few things have happened since I texted you about talking and I think now more than ever we need to get everything out in the open on the subject.”
“Right now, the only thing I’d like to get out requires a bathroom so can you please try to open the door,” I insisted impatiently.
When he turned to do just that I rolled my eyes and sighed inwardly because I knew I was being unreasonable. Being upset with Brayden because he’d been right all along was petty. Being upset with my DNA was even more pointless. But dammit, I wanted to be upset! I didn’t want to have a mate and I especially didn’t want that mate to be Brayden. Being forever bonded with another Shadow Shifter—one that had pledged his life to the tribe when he was ten years old—was even worse. I did not want my life to be dedicated to the tribe, did not want anything to do with the lousy hypocrites to be exact. Not to mention the fact that I might be genetically unstable and prone to drifting off with the rogues just like my uncle had. I just wanted to lead a normal life, for as much as a girl like me could.
The door opened and Brayden walked into the house. I followed behind him not really knowing what to expect, being overly impressed anyway. The clean, fresh white from the outsideof the house carried over into the foyer as the marbled floors glistened and the bare walls sparkled. It may have been too much of a clean slate, but looking to the left into what must be the living room and the entire wall of windows that practically brought the ocean right inside, I decided that it worked.
“It’s lovely in here,” I said, unable to keep quiet a moment longer.
“Yeah, he’s definitely putting his money to good use. I’ll bet this is a sound investment and will make his sister a good chunk of change should she ever need to sell it.”
We were standing in the center of the living room now with its pastel-colored rug and wheat-colored furniture. I, of course, felt like this could be a home, while Brayden, of course, was thinking along other lines. It seemed we hadn’t been on the same page in a long time. That thought saddened me.
“I’m going to take a shower and change,” I told him.
It was a good thing I’d insisted on stopping at the dorm to get my clothes. Brayden had been against it, thinking that the police might be there, but I was certain they wouldn’t have connected us that soon. I was right and had been able to get inside and pack a bag. Of course, Cora immediately started asking all kinds of questions until I finally shouted for her to mind her business. As many times as I’d said that before she’d never really listened, just continued her comments in a lowervoice. This time, however, she shut up immediately. That may have been because my cat’s eyes were still on display, as I found out when I went to the coatrack to get my jacket and caught a glimpse in the mirror. Afterward I hurried out of the room not waiting for any more questions from Cora or willing to risk any more exposure than we already had.
“I’ll go upstairs with you. If those workers are in the bedrooms I don’t want any of them walking in on you while you’re in the shower.”
I thought about telling him I could take care of some horny humans looking for a good time, or even the one that might figure I was breaking and entering—which I sort of was—and called the cops. But I didn’t. There was just too much going on right now in my head for me to deal with that too. If Brayden wanted to go all macho man and handle the situation for me, then let him, I just wanted a hot shower and a few minutes alone to regroup.
***
After the shower I was so tired from sitting up in the truck all night and from fighting with the humans, I guess, I lay down on the first bed I saw, intending to simply rest for a few minutes. That turned into an epic nap and when I woke up the house was eerily quiet.
The sun had set. I noticed that because the room wasn’t as
“Right now, the only thing I’d like to get out requires a bathroom so can you please try to open the door,” I insisted impatiently.
When he turned to do just that I rolled my eyes and sighed inwardly because I knew I was being unreasonable. Being upset with Brayden because he’d been right all along was petty. Being upset with my DNA was even more pointless. But dammit, I wanted to be upset! I didn’t want to have a mate and I especially didn’t want that mate to be Brayden. Being forever bonded with another Shadow Shifter—one that had pledged his life to the tribe when he was ten years old—was even worse. I did not want my life to be dedicated to the tribe, did not want anything to do with the lousy hypocrites to be exact. Not to mention the fact that I might be genetically unstable and prone to drifting off with the rogues just like my uncle had. I just wanted to lead a normal life, for as much as a girl like me could.
The door opened and Brayden walked into the house. I followed behind him not really knowing what to expect, being overly impressed anyway. The clean, fresh white from the outsideof the house carried over into the foyer as the marbled floors glistened and the bare walls sparkled. It may have been too much of a clean slate, but looking to the left into what must be the living room and the entire wall of windows that practically brought the ocean right inside, I decided that it worked.
“It’s lovely in here,” I said, unable to keep quiet a moment longer.
“Yeah, he’s definitely putting his money to good use. I’ll bet this is a sound investment and will make his sister a good chunk of change should she ever need to sell it.”
We were standing in the center of the living room now with its pastel-colored rug and wheat-colored furniture. I, of course, felt like this could be a home, while Brayden, of course, was thinking along other lines. It seemed we hadn’t been on the same page in a long time. That thought saddened me.
“I’m going to take a shower and change,” I told him.
It was a good thing I’d insisted on stopping at the dorm to get my clothes. Brayden had been against it, thinking that the police might be there, but I was certain they wouldn’t have connected us that soon. I was right and had been able to get inside and pack a bag. Of course, Cora immediately started asking all kinds of questions until I finally shouted for her to mind her business. As many times as I’d said that before she’d never really listened, just continued her comments in a lowervoice. This time, however, she shut up immediately. That may have been because my cat’s eyes were still on display, as I found out when I went to the coatrack to get my jacket and caught a glimpse in the mirror. Afterward I hurried out of the room not waiting for any more questions from Cora or willing to risk any more exposure than we already had.
“I’ll go upstairs with you. If those workers are in the bedrooms I don’t want any of them walking in on you while you’re in the shower.”
I thought about telling him I could take care of some horny humans looking for a good time, or even the one that might figure I was breaking and entering—which I sort of was—and called the cops. But I didn’t. There was just too much going on right now in my head for me to deal with that too. If Brayden wanted to go all macho man and handle the situation for me, then let him, I just wanted a hot shower and a few minutes alone to regroup.
***
After the shower I was so tired from sitting up in the truck all night and from fighting with the humans, I guess, I lay down on the first bed I saw, intending to simply rest for a few minutes. That turned into an epic nap and when I woke up the house was eerily quiet.
The sun had set. I noticed that because the room wasn’t as
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