the witch were successful or not, I knew I wouldn’t survive them. If I killed her, they would hunt me down and kill me anyway. If I didn’t, I would die trying. Either way I had already signed my death certificate and there was no going back from it.

“Are you okay?” Ruby asked, probably sensing my sullenness.

I looked over at my beautiful mate, grateful for the short time I’d already had with her and vowed again to make the most of every second we were given together.

I smiled at her in reassurance. “I’m fine. How’s our mama doing?”

Ruby beamed at my question and launched into the latest update. She didn’t stop talking about her until Wyatt showed up with dinner. Not wanting to eat in front of the others, we snuck upstairs to our apartment and ate our meal in peace.

I cleaned up behind her as Ruby sat watching.

“You’re too good to me, do you know that?”

In truth, I was plagued by guilt over the situation I’d put her in. Unable to express that to her, I focused instead on how much I had already grown to care for her, and I wanted to show her with actions instead of words.

I pulled her to stand from where she sat at our small kitchen table and I wrapped my arms around her. I heard her sharp intake of breath as I crushed my lips to hers. They parted easily for me as my tongue delved into her mouth, exploring and tasting.

She pressed her body tightly against mine and my physical response left no question for how much I wanted her. She moaned softly against my lips and I pulled her impossibly closer to me. I could feel her nipples harden against my chest, even through our clothing.

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