The untamed, p.8
The Untamed, page 8
“Where’d Logan go?” I ask, forcing my attention back to my brother.
He shudders—again, I think from the cold, but am beginning to wonder. “His wife.”
The venomous way with which he utters those words confuses me. Why does he seem mad that Logan has a wife? A sudden thought occurs to me, but I shove it away.
Nah.
Not Ronan.
I’ve seen all the porn mags Wild smuggles him and they’re all women.
“Logan seems like an even bigger dick than his brother and cousin,” I state with a shrug. “I’m your friend. Fuck them.”
Ronan’s lips twitch on one corner with an almost smile. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“I know I’m right.”
Dad, with Michael on his tail, returns to the bonfire. He motions for Rowdy, who materializes from the darkness to join us.
“Bad news is she’s having contractions,” Dad tells us. “Good news is, they’re most likely Braxton Hicks, and she just needs rest. Your momma is setting her up in the girls’ room.” He turns his eyes to me. “I trust you can keep an eye on Destiny and Raegan since they’ll be staying next door for a few days?”
Ronan groans under his breath. I’d be annoyed too if I had to give up my cabin for the girls. But everything about these people is annoying and invasive. It’s no surprise they’re taking over the house too.
“I’ll watch them,” I say in agreement. “Me and Ronan both will.”
Ronan nods, though I can tell he’s still butt hurt about giving up his cabin. Michael shoots us a grateful smile for readjusting our lives to accommodate his family. Whatever, man. This isn’t about pleasing him. It’s about respecting Dad’s wishes and protecting my own family.
Now that Dad is back and everything seems to be back under control, I rise to my feet and holler at Rae. “Bedtime, brat. You too, Dez.”
Raegan tries to complain, but one scathing glare from Dad and she bites back her words. She glowers at me like she has the power to intimidate me. She doesn’t.
While me and Ronan gather up our sisters, I avoid Mya altogether. She’s fucking weird and I don’t have any plans to spend another second near her. We’re almost to the cabins when I feel another presence. Glancing over my shoulder, I notice Rowdy trailing behind.
Ronan goes inside his cabin, most likely to grab his things, and the girls trail after. I stop to give Rowdy an assessing look.
“What are your plans?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.
He shrugs. “Probably sleep on your hammock if you have an extra blanket. If not, Spirit can keep me warm. Not going back to my place anytime soon.”
Not because of the momma bear and her cubs.
Nah, he’s here to keep watch just as I am.
“Think we should take turns walking the perimeter tonight?”
He nods, scooping up Spirit and nuzzling the wolf pup’s fur with his nose. “I’d feel safer if we did.”
“Me too.” I stifle a yawn. “You want first watch?”
My older brother smirks. “Yeah. Get your beauty sleep, princess.”
I’m stunned for a moment as I realize Rowdy is teasing me. Like old times. Like before he went on his fateful trip. Maybe he’s on the road to recovery. It’d be great to see him laugh again.
I flip him off but then abandon him to go into my cabin. I briefly see Raegan dart in to steal Mage’s food and water bowls, before she disappears again. Her and Ronan’s muffled voices can be heard outside and then a few minutes later, he joins me in my cabin.
Normally, I don’t mind being alone, but tonight I’m glad to have my brother with me. I start the fire in my fireplace and then shed all my clothes down to my boxers. Ronan is being fucking weird, staring a hole into the ground.
“Dude,” I say with a laugh. “You can’t sleep in your boots.”
Giving my back to him, I crawl into my bed, taking the spot by the wall. Soon, I can hear soft thuds as he removes his boots and clothes. He still won’t look at me as he slides into bed, which makes my chest squeeze painfully.
Something’s wrong with Ronan.
“You know you can talk to me,” I murmur, propping my body up on one elbow so I can look at him. “You don’t have to suffer in silence.”
Ronan’s lips thin out as if he’s trying to hold words inside his mouth. I want to pry them open with my fingers, freeing them for me to consume greedily. Playfully, I tug at his bottom lip with my fingers.
“Tell me,” I order, grinning at him.
He smiles back and then bites my finger. Fucker. I howl in exaggerated pain that has us both cracking up. When we settle down, he’s no longer being strange and smiles happily at me. My heart hammers in my chest with pride. I’m thankful I can make him feel better.
Since he doesn’t seem keen on speaking, I stretch out beside him, resting my head on the pillow beside his. He doesn’t push me away when I drape an arm over him. Something tells me he needs to feel like he’s loved and a part of this family. That’s something I can endlessly give him.
He’s my brother.
My best friend.
Mine.
Those fuckers—Logan and CJ and Jace—don’t get to steal my people from me.
Ronan sucks in a sharp breath when my fingers dance over his lower abs. He’s always been ticklish. I’m not going to terrorize him by pinning him down, but gently tickling him and listening to his breath hitch is amusing. Again, he doesn’t stop me.
“Do you ever feel like you want something you’re not allowed to have?” he asks, voice barely a whisper.
I think about Raegan. Beautiful and sassy and arousing and fucking off-limits.
“Maybe,” I say, allowing a little of my truth to bleed into the word.
Is he being weird because he really does like Logan, but he’s married?
“It’s okay to like a man.” My words are hot against the side of his face. “You know that, right?”
He makes a keening sound, swiftly flipping onto his side and giving me his back, no doubt trying to hide from me what I’ve guessed. That he likes Logan. Not letting him escape that easily, I curl around him, nuzzling his hair with my nose.
Loved and accepted.
That’s what I want him to feel.
“You can have that one day,” I promise, “just not with him.”
“Not with who?” he croaks out, playing dumb.
“Logan. I see how you look at him. Like you’re in love.”
“I’m not in love with some guy I just met,” he grumbles in a defensive tone. “You don’t know everything, Ry.”
I kiss his shoulder, again in an effort to make him feel loved and accepted, before whispering, “Good to know. You deserve someone better than Logan.”
“And who would that be, oh wise one?” he prods. “Who, Ry? Look around us. There’s no one like me. I’m all alone.”
Irritated by his words, I hug him closer. My body flickers with heat and I wonder if I made the fire too hot. The smart thing would be to stop cuddling Ronan so I don’t sweat my ass off, but I can’t find it in me to let go.
“You’ll never be alone,” I murmur. “You’ll always have me.”
“Are you volunteering yourself to get fucked?”
I snort out a laugh and playfully tease, “Maybe I’d be the one doing all the fucking.” To punctuate my words, I push my dick against his ass.
He elbows me hard in the gut. “I hate you. You’re such a dick sometimes.”
“Love you too, big bro.”
I drift off with a smile on my face. Our joking around about being lovers has put us both in a better mood. His soft breathing indicates he finally succumbed to sleep.
Ronan will find someone worthy one day.
Someone he can fuck since he’s clearly horrified by the idea of taking it.
And I will support him one hundred percent.
As long as it’s not Logan or any of those trespassers.
I’d volunteer myself if that meant saving him from that skeevy guy. My traitorous dick pressed against Ronan’s ass plumps, turning to stone as images of me being the one to bring him pleasure invade my mind.
Thank fuck he’s asleep because there’d be no way to explain my way out of that shit.
Maybe my dick really is broken since I can’t seem to keep it under control around Raegan and now Ronan.
Teenage Angst in the Wilderness sounds like a stupid book.
One star.
Do not recommend.
* * *
* * *
They’ve been here five days and Dad still hasn’t kicked them out. It’s a miracle, really. Especially since Dad hates everyone.
But he doesn’t hate them.
He and Mom have also been too busy to harp on me and my brothers about the creek incident. I was sure I was going to get an ass whipping for all that mouthing off I did.
It never came.
Maybe my parents could see I wasn’t being unreasonable. I don’t like Wild and have no plans to marry that freak.
For the past few days, I’ve managed to get CJ alone several times, dragging him past the food jungle along the fence where we’re hidden. Despite his teasing and charm, he’s actually well-behaved and hasn’t so much as tried to kiss me. It’s driving me insane.
“I don’t like them,” Destiny says from where she’s curled up on Ronan’s bed in my usual spot.
Not that I’m complaining. I took over his spot and inhaled his cinnamon-scented pillow every night like a lovesick stalker.
“Who?” I ask, playing dumb. “Kota and Declan?”
She sighs like a girl much older than fourteen. “No. The trespassers.”
I want to punch Ryder for making that title stick. That’s what everyone besides me and Ronan refers to them as.
“Why not?” I huff from the floor where I’m watching Mage slurp up water from his bowl. “They’re nice. Don’t be a snob, Dez.”
She combs her bony fingers through her pale blond hair, frowning at me. Though I’m probably no more than a blob of shadow to her, she pins me with a penetrating stare that makes my skin feel itchy.
“I’m not a snob,” she says patiently, ignoring my agitated squirming. “I just don’t trust them.”
“Because they’re nice?” I snap. “You’re just used to Dad and Rowdy and Ryder. Not everyone is a paranoid asshole.”
She flinches at my harsh words. “Just be careful around them, okay?”
“Maybe if you’d actually try to get to know them, you wouldn’t act like that. Have you even attempted to speak to Mya?” I demand. “What about Jace or CJ or any of the other kids close to our ages?”
Guilt makes my sister bow her head. I feel like a witch biting her head off, but she’s not even giving them a chance.
“I guess not,” she allows. “You’re right. I can try harder. It’s just always been us and the Knox family. These other people make me nervous.”
I toss a stick at Mage, but he ignores it in favor of gnawing on my boot. His sister, Spirit, is the better of the two wolf pups and doesn’t chew on everything under the sun, which is why Dad’s been letting her go into the big house. Mage would probably chew my little brothers to bits. Not that they wouldn’t deserve it.
A hard knock on the door makes both me and Destiny squeak in surprise. Mage stops chewing to yap at the sound.
I bound to my feet and rush over to answer it, expecting Ronan to be dropping by for more clothes or something. My disappointment at not seeing him is brief, followed by excitement at seeing CJ instead.
“Want to go on an adventure today?” CJ asks, flashing me a brilliant, flirty grin that makes my insides twist.
“Absolutely,” I chirp. “Let me put on my boots and grab my knife.”
It’ll always be my knife. Just like Mage is my pup. Ryder will have to get over these things.
“Jace has booze,” CJ reveals as Jace waggles his brows at me. “Carter over there has candy and beef jerky.”
Carter, one of the other kids I haven’t met before, stands awkwardly behind them but nods in agreement. He’s fifteen or sixteen if I had to guess, though he doesn’t look like Jace or CJ with their red hair, green eyes, and freckles. Carter is thin, blue-eyed, and has shaggy black hair. He definitely must be a part of one of the other families that’s in their group.
“Destiny loves candy and beef jerky,” I say, hinting at my sister that this is her moment to get to know them. “Right, sis?”
She nods slowly. “Yeah, but I don’t want to hold you all back on your adventure.”
Jace saunters into the room and plops down on the bed beside my sister. Her cheeks burn bright red. I have to stifle a snort of amusement.
“We’ll keep you safe, Destiny,” Jace assures her. “You can hold my hand if you need to.”
It’s sweet of him to want to help my nearly blind sister. CJ slings an arm over my shoulders, tugging me to him.
“It’s settled,” CJ says in triumph. “Let’s get out of here before any parents notice. I’m so not doing chores today.”
“Fuck chores,” Jace agrees, playfully nudging Destiny.
“I do hate chores,” Dez blurts out and then giggles.
Ten minutes later and we’re all slipping past the adults standing around the fire and hurrying out of the gate. The tents from CJ’s group are scattered around the woods. Crying babies, soft singing, and occasional voices can be heard. Not all of the people are as friendly as CJ and Jace. Most still seem skittish, hanging back in their tents and letting Michael and Owen do all the entertaining.
When we reach the end of the fence, I make sure Jace is doing as promised—holding Destiny’s hand—before trotting ahead to take the lead. Mage bounces after me, darting through CJ’s feet and nearly making him fall on his face. We all quietly laugh at his near misfortune. Eventually, we make it around the back side of our fortified property to the steps that will take us down the cliffside to the river. Long ago, probably before I was born, Dad and Uncle Atticus built the stairs to make it easier for us to get water when we didn’t have a rainwater collection system in place yet.
“Be careful,” I warn everyone behind me. “One misstep and you’ll take quite a tumble. I still have a scar on my knee from falling once. A wrong move and you could break your neck.”
I look over my shoulder to see if anyone is intimidated by my words. Carter is frowning and appears to be slightly afraid. CJ is grinning from ear to ear, which is his usual MO. Jace and Destiny both wear determined expressions as they carefully make their way down.
Maybe I’ll scare them about bears instead.
“Rowdy says there’s a momma grizzly around here and she’s territorial over her cubs,” I tell them when I reach the bottom of the steps, slightly out of breath. “Who will she eat first?”
This earns me a better reaction. All four of my adventure mates frown at me. Satisfied, I smirk and continue along the path toward Rowdy’s house. Not that he’s there. He’s been stalking us and the property, doing Dad’s bidding to protect us.
CJ sidles up next to me, taking hold of my hand. At first, I think he’s afraid of my bear talk, but then his thumb strokes over my flesh, sending goose bumps over my skin. I cut my eyes his way, unable to keep my heart from tripping over itself when he flashes me a wicked smile.
We are holding hands.
Oh my God.
I know my face is hot, but I don’t even care. I’m holding hands with a cute guy who is very much into me. Best part is that I don’t think my parents care. As long as I don’t have sex with my brothers, they’re good.
Jace chatters to Destiny, explaining things as we walk, while I get caught up in a fantasy of me and CJ. Alone and naked. Him on top of me, his penis hard and ready.
Like Ryder’s cock.
But smaller because the more I think about Ryder’s cock, the more I decide it’s too big to be going anywhere near my vagina.
Maybe CJ has a finger-sized penis. My finger fits inside me just fine.
The more I think about sexual stuff, the more flustered I get. I should have grabbed a canteen of water so I could dump it over my head right about now.
Our hike takes us past Rowdy’s cabin that my parents lived in a long time ago and onto a piece of land where Aunt Eve used to live. There supposedly used to be a shack there, but Uncle Atticus and Dad leveled it way before my memories go.
Jace stops and gives Carter a playful shove. “Snacks, bro. We’re hungry.”
CJ tugs me over to a fallen log and I sit down beside him on it. I suppress a shiver when his arm snakes around my waist, his large hand settling on my hip. Jace guides Destiny to a soft pile of pine straw and then starts unzipping Carter’s backpack. He passes out some bottles of water and then the snacks. I guess the promised booze is for later, not that I’m complaining.
“I love Skittles!” I exclaim, snatching the red bag out of Jace’s hands. “They’re my favorites.”
Jace chuckles. “Didn’t know you people would even know what they were.”
“We live in the wilderness, but we’re not uncivilized, dork.” I happily rip open my bag and dump a bunch of candies into my mouth. The sweetness is an instant joyful high.
Carter stands aside, arms hanging at his sides and not saying a word. What a weird kid. If I’d met him instead of CJ and Jace, I’d have definitely run in the other direction. Jace, upon seeing me watch Carter, smirks my way before grabbing Carter’s shoulders.
“Sit, Cart. You’re making everyone nervous.” He pushes down on Carter so that he’s forced to sit down on the pine needles next to my sister. “There. Better. Don’t get handsy with little Destiny or I’ll have to punch you.”
Carter swallows hard and brings his knees to his chest in an effort to stay away from Destiny. Good. I don’t want that freak touching her because then I would have to punch him too.
We stay long enough to finish our water bottles and snacks. Skittles and beef jerky—the store-bought kind, not the homemade kind—wrappers flutter across the earth. I feel like we should probably pick them up, because if Dad were here he would make us, but then think better of it. I’m not going to be the bossy mom on our adventure today.
