Wolf Broken (Wolfish 2)

It’s his turn to redden. He shakes his head.

“No. No one.”

“Oh,” is all that I can think of to say, my eyes dropping down to the hands folded in my lap. I clear my throat. “Well, in case you were wondering … I haven’t either.”

“We know,” Kaleb says. He flashes a grin at me when I glance back up.

“How could you possibly know that?”

“It’s a wolf thing, we can just tell,” he answers.

As unsettling as that is, I’m more focused on the bigger question. I remember all the times that things have gotten really hot and heavy with the boys, and it seems like each time that happens, they pull back. They act like they want to make love to me more than anything in the whole world, and then as soon as it seems like they get close to the point they won’t be able to stop themselves … they withdraw.

Out of all of them, Kaleb has come the closest to not being able to stop himself. But even he seems to muster the strength each time.

Much to my chagrin. Not that I’d ever admit that. Not to them.

“What is Romulus afraid is going to happen?” I ask, then think again. “Actually, what are you guys afraid of?”

None of them answer, and the all-too-familiar silence worries me. They aren’t the only ones troubled by conflicting feelings. Every time I think I’m safe with them, every time I feel like I can give myself to them freely; they do something to make me doubt their promise to me again.

Why can’t they just be upfront with me?

“Kaleb,” I start, scooting closer to the one most likely to be unable to resist me, and putting my hand on his thigh, “remember what you said to me before?”

I wasn’t going to say it out loud, it was private between him and I. He knows what I mean; he knows that I’m talking about him telling me he would make love to me soon. Rory and Marlowe look on with intent suspicion.

The look on his face tells me he knows exactly what I mean.

“Did you mean it?”

After a moment’s hesitation, he reaches over to put his hand over the top of mine.

“Yes,” he says, carefully. “I meant it.”

Rory glances between us. “Meant what?”

“Mind your own business,” Kaleb shoots back at him.

Rory rocks back a bit, surprised. Even Marlowe is taken aback.

“This is my business,” Rory growls. “You heard what Romulus said.”

The frolicking mood that had been in the bar

n minutes before gives way to a pervasive tension.

I ignore Rory and stay focused on Kaleb. “Then what is it you’re afraid of? What is it that Romulus is afraid is going to happen?” I touch his face and look into his eyes until he seems to break in my hands as he is unable to resist answering me.

“Sabrina, we can’t stop ourselves with you. If we let things get too far, then it could end up—”

“That’s enough!” Rory shouts, suddenly lunging forward. He grabs Kaleb by the collar of his shirt as if it’s the scruff of a dog. “Stop talking, now!”

I sit in stunned fear of Rory’s outburst as Marlowe looks at me from the corner of his eye.

There’s a reason the boys won’t let themselves go completely with me, and they still aren’t going to tell me what it is.

Tell me something new.