Page 115 of Wolf Blood

Rhone looked at me for a long moment.

Then he pulled the new lock he'd been about to install away from the door.

I watched silently as he took the new hardware off, and put the keypad back on just because I'd told him I had fun reprogramming it.

He didn't say that, but I knew it.

"We're spending every night together," he warned, as he finished securing it in place. "I'm not sleeping in the hallway, in your old apartment, or anywhere else. This place isours."

"Okay. That's fair."

"I will pester you with the bond if you lock me out, and I have a lot more experience being annoying with it than you do."

My lips twitched as I fought to suppress a smile. "That's also fair."

"When you get bloodthirsty, I get to know about it and fix it."

"I'm always bloodthirsty. We can't spend all day every day in bed together."

"I've had the misfortune of staying next door to Nolan and Oren enough times to know how often they're together. Usually, three or four times a day is enough. Luckily for you, I have great stamina."

I bit my lip to hide a grin. "Believe me, I know."

Rhone gestured to the door. "It's all yours."

My lip remained trapped beneath my teeth as I scooted closer. Rhone lifted me onto his lap, and he leaned against the door while I reprogrammed it. I used the current date for it, like I had for my room across the hall.

"Are you still going to take down the security lock?" I asked.

"Already did."

He picked it up off the floor and showed it to me. I hadn't noticed it, but Rhone was pretty distracting.

One of his hands was on my hip. He held the door for me with the other one. It was... well, honestly?

Perfect.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

harper

When I was done,I leaned against Rhone's chest. He slid back into the apartment, shut the door, and locked it. He put his weight against the wall, holding me to his chest without any indication that he wanted to leave, and I relaxed.

"You weren't shaken by the call," he said.

It was a question, even though he formed it as a statement.

He still wanted to know what things had been like between me and Neve. I guess I couldn't blame him for that. I still wanted to know how he'd gone from being the potential Alpha to someone who barely tolerated people.

"I had to desensitize myself to my mother a long time ago," I said.

Rhone was quiet, but tense.

He wanted to know more, but he didn't seem to want to push me. He'd already asked a few times, and I'd turned him down.

"If you ever decide you want to tell me, I'd really like to hear it," he finally added.

"I appreciate that."