Chapter 9: The Whiskey

"Any other surprising revelations you'd like to share?" Camden asked with a mischievous smirk, her eyes sparkling with playful curiosity. "I don't think so," Clayton replied, a playful smile tugging at his lips. "How about you?" he asked. "Well, besides the fact that I was previously engaged and I’m not a virgin, nothing else comes to mind," Camden replied with a teasing grin. "You were engaged?!" Clayton gasped dramatically, clutching at his chest as if in shock. He imitated Camden's earlier gesture, pretending to faint. Camden burst into laughter, enjoying their playful banter. "Sorry, I thought the wedding dress you found me in made that pretty obvious," she confessed, still chuckling. Clayton stifled a fake sob, exaggerating his distress. "Camden, I just don't see how we can move past this. And not a virgin? This is a travesty. How could the goddess expect me to love someone like you?" he teased, his voice laced with mock indignation. Camden playfully elbowed him in the ribs, her eyes sparkling with affectionate annoyance. "Dick," she mumbled, snatching the whiskey bottle from his hand and taking another swig, the alcohol warming her from within. Clayton couldn't help but laugh, his heart lightened by their easy camaraderie.

As the whiskey began to take its toll, Camden's speech became slightly slurred. "Clayton?" she spoke, her voice dazed. "Hmmm?" he responded, his head once again resting on her shoulder. "I suspect that I am very drunk," she confessed with a giggle, her words slightly unsteady. "Excellent!" Clayton exclaimed with a grin. "Keep drinking, hopefully you will lose all inhibition soon!" he playfully encouraged, handing her the whiskey bottle.

She reached out for the bottle, but Clayton pulled it away. "I was just kidding," he said, a hint of concern in his voice. "Maybe you want some water instead?" he offered. "Okay," Camden replied, her gaze dazed as she looked up at him with a lazy smile. "How are you not passed out? You drank a lot more than I did," she observed, genuinely curious. Clayton shrugged, his own alcohol-induced haze beginning to settle. "I'm feeling it, but you seem to be a lightweight," he joked, handing her a cup of water.

In their intoxicated state, their conversation took a more whimsical turn. "Why did you bring me here?" Camden asked, her voice tinged with genuine intrigue. "Why didn't you just leave me in the forest?" Clayton shrugged, his eyes reflecting a mixture of uncertainty and vulnerability. "I don't know. Something told me you had to come back with me," he answered, his voice tinged with a quiet conviction. "Was it your wolf?" Camden asked. "No, it wasn't," Clayton replied, shaking his head. "I wouldn’t have known in wolf form either, not with the wolfsbane in your system. Something just told me you needed help, and I had to help you. So, I did. And here we are. Lucky for us, I listened to my instincts," he said with a warm smile.

As the storm continued to rage outside, Camden's urgent need to relieve herself interrupted their conversation. She giggled, realizing the predicament she faced. "Fuck... I need to wee, but I don't want to go out in this storm!" she exclaimed, gesturing to the pouring rain outside. Clayton chuckled, understanding the difficulty of her position. "You need indoor plumbing," Camden stated with a pout, glancing at the relentless downpour. Clayton raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Sure!" he exclaimed sarcastically. "I'll just hook it up to the main sewer line that runs through the middle of this national forest for no apparent reason," he retorted, rolling his eyes playfully. Camden sighed, realizing the impracticality of her request. "I can't hold it. I'm going to have to make a run for it through the rain." She frowned, dreading the inevitable cold.

Camden stood, unsteady on her feet and swaying from side to side. She began to laugh at herself. "I'm drunk!" she exclaimed through her laughter. Clayton laughed too, standing up to steady her. "You're a mess. What will I do with you?" He asked, exasperated. "Kiss me" she blurted, leaning into him and standing on her tiptoes to try and reach his lips. He leaned down and kissed her, gently at first, but the kiss soon grew in passion and urgency, likely spurred on by the whiskey coursing through their veins. Clayton grabbed Camden's butt and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around him as his kisses trailed down her neck making her moan. "Wait, wait, wait..." Camden moaned, her voice breathy. "Sorry," Clayton replied, "too fast?" He asked, setting her down again. "No, I still need to wee!" Camden said with a giggle. "Come here," Clayton urged, dragging her by the hand to the door. He took a rain jacket off the hook at the back of the door and helped her put it on. Then he opened the door, picked her up and headed out into the rain before she could protest.

Upon reaching the small outhouse, he set her down just outside. The rain was pelting down and he was soaked already. Camden hurried into the small room and closed the door behind her while Clayton waited out in the rain. "How's it going Cam?" Clayton called out, his voice barely audible over the sound of the rain. "I'm done," she replied, flinging the door open with a sense of accomplishment. He picked her up again and carried her back to the warmth of the cabin, his heart pounding with a mixture of tenderness and desire.

When they got back inside, Clayton set Camden down before closing the door and shutting out the icy rain and wind. They both shivered. She took the rain jacket off and hung it back on the hook behind the door where Clayton had taken it from earlier. She saw his teeth were chattering and she went and got him a towel to dry off. "We need to get you out of those wet clothes", she said with a hint of playfulness as she handed him the towel. "Are you trying to get me naked?" He asked with an eyebrow raised. Camden chuckled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I thought you said you weren't shy?" She teased. "I'm just suggesting a practical solution here." she added innocently. "I'm not shy," he replied, peeling his soaked shirt off followed by his drenched jeans.

Camden busied herself hanging his wet clothes up, a deep blush rising in her cheeks along with a rush of desire coursing through her veins as she stole glances at his chiselled physique. When she turned around, she saw he was still drying off with the towel, but had at least put a pair of boxer briefs on. Camden shivered once more and decided it was probably best if she took off her wet leggings and put on one of the night dresses she had bought to sleep in. She retrieved the dry clothes and found a corner to strip down and put on her dry pyjamas. She turned, facing away from Clayton, trying to maintain some modesty before she wobbled over to him on unsteady legs as he dried the back of his neck with the towel. "Where were we?" she asked innocently, her voice barely above a whisper. Clayton dropped the towel, his eyes raking over her, filled with a mixture of longing and affection. He closed the distance between them, his lips meeting hers in a fervent kiss that quickly grew in intensity. Their bodies pressed against each other, fuelled by desire and the passionate intoxication of the moment.