Page 16 of Stolen Oath
Loud rapid raps on the bathroom door had me jumping a foot in the air and clutching my chest in case my heart jumps out of it. With my heartbeat hammering inside my ribcage it was difficult for a moment to hear the muffled voice, so I turned the water off after a long moment since my shaky fingers kept slipping off the tap.
“What?” shouting as loud as I can I tugged the curtain and stuck my head out.
“Five minutes.” Char informed me courtly. “I have coffee ready but I’ll pour it down the drain while you watch if you are not out in four.”
“You are a mean, mean woman, Charmain Marietti.” Blinking water off my eyelashes I glared at the door.
“And don’t you forget it.” She snickered and her mocking laughter drifted away with her departure.
My friend was doing her best to make things seem normal for me and I was grateful for it.
It was against everything I am to eavesdrop but it’ll be a lie if I said I didn’t strain my ears to catch whose voice was coming from the living room along with Char’s. Would it be too much to ask for it to be the Druid? As soon as the thought entered my mind guilt stabbed me so hard, it physically doubled me over.
Memories of my dreams, which I now doubted were dreams at all, made me pause. I wasn’t ready to acknowledge yet that all the crazy circling inside my head happened for real but I couldn’t easily dismiss it either. Before sharing it with Char, I had to think a little longer on it. However, a voice faint but clear enough to be heard whispered about paying a price with something of a great personal value and that hit too close to home with the blood magic my friend performed to save me and forgot all about Damian as a result. How much did the Druid mean to her that she sacrificed him to make sure my head stays attached to my shoulders? My time was ticking so I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my soaking wet body but my brain was going a hundred miles an hour.
My best friend and I had an agreement not to disclose information to each other that can implicate us in things which I guessed covered her rear when it came to her dealings in the magical black market. Information I found out from no other than Dimitri Bell who no doubt gloated because he knew something I didn’t.
Returning to my room with a cloud of steam following my path from the bathroom to the dresser, I stabbed my legs in the jeans a bit harsher than was necessary. A few weeks ago, I blamed Dimitri for my life exploding and turning inside out, but the more time passed and new developments became clearer, the more I had to begrudgingly reconsider things.
I was becoming reckless.
With or without the old alpha gunning for his son’s head someone would’ve eventually started paying attention to the White Kalla. The fact that witches came out of the woodwork around the same time, told me this had been long overdue.
Pointedly avoiding the boarded window, I pulled the long-sleeved t-shirt over my head and towel dried my hair so it’s not plastered to my skull. The floor was cool under my bare feet yet I felt too lazy to put socks on. Something I regretted a minute later when I joined Char and the alpha in my living room. Head bowed together they were whispering something but separated fast as soon as they saw me.
“Miss McCullough.” Dimitri leveled me with his penetrating, intense stare and I all but tripped over my own feet.
“Mr. Bell.” I drawled back and threw the wet towel over the back of the chair so I can snatch the huge mug full of steaming coffee my friend handed me. “I love you.” I breathed and Dimitri’s eyes went as wide as saucers.
“She’s talking to the coffee.” Char drawled and cleared her throat since it annoyed her when I draped towels around the dining table but I pretended I didn’t hear her. With a huff she yanked it off the chair and stomped toward my room to probably drop it on my bed. She always did that.
“I updated Dimitri about yesterday, that you don’t remember anything.” My bestie tossed over her shoulder probably guessing correctly that it rubbed me wrong seeing them whispering like conspirators when I joined them.
“Nothing?” Dimitri searched my face but I only shook my head dejectedly.
“You’re like a dog, aren’t you?” I rushed to say before he started interrogating me, or before Char was back, as I slurped the liquid goodness just to frustrate him. “Pet it once and you can’t get rid of it.”
“And when was it that you petted me, malen’kaya ved’ma?” A deep baritone rumbled in his chest as he eyed me like he wanted to melt the clothing I wore off of my body.
My mouth dried up.
“Why are you here?” I knew it was childish but it was also necessary for my sanity. I couldn’t think straight even without Dimitri taunting me with his looks and smiles. Not long ago I couldn’t stand the arrogant male, I had no idea what was wrong with me.
“To check on you.” One eyebrow arched up as if wanting to say it was obvious, the alpha leaned forward on the loveseat.
The loveseat that resembled toy furniture when his bulk filled almost half of it.
Swallowing thickly, I instinctively took a step back.
One corner of his full lips twitched up.
“How nice of you.” Smacking my hand on the ceramic to hide my nerves and almost burning myself when hot coffee sloshed over the rim of the mug, I smiled brightly at him. “You checked. Now you can go away.”
“Stop being obtuse, Allie.” Char sashayed back to join us, an unimpressed expression on her face. “I’m glad he is here because we can use all the help we can get.”
With a sigh I rubbed a hand over my face. “I’m sorry.” I told Dimitri on a huff which made both of them raise their brows as if I’d grown a second head. “I’m just very irritable today.”
“Today?” Dimitri grinned when I scowled at him.
