Page 36 of Claiming Xan
Huxley took a deep breath. “How about this,” he began. “You’re wounded, and you look dead on your feet. Why don’t you sleep in our spare room tonight and catch up on some needed rest, and in the morning, I’ll reach out to Gracie.”
I lifted my lip. “I don’t give a shit about Gracie. I’m worried about?—”
Huxley held up a hand. “I know. Just trust me a little bit? I have to talk to my Alpha before I can promise you anything, alright?”
I scrubbed both hands over my face with a growled-out groan. “Okay.” What other choice did I really have? I needed tosee Xan. I needed to know he was okay. “Can I shower? I feel disgusting.”
“Of course,” Chance said. “Try not to get the wound wet, though, if you can avoid it. The last thing you need is an infection on top of everything else.”
“Right.” Like anyone cared about that.
I retreated to the bathroom and ran the water as hot as I could stand it, but I did my best to keep my leg out of the water, even if it did make a big mess on the floor that I had to mop up with towels later. Still, I felt a little more like myself when I was done.
To my surprise, there was a pair of clean drawstring pants and a t-shirt on the toilet lid. I grabbed them and brought them to my nose to sniff them. When I only smelled dryer sheets and fabric softener and my wolf didn’t throw a fit or growl, I pulled them on.
I found Chance waiting outside for me. He gestured for me to follow him down the hall and showed me the spare room, where I’d be staying. “It’s not much, but consider it yours for the night. If you need anything, we’re just a few doors down,” he said. “Just…knock, because Hux sleeps in the nude.” He grinned at me.
I snorted a low laugh. “I’ll be fine, but thank you.”
Chance left and closed the door behind him. I crawled into bed, and no sooner had I put my head on the pillows and closed my eyes, I was out like a light, relaxed for the first time in what felt like forever.
22
RIVER
I woketo the heavenly smell of frying bacon. So heavenly, in fact, that my stomach felt like it was gnawing itself open with how loudly it growled.
Wrapping my arms around my middle, I groaned and rolled over, nestling back into the pillows, but the gales of laughter and the sounds of kids running through the house at breakneck speed had my wolf tense and pacing.
It wasn't that I didn't like kids, I'd just never been around them. I didn't have little siblings or cousins growing up, and Sky and I didn't really have any friends past elementary school; after I started scrapping and getting into trouble, parents didn't really want us around their kids. I was a "bad influence" apparently.
Mostly, though, I didn't want to hurt Chance and Huxley's pups by accident. Because then I trulywouldbe a monster.
I squeezed my eyes closed at the thought of their blood on my hands and quickly shook my head. No. It wouldn't happen. I wouldn't let it. I wasn't a killer, no matter what Gracie Howell thought.
Knowing there was no chance of getting back to sleep, I got up and halfheartedly made the bed, then limped down the hall.
I peeked into the living room to see Charlotte jumping up and down on the couch cushions, her pigtails bouncing, while her brother Dresden put together some Legos at a small activity table that looked a few years too young for him. My foot must've hit just the right floorboard, because it squeaked and both children turned to me.
"Good morning!" Dresden chirped. "Dad's in the kitchen. The bacon smells sooo good.”
I mumbled a good morning back, then quickly shuffled across the hall and into the kitchen. Chance was standing at the stove, frying bacon in one pan and scrambling eggs in another. His gingery hair was tousled from sleep, like he'd rolled out of bed and gotten right to work, slaving over a hot oven.
When I entered the room, he turned and smiled at me."Hey. Sleep well?"
"Yeah," I said.
"Hungry?"
I ducked my head, feeling my face burn. As if he couldn't hear the noises my stomach was making? "Very."
Chance only laughed. "Well, don't worry. I made two pounds of bacon and almost a dozen eggs—and I hope you like cheese, because I used a ton of cheddar. My kids love their eggs extra cheesy. Shifter appetites, am I right?"
Shaking his head, he returned his attention to his task, flipping the bacon before it could burn to the bottom of the pan. My stomach ached something fierce at the greasy scent of frying meat. So hungry... Would I always be so hungry?
Chance waved towards the table. "Why don't you have a seat? Huxley's outside, taking a phone call, but he'll be back in soon."
I frowned. "A phone call to who? Gracie? Reporting in on what he found?" I barked out a harsh laugh. "A stray on his property?"
