Page 63 of Feral

“That’s a good idea.”

I took my time in the bathroom, calming my emotions and the instincts that were becoming frighteningly strong. When I could no longer reasonably monopolize the bathroom, I walked out with my glamour firmly in place. It was strange, but the damn thing felt a little like armor, reminding me that I had to hold my true self in check. And I needed that constant barrier now more than ever. Because the second Daphne’s scent reached me, I wanted to rip off the shirt and pants she now wore and bend her over the bed, spending the rest of the day rutting her until neither of us could walk.

I tightened my jaw and walked to the other side of the room to open the curtains. The morning was cloudy, a drizzle fell and draped the town in a haze. I stared outside, willing myself to not speak to her, or even look at her. If I did and there was even a hint of desire, or worse, hurt in those eyes, I’d relent and then we’d really be in a situation.

I heard the door to the bathroom close, heard the water run and tried to tell myself to just let this whole thing go. But it had its hooks in me now and the only thing I could manage was a sullen distance when Daphne came out of the bathroom.

“Are ya hungry?” I asked, even though I knew the answer.

“A bit.”

Her answer was curt, careful, and it was like a punch in the chest. I’d hurt her, confused her, and I hated myself for it.

“What time is your brother getting here?” she asked.

As if on cue, there was a playful knock at the door and I groaned. There was only one of my brothers that knocked like that and he was the last person that I wanted around Daphne right now.

“Oy, ya peely-wally arse, open up,” Lowell said from behind the door. “Yer chariot awaits!”

Before I could stop her, Daphne opened the door and smiled up at my brother. His glamour was so fucking pretty it was nauseating, and he knew it. His ice blue eyes twinkled at Daphne and a shock of black hair fell across his forehead as he gave her crooked grin and leaned on the door jamb toward her.

“Well, aren’t ya the bonniest lass this side of Dublin,” he drawled. “I can see why my brother was in a hurry to mark ya.”

Daphne flushed and giggled.

“I’m Daphne,” she said and held out her hand.

Lowell took it and kissed her knuckles. She would smell like him for the rest of the day if I didn’t do something about it. I marched over and took her hand out of his, placing myself between them.

“That’s enough.”

But Lowell, ever the eejit, just leaned around me and said, “If ya ever get tired of the grumpiest Werewolf in Scotland, ya can always trade up.”

A long, loud growl rolled through the room. My fists curled as my instincts primed for a fight. He dared to flirt with her, to ask her to his bed!

“Och, calm down, ya bawbag. I was just jokin’,” Lowell said, and gave Daphne a wink.

“You should know better than to flirt with a mate so soon after the markin’!” I roared, my entire body going hot.

“Oh, I do,” Lowell squared his shoulders and raised himself up to his full height, which was only a few inches shy of me. When he spoke next, his voice was pitched low, meant only for me. “And I also know that sometimes beatin’ the shite out of a virile Werewolf can take the edge off a frenzy. Why else do you think Angus sent me?”

That took some of the bite out of his behavior and I uncurled my fists.

It made sense that Angus might think that I’d mated Daphne in a frenzy of some kind. After all, I wasn’t known for being impulsive. That would be the eejit standing in front of me. So Angus sent Lowell, the one brother who could get a quick rise out of me and who I’d have no problem beating the shit out of, in case I needed to blow off some steam before coming back to a tense situation.

“No, I’m fine,” I said.

Lowell’s eyes narrowed as he took me in, his nostrils flaring on a sniff. Most people discounted my baby brother because he was the pretty, arrogant one. But all of that hid a keen intellect and a Werewolf that saw far more than anyone gave him credit for.

“Good,” Lowell said after a moment, and slipped back into his playboy persona. “I’m starved, let’s get a bite before we go home.”

Lowell turned and offered Daphne his arm. She glanced at me, obviously unsure what she should do after witnessing the confrontation.

“Och, will ya tell yer mate it’s fine to walk with me?” Lowell whined.

“No,” I growled before I could stop myself.

“Then offer meyourarm,” she said, raising an eyebrow.

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