Page 48 of Brody
“I’m going to rest now,” she announced, chin lifted in challenge.“We have a long trek ahead of us tomorrow.”
I nodded, respecting her need for space even as everything in me ached to pull her close.Years of separation, and my body still recognized hers on a cellular level.My wolf whined in protest as I forced myself to maintain distance.
“Right.”I managed to keep my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.“There are guest bedrooms on either side of the front door, and my room is upstairs and has a loft area with seating.Let me show you to your room.”
I led her across the open floor to the biggest guest room, acutely aware of her beside me.The room had a queen bed with soft linens, a private bathroom, and windows that framed the same waterfall view.
“This is beautiful,” she said, drifting toward the glass.“You can see everything from here.
“Everything that matters,” I agreed, though I wasn’t looking at the scenery.
Charged silence.Regret crackling between us like lightning.Her fragrance permeated the air, notes of injury and exhaustion mingling with arousal she couldn’t quite conceal.
Claim her, my wolf urged.She’s hurt, vulnerable, and needs our protection.
She needs rest, I said, though my body hardened painfully at her scent.Not more trauma.Not yet.
“I hate owing people favors,” she said finally.“But you saved my ass tonight.”
“Always,” I said, the word torn from somewhere deep inside.“I’ll always protect you, Rozi.Even when you don’t want me to.”
Something cracked in her expression, pain mixed with longing, walls beginning to crumble under the weight of shared danger.
Before I could stop myself, I reached out to brush a stray curl from her face.My fingers grazed her cheek, and she leaned into the touch with a soft sigh that transformed into a low, involuntary purr.The sound vibrated through the air between us, primitive and honest in a way words could never be.Her cheetah, calling to my wolf.
Time suspended.Her lips parted.
Then she stepped back, the moment shattered, shock and something like horror flashing across her face at her body’s betrayal.
“Good night.”I forced myself toward the door, though everything in me screamed to stay.“Sleep well.Tomorrow we go to the COL.”
I was almost to the threshold when her voice stopped me cold.
“Good night, Thornbern.”
CHAPTER12
ROZI
I jolted awake to sunlight streaming through unfamiliar curtains.My fingers clutched at sheets that weren’t mine, foreign scents, sandalwood, citrus, male, flooding my senses before my memory caught up.Brody’s cabin.The attack.
I struggled to reconcile the soft comfort surrounding me with the violence of hours before.Last night’s attack.The vulture-shifters who’d nearly killed me.Brody’s pre-feral rage when he saw me injured.
The memory hit like a physical blow.I’d survived an assassination attempt, only to end up in my estranged mate’s guest bedroom, surrounded by his scent and the overwhelming awareness that years of carefully maintained distance had collapsed in a single night.
My skin prickled with awareness, the familiar itch beneath my shoulder blades where my cheetah wanted to emerge.My nails lengthened involuntarily, catching on the sheets as I clenched them.Every shadow in the room suddenly seemed deeper, every sound amplified.Foreign territory.Exposed.My shoulders hunched without conscious command, body angling toward the nearest exit.
“Temporary security arrangement,” I muttered, swinging my legs over the side of the bed.“Nothing more.”
But even as I said it, I caught myself breathing deeper.His scent was everywhere, forest, sandalwood, musk, and something purely, devastatingly male that made my pussy clench with unwanted need.
I showered quickly, armoring myself in clothing that balanced protection, comfort, and breathability in the face of heat, humidity, insects, and potential rain for trekking in the forest.Long-sleeved tops and pants, crucial for protecting against sunburn, insect bites, mosquitoes, chiggers, and scratches from plants.Sturdy, waterproof hiking boots with good ankle support.I packed all my essentials in a backpack and a daypack.
I made my way out of the room, following the rich aroma of coffee and sizzling bacon that made my stomach growl with embarrassing intensity.I padded silently across the hardwood floor, my bare feet testing each board before committing weight.
The sight in the kitchen doorway stopped me cold.
Brody stood at the stove, his back to me, wearing nothing but sweatpants riding low on his hips and a thin white T-shirt that clung to every muscle.Morning sunlight streaming through the windows turned his skin to burnished gold, highlighting the broad shoulders that tapered to a narrow waist.
