Fantasy Lynxed [Teeth, Nails and Tails] - Brynn Paulin

[raone453k]

Chapter Eight

 

The men seemed strangely quiet all the way back to Caribou Run while Summer happily contemplated getting her belongings and, foremost, finding clean underwear and jeans. After everything they’d been through, she was pretty sure this pair was ready to stand up on its own and tell stories. “I should probably go right over there and get my things,” she said. “Guess so,” Mika replied. “You don’t want to take a shower first or anything?” “You implying something?” she asked, knowing he wasn’t. Still, she probably did smell sweaty, and there was no doubt in her mind she smelled of sex. “Do you think maybe one of you could go over and get my small suitcase? It has my name on it. That’s what I really want first. It won’t do any good to take a shower only to put on the same dirty clothes.” “Right,” Mika said. Bar remained conspicuously silent, and she sensed a pensiveness about him, but both men were blocking her from their thoughts, if the radio silence on their mental connection was any indication. Mika had explained some about the telepathy earlier, while they’d waited for Bar. Apparently, she’d learned how to block them yesterday—something useful for privacy but also exhausting to maintain. It had contributed to her collapse. She had no idea how she’d done it though, or even if she could duplicate the mental wall. Her brows drew together as she sat up and looked back and forth between the two men in the seats in front of her. “What’s wrong?” “You haven’t decided yet,” Bar finally said. “And once you have your things… Well, if you really want to go, we’ll let you. We’re not kidnappers or mountain men who’ll keep you chained up in our house forever. You’re our mate, and we’ll always be connected, but you have to choose us.” “We can’t make you,” Mika added.

“Oh,” she murmured, surprised and confused that it was her only response. Her only verbal response. Hot prickles flashed up her back as her stomach plummeted and twisted. Returning to Caribou Run was the beginning of the end. “It doesn’t have to end,” Mika said. He turned in his seat and reached back to grasp her icy fingers. When had the cab of the moose buggy gotten so cold? “It does,” she whispered. She looked down at his hand around hers. “Give me time. I’ve only known you a couple days. I need more than that.” His jaw worked as if he had plenty to say, but he kept his lips pressed firmly together. She tried to read his thoughts, but found nothing. It was as if a steel wall had again risen between her mind and his. She found the same with Bar. “Maybe, I should just go right over to the community center, after all.” She nodded. She needed to be on her own and get her thoughts straight.