Their shifter princess 2.., p.18
Their Shifter Princess 2: Pack War, page 18
He broke away to press a kiss to the side of my throat, just below my ear, and my breath caught. “So this is what fated feels like.”
“Crazy, isn’t it?”
His hands spanned my hips, and when his thumbs brushed the bare skin just under my shirt, I drew in a soft breath.
“It’s kind of a good crazy,” he murmured into my hair.
Our lips met again, and then the door opened.
I didn’t have to look to recognize Seb’s whistle.
“Try to stay out of trouble,” Logan told me, squeezing my hips gently before he released me.
“Same to you, buddy,” Finn called. He was shaking his head and grinning as the three of us headed out of the library.
Logan was always so cool and self-possessed, I couldn’t resist glancing back, curious to see if he was still reeling from those kisses like I was.
Logan had his head in his hand, pinching the bridge of his nose like he was fighting back a headache, and my heart fell.
No matter how good crazy this felt, it was all trouble.
Chapter 29
I was pulling my sweatshirt over my head as I left my room—because Seb said it was cold on the water—when Caroline came out the door of Arthur’s room. Faster than sense, hot jealousy washed over me, burning my cheeks.
She was carrying a basket of laundry, frowning as her hair flopped into her face. The door tried to close on her despite her best attempts to shoulder it open, and a towel tumbled off the top of the pile. I jumped to help her.
“You do his laundry?” I asked, horrified. Forget the jealousy. Lord, this pack needed help.
“It’s one of my jobs,” she said. “We all have work to do around here.”
“He looks competent enough to do his own laundry to me,” I muttered. “Alpha or not.”
Caroline couldn’t help smiling, even as she transferred the basket to one hip and shushed me.
“Seb and Finn are taking me out sailing,” I said. “You want to sneak away and come with me?”
“And then when Arthur doesn’t have any clean t-shirts?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. She seemed far lighter now than she had when we were in the banquet room with the whole pack.
“He’ll have to go shirtless,” I said, taking the basket out of her hands and dropping it back inside the door to his room. “And it will be a wonderful thing.”
She laughed, then covered her mouth with her hand a second late, as if she was surprised by the peal of laughter that had burst out of her mouth. “You like the way Arthur looks…”
“As irritating as he is, I’m not blind.”
“But you certainly are mouthy.”
It was Arthur’s low rumble of a voice. The two of us turned abruptly to the stairs, where Arthur stood. His broad shoulders seemed to fill the stairwell. My stomach tightened at being caught talking about him. But there was a bemused arch to his eyebrows, despite his unsmiling face, and a strange throb of desire sparked between my thighs at the unexpected sight of him.
“Sorry,” Caroline murmured, her gaze downcast. She leaned back in his door to scoop up the laundry basket, almost shouldering me out of the way in her hurry.
“It’s all right,” he said curtly. “You do good work, Caroline. Take the day off.”
Her lips parted as she straightened.
Arthur was sweating as if he’d been exercising; his damp t-shirt clung to his chiseled body.
“Just get out of my way,” he said curtly, and as he walked toward us to go into his room, he was already yanking his shirt over his head. His broad biceps worked as he drew his shirt up, exposing his narrow waist and the flat V of his lower abs. His powerful pecs were tattooed with runes, and as he dropped his wet t-shirt into the basket, I caught a glimpse of each chiseled muscle in his lean back, underneath the criss-crossing white scars.
He glanced over his shoulder, shooting a mischievous look over his shoulder. “You should learn some situational awareness, girl.”
His voice was a low, sexy rumble that made me suddenly hot. I flashed him a tight smile and tossed my hair over my shoulder, as if I wasn’t ashamed of being caught. But I could feel my cheeks blazing.
Then Arthur kicked the door shut between us. It slammed into place hard, cutting me off from the sight of his beautiful body.
Caroline stared at me, wide-eyed.
I crinkled my nose back at her. “I am not smooth, huh?”
She shook her head. “No. But you did get me a vacation day…”
“Let’s make the best of it.” I pressed my cool palm against my hot cheek. I was blushing so hard it hurt. “I feel like I’ll be paying for that forever.”
“Probably,” she agreed, which wasn’t exactly comforting, but then she looped her arm through mine like we were old friends. Maybe a little humiliation was the best way to bond with new girlfriends.
“Where’s Fiona?” I asked. “Should we make this a girls’ trip and just let the guys ferry us around the island?”
“Sounds good to me,” she said.
We found Fiona in the kitchen, wrestling a fifty-pound bag of potatoes across the warm hardwood floorboards as the primary cook grimly chopped more potatoes. Little glistening white blocks of potato were stacked on the countertop as deep as my arm. I glanced out the windows toward the yard, where a bunch of young male shifters were sparring.
“There’s some serious bullshit in this pack,” I said.
Fiona looked at me curiously. “What are you guys doing here?”
“In my pack, the guys do the cooking, and not just because my cooking skills are limited to reheating frozen lasagnas,” I said, then had to admit, “Although that’s probably a factor.”
“Arthur gave us the day off,” Caroline said, to the cook more than to anyone else. She was already rushing around the counter to grab Fiona’s arm, and Fiona let the potatoes drop with a thunk.
“I don’t think so—” the cook said…to our backs as we hustled out of the kitchen.
Fiona and Caroline were giggling as we ran across the back porch of the house and down the sandy trail toward the boat house, and it made me grin too as the three of us made a completely unnecessary mad dash, our feet crunching over the leaves as we ran. There was no one chasing us, but still, when we reached the boat house, Fiona turned and looked back up at the house.
“Is this really what you guys expected when you came here?” I asked, and the mood instantly sobered, as Fiona and Caroline exchanged a long look.
“It’s a lot better now than it was, honestly,” Caroline said. “Now that Roderick is dead.”
“Did Arthur really give us the day off?” Fiona brushed her disheveled hair back behind her ears.
“More or less,” Caroline said, a smile coming to her face against as she launched into the story of how I’d embarrassed myself discussing Arthur’s shirtless body. I groaned, covering my face with my hands, as Fiona began to giggle again.
The sound of feet on the wet dock made me turn. Finn was coming up behind us, a quizzical look on his handsome face. As I turned back to the girls, he settled his hands on my shoulders at the same time as he rested his chin familiarly on top of my head. I rolled my eyes as he wrapped his arms around my waist.
“What trouble is Piper starting now?” he asked them, and Caroline launched into the story for a third time. I could feel Finn’s chest shake against my back as he tried to contain his laughter.
“Okay!” I said, clapping my hands together. “I was told there would be sailing. Possibly apple-picking? Can we do that and stop reliving my humiliation?”
“I don’t know what there is to be embarrassed about,” Finn said. “Arthur is a beautiful man. It’s just the truth.”
I ducked under his arm, then twisted back to put my hand over his mouth. “Not another word, Finn. You’re about to not be my favorite anymore.”
His eyebrows rose. “I’m your favorite?”
“Sometimes.” I snagged his hand with mine and pulled him down the dock with me, heading toward where the sailboats bobbed in their berths. A still breeze blew off the water, raising a salty, clean scent. “I invited them to come with us.”
Sebastian was waiting impatiently in one of the sailboats, the lines coiled in his hand and the breeze ruffling his copper curls. He offered me his hand, and I took it, jumping into the boat with minimal drama this time. He still caught me with a hand on my waist even though I didn’t need it. He flashed me a quick smile, his gaze lingering on my face, before he stepped past me to help the next girl into the boat.
Although he was friendly with her too, there was something different about the small, secret smile he’d offered me. I couldn’t help thinking about it, replaying it, as I took my seat in the bow.
The five of us sailed around the island, stopping to do some ineffective fishing. I was mesmerized by the sails, which first made a flapping sound as Seb turned the boat, finding the breeze, and then filled out with a satisfying floof sound. Conversation came surprisingly easy between the five of us, and even in the moments of silence, there was something relaxing about being out on the water. I found myself feeling looser, more relaxed, than I had since I left my pack.
We sailed into a cove on the other side of the island. Finn gallantly jumped into the water when it was waist high, as soon as Seb had dropped anchor, and then held his arms out to me. I regarded him skeptically.
“It’s this or a cold trip home,” he told me, still offering his arms.
Reluctantly, I slid off the side of the sailboat and into his arms. He caught me against his muscular chest, one arm beneath my knees so my heels just barely skimmed the water, and trudged in with me toward the shore. I heard a curse and then a splash behind us as Seb jumped in too.
“Well, princess,” Finn began, “you are deceptively tiny.”
I groaned. “I knew you were going to call me princess.”
“While I’m carrying you through the water to keep you from getting wet? Absolutely.”
I stretched my legs out so I could see the damp cuff of my jeans. “Well, actually.”
Finn rolled his eyes, although it was playful, and the corners of his handsome mouth were turning up. “Well, I apologize, my lady—”
He looked so handsome, and we were so close together that I could hear his heart beating through his shirt, and he smelled good, clean and masculine all at once. It made me want to kiss him, and impulsively, I caught his cheek with my hand and pressed my lips to his. Whatever smart-ass comment he’d been about to continue making was lost as his arms tightened around me, and he kissed me back hard.
My lips parted against his, and his tongue darted against my upper lip, sending a thrum of desire through my body. We traded hungry kisses, there with the waves lapping around us, the bright sun above making a halo of his copper curls when I dared open my eyes. His eyes were still closed, dark lashes resting above those chiseled, freckled cheekbones. I rubbed my thumb against the angle of his cheekbone, wanting to remember everything about him and the way this moment felt.
For all Finn’s playful, easy nature, when he kissed me, he kissed me like he was full of desire and passion that he hid for everyone else.
The steady splashing of someone wading through the water, and a faint giggling, caught my ear. I glanced away from Finn’s face to see Seb coming abreast of us, with one girl slung over each broad shoulder. He shook his head, mock disapproving, as he pulled ahead of us.
Finn pressed one last kiss to my lips. As his eyes fluttered open, there was a soft, affectionate look in his eyes. Then it was gone, replaced by his usual trademark cocky grin.
“You’ve certainly made life more interesting since you came here,” he said.
“I’m not sure that’s a good thing.”
“I am,” he promised, and resumed his trek toward the shore. His brother was getting further and further ahead of us as he struggled through the waves. I tightened my arms around his neck.
Arthur would not agree that my presence here was a good thing. And yet, even as I thought that, I remembered the sly look in his eyes when he glanced over his shoulder at me, how he had stripped off his shirt, knowing I was watching him. And even though I knew what Arthur would say, I wasn’t so sure he would mean it.
Finn smelled good, and the heat of his body was welcome as the cold breeze tugged at my hair. I’d felt ridiculous at first, letting Finn carry me through the waves, but now I leaned my head against his shoulder and enjoyed it.
Chapter 30
Logan
When I walked into Arthur’s office that afternoon, he was staring out the window, his hands folded behind his back. He had that distant look on his face that meant he was either lost in memory or strategizing the pack’s next move. I closed the door quietly behind me and threw myself onto his couch, resting my arm on the back. For anyone else, he would have become animated as soon as I walked in, but Arthur didn’t have to interrupt his train of thought to be the boss with me. We knew each other too well.
When he turned to me, there was a grim set to his lips, but he nodded in greeting.
“We’ve got to talk about Piper,” I said.
“Again?” He shook his head. “It would have been less trouble to gut her pack and move on.”
He said that, but he hadn’t wanted to kill the wolves of the Northern pack. He pretended he didn’t mind the bloodshed to appease the pack, who was furious about their missing princess and the lost power. He didn’t have to do that shit with me, but whatever. It was getting harder and harder for him to drop the façade, I guessed, even though we knew each other better than that.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Should’ve killed Inzel when I had the chance to do it cleanly,” he said, and that I believed he meant. “I see him hanging out with the young in the pack. Matthew, Evan, Frey.”
“I’ll wear them out in the training in the yard,” I promised him. “Keep them busy and out of trouble.”
He shook his head. “They’re dying to do something. Not just to train. To prove themselves. Moving against the other packs to consolidate our land would give them that chance.”
“It wasn’t our land before,” I said.
“Doesn’t matter, does it?” he muttered.
“What happens to Piper if you take her pack’s lands?”
As his cold, clear-eyed gaze turned to me, he seemed to take in too much. He sat on the edge of his desk, his arms crossed over his chest, and studied me. After a minute, he said, “She hasn’t been here long.”
I leaned back into the couch and didn’t answer.
His lips quirked up. “She’s the first girl you’ve felt something for, isn’t she?”
“She wouldn’t be my first.”
“That’s not what I said.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “She’s pretty. Sometimes I wonder if the pack princess lore is all a bunch of bullshit.”
I wanted to know what he thought about it.
He glanced toward the door as if he was making sure it was closed. “Who knows? But it matters to them.”
And they were superstitious and terrified of magic. If they knew Piper’s wolf was bound in spells and enchantments, they’d be suspicious of her.
“She asked if she could have a weapon,” I said.
Arthur snorted. “I don’t want that pretty little blond thing putting a knife between my shoulders. What an embarrassing way to die.”
“You don’t really think she’s dangerous?” I asked lightly.
“I’m looking at your face when you talk about her,” Arthur said, “and I’m damn sure she’s dangerous.”
I rose from the couch impatiently. “You want to head to the training yard for a while? Show the cubs how it’s done?”
“That’s not going to be the release you need right now.”
His crude, flat statement made me irritated. If it had been anyone else, I would’ve been insisting on a trip to the yards now—or I’d just have punched him in the face. But the thing that made me pause wasn’t just that Arthur was my alpha.
It was that loyalty that made me grind out the words I didn’t want to say even though he was in full-blown asshole mode. I owed him too much to keep any secrets.
“Piper can’t shift.”
Arthur straightened from the desk. “What?”
“The witches bound her, kept her from turning in order to take her magic. The spells are still intact. She can’t turn.”
“Fuck.” Arthur buried his hands in his pockets, turning back to the window. “This doesn’t leave the room.”
“Yeah.”
He studied the water, crashing into the rocks far below the stretch of lawn and pines. “If Inzel finds out we brought a spell-bound wolf, who could be under the witches’ influence, it could be just what he needs—”
“You think she’s in danger?” I pushed.
“I think we all are.” He cursed as he reflected on it again. “I can be sure of half the wolves on the island.”
“There’s no one strong enough to challenge you right now,” I said.
“Maybe.” He glanced over at me, his eyes narrow and considering.
I crossed my arms in response. Really? “I don’t forget that you saved my life.”
“Maybe you should,” he mused.
“What?” I demanded. The idea that Arthur would want me to forget the bond between us…
“Maybe Inzel would believe you’re turning stupid for this girl,” he mused out loud, “and that you want to prioritize your affection for her over the needs of the pack. That you’re willing to challenge me for alpha.”
“Wow.”
“I know it’s not true,” Arthur said, resting a big hand on my shoulder. “You’re my brother, Logan. By choice. I know you’re as loyal to me as I am to you.”
“You just want me to pretend to be an idiot?” I asked.
“She is a very pretty girl,” he said, a glint in his cool gray eyes. “With a lively spirit. It isn’t impossible to imagine.”
Arthur would never say it, but I could read him. It wasn’t impossible for him to imagine.
