Seven
Abby fell asleep on the couch. She struggled against the lure as long as she could. They'd had a pleasant meal together—more than pleasant—fun, something she hadn't had in forever. The steaks were perfect—everything was.
It had made her uneasy when she discovered Adrian had produced a couple of cases of beer, but it didn't seem like any of the four drank enough to manage more than a slight buzz. After sitting around the table for a while, they'd finally gotten up to move to the living room. They'd flipped for kitchen duty and Cameron had ended up with clean up.
Seth, Jerico, and Adrian had sauntered into the living room. She'd stayed long enough to rake out the plates and stack them, gather up the empty beer bottles, and wipe the table down. By the time she'd finished, Cameron had washed the dishes and stacked them in the dish drainer.
She was a little disconcerted to discover her guests were in no hurry to leave, but despite her reservations about the men, their company was far more appealing than spending the evening by herself. Plopping down on the couch, she'd listened to them discussing the upcoming festival and previous festivals they'd attended, feeling comfortable, well fed, and lazy.
And then she'd nodded off.
An arm settled around her shoulders. “We bore you to sleep, chère ?” Cameron murmured near her ear.
Abby struggled to open her eyes for a moment and finally gave up, snuggling a little more comfortably against the hard shoulder he'd settled her against. “No,” she sighed. “I'm sorry. I'm just so tired. I thought I'd rest my eyes."
"We should go."
She recognized Seth's voice.
"Don't! I'm listening."
Cameron chuckled and she felt her lips curling in response to the pleasant sound. He shifted her around until he could get an arm under her and stood up. Dimly impressed by the fact that he'd managed such a feat, Abby struggled again with the conflicting desires to doze off once more and to wake up and prevent them leaving. “I won't be able to sleep by myself,” she muttered.
"Is that invitation, chère?"
Was it? Warmth tingled through her at the suggestion even though it had been far from her mind. He plopped her down on her bed when she didn't answer. Grabbing an ankle, he pulled off her tennis shoe and sock, dropped that leg to the bed and repeated the process with the other foot. He leaned over her, propping on his hands on either side of her and then bending his elbows until he just brushed against her. “You want help with the jeans?"
Abby frowned at him without opening her eyes more than a slit. “I don't think so,” she murmured, rolling onto her side.
He leaned closer, until his lips were just above one ear. “Baby, I didn't miss nothin’ last night."
She shivered as his heated breath caressed her sensitive ear, felt her belly tighten. “Pretend you did."
" Je ne pense pas ainsi, amour. Already, it's one of my fondest memories.” Straightening, he popped her butt lightly. “Sleep, chère. No one's gonna bother you. You're safe."
Doubt flickered through her mind but vanished almost as quickly. She felt safe, she realized, but before she analyze it, a curtain of nothingness fell over her.
* * * *
"What are we doing here, mon ami ?"
Seth glanced at Cameron and then looked up at the moon in the sky. “Watchin’ over Abby,” he said finally.
"You know that isn't what I meant."
Allowing the curtains to fall back across the window, Seth glanced at him again. “I don't know. Waitin'."
"For the moon to fall? We gonna tell her when we get her to the gatherin'?"
Seth's lips tightened. “You think we'll get her to the gatherin’ if we tell her now? She's just begun to feel safe with us."
"Exactly. We build her trust, and then break it? You think this is gonna make things work out? She's human, Seth. The mark of the wolf ... it only works on our kind. You know this."
"The matin’ works on them, as well. The child would be a bond."
"Maybe."
Seth looked at
Abby fell asleep on the couch. She struggled against the lure as long as she could. They'd had a pleasant meal together—more than pleasant—fun, something she hadn't had in forever. The steaks were perfect—everything was.
It had made her uneasy when she discovered Adrian had produced a couple of cases of beer, but it didn't seem like any of the four drank enough to manage more than a slight buzz. After sitting around the table for a while, they'd finally gotten up to move to the living room. They'd flipped for kitchen duty and Cameron had ended up with clean up.
Seth, Jerico, and Adrian had sauntered into the living room. She'd stayed long enough to rake out the plates and stack them, gather up the empty beer bottles, and wipe the table down. By the time she'd finished, Cameron had washed the dishes and stacked them in the dish drainer.
She was a little disconcerted to discover her guests were in no hurry to leave, but despite her reservations about the men, their company was far more appealing than spending the evening by herself. Plopping down on the couch, she'd listened to them discussing the upcoming festival and previous festivals they'd attended, feeling comfortable, well fed, and lazy.
And then she'd nodded off.
An arm settled around her shoulders. “We bore you to sleep, chère ?” Cameron murmured near her ear.
Abby struggled to open her eyes for a moment and finally gave up, snuggling a little more comfortably against the hard shoulder he'd settled her against. “No,” she sighed. “I'm sorry. I'm just so tired. I thought I'd rest my eyes."
"We should go."
She recognized Seth's voice.
"Don't! I'm listening."
Cameron chuckled and she felt her lips curling in response to the pleasant sound. He shifted her around until he could get an arm under her and stood up. Dimly impressed by the fact that he'd managed such a feat, Abby struggled again with the conflicting desires to doze off once more and to wake up and prevent them leaving. “I won't be able to sleep by myself,” she muttered.
"Is that invitation, chère?"
Was it? Warmth tingled through her at the suggestion even though it had been far from her mind. He plopped her down on her bed when she didn't answer. Grabbing an ankle, he pulled off her tennis shoe and sock, dropped that leg to the bed and repeated the process with the other foot. He leaned over her, propping on his hands on either side of her and then bending his elbows until he just brushed against her. “You want help with the jeans?"
Abby frowned at him without opening her eyes more than a slit. “I don't think so,” she murmured, rolling onto her side.
He leaned closer, until his lips were just above one ear. “Baby, I didn't miss nothin’ last night."
She shivered as his heated breath caressed her sensitive ear, felt her belly tighten. “Pretend you did."
" Je ne pense pas ainsi, amour. Already, it's one of my fondest memories.” Straightening, he popped her butt lightly. “Sleep, chère. No one's gonna bother you. You're safe."
Doubt flickered through her mind but vanished almost as quickly. She felt safe, she realized, but before she analyze it, a curtain of nothingness fell over her.
* * * *
"What are we doing here, mon ami ?"
Seth glanced at Cameron and then looked up at the moon in the sky. “Watchin’ over Abby,” he said finally.
"You know that isn't what I meant."
Allowing the curtains to fall back across the window, Seth glanced at him again. “I don't know. Waitin'."
"For the moon to fall? We gonna tell her when we get her to the gatherin'?"
Seth's lips tightened. “You think we'll get her to the gatherin’ if we tell her now? She's just begun to feel safe with us."
"Exactly. We build her trust, and then break it? You think this is gonna make things work out? She's human, Seth. The mark of the wolf ... it only works on our kind. You know this."
"The matin’ works on them, as well. The child would be a bond."
"Maybe."
Seth looked at
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