Page 51 of Secrets and S'mores
Her phone in her back pocket buzzes. I pull it out and she jerks back, grabbing it from my hand. Biting her lip, she powers it down and tosses it aside. “Sorry, my mom is driving me crazy.”
I don’t question her. I’m too drunk on the feel of her against me. She grinds her hips down and my pulse speeds, blood pounding in my ears and my skin. The only cure for this fire is the cause of it.
Her delicate fingers brush hair out of my face and her glowing eyes lock with mine. A little eyeliner remains around her lashes, but the rest of her face is scrubbed clean so I can see the lightest spray of freckles across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. She’s stunning.
“Hey, I need to go see my brother,” she says. Not exactly what I was expecting her to say. She eases off of me.
My pounding heart starts to calm. If she doesn’t want to take things further right now, that’s fine with me.
“Sure, let’s go.”
Her hand flattens against my chest. “It’s something I need to do alone. Why don’t you chill and enjoy your games. I bet you haven’t gotten to play since I arrived.”
Lifting her hand, I press a kiss to her fingers. “I’ve been occupied with better things.” Before releasing her, I bite down on the meat of her palm, below her thumb. She jolts, her hips pressing forward against me. “Give me five more minutes,” I say, skimming my hands up her thighs to her waist.
“Five minutes? Give yourself more credit than that,” she says, kissing my cheek before she climbs off of me.
“Hey!” I say, flushing. “That’s not-” She laughs. “When that happens, you won’t be going anywhere for hours. Maybe days.”
Grabbing her phone, she heads to the hall. “Seriously, just let me talk to my brother for a bit and then I’ll meet you back here and we can pick up where we left off.”
The promise leaves me adjusting my pants and taking deep breaths before I can get up.
Without her here, nothing holds my attention.
After getting a snack, I wander out of my cabin. Maybe I’ll meet her in between the two cabins and we can go for a run and then have some quality time together out in the woods. The thought of her under me in soft grass is tempting.
I meander along the edge of the meadow, generally heading toward Jasper and Marigold’s cabin, but as I near the south side, I catch movement through the tinted window of the tiny office I work out of. Maybe Vale is checking security camera feeds or something. I’ve been off duty for days now.
Jogging the distance, I pull the door open. Instead of Vale or Slate sitting at my desk, the chair is pushed aside and Ember hovers over the keyboard.
“Onyx!” she yips, spinning to face me. Her phone is clutched tightly against her breasts.
Confusion chokes me, anger burning it away. There are only a few reasons why she would be getting into one of our work computers, and none of them are good.
“Ember, what are you doing?”
Her mouth opens but no sound comes out. Fear oozes out of her and I hate that she feels any fear because of me, but it can’t be helped. I wasn’t the one who snuck into my office.
My approach slows, like she’s a skittish animal. Making eye contact, I try to reason with her. “I was honest with you about everything. I need you to tell me exactly what’s going on, and we can figure it out together.”
Her breathing is ragged and she glances at the door. Gently, I take her elbow and lead her to the chair where I can pull her into my lap. She curls in on herself against my chest.
“I’ll take care of it if you just tell me,” I say, my anger replaced with worry as I feel how her pulse flutters.
With shaky hands, Ember unlocks her phone and shows me a string of texts from her mother - demands for all sorts of information about our security and resources.
My eyes catch on the last text.
Sienna: If you can’t do your duty, you aren’t fit to be Heir. We will have to reevaluate your position.
Glancing at the computer, I can see she hasn’t gotten past my password.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers. “She’s my Alpha too. I was ignoring her, but I have to do something to help my pack.”
“You didn’t do any damage,” I say, my arms banding around her protectively. It’s true, even if she intended to.
Her next breath shakes like she’s fighting off tears. “What if something happens to her? I already lost my dad, and I know they’re shitty parents but they’re the only ones I have. What if someone challenges herand kills her, and I’m not there?” Her voice is raw, rasping until it’s just a whisper
