Chapter 22 Chapter 22
Trying to steady her mind, but the rush of adrenaline only pushed the alcohol deeper into her mind. Suki blinked, and suddenly the darkness in the trees that surrounded them vanished, and the true colours of the sky peeked through.
“Were you hiding us in the shadows?” Suki asked, furrowing her brows in confusion as she looked around.
He stayed silent.
As the darkness faded, the true colours of the night appeared. It was much later than she had initially thought. She assumed that it was dusk, Brendan’s favourite time of night. She was pleased to finally know something about him, but equally displeased with how rapidly he was forcing her to leave their pleasant date.
“Please slow down, Brendan, I’m feeling woozy.”
Brendan muttered a swear and stopped to turn and face her. “Did you or did you not say you smelt a human nearby?”
“I-I did… Couldn’t you smell it?”
“Let me get you somewhere safe.”
“Safe? Humans aren’t a threat to us, are they?” she asked, but he kept ignoring her again and continued moving. Suki’s stomach churned with anxiety as her mind spiralled once again about her secretive mate.
What the hell was he hiding from her?
They stopped where the forest ended and the town began. Brendan, hiding behind a tree, scanned the area to see if anyone would see them, but then Suki just strolled out without even looking.
“Love, what are you doing?”
She shrugged, “It’s late,” she looked at her watch. “No one will be around at this time, people will be winding down before bed or out for a late-night wolfy sprint, or…uh, I don’t know what else. Damn, alcohol makes my brain too fuzzy for my liking,” she hiccupped.
“You’re the one who doesn’t want us to get caught together, so you should be more careful,” he whispered, following her.
Suki rolled her eyes and spun around in a circle, “You sound so serious right now,” she giggled, “what happened to the rebellious guy who would tease me and taunt me like prey?” she asked, tittering.
“Careful, love, otherwise I’ll hunt you down the same way I did in that maze,” Brendan smirked, grabbing her waist from behind and pulling her close, nuzzling into her neck.
She squealed and escaped from his grip, rushing away and looking back in the hopes he would chase her, but then she bumped into something.
Correction – someone.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” She yelped, covering her mouth. Her face relaxed when she saw who it was. “Rey!” she exclaimed, leaping into his arms.
Reynard hugged her tightly and held her waist to pull her back so he could examine her. “Where the hell have you been?” he said, concerned.
She frowned, “I was with…” she pointed behind herself, and Brendan emerged closer.
At first, he looked annoyed, but shook his head to stay focused. “Your scent vanished. I couldn’t sense you anywhere. I got worried, I thought something bad had happened to you, and then your scent reappeared again. I had to make sure you were okay.”
“I… disappeared?” Her chest rose and fell as she searched her foggy mind for a reason.
The darkness in the forest around the picnic, surrounding them, hid the sky, but also hid anyone lurking or eavesdropping. Anyone’s senses would be nullified, unable to track anyone down, hidden by the magical shadows.
She opened her mouth to explain, but–
‘Don’t.’ Brendan said in her mind. ‘No one here knows about my shadow-wielding. It would just give him more ammo not to trust me.’
She looked at Brendan. ‘I can’t lie to him.’
‘It’s not lying. It’s just… withholding the truth.’
Turning back to Rey, she stuttered, “We were on a date.” She threw her head back to look up at him and smiled.
“Goddess, how much have you had to drink? Your pupils are so dilated,” he said, his tone laced with concern, as he held her face.
Suki’s face wrinkled as she calculated, “Maybe one–” hiccup “–bottle of wine.”
“Why the hell did you make her drink so much?” Rey snarled at Brendan. As Suki groaned, rubbing her head, Rey made her sit on a nearby bench.
Brendan huffed, “I didn’t know how much of a lightweight she was. She kept taking the wine when I would top up her glass. It’s what you do on a date, jackass, you drink wine, kiss and–”
“And what?” he growled.
Smirking, he squared up closer to Reynard. “You may not know this, but when two people like each other, they kiss and sometimes even fu–”
Rey grabbed him by the shirt and held him close. “You know she wants to wait until the bond is sealed, right? What, do you think you can get her drunk enough so she’ll say yes to you, is that your plan?”
“Oh, fuck you! I would never do that to her. I was trying to give her a good evening.”
“Enough!” Suki sped over and pushed them apart. “Oh, that was a bad idea,” she said, feeling unsteady but slowly pulling herself tall. She looked to Rey, “We just kissed, there was no sex, and there won’t be sex. “ She looked to Brendan. “I want to wait.”
Brendan clenched his jaw and looked away.
“This is getting out of hand, Ki.” Rey stepped closer to her and sighed, “Both of us want you, and both of us have almost slept with you.”
“What?!” Brendan snapped.
Reynard rolled his eyes, “Oh, spare me the theatrics.”
“You’re giving me shit for trying to fuck her when you’ve been doing the same?”
“She’s my mate.”
“Mine too!”
Suki whined, “Guys, can you argue quietly? My head is throbbing, and the idea is not to let the whole pack know of our situation.” She sat back down on the bench.
Brendan crossed his arms and huffed, “Alright, how about this: neither of us will have sex or try to have sex with Suki until she’s made her decision, deal?”
“I can accept that. We both date her, but no sex.” He held out his hand. As Brendan goes to shake it, Reynard quickly snatched his hand away. “Nothing intimate,” he amended their agreement, “don’t think I don’t know what you tried to do in the maze. Suki is still fairly new to her wolf; everything is heightened for her. On top of that, the bond is fresh for all of us; none of us should take advantage of that.”
Taking his hand and shook it. “Fine, deal.”
“Deal.”
“Yay…” Suki said, twirling her finger in the air sarcastically, with her head in her other hand. “Can I go home now?”
Rey knelt in front of her and held her chin, scanning her face, “Did you eat much?”
She shook her head slowly and spoke quietly, “Only a little… I was too nervous to eat. I feel a bit nauseous, and my head is spinning.” Rubbing her temple, she slumped towards Reynard even more and groaned, “Please take me home. I just want to sleep.”
“It’s probably her wolf healing trying to process the alcohol; it’s rushing through her too fast,” Brendan chimed in.
Darting a glare at him, Reynard scooped Suki in his arms. “Thank you for that insight.”
“I didn’t mean to make her feel unwell,” he snarled.
Resting her head on Rey, she muttered, “Don’t argue…” her voice drifting away as she slowly fell out of consciousness.
Her two mates took her home. Luckily, all those who worked and lived in her home had all gone to their quarters to slumber. Reynard led the way through the house as Brendan looked around the home in awe.
“Don’t get lost, Rogue,” Rey said as he moved up the stairs.
Brendan grunted, hastening over to ensure he didn’t lose them.
They entered her room, and Rey moved with precision, placing her on her bed and tapping her cheek gently. “Don’t fall asleep yet, Ki,” he whispered, “open your eyes, babe.”
She whined.
Rey chuckled and moved to her wardrobe. In and out instantly, knowing exactly what he was getting and where it would be. He placed the pyjamas down and sighed, “Ki, you’ve got to get dressed. Wake up.”
She groaned, lifting her head, then putting it back down.
“Can you try to wake her up?” he asked Brendan. “I’ll go get her some water.”
“Why not just let her sleep?”
Rey scoffed a half-laugh, “Suki doesn’t drink a lot often, but the times she has, she gets the worst hangovers. At least one glass of water before sleep and a fry-up at the cafe downtown in the morning usually does the trick for her.”
Brendan leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “You sure know everything about her, don’t you?”
“We’ve grown up together. Wake her up, I’ll be right back,” he said before rushing out the door to fetch water.
Puffing out a loud exhale. “Alright, love, wake up and get dressed before Mr Perfect scolds me for something else.” Brendan rolled his eyes. He shook her lightly.
Suki whined again and sat up with her eyes shut.
This was the most childish he’d ever seen her. He couldn’t help but laugh at her. “That’s it, now go and get dressed in that fancy walk-in wardrobe of yours.”
Peeling her eyes open slowly, she squinted, peering over to the wardrobe, then back at the clothes. “Too far,” she mumbled.
“What?”
She grabbed the bottom of her top and pulled it up and off her head.