Page 48 of In the Mouth of the Wolf

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NOLAN

The pizza was cold on the counter by the time Camden and Marlowe made their way to the kitchen. Normally I could eat a whole large pie by myself, but the sound of them coming, over and over, dulled my appetite.

My cock ached at the sexually sated sight of her, her scent mixed thoroughly with Cam’s.

He wasted no time becoming the affectionate alpha, but he had always been the most tactile out of all of us. She stood at the kitchen island, grabbing a slice of the untouched Hawaiian while he wrapped his arms around her from behind, kissing and nibbling at her neck.

I willed the green-eyed dragon away, focusing instead on the way she had tried to attack Megan for touching me. I didn’t need to be jealous because I knew she wanted me, too. It was just a matter of time before it was the two of us knotted for hours, sharing orgasm after orgasm, my seed leaking down her leg...

“So,” Elias started, breaking me out of my reverie, “I know this is probably the last thing you want to talk about…”

Marlowe tilted her head, inspecting him nervously as she set her slice back down. “What is it?”

“Your father’s funeral.”

Her face fell, and Cam snapped. “Dammit, Elias, is this really the time? After everything that’s happened today?”

Elias sighed. “If I could wait any longer, I would. But it’s already been a week. He wants to be cremated – shifter custom,” he added, addressing Marlowe. “First his casket will be placed at the temple. There will be a brief ceremony, but the viewing will last for three days to give the whole town a chance to pay their respects. Afterwards, he’ll be sent to the crematorium, and then that’s it. You can have a reception if you want, but I don’t think anyone is expecting it.”

Marlowe nodded uncomfortably. “Yeah… Wait, temple? Was my dad Jewish?”

There was so much she didn’t know.

“We have our own religion,” I answered. “I think the closest frame of reference would be Paganism, but it’s a little more complicated than that.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Okay, I have a ton of questions, but I guess they can wait. So, when is the ceremony, then?”

“Sunday,” Elias replied. “I can take you shopping if you need something to wear.”

“No, I brought a black dress, just in case. I bought it for my mom’s funeral.” She stared at the slice of pizza in her hands, her voice soft. “I didn’t think I’d be needing it again so soon.”

Cam pulled her in for a hug, tucking her into his chest as he rested his chin on the top of her head. “You don’t have to worry about anything, we’ll handle the logistics and stuff.”

The room fell silent. Uncomfortably so.

I cleared my throat. “Anyone want to watch a movie?”

Cam was still fully Velcroed around Marlowe, and she turned around in his arms to face us. “Sure, what did you have in mind?”

I smiled. “I was more curious what kind of movies you like, sugar.”

Her face turned an adorable shade of pink. “Oh, um, I’m not really picky.”

“Marlowe,” Elias teased. “Come on, you can tell us.”

Her hazel eyes darted between us, and then she lowered them and mumbled something.

“What was that?” I asked.

“I said I don’t watch a lot of movies. I like K-dramas.”

Archer burst out laughing. “Seriously?”

Marlowe huffed, crossing her arms. “Yes, seriously. My friend Esther from grad school introduced me to them.”

He walked around the island and leaned into her face, grabbing her chin as his voice lowered an octave and he said something in Korean. For all we knew he could have been reciting the instructions for programming a TV remote, but it sounded very smooth.

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