Page 7 of Ravish
“No.” His voice sounded deep and guttural. She noted Roland hadn’t gotten himself completely under control and cleared his throat. He stiffened and looked away from her, taking another deep breath.
“Yes,we shouldgo now, unless you want me to take you here and now.”
She gasped, shocked by his sudden confession. “You wouldn’t; you hate me.”
He gave a harsh laugh. “According to the reaction of one particular part of my body right now, it doesn’t seem to mind that I hate you, as you put it.”
She opened her mouth to protest but paused when he looked suddenly very serious.
“We can continue to argue about this now, but please, my father—"
Worry suddenly shot through her. “Has his cough gotten worse?”
He shifted a bit on his feet as he continued to watch her. “He is asking for you.”
“Oh no. Has his fever come back? Have you taken his temperature? Is his cough still dry or sounding wet now?” Shea pivoted on the balls of her feet and began to rush back to her home, throwing questions at him as she hurried along, his long stride keeping up with hers.
Her mind raced with what she needed to take with her, not paying attention to whether he was answering her questions or not. She also wanted to grab the serum waiting in the vials for her and her friends to drink. Shea hoped she would be done tending to the King but, to be on the safe side, would send one of the King’s staff to let the trio know that one of them needed to come and get the vials for them from the King’s home.
Shea raced up her steps and opened the door.
“You leave your door unlocked?!” She paused upon hearing the angry shout from Roland, and he knocked into her back when she stopped. Another fiery sensation went through her at his touch, and she bit back a moan that wanted to escape her lips.
"Ignoring his question," she said over her shoulder. “Wait here.” Giving him her own command.
And she hurried inside, hoping he would respect that this was her place and that she hadn’t invited him in, but to her dismay she heard his heavy boots hit her wooden floor, and she rushed to her storage room. She raced around like a crazywoman as he stood in the door watching her. His eyes on her had her begging the gods for help because she was feeling flushed, and not from her moving around looking for the medicine and herbs she would need.
Fear spiked when he moved into the room and sniffed. She moved toward one of her plants that she stored that had very healing properties when boiled, but once pinched or broken, let out a wretched smell that would clear out a room, and Lycans didn’t react very well to it and would high-tail it from the area once the smell spread.
Shea went over and broke a piece of the plant and held her breath. She turned to see Roland shaking his head and trying not to gag. She would have laughed, but she was trying to get him to clear out of the room so she could gather up the vials without him seeing and before she inhaled the mess herself.
He narrowed his eyes that were now watering as she continued to pretend that she was picking up her medicine. He opened his mouth to say something and bolted when he inhaled it that way, too. She was almost out of air and hurried around the space, grabbing a spray bottle she’d made to counteract the smell, and sprayed it heavily in the room just as she had to take a breath. Her eyes watered a bit because the smell was not completely gone but dissipated enough for her to go to her desk and open a hidden drawer.
She just added the vials into her side pouch in her bag and closed it and looked up to see that Roland was in the doorway watching her.
She froze, her heart beating fast, and this time she knew he was going to hear it.
“Shea, what was that you just added into your bag?” His gaze held suspicion and curiosity. Then he tilted his head, andhis ears flexed, and he opened his mouth. “What is going on here?”
Her mind raced trying to come up with an answer, and relief poured through her when she heard the gravelly deep tones of his first in command.
“Roland.”
He seemed reluctant to look away from her, but then Roland turned to face the voice that just called out from the front of her home, and she saw Mack appear at his side. For someone that tall and big, he moved as silently as a cat.
Roland’s gaze now narrowed on Mack instead of her, and he looked concerned now. “Are you okay?”
Shea glanced now at Mack’s face and saw nothing other than the same look he always sported. Stoic day and night. She’d only seen him angry and upset one time, and that was the day her father did what he did.
Even though Mack was his first in command, they were also best friends, like brothers even, and the only person who could read Mack’s expressionless face was Roland. Shea knew that Emiyah hoped to be the other person to be able to crack that façade he wore like a shield. She wanted and prayed better for her friend because anyone getting with Mack or Roland would only lead to heartbreak, especially for her group of friends.
As if reading her thoughts, they both turned to look at her, and then Mack jerked his head for Roland to follow him.
Breathing a sigh of relief that she was going to be out of his watchful presence and given time to make sure her precious cargo was secured properly, but that was short-lived when Roland said.
“All finished in here?” When she nodded. “Good, let’s go; you have wasted enough time.”
She took exception to his comment, even though what he said was true.
