Page 15 of Timber Hollow

15

Body Bag

twenty seven days to full moon

I wake with anxiety already pooling in my stomach, uneasy despite being barely conscious. The house smells like maple syrup and frying bacon, so I manage to roll myself out of bed, and into an oversized shirt before stumbling down the steps. I don't usually eat breakfast, but something about the aromas wafting from the kitchen is making my stomach rumble, even if I still feel like someone is watching me.

When I pass through the living room, peeking out the windows to see that it is only my car, and Saint's Jeep sitting in the lot. He’s in the kitchen bustling around, a fresh batch of bacon hitting the screaming hot pan. Saint also has music going quietly, loud enough to be heard over the frying meat but not so loud to make it impossible to hear yourself think. He sees me enter as he's spinning around, spatula in hand and his hair tossed into a bun at the back of his head.

Saint is still singing along to the lyrics as he nods at the island, already assembling a plate of pancakes and bacon. Fresh squeezed orange juice sits in a large jug in the middle, along with a few short glasses with black bottoms. "Do you want some?" I ask Saint as I pour my cup. He nods, still singing, so I pour juice into a second glass, sliding it towards his side of the counter.

It's bright, incredibly flavorful and tart. A slap in the face with vitamin C. Exactly what a wolf needs after spending the night sprinting through the trees after prey. When Saint slings the plate of food before me, my stomach growls. A glance at the clock tells me it's technically almost lunch. So really, my rule of not eating breakfast isn't broken.

"Eat up." Saint orders, turning off burners and sitting down with his plate loaded with food.

" Heard , Chef," I say, mocking his tone, giving him a two-finger salute. He snorts, before dumping thick maple syrup over his pancakes. The sticky liquid comes out in thick ribbons, cascading slowly down the stack. The label indicates it's real maple syrup—the good stuff—not the watery store brand.

Saint sees me eyeing the syrup, and with a smirk, he says "You want some, Tiny?"

"Yes, Chef." I sass back, extending my hand towards the little jug. Saint smiles, but passes it to me anyway, along with a fork. I drizzle considerably less syrup over my flapjacks than Saint did, just a couple of passes over them. Saint waits until my mouth is stuffed full to ask how I slept.

"Fine, I guess." A lie. After running all night with the three of them, I would have expected to be exhausted, but it had been the opposite. Once the four of us had come home, tension had been corded through me. Jay, Saint, and Dante had all gone against Magnus to run with me. After ordering Jay to go to sleep in my room, I'd expected him to join me last night too…well all nights if I was honest with myself. With daybreak not far off, I'd expected Jay to join me inside, climbing into my bed with me.

He hadn't, instead, the three of them had stayed up even later, leaving me to go to sleep alone.

"Where are Jay and Dante?"

"Dealing with Magnus," Saint answers around a mouthful.

"Ah." My chest pangs, guilt making my stomach turn. I pick at my pancakes with my fork, ripping it into little chunks.

"Jay won't let anything happen, Tiny. Don't worry about Magnus."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why shouldn't I worry about the Alpha?"

"Because Jay won't let anything happen," Saint replies with a look that says he believes what he's telling me.

"Why?"

Saint just smiles and says "Finish your food."

Dante, Saint, Jay, and I are all lying on the couch, sprawled across one another. Saint is leaning against Dante, who has a bag of chips at his side and is in control of the remote. My head is lying in Saint's lap, Jay laying half on and half behind me, his head on my chest, legs tangled with mine. Saint's hands idly trail through my hair as we all hang out and watch some DIY home improvement show.

Of course, we hadn't started this way on the couch, but after about the third episode we'd all sort of…. sank into the cushions. Ended up in a big cuddle puddle. My eyelids keep getting heavier and heavier, and the will to resist sleep withering along with them. The boys have all been commenting on the show and the design choices of the hosts since the first episode. Eventually, they start asking me questions too.

"What type of house would you build Artemis?"

"I wouldn't build shit," I mumble, not even bothering to open my eyes.

"You know what I meant, Tiny." Saint chirps back, tugging on my hair.

I sigh but tell him the pipe dream house of mine anyway. "Big house. With one of those turret-tower things with the curved window seat to read in. Big library. Paint the whole fuckin' thing black. Big windows with powered blinds so I can go bat cave mode whenever I want. A big porch to look at the stars under, lots of big plush couches and blankets. Green. Lots of green." I mumble. "Oh, and a Saint to cook me food all the time. Dante can decorate it. And Jay pays for it."

"Oh, is that all Gorgeous?" Jay chuckles, his head still resting on my chest.

"Mhm. Simple right?" I snap my fingers in a burst of motion."That's what I'm cashing in on for my bet. Perfect ."

The boys all chuckle, and with my eyes closed it would be so very easy for me to drift off into slumber. That is, until my stomach gurgles loudly, making the boys all laugh again.

"Let me up, please," I say to Jay, rubbing the back of his head for a moment.

"No." Jay hums, snuggling closer. It makes me laugh, but then my stomach rumbles again, and Jay moves saying, "Alright fine."

As soon as I leave the tangle of limbs, I'm cold. Goosebumps run up my arm as I make my way towards the kitchen. Through the large window, a glint of chrome catches my attention. A familiar-looking vehicle speeds down the road towards the apartment.

Even without confirmation, I know.

Time to face the music, I guess. Ethan has found me. Without a word to the boys, I make my way outside, not willing to let Ethan take even a single step into the house. He would taint it. Ruin the peace I've managed to carve out for myself in the short time I've been here.

Dust billows all around him as he exits the vehicle. He's chosen a Porsche, the ugly canary yellow color making my eyes hurt. Ethan has one in orange at the Estate, equally as offensive. For a man so concerned with looks, he sure doesn’t pick very attractive-looking vehicles to drive. I suppose I should feel some sort of… accomplishment or something since he's come all this way himself.

I'm sure some other women might find it romantic. Heartwarming even.

I see it for what it is, though. He is merely coming to collect something he sees as his property.

"There you are. Knew you'd be shacking up with a bunch of losers ." Ethan says, brushing dust from his three-piece suit.

"What do you want?" I ask, ignoring his insult.

"You left."

"Great observation skills." I snark, rolling my eyes and crossing my arms. It is going to make Ethan see red, I know, but I'm not his fiancée anymore. I'm not his little plaything, and I'm done stepping on eggshells around him.

"So it's like that?" Ethan says, pouting.

"Yep. What do you want?" I ask again.

Ethan's face contorts, anger making his face flush beet red. "Watch your fucking mouth ."

"What. Do. You. Want, Ethan?" I repeat, annoyance coloring my voice.

"Sam's dead." He retorts in a flat, emotionless voice. Cruelty glimmers in his gray eyes though, making them shine.

"What?" Silence rings in my ears.

"Your little friend? The one that never liked me? She's dead." Ethan repeats, and adrenaline floods my veins.

"You had her killed?" It's the only thought I manage to give voice to.

"Cute. No, bitch . I went there looking for you. She wasn't home though."

My stomach drops, bile rising in my throat. "How do you know she's dead?"

"I called her phone. Someone else answered. Her funeral is next week. Get in the car." Leave it to Ethan to deliver the news that my best friend had died like an asshole.

"No." Despite the way my insides tremble, my voice is clear when I answer him. Sam and I chatted on my way home from work again just the other night. There is no way he's telling the truth. I don’t believe him.

"I said, get in the fucking car, Artemis," Ethan demands, a vein popping out on his forehead.

"No," I reply again, with half a mind to call Sam right now.

"If you want to know anything about her funeral get in the fucking car Artemis ," Ethan orders, taking a step towards me when I don't move or say anything.

"Lay a hand on her, and you'll leave in a body bag." Jay drawls, emerging from the dark entryway of the house.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Ethan says, drawing himself up to his full height, attempting to look down his nose at Jay. Too bad Jay's a veritable mountain compared to Ethan.

"Go inside, Artemis." Jay orders without breaking eye contact with Ethan. Saint and Dante appear out of the doorway a moment later.

"What? No, my friend-."

"Get inside the fucking house, Artemis." Jay's eyes are wild, and I can see his wolf thrashing against his restraint. The moment stretches between us, but... I trust Jay. And this isn't my friend sticking up for me... This is the Alpha's son, protecting his Pack from an intruder.

"I…. Okay ." Is all I manage to say, turning away from the group of men on the lawn. What the fuck is with men telling me what to do lately—and me listening?

As the door shuts behind me, I immediately go to the window, pulling the curtain back to watch what is happening on the lawn, already taking my phone out to call Sam.

Sam picks up on the third ring. " Hello," she chirps into the phone, music softly playing in the background.

"Hey. Guess who showed up." I reply, trying my best to read lips.

"Ethan found you?" Sam immediately gasps, and I can imagine her sitting up straighter, dropping whatever she had been doing to focus on me.

"Yep. Tried to get me to go back with him by saying you were dead." I say, watching Ethan's face turn purple, his hands flying in every direction. I don’t need to read lips to imagine well enough what he's saying. Threatening to sue Jay, probably.

"Wow. That's a bold strategy. Clearly, I am alive." Sam retorts, and I snort.

"No kidding."

"So what's happening now?" Sam questions.

"Jay, Saint, and Dante are outside talking to him. Jay told me to go inside when Ethan was going to touch me."

" Oouh. " Sam purs back, and I roll my eyes.

"Yeah yeah. I know. I can't read lips though so I don't know what they're saying out there."

"Bummer. So what are you going to do?"

I drop the curtain and go to the kitchen, my original destination. "I don't know. Wait for my sentencing I guess." I answer, grabbing a handful of blueberries from the fridge.

"And you'll tell your best friend everything, of course?"

"Naturally."

"Okay. Love you byeeee." I chuckle to myself as Sam ends the call, and after placing my phone in my back pocket, I grab another handful of blueberries and go upstairs to my room. Needing a distraction, I grab my book from the nightstand and flop onto the bed. It takes a little while, but Jay does come back and finds me in my room.

"Did you take their heirloom diamond?"

I snort. "Yea, I have the piss dick diamond ." I can't look at him. My fingers shake around the pages of the book that I haven’t really been reading.

Jay chuckles as well, the sound purely surprised amusement. "He wants it back. Do you want it?"

"No. It's ugly."

"Then why'd you take it?"

"Bargaining."

" For ?" The exasperation in Jay’s voice is clear, but so is the amusement.

"The Corvette."

Jay makes a noise low in his throat, I get goosebumps. "You want to keep it?" he finally asks.

"Sure would be swell if I could. And the rest of my books that I left behind."

"We'll get whatever you want," Jay answers easily. It makes me roll towards him, finally.

"Do I have to give him the ring?" I ask, already dreading having to see Ethan again.

"Nope. He's never looking at you again."

"My friend isn't dead by the way. I called her. I don't know how much of the conversation you heard before you came and ordered me inside." As hard as I fight the small smile, it still wins, spreading across my face.

"Well, that's good. Where's the diamond? He's waiting for it." Jay asks, his eyes never leaving mine.

I make a face, but get up and retrieve the diamond from the depths of my backpack. "Here ya go," I say tossing it to him after opening the small box to verify the ring is still in fact inside.

"Ahh. Makes sense." Jay says, laughing to himself when he lays eyes on the jewels.

"I told you. Piss dick diamond ." I say with a laugh.

"Yeah, you sure did Darlin." Jay laughs, hooking his arm around my shoulders and leading me out of the room. His lips press against my forehead for the barest of moments, but I swear I feel it all the way down to my toes.

Jay makes me wait inside while he goes out to give Ethan back his diamond. Jay tosses it through the air at him, making Ethan practically throw himself to the ground to catch it. Pleasure creeps up my spine. The men exchange a few words, Ethan tossing his finger in the direction of the house, or maybe the Corvette I don't know.

Minutes crawl by until finally, Ethan gets back into his ugly ass car and leaves. The boys wait until he's a fair distance down the road before they all come back inside.

"Saint, if you could order a couple pizzas?" Jay asks his friend, steering me back up the stairs with his hand around my bicep.

"What happened?" I ask when Jay closes the door behind us.

"He'll give you what you want, but you have to unblock his number while everything is transferred and answer his calls," Jay says, his jaw tight and his eyes hard. He's pissed.

"Okay. That's not that bad." I say, running my hand down his arm.

"Did he always talk to you that way?" Jay demands suddenly, and I have to fight back a sudden rush of emotion. My eyes burn, my chin wobbles. I bite my lip before I answer.

"Not always, no." I eventually answer without meeting his eyes.

"Not always. But most of the time?" Jay asks, lifting my chin, and forcing me to look him in the eye.

"You're not wrong," I reply, making Jay's full mouth twist into an unwilling smile.

"I'm… not wrong ?"

"Yep. Not wrong." I reply, biting my lip again, my smile stretching across my face.

I know the way Jay is looking at me. I recognize the way his gaze tracks my teeth indenting my lower lip. The way his own eyes darken. He wants to kiss me. I know it. Time slips by while I silently beg him to kiss me. Please just kiss me .

Saint shouts up the stairwell though, effectively ruining the moment. "Pizza will be here in fifteen!"

"Wow. That's fast." I say, pulling my chin from Jay's grasp. "Just enough time for a quick lobotomy then!" I say brightly, grabbing a rat-tail comb from the nearby dresser and offering it to Jay.

Jay laughs, then lowering his lips to my ear he says in a dark voice "If I’m shoving something hard in your head love it’s going in your mouth."