Page 22 of Cursed
Nori heads to the toilet, wringing her hands.“And never let me answer questions from the Prince as soon as I wake up.I gave him way too much information. He’s certain to ask me for my Packname at breakfast. I’m gonna have to figure how to keep from answering that question!”
“You covered nicely, I thought. Did you see how he ran into the room? He thought you were in trouble.” Nori can sense her wolf’s happiness.
She attends to her business, then washes her hands and splashes some water on her face. After she uses a hand towel to dry off, Nori holds it out in front of her, studying it. “This is seriously the softest towel I have ever touched. They must be wealthy here. You think he was concerned or freaked out?”
Aylin chuckles at her human. “Any place would seem like a palace compared to where we have lived. I definitely think he was concerned.”
Nori yells out to Ryland, “Any chance you have a new toothbrush I can use?”
Ryland calls back, “Sure, second drawer on the left.”
Aylin laughs loudly in Nori’s head. “Getting comfortable?”
When she opens the drawer, Nori finds toothpaste and a new toothbrush. “No. I’m certain he’ll kick us out as soon as he finds out Draven is our Alpha, and that’s the best-case scenario.”
“Way to bring down the mood.”
Brushing her teeth, Nori says, “Sorry, but you…me…we are getting ahead of ourselves. I know the Mate Bond is causing all these feelings, but we have seriously got to keep it together.”
“Yeah, you’re right, I know. Holy shit! Is that bacon I smell?”
Nori hurries out of the bathroom into the dining area, where Ryland is already sitting at the table, drinking coffee.
She breathes in the various smells of breakfast and smiles. “Yes, Aylin, that is bacon. We have literally died and gone to heaven!”
Ryland looks up at her, stunned by that smile again. “I didn’t know what you liked, so I ordered a variety. Have a seat.”
“I’m not picky and thank you.” Nori slides into the chair opposite the Prince and starts scooping various foods onto her plate.
Aylin gasps and says, “Whoa there, slow down, Nori. It’s not a race; he’s not going to take it away.”
Nori immediately slows down and tries not to put too much food on her plate. “Right, right. Of course. Let’s keep the crazy to a minimum.”
A hint of a smile forms on Ryland’s mouth as he watches Nori load her plate. He gets up and moves to the drink table. “Juice?”
“Sure. Yes, please.”
After handing her the juice, he pours himself another cup of coffee and holds up the coffee pot. “Coffee?”
Nori glances up and sucks in a sharp breath. Her silverware falls from her hands, and she leaps from the table, knocking the chair to the ground. She backs away from Ryland and freezes in the middle of the room, staring at the coffee pot in his hand.
Aylin has taken complete control of Nori’s body and is looking at Ryland through Nori’s eyes, growling.
Startled, Bade yells, “What the fuck just happened? She was fine. Where is the threat? Damn Ryland, look at her eyes. They’re golden. Are they glowing? What the hell is she?”
Ryland freezes in place. He glances around the room, but is not able to find the threat. “I don’t know. Let’s just wait for Nori to regain control.”
Nori screams at her wolf. “Fucking hell, Aylin! Didn’t I just say keep the crazy to a minimum?”
Aylin has lost all coherent thought and is yelling, “Coffeepot! Enemy! Run!” over and over in Nori’s head.
Nori looks at Ryland with huge, wide eyes, frozen in her spot by her frantic wolf. She struggles to speak. “Puh-Please put d-down the coffee p-pot.”
Ryland’s eyebrows narrow, and he slowly sets the pot back on the side table, never taking his eyes off Nori. He holds his hands out in front of him, indicating that he is not going to harm her.
Nori tries again to get Aylin to calm down. “OK, he put down the damn pot, now let me go!”
Aylin still won’t let her go and continues to spiral in her defensive mode.
