Page 76 of Claimed By Monsters

I take my time rinsing off the soap, and then I stop water and grab the towel.

My stomach is growling, and I have no idea if there’s any food in the kitchen.

If I’m hungry after what we just did, I can’t even imagine how starving my mates must be.

They’re so big and muscular. They must need to eat a lot more than ordinary shifters do.

I dry off standing on the bathmat and wrap the towel around myself when I’m done.

The first aid kit in the cupboard under the sink is small, but there are bandages inside.

I bring it with me as I step out into the hallway.

Some of the lights are on now that it’s getting dark out, and the first thing I see when I look down the hall is Scar in the kitchen. He’s got his loincloth back on and he has some of the kitchen cupboards open while he looks around inside them.

I head to the kitchen doorway, not encouraged by what I see when I get there.

“I’m guessing you can’t find any food?” I ask.

Scar turns to me, and shrugs.

“That’s the trouble with Nightshade,” I tell him. “Everyone eats at the cafeteria. No one’s supposed to have anything extra in their home. Alina grows the herbs to make tea in the garden, but we only have anything else when there’s extra brought home from work.”

Alina might think about bringing food home tonight, considering she knows her son and his brothers are here to stay. There’s no guarantee there’ll be anything left at work, but considering there are at least four less mouths to be fed in the cafeteria all day, that’s probably not going to be an issue.

Still, it’s a maybe, and I’m not sure any of us really want to wait around for a maybe.

“Alina might bring food home, but it won’t be for hours.”

Scar closes the cupboards and nods slowly.

He looks up and clicks his fingers, his eyes lighting up.

He’s had an idea. That much is obvious.

There’s practically a lightbulb hanging over his head right now.

“What is it?”

He moves toward me, and I step back to let him exit the kitchen.

He goes straight to the living room and comes out with the sketch pad and pencil.

Leaning the pad against the wall, he writes down a question.

Will anyone be working at the food stores now?

My lips twitch into a smile. “No. Everyone finishes up before it’s time for dinner service at the cafeteria.”

He grins at me, as he writes something else below his question.

Then we’ll go raid the stores.

“That sounds like fun.”

I guess I’d better go get dressed.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

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