Chapter 256

We all froze. The words, the voice—it all connected to a deep part of our consciousness that told us to flee. I looked to the door and saw Rowan standing there, nearly vibrating. “I said get out.” His voice was low, his need burning right under the surface of calm he was trying to project.

Nix and Megan both started to purr. They were content with this choice. Rowan could help with our heat, our need. I tried to stay a little clear of it, but their need lapped at my resolve. I grabbed for Toya and Wendy. “What should I do?” My whisper broke the thick silence, worry clear in my voice.

Toya turned. “My King, Amy isn’t in her right mind. Please leave before you both make a mistake.”

His eyes shifted to his wolf, and his voice dropped to a level that made my skin shiver. “I won’t take advantage of her.”

“I never said you would. But she might force the… um, potential mating.” Wendy tried to smile.

His eyes met mine, and I could see his needs. It matched my own, and in that moment, I was no longer scared. This is what I wanted. “What happened?” Toya looked to me, and I nodded. I couldn’t form coherent sentences any longer. My mind, my body focused purely on the need that was running along my skin. I needed to be touched, licked, kissed. I needed his body next to mine. Now. My eyes latched onto Rowan. I felt need gather at the apex of my thighs, staring at him. He was gorgeous.

“Kudzu?” That caught my attention. I realized the conversation had continued when I lost focus. He walked closer to me, and my only thought was to jump up and climb him like a tree. I needed to get close. “She is this affected by the poison?” Both my friends nodded, but I couldn’t remove my eyes from his. “She shouldn’t be this bad.”

“Why not?” Wendy came closer. I think she noticed my hands rubbing the edge of the tub, and she could tell I was fighting the need to get out.

“It usually only affects a person who has fully mated with their mate. It is to help couples struggling with fertility.”

Wendy and Toya looked at each other. “She hasn’t mated with anyone yet.”

I watched his face close down before he asked the next question. He was hiding something, and that made it through the fog of need I was feeling. “Has she met someone she wants to mate with yet?”

Toya looked at him with a confused look. “Yes.” She looked at Wendy. His face grew angrier.

“Who?” His one word was a splash of cold water on my face.

“My King…” Toya started, but I stood.

“You can’t be this stupid, Rowan.” I could feel the anger rising, and it pushed back the need I was entranced by.

His eyes seemed to glow. “Who is it, rabbit?” His voice held an edge, and I wanted to scream. I stood in a rush, water trailing down my mostly naked body, and his eyes glowed. But I was pissed as I turned to my friends.

“Get this idiot out of my house. If he wants to pretend to be this stupid—or for the sake of our realm, I hope he isn’t—but if he is this stupid, I do not want to deal with him at this moment. Get him out.”

Rowan growled, and Toya stepped in front of me, blocking his view. “My King, I have to ask you to leave.” She pushed him out of the door, and he seemed to want to fight, but then he took a step back. And then another. I settled back into the freezing water as he left, closing the door behind him, and I looked up to Wendy.

I could already feel the tears, hot trails on my cheeks. “I’m the idiot,” I choked out before her arms came around me.

She rubbed my back, and I silently cried before we heard a commotion outside. “You really are that fucking stupid.” We both froze when we heard Toya tear into him.

“What did you just say?” Rowan’s words were dark.

“I’m saying this because I like you. You have grown to be my friend these last months, so I want to give you a fraction of sense.” I heard a growl come from Rowan, but Toya wasn’t done. “You are yelling at Amy like this was her fault, but Brandon put kudzu into her drinks, hoping that she would falter and mate him. But you, you come in here and accuse her like she isn’t the victim. You yell and point fingers because she wants to mate someone. But you are too stupid to understand—the person she wants to mate with is you!” There was silence. “But she knows your wolf wants someone else, and she can’t force you to want her back.”

“What?”

“Don’t play stupid. She has told you this herself. But you always seem to forget!”