She cants her head at me in that curious manner she did on the beach. It’s not the same way she tricked the guard. This is genuine. Relaxed. Happy.
Definitely her wolf, I think, fighting a grin. Because the female inside would not be nearly as pleased with her current predicament.
Which is why Tieran wanted to postpone the welcome party.
We need to coax the human out first.
Which will require a bit of finesse and potentially some Alpha growls.
I purr for her instead, wanting to keep her happy as I open the door and step inside. She follows like an obedient little wolf, her nose taking in the scents of our living room and dining area.
I expect her to head toward the kitchen, but she plops down to roll around on a rug in the living room instead.
Leaning against the wood paneled wall, I watch as she scents off the rug, her belly fully exposed.
The human inside must be cringing.
Or maybe she’s too broken to even realize what’s happening.
With a yip, the wolf jumps to her feet again, her agility impressive considering she nearly drowned thirty minutes ago, and she takes off down the hallway.
I follow with a shake of my head, amused.
It’s like having a puppy.
Except this female is definitely full grown.
She heads into the guest room first because it’s the closest to the living area. “This is where you’ll sleep, if you’re good,” I tell her.
She snorts like she can understand me, and scoffs at the bed before turning around to march back into the hallway toward the back stairs.
“It’s rude to take yourself on your own tour,” I say conversationally as she bolts down the wood stairs to the level underground. “Tieran wouldn’t appreciate this.”
Not that I care.
He’ll live.
She walks right by the two offices at the bottom of the stairs and toward the rooms near the back. Mine is first, the door partially ajar.
She slips inside, her nose leading the way.
I take advantage of her self-possessed tour to grab a pair of flannels and tug them on.
She doesn’t even notice, too busy sniffing every inch of my room. When she spies my bed, I narrow my eyes. “Do not—”
She jumps right into it and starts to roll around, scenting off my sheets and blankets.
Sighing, I just shake my head.
This little thing is going to cause all sorts of trouble.
She hits Caius’s room next, noting his penchant for blue silk and rolling around happily in his formerly made bed. I don’t bother fixing it. He’ll know she was in here by her scent alone. May as well ensure he knows just what she was up to.
The final door is closed.
She paws at it and grunts.
“You don’t want to mess up Tieran’s bed, sweetling,” I tell her. “He won’t be pleased about it.”
She sits down in defiance, staring straight at the door.
“How about we go upstairs for some food instead?” I offer, suggesting a meal again.
The daring little wolf just huffs and lays down, clearly wanting inside Tieran’s room.
“You’re a bit of a brat, aren’t you?” I say it endearingly because I’m amused by her antics. “All right. If you want to piss off the Carnage Island Alpha, I’ll allow it. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
She perks up as I open his door.
Then she darts inside to start her sniffing tour all over again.
Tieran’s room is the darkest in terms of tones and general aura. But his bed is made with the same precision as Caius’s—which the little wolf promptly destroys.
She shoves her snout between his pillows, the black silk at odds against her white coat. A loud snort follows, her tail wagging happily.
I lean against his door frame, grinning as she uses her little claws to dig at the blankets.
Tieran’s going to lose his fucking mind when he comes back.
I’ll do my best to stand in his way, but the little wolf really needs to learn some manners. So I’ll have to hand her over to him at some point.
She sighs happily as the comforter and top sheet move out of her way, allowing her to properly scent off his bed. Except she doesn’t roll as much here. Instead, she curls into a ball in the center.
Claiming her spot.
I arch a brow. “You sure you want to do that, sweetling?”
She closes her eyes in response.
“All right,” I say, chuckling as I push away from the door frame. “I hope you enjoy spankings, sweetheart. You’ve more than earned one.”
Of course, I’m partially to blame since I opened the door—something I’ll own up to when Tieran returns.
Until then, I busy myself in the kitchen, making dinner for four instead of three.
The moon is rising when Tieran and Caius finally return, their arms full of shit from the yacht. We left it all there earlier when we spotted the guards going the wrong way around the island.
Tieran sets my folded clothes on the table, the suit in relatively good condition considering how I left it on the beach.
Caius has the envelope of cash in his pile, along with a laptop bag and several other items from our trip to the mainland.
“Where’s the girl?” he asks, frowning at finding me alone in the kitchen.
“Taking a nap.” She hasn’t made a single sound since I left her downstairs.
“In the guest room?” Tieran’s tone and expression tell me he knows she’s not there because her scent is too subtle on this floor.
“No.” I smile, already anticipating his reaction. “She found a more comfortable place to sleep downstairs.”
His brow draws downward. “Where?”
I shrug. “Follow your nose. You’ll find her.”
But the way his eyes narrow tell me he already knows. “Fuck. Tell me you didn’t let that mutt into my room.”
I frown at him, but it’s forced and mocking. “You’re asking me to lie? I thought our brotherhood was built on truth.”
“You fucking dick.”
My lips curl back upward. “Sorry. She’s cute when she begs.”
He growls. “I would throw your suit back down to the beach, but I know you wouldn’t care.”
“Not at all,” I agree. “But feel free to do it anyway.”