Page 77 of Secrets and S'mores
A trail of smoke wafts from the oven when Ember cracks the door open. She lets out the cutest little squeak and scrambles for oven mitts.
“Everything going okay over there?” I ask, restraining myself from jumping up to help.
“Shush, it’s fine.”
Propping my chin on my fist, I suppress a smile. She insisted on making a surprise for us and wouldn’t even let me see the ingredients. Teeth biting her bottom lip, she lifts a glass casserole dish out of the oven. The top is golden brown, not blackened, but smoke trails off of it anyway.
“Did you burn something?” Cedar asks, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. After three days stuck in a house with us, he is as grumpy as we predicted.
“Not you too!” Ember grumbles. Glass clinks as she dishes up her creation. She spins with a plate in each hand, a bashful smile lighting up her gorgeous features.
“What is it?” Cedar asks.
“S’mores!” she says.
Melted golden marshmallow flows over graham crackers on the dish I accept from my mate. She sinks down beside me and blows on her serving.
“I know you aren’t super familiar with them, but that’s not really how s’mores are supposed to be made,” I tease.
She narrows her eyes in a playful glare. “Well, we don’t exactly have a proper fire, and you said microwave s’mores aren’t acceptable. So here we are.”
Indulging my feisty mate, I pick up the graham cracker and take a bite. The top layer crunches beautifully and chocolate oozes out from under the marshmallow.
“Actually, this is great,” I mumble between sticky bites.
“Are you just being nice?” she asks, eyeing her own s’more like it might poison her.
“No, seriously. Cedar, get one, you’ll love it.”
As Ember takes a tiny, testing bite, she lets out a little moan that has me thinking of carrying her out of the kitchen, but there’s plenty of time for that later.
Cedar loads up two on his own plate and sits opposite us. “Any word from Jasper?” he asks.
“Nothing today,” Ember answers glumly.
“What about from your mom?” he asks.
Ember licks sugar from her fingertips before answering. “She has been making all kinds of new friends over in Ironcrest. I’m a little afraid Zephyr will be my new step-dad.” She looks slightly green at the idea, and I have to agree.
“I doubt it,” my brother answers with a shrug.
“So what if they don’t find a solution?” Ember asks, not for the first time. Through our mate bond, I feel her spike in anxiety. My hand brushes up her forearm. I love the way her emotions settle under my touch.
Instead of offering platitudes about trusting Slate and Jasper, Cedar fidgets with his fork. “I think we all know someone is going to have to challenge Orion for Alpha. I know you guys want to find another solution, but short of invading and taking over the pack, I don’t see any other viable option.”
I could punch him. Ember’s heart starts to beat wildly and her emotions rollercoaster through fear, worry, and anger so quickly myhead is spinning.
“Well, fuck,” I mutter. “That’s exactly what Jasper said not to do.”
Ember grabs my hand, her nails pressing into my skin. “Onyx…” she says, seemingly unable to finish her sentence.
‘It’s okay,” I say quietly, wishing my brother would leave. Or at least shut his mouth.
“We know he’s right,” she finally says, tipping her chin up as she regains her composure. I’m so proud of her. Despite being terrified, she’s ready to face the wolf who beat her in a challenge just a few days ago.
I won’t let that happen again.
“We don’t know that,” I argue.
