Page 89 of Dead Wolf Walking (Bad Moon Academy 1)
Raven
Waking up naked and in a bed I don’t recognize is the least of my worries because there’s a strong arm wrapped around my middle and a very hard chest pressing into my back.
Who the fuck?
Then images of the night before flash through my mind. The phantom, the shadow tentacles who tried to take me away, and me stupidly trying to bring the creature back to life with my necromantic powers. Joan must have forced a shift because last I remember I was in wolf form.
I shudder, and not because the man behind me stirs. A part of me recalls the pain of not being able to breathe and my body fighting to stay alive. Not something I want to experience ever again. Carefully shifting on the bed, I roll over to see who is behind me. I tuck the sheet around me so I’m covered. I don’t have enough energy to push off of the bed yet. My head is groggy, muscles heavy with exhaustion.
Everett’s sleeping peacefully, not aware of my movements as he lets out a soft snore. Since I’m not in any hurry to get out of here because moving feels like moving through sludge, I study his face. He’s handsome in a clean-cut way, and he sort of reminds me of the quarterback type. Except he’s a professor at this academy and definitely all man. His shoulders are broad and strong, and his jaw is sprinkled with stubble. I lower my gaze, taking in all of those abs.
Damn. He’s well past the awkward stage where boys become men.
“If you keep staring at me, I’m going to get a complex.” He peels one eye open and grins.
Placing my hand under my pillow, I snort. “As if you don’t already?”
He opens his other eye and places his hand over his heart. “Ouch. It’s too early to fire shots, Raven.”
I can’t help but smile. “I mean, you kind of asked for it.”
His eyes are such a rich shade of brown, they’re easy to get lost in.
“How do you feel?” he asks, running the backs of his fingers over my shoulder. The gesture is comforting, if not a little unnatural. He and I barely know each other.
Still, my skin tingles in the wake of his touch.
“Like I drank way too much vodka, took an oxy, then sprinted a mile without shoes on.”
His brow crinkles. “That’s oddly specific.”
“Tell me about it,” I say, scrubbing my hand over my face to try and wake up. “What the hell happened?”
His forehead wrinkles. “I was sort of hoping you’d tell me. The guys and I found you in the ballroom… naked and passed out.”
Glancing away from his scrutiny, I stare at his ceiling. “And then?”
“I carried you back here and stayed with you. You kept whimpering in your sleep, but when I held you, you stopped.”
Swinging my gaze to meet his, I search his face. He’s not wearing his teasing smile, and his eyes are solemn. “So you big spooned me to get me to shut up?” I ask with a laugh, hoping it’ll distract him from asking more questions.
How do I explain last night?
“It worked.” He smiles and shrugs. “My cuddle game is strong.”
Sighing, I snuggle into the bed. I’m so tired I feel like I can fall asleep right now. I can’t very well stay here, can I?
Worrying my lip when his gaze skates over me, I pretend not to notice how he focuses on where I have the sheet clutched against my chest. The attention makes me realize how bare we both are. How he took care of me after whatever that was last night. He had to have carried me out of the ballroom after I passed out, and he probably kept me here to make sure I was okay.
A knight in shining armor… well, naked armor.
He parts his lips and licks them when my eyes stray to them. It would be so easy to reach out and trace those full lips. Who says I can’t distract myself from all of the things I should be worrying about for a bit?
A flush creeps up my cheeks, and his nostrils flare. He rolls onto his back and bends his legs.
I avert my gaze. Those reckless thoughts are the same ones that got me into trouble with liquor. I can’t hide from reality by drinking, and I sure as shit won’t do it now by fucking Everett.
No matter how much I might want to.
