The third morning on the pack grounds started the same as the last two. With Vehric wrapped around me like ivy, evidence of his morning arousal brushed against my side. When he insisted on sharing the bed to appease his wolf, I didn't put up a fuss. The fact is that I like being near Vehric. It's like being near Azrael without the undercurrent of shame. The closer I am to either of them, the better I feel. The stronger I feel.
That being said, waking up with anyone wrapped around you during the summer in the south isn't the best experience. I try to brush his arm off the top of me but he only clings on tighter, releasing a low growl into my hair.
"Vehric. I need to get up. I'm supposed to be going to work today."
"You can't."
I let out the human equivalent of a growl and groan into the air. "Look, can't we talk about this? At the very least I need to take a shower and brush my teeth."
His hold on me tightens as he presses his nose into the soft space at the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply. "You know, you could always stay. The silver isn't in your blood any longer. I could mark you and all that is mine would be yours."
"I have my own life, Vehric. I just got it and I'm not sure I'm ready to give that up yet."
He places a soft kiss on my shoulder before rolling over and climbing out of the bed. "I know, but a man can dream."
I get up, brush my teeth, take a quick shower, and come out to see Vehric standing in front of the bathroom door fully dressed.
"Azrael is at the gate."
I swallow past the lump in my throat. I do want to go home with Azrael, to my home, but I have to admit that I've enjoyed my time here. The wolves aren't the bad guys that everyone has painted them to be, not one bit. But, I guess if I had spent my entire life at war with a species I would probably have a different view of them, too.
"Can I see him?"
I watch as Vehric's hands fist at his side while he struggles to control his possessive nature. When I was training yesterday with Claudine she explained a bit to me about how a male wolf works. Ultimately, until we're mated he will see any male as a threat. Even if we were to be mated, he would still be possessive. It's in their nature, they can't help it. She assured me that as the Alpha of their pack, Vehric had amazing control over this part of himself.
She and I had sat down to some iced tea when we were done with training yesterday and she gave me some proper southern gossip on the pack, too. Despite her extremely serious nature while she was training me, she was able to be a girl in the off-time. We were fast friends.
"You said I could go with him if I want to, Ric."
Despite the drop of his brow and the setting of muscles around his eyes telling me that he's about three seconds from putting his fist through a wall, he merely says, "I'll take you to him."
Walking down a winding dirt pathway and through the trees, we come to a cattle gate. I see Azrael, Cole, and Bentley on the other side, arms folded in a v -formation. They expect hostility. The relief I feel at seeing them and knowing that they were okay after the attack on our home makes me want to run to them, but I don't want to upset Vehric or his wolf, so I remain calm as we approach.
I can see both Cole and Azrael's eyes light up as I approach. They're holding their faces in their normal impassive expression, but I know them well enough to see it for what it is. Azrael's eyes wander down my body as though he's taking stock of my condition.
As we get up next to the gate I can't help how disquieting it is for me not to feel Azrael the way I normally do. I sense him, yes, but our bond is weakened from the lack of each other's blood in both our systems. The feeling it leaves behind is hollow. I miss the connection more than I want to admit.
We come to a stop in front of the fence, and Az's eyes bore into mine. "You smell like him."
I force a tight smile on my face, tilting my head to the side. "Yes, it's nice to see you too, Az. Me? I'm fine after being held captive by witches."
Bentley suppresses a snort as Cole's warm smile splays across his face. "I'm glad you're okay, Jo. Azrael's been a bit on edge since you went missing. I've had to have several things repaired in the house. It's been hell."
My smile turns genuine at Cole's appraisal of the situation but my attention is drawn from him as Azrael speaks again.
"Come. Let's go home."
I clear my throat before folding my arms defiantly. "Maybe I want to stay? Ever consider that?"
He is not entertained. His nostrils flare but otherwise, there is no shift in his expression. Both Cole and Bentley appreciate my prodding and Vehric also seems to find humor in the direction of the conversation.
Azrael takes a deep breath and closes his eyes as though he's centering himself before he says whatever he's saying next.
"Jo. Please. Come home."
I lift my eyebrows, impressed. I fight the urge to rub it in his face with a sarcastic comment and instead look at Ric with a sad smile.
"It's my home, Ric. I need to go home." Now it's Vehric's turn to do some posturing. He keeps his eyes locked with mine, but speaks to Azrael.
"How are you keeping the witches out, Az?"
"The grounds now carry the same spell that The Haunt and The Quarter Compound does."
What is the quarter compound? I seem to be the only person that doesn't know what that is because no one else seems confused at Azrael's use of the term. I don't want Ric to know that I'm on the outs with this piece of knowledge so I keep the thought to myself.
"I thought that witch died?" Vehric challenges.
A smug smile lights Az's face. "Well, it seems she procreated. The spell stayed in the family."
At this point, I feel like a child sitting in the middle of a custody hearing and my patience wears thin. "Look, Az, I really want to keep training with Claudine. She's a very talented fighter."
The look in Azrael's eyes as the words leave my mouth could only be described as thermo-nuclear. We stand at odds a bead before Cole puts his hand on his brother's shoulder, pulling him back and stepping to the front of their group. "Are you asking to remain here?"
I make a noncommittal shrug. Is it bad I want to mush both worlds together and have the best of each? Azrael gives his two cents on this proposal. "If she isn't coming home, I'm going to need a drink of her and she's going to need a drink of me. And colloidal silver."
"Azrael, I've been here for three days and as you can see, I'm perfectly fine. Really, what are you so worried is going to happen?"
"Maybe you can make trips back here to train with Claudine?" Cole's suggestion is helpful. I finally feel like we're getting somewhere at least. Azrael's mouth opens as though he's about to say something patently unhelpful before Cole shoots him a look, causing Azrael to put his hands up in surrender.
I hear a rumbling coming from Vehric's chest. I'm about to call poison control to ask if it's possible to die of testosterone poisoning, but he calms himself, trying to find somewhere in the middle. "If you go home, I'd like to send Garrett and Claudine with you. They have the ability to communicate with me telepathically if necessary. And, I want to be invited onto your property so that I can enter in the event of an emergency."
The request from Ric isn't unreasonable, but Azrael's stance tells me he's about ready to explode at the prospect. I think it over, but it only takes me a moment to decide on a compromise.
"I'm going home, to my home. I'd like to take Claudine but leave Garrett. I'll come back and spend some time with your pack on Saturday. Do some training and stuff if that's okay?"
Ric comes toward me, looking down into my eyes. "This is your home, and your pack, just as much as it is mine. You're welcome to come and go as you please. If something terrible happens, we can make it to your place in fifteen minutes, provided someone actually alerts us this time around." Vehric looks pointedly at Azrael and Cole.
"Why don't you and your guys come by sometime this week and I'll invite you onto the property. I'm not lifting the wolf ban just like I'm not lifting the vampire ban. If I'm ever going to feel safe in my own home, I need to be able to control who comes and who goes."
Vehric nods in understanding, grabbing both of my small hands in one of his larger hands, a reminder of how fully he dwarfs me. Now that I've made the decision to go home, I feel like I'm leaving a part of me here when I leave.
Garrett, who was standing at Vehric's side, opens the gate, allowing me to pass through, but I find myself struggling to force my hand to let go of Ric's. I stand up on my toes and press a kiss to his cheek, promising that we'll text, and he promises that he'll send Claudine back to me this afternoon.
I slipped into the back of the black sedan, scooting in beside Azrael, who pulled me to him immediately, pushing his wrist to my mouth, and blood slicked down my throat, leaving me sputtering.
"Az, what the fuck?!"
"Insurance policy. Sorry baby," he breathes before leaning forward and taking my mouth with his in a purely animalistic fashion. With no hesitation, he sets the rhythm, before kissing down the side of my neck. I know what's coming, and I don't stop him. I need the connection as surely as I need my next breath.
His fangs dip into my neck forcefully, the sting painful at first as he drinks deeply from the soft area, forcing a whimper from my throat before pulling back, licking and sucking at the wound until it heals over.
I wrap my arms around the back of his neck as the intensity of the experience seeps through me. Azrael kisses up to my ear before whispering, "You taste like destiny."