Page 32 of Those That Defy the Realm

And now I need to go into that house and try to navigate them being in the same room. Hopefully, without hurting either of their feelings.

I’m fucked.

Stepping into the house behind Ty, I don’t know where to stand, or even where to look because I’m scared of catching either of their eyes.

Taking a deep inhale to keep my pulse steady, a thought slams into my head with alarm bells. Has Claire showered?

It wasn’t like I’d finished inside her, or on her, but we’d certainly caused enough friction between our bodies for our scents to be on the other. The blood and sweat from the fight would have covered me pretty quickly but if she hasn’t washed since we left there’s a good chance one of the supernaturals in this house is going to pick up on it. Especially the wolves, currently in their wolf forms, with their extra sensitive noses.

Shit.

How would Ash react to that knowledge? How would Rory? She’d have every right to be a bit pissed at me for sleeping with her best friend while she was risking her life, fooling Adicious. I was supposed to be keeping her mate from losing his mind.

Wiping the sweat off the back of my neck, it’s like there’s a spotlight on me as I move about the crammed common room. We’ve emptied everything out except for a few chairs that somehow managed to not get damaged or blood stained. Those are occupied, and everyone else is either sprawled on the floor or standing against one of the walls.

Exhaling slowly, I spot Rory in the corner with her two friends. No doubt they’re more than a little intimidated by the sight of so many vampires, let alone the wolves that shouldn’t be here.

I can pick up snippets of Rory giving them a run down on the day's events, censored version of course, but everyone else is also talking or moving about, making noise, so it’s hard to hear much of the conversation.

Ty is making his way around the group, assigning rooms and sorting out any other needs that need to be met. He’s already the leader I knew he would be. Taking care of the pack before everything else, and most of them aren’t even bonded to him yet.

I’m surprised to see Antares at his side, coordinating the pack as Ty’s assistant like he’s been in the role for years. Maybe this will be good for him, to finally have a place he can be himself and feel needed.

My gaze finds the wolves next. Two are curled up on the far side against the wall, and the other two—one of these being Ash—are sitting on either side. Ash shifts into his human form as Ty and Antares reach them on their way round the group and they talk briefly. I make myself busy by striding over to where the undercounter fridge is still plugged in and concentrate on taking stock of the blood we have left. Despite the run that was done today, we aren’t going to have enough to last through tomorrow, so someone is going to have to do a blood run.

Noting which types we have left and calculating how many packets we’ll need for a few days' supply I close the refrigerator door and turn to talk to one of the vampires who defected from Adicious’s pack about a stock run.

It’s not a conversation, however, and soon I’m back to just awkwardly standing in the room, probably looking like I want the ground to swallow me whole. Which would be nice right about now.

“Thank you, I appreciate it,” Ty says as my ears automatically lock onto the conversation he’s having with Ash.

“It’s what we’re here for,” Ash replies as he gestures to the wolf sitting near his feet and they both disappear out the door.

“Where are they going?” I call out, stepping across the room.

Ty spins in place, his brows pulling slightly at my tone. “Ash has volunteered for the first shift on the perimeter.”

“You think we need patrols?”

“Hopefully not, but I’m not taking any risks. We’re vulnerable right now and having learned that Adicious was working with Fillias in some capacity, we can’t afford any more surprises.”

The mention of the head of the West Scotian vampire pack sends unease through my bones. I may have kept my head down when it came to that pack, wanting nothing to do with them and the brutality they ran by, but I knew the stories. “I can take the first shift as well.”

Ty’s head tilts as he assesses me. “Are you sure? You took quite a bit of damage, and I’d thought you’d want to rest.”

Honestly, I’m dead on my feet. My knee joint is throbbing, and I’ve not slept in I don’t know how many hours. But I’ve said it now, and the thought of being alone with Ash is what has my mouth running. Well, Ash and Emmerson, the other wolf that followed him outside.

I nod. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

“Okay, thank you.” Ty releases a sigh like I’ve lifted a weight off his shoulders and it eases my aching body.

“Take your mate and go to bed,” I instruct. “You look beat.”

“Don’t worry, I plan on doing just that.” He looks over his shoulder. “If I can pull her away, that is.”

Rory looks up not a second later, probably feeling Ty’s exhaustion through their telepathic bond. She turns to her friends and starts to extract herself from their company.

“I’ll go catch up with Ash. Get some rest, we’ll keep watch.” I quickly pat Ty on the shoulder in goodbye and give Antares an up nod before ducking away and out the room before Claire can seek me out.