Page 17 of It's Kind of a Bunny Story
Linc snorted. “Of course he is. We aren’t monsters. Bunny Boy was too exhausted to make it back to the cave. Copeland went to retrieve him because he thought you’d rest better if you had all your mates here.”
Copeland stared up at me and whined again.
Well, great. Guilt hit my stomach like acid, and my eyes burned. I should’ve been thanking him, not accusing him.
“I’m sorry, Copeland.” Reaching out, I tried to brush his cheek, but he was just out of reach.
To my relief, the wolf scooted closer and rubbed his face against my palm. His tail swished the floor, stirring up dust. But I didn’t care. I was too happy to have my mates with me to care about the crappy air quality in the cave.
Linc rolled us so that we lay on our sides, my back still tight against his chest and his erection still filling me. “Copeland saidthe pack is stationed around the cave. They will keep guard tonight to give us time to rest before we have to move.”
I chewed my lip, hating the idea of leaving my nest, but knowing it couldn’t be helped.
Fletcher finished grooming himself and ducked under my arm so he could tuck himself against me. As he stretched out, I did my best not to laugh at the way his fur stuck out in random patches.
Copeland had shifted during my distraction and lay down as well, sandwiching me between my two wolf mates.
“I’m sorry?—”
“Don’t start that again. Go to sleep.” Copeland kissed my forehead, then lay back and closed his eyes. “But if you decide to have sex again, keep it down. I could hear the two of you over the fight?—”
“The whole pack heard us?” I whisper-shrieked.
“Yes.” Copeland chuckled. “How could they not?”
“Then I hope you were planning on us moving far, far away. How can I look them in the eye when I meet them?”
“Proudly.” Linc nipped at my neck. “That’s how I plan to do it. Let them be jealous of how my mate pleases me.”
Ifought to keep the drool in my mouth as Copeland stood and stretched. “I hate to stress you when you’re sleeping so well, but we need to consider getting a move on.”
A yawning pit opened in my stomach, and my mouth went dry. Move where?
My thoughts spun at a dizzying pace. How angry was the alpha over the attack? I’d brought trouble to the pack’s doorstep, and I wouldn’t blame him for tossing me off his land. For all I knew, the burrow might be bombarding him with threats in an effort to force my return.
I’d never heard of a female escaping the burrow who managed to evade the council permanently. The few who tried were dragged back so the leaders could use them as an example of what would happen if anyone else tried to leave.
As though the council could somehow see me, I shivered, feeling naked and exposed. Pushing to my feet, I found my raggedy, oversized shirt. I’d hoped the guys hadn’t noticed the trembling of my hands, but as I slipped the shirt over my head, I found Fletcher’s gold eyes watching me.
“Come here, love.” He opened his arms.
I accepted his offer, sighing in relief as he wrapped me in a protective embrace.
Tucking my head under his chin, he whispered, “No matter what the future holds, you aren’t alone. Remember that.”
Fletcher didn’t offer me pretty promises or assurances that nothing bad would ever happen. He offered me something more precious, a truth I could cling to.
“He’s right,” Copeland agreed, crossing his arms over his chest as though daring anyone to argue.
Linc’s dark chuckle caused the three of us to turn and stare at him. “And if they somehow take us out, we’ll drag an army of them down into Hades with us.”
I hadn’t expected such honesty. Caught off guard, a laugh escaped my lips. How could he be so playful and scary at the same time?
“Maybe it would be better to assure our mate we won’t let anything happen to her?” Copeland snapped, unamused. “Violence isn’t going to make her feel better, idiot!”
Linc shrugged. “I’m just letting her know if the worst-case scenario happens, we’ll hurt more of them than they hurt of us. We have her back in life, or death, if it comes to it.”
Copeland pinched the bridge of his nose. “There’s something wrong with you.”
