Page 80 of Plug and Drain

“Know what it was like for Susie sucking c—” Sarah cut herself off, visibly struggling with the vulgar language.

Harry grinned and opened his mouth to say something, but Susie spoke first.

“Guys, please.” She loved her pack, and ordinarily would have been more forthcoming with her answers. It was easy to speak about sexual encounters that didn’t matter.

But she didn’t want to talk about Arken. That had mattered. It shouldn’t have, but it did; it made her heart fluttery to hear her friends talking about him.

Harry grinned at Sarah. “Arken’s hot. Got that silver fox thing going on. You know, I’ve always had a bit of a thing for him.”

Sarah snorted. “Good thing he’s not gay.” She gave Susie a sidelong look. “He’s not, is he?”

Susie shrugged. “Don’t think so.”

Harry elbowed her playfully. “Not after being with you, eh Susie? Yeouch—!” He flinched as Sarah pinched him, and the two wolves bickered the rest of the way to the cafeteria.

It was still early, but food was already being served. They liked to get here before the rest of the packs arrived.

“So, now that you’re Arken’s pet…” Harry began.

“She said she’s not his pet!” Sarah interjected.

“…Do you have to sleep in his room? Are you supposed to wait for him in his office after dinner?”

Susie drew a sharp breath, and she wrinkled her nose, waiting for the nausea to hit.

It didn’t come. Instead, she imagined a large bed with dark bedding, a chair with a nightrobe draped over it. And Arken standing in the corner, glancing her way as he undid his necktie. The attraction in his eyes as he regarded her was all too clear to see.

Her breathing stilled as heat bloomed in her core.

“That’s a yes,” Harry was chuckling.

“No,” Susie exclaimed, shaking her head to clear the fantasy. “No, nothing like that. Nothing’s been discussed.”

“Really? No instructions at all? Doesn’t he want you to move in tonight?”

Susie busied herself loading a tray of food. It hadn’t even occurred to her that Arken might want her to move in with him. The prospect of leaving her room behind was daunting. It might not have been a safe place, but it was her place.

Would he even let her take her books?

“That’s odd,” Harry commented, standing in the queue behind her. “Did he say when he wants to see you again—ow! Bloody hell, stop pinching me, woman.”

Sarah crossed her arms. “Stop discussing it, then! Susie clearly doesn’t want to talk about it.”

“Hey, Sarah.”

“What?”

“Suck my dick.”

Sarah turned a bright shade of scarlet, and Harry sniggered and tossed an apple into the air and caught it.

“That’s enough,” Susie said, rounding on her pack and summoning a calmness she did not feel. “I am not Arken’s pet, and I’m not going anywhere.” Harry opened his mouth. “And no, I don’t know when I’ll be seeing Arken again, if at all. When there’s something to talk about, you will all be the first to know. Until then, everything continues as normal.”

Sarah smiled and the other pack members nodded in agreement, including Harry, who clapped his hands, the sound dull as his limp left hand tried to meet his right.

“Well said,” he said cordially. “Hope everyone heard that.” He winked at Sarah before turning to Susie. “Then we’re still on for book club tomorrow night?”

Susie paused in the middle of ladling gravy onto her mashed potatoes. She’d forgotten about the sleepover they had planned in the library’s secret room.