Chapter 16: Ferrin

I met with Austin in his quarters to plan the next phase of the operation. We wanted to find the identity of the mole soon, but it was important that they didn’t know we were on to them. We needed them to lead us to anyone who was working against us. We were hoping that whatever Larkin sent us — if he sent us anything — would give us a good lead. We set up a strategy for where to go from there.

I had mind-linked Miranda on my way to see Austin and asked her to make something special for Willa for dinner and that I would be joining her. I had pulled her into my office before reaching out to Willa’s security guards and told her everything that was going on. I shouldn’t have been surprised that she had already figured out Willa was my mate. She had seen enough in her lifetime to recognize the mate bond in a second. I was elated when she gave her approval of Willa.    

She was happy to comply with my request, and I had worked on timing everything right. I was almost up the stairs when she mind-linked to me that everything was ready. I took the last few steps two at a time, nodding to the guards before entering the room. Willa was standing by the couch, looking thoroughly puzzled as Miranda set up an array of food on the coffee table. I heard Miranda telling her it was a surprise when they both looked up at me. Miranda straightened with a smile, tucking the empty tray under her arm.

“Your Majesty,” she said with a bow before retreating from the room without another word.

Willa stood in place, looking at me as she waited for me to say something.

She had showered since I left. Her auburn curls were still damp as they fell over her shoulders. She was wearing a loose button-up top that accentuated her full breasts and slim waist. Her jean shorts gave me a great view of her toned legs. Legs that had been flashing images through my mind all day of how well they would fit around my shoulders, waist, and anywhere in between.

She was gorgeous.

But it was her eyes that always seemed to ensnare me. Those big, hazel eyes with brilliant sparks of green and copper. I didn’t even realize I had closed the distance between us until I felt the tingle of electricity that cascaded through me whenever we touched. My hands had found their way to her hips, pulling her to me as hers rested on my arms.

I leaned in and my mouth met hers. I snaked my arms around her, pushing my fingers into her hair, gripping the base of her head as I deepened the kiss. Her lips parted for me as her arms went around my neck. Her tongue danced along with mine, and in seconds my hard length was pressed against her belly. She moaned softly and I almost lost all control. I managed to pull away, reminding myself that wasn’t what tonight was about.

We were both breathing heavily. Willa wouldn’t meet my eyes, staring into my chest as she worked to gather herself. I tipped her chin up to look at me.

“You okay?” I asked softly.

She nodded with a small smile. I returned the grin and kissed her forehead before taking her hand and leading her around to sit on the sofa.

“Okay,” I said, picking up the bag with Shawn’s DVDs in it. “What was Shawn suggesting you watch first?”

“Um, the Spiderman trilogy,” she said, pulling her legs up under her to get comfortable.

I paused my search through the bag and looked at her. “Wait, you’ve never seen Spiderman?”

Her cheeks flushed and she let out a shy laugh. “If it was made within the last twenty years and it’s not a kids’ movie, I probably haven’t seen it.”

“Hold on, what?”

“Rogue, remember,” she said, pointing to herself. “We rarely had extra money to spend.”

“What about your ex?” The word was bitter in my mouth. “Didn’t he ever take you on a movie date?”

“You can’t really get away with taking a rogue in public. There were some things we could manage by masking my scent, but the movies — pressed elbow to elbow — was not one of them.”

He had never taken her out in public. My anger flared and my hands fisted, but guilt quickly replaced it as I remembered I was doing the same thing. I cleared my throat and moved on. If she hadn’t seen any movies, I wanted to find something she would love. I listed some categories and had her narrow down her interests. I decided on a pirate movie. It wasn’t available in the selection Shawn sent, but we could stream it instead.

I got it up and ready to play on the TV before grabbing a plate and starting to load it with food. I had Miranda provide an array of junk food fit for a home movie night, and she definitely delivered. There was anything from pizza to wings to boxes of candy and popcorn. I made sure to add anything Willa said she liked or would like to try before handing the plate to her.

“I’m not going to be able to eat all of this,” she insisted as I started on my own plate.

I shrugged. “With how good the cooking is here, you never know. It’s a miracle I’m not four-hundred pounds myself,” I said with a wink.

She let out a laugh as she broke into a smile, and I thought my heart would explode. Once we were content with our selections, I pulled another remote from the drawer to turn off the overhead lights and dim the lamps. I clicked play, and we settled in for the movie.

Willa was right that she couldn’t finish her plate, but she came pretty close. She teased me for going back for seconds, making us both chuckle. By halfway through, we were both finished and she was engrossed in the film. I reached over and pulled her to my side. She tucked right in without hesitation, draping my arm over her as she leaned against my chest, and I swore I was in heaven.

I didn’t even know if she realized she had done it. But that meant she was comfortable with me. Content. At that moment, she felt safe.

We stayed like that for the rest of the movie. When the credits started to roll, I thought she may have fallen asleep. I kissed her hair and whispered her name. She looked up at me.

I ran my fingers through her hair. “Are you tired?”

“A little,” she said with a smile.

“Do you want me to go?” I asked, dreading she would say yes but ready to leave if she wanted me to.

She thought for a moment and shook her head. “No.”

I wanted to kiss her more than anything, but I settled for pulling her tighter into my arms. She settled back against my chest, and I continued to run my fingers through her hair.

“So, about this Jason asshole,” I said teasingly.

She took a deep breath, and I could practically feel her roll her eyes. “What about him?”

“Did he hurt you?”

She snickered a little. “Only in the we were young and stupid kind of way. A lot of the pack kids go through a rogue phase when they’re teenagers. You know, rebelling against their parents, wondering what it’s like to live outside the pack. I just happened to be his.”

That didn’t sit well with me. It took an effort to suppress the anger and jealousy rising. “It sounds like he used you.”

“Nah,” she said, tracing her fingers along mine absently. “We both kind of had an itch to scratch. I was seventeen when we met. I wasn’t in the greatest of places in my life. I gave him the rogue experience, and he helped me feel a little bit of the pack life I missed out on. In the end, it fizzled out, as it should have. But he’s not a bad guy.”

“What do you mean you weren’t in the greatest of places?” I asked.

She shrugged. “I still remember my childhood friends. Even reconnected with a couple as teenagers. But they were all in high school, about to graduate, move on to jobs within the pack, college, finding mates. All that stuff that I didn’t get to be a part of. I had a hard time with it, I guess. But I had my dad to keep me grounded and a good group of friends. And honestly, experiencing it with Jason was kind of annoying. They were just trying to act like they thought we acted. They kind of romanticized life as a rogue.”

She told me about the rogue kids that gravitated toward their little piece of the world. I told her about growing up in the castle with my sister. We talked back and forth for hours, exchanging stories about our time with the people we knew, things we did, the trouble we got into. By two in the morning, we were sitting on the couch, facing each other, as Willa showed me some silly game she and her friends used to play.

“Okay,” she said, holding her hands out in front of her, palms facing up. “Put her hands on mine gently.”

I did as instructed.

“Okay, eyes up here now.”

I looked and we locked eyes. There was a gleam in hers that I hadn’t seen before.

“Now, the goal is to pull your hands back before I can slap them. Don’t look at our hands,” she scolded as I glanced down.

“Okay, okay,” I said. As soon as my eyes were back on hers, I felt the slight sting of skin hitting mine. “Seriously? That’s how this is played?”

She laughed as she put her hands back out.

“Alright. I get it now.”

She tried a few more times before she was finally able to clip me again. We switched positions. It was her turn to get away. We had to take deep breaths to calm our giggling. Yes, giggling. Like fucking teenagers. She was doing pretty well at getting away from me. I was waiting extra long this time, and I thought I had her when suddenly she slapped my cheeks between her hands.

“Oh, really?” I said.

She gave me a triumphant look that was by far the cutest thing I had ever fucking seen in my life. Next thing, she squealed as I launched myself at her, pinning her to the cushions beneath me.

“You want to play dirty, huh?”