Page 47 of Cupid's Pack

“Of course. Are you okay?” These guys seem to check on me at the slightest sign of upset. Ordinarily I would like that, but I’m still in the middle of being really freaking annoyed.

“Fine,” I mutter through clenched teeth. I shove my heart stone deeper into my bag and zip it closed before taking it back from Willem.

Mason walks up to join us.

“So, uh,” Ian clears his throat from behind me, “is this guy going or not?”

I glance over my shoulder to find Sailor waiting expectantly, his bag thrown over his shoulder. He raises his chin and levels me with a hard look.Let me help keep you safe.

I step closer to Willem, ignoring the way Sailor’s expression darkens in response. I can barely manage to choke the words out to tell the guys, “Sailor is coming with us.”

Mason stiffens, turning a glare on Sailor as if he’s put a gun to my head to make me say it. But I’m putting my reluctant stamp of approval on him for the moment, not because he can keep me safe… but because I know he can help keep the rest of these guys safe.

I’m not worried about me; I made my bed and I’m lying in it. Sailor, though, he can make sure Mason, Ian, and Willem don’t become casualties of the problems I showed up with.

Sailor didn’t give me his worst in the training circle; I heard the way other shifters talk about him. I know he’s considered a force to be reckoned with. And we need that right now.

Are we ignoring the fact that he’s also your mate?my wolf asks smugly.

Yes. I’m definitely trying not to think about that part.

My wolf isn’t going to forget, though. That’s not how she operates.Things are getting interesting, she muses. I might feel weird about all the attractive mates coming out of the woodwork, but she doesn’t.

“Hey.” Willem catches my eye and strokes my cheek with the back of his hand. “This is what you want?”

“For now.” I nod.

“Then Sailor’s with us.” They can all hear him, but no one protests. Mason looks like he’d like to, but he clamps his jaw closed and gives a terse nod.

And that’s how we wind up with Sailor playing tag-along hours later as we head north again. We spent far more time making our way to Otto’s training ground than we actually spent there. This time, we don’t pick our path as carefully. The goal is only to put as much distance between us and whoever might be following us as possible.

The guys and I fall back into our easy pattern together from previous travels. Only Sailor struggles, alternating between running practically on top of me he’s so close and at other times dropping back to take a protective position from behind us.

By the fourth time he bumps into me by trying to run plastered against my side, I finally snap.

Would you stop that? We shared a perfectly good run yesterday. I know you know how to run in sync with me without stumbling on top of me.I give a warning snap of my teeth.

Sailor bounces with nervous energy on his paws.Sorry, he mutters, not sounding sorry at all.

I turn to step away from him, and he does it again. He brushes fully against my side, sticking himself too close to me.That’s it,I tell him. I whirl on him and pounce, pushing him to the ground since he wasn’t expecting me.

I know he could come back at me easily, but he doesn’t. He stays down as I move to stand over him, baring my teeth down at him.

What’s your problem?I ask, making his eyes flash with an emotion I can’t quite place.

Nothing. I don’t have a problem.I can tell he’s lying.

I shake my head, ruffling my fur as I glare down at him in disappointment.This arrangement works because we’re all honest with each other. If you can’t do that, then you don’t belong with us.

Sailor lets out a small growl that doesn’t scare me at all.

I’m itching, okay? I’m fucking itching to touch you, and it’s driving me mad. I can’t focus on keeping anyone safe because all I’m thinking about is how much I want to be next to you and touch you.There’s venom in the words, but it doesn’t stop me from feeling the weight of his confession.

His words leave me speechless. I kind of thought he was just doing it to annoy me.

It takes me way longer than it should to look up at our small audience and choke out the words,Everything is fine. Let’s get going again.I’m not sure everything is fine. Sailor is a complication that needs to be sorted out sooner rather than later.

NINETEEN

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