Carly
It was hot. Only this time, she wasn't standing at a booth at RenFest. This time, she was curled on her side with a werewolf spooning her, his bad arm slung over her waist. Kiernan's breath was warm on the back of her neck, feathering strands of black hair that had escaped her braid. He was in boxers and a t-shirt that Sean had lent him, in deference to their agreement. She remembered from sleeping with him in the RV that he preferred to sleep naked.
Carly was in a matching t-shirt and shorts with a Hello Kitty pattern on them. She remembered her conversation with Dawn about getting a cat instead of a man. At this moment, she rather wished she had.
"Hey," Kiernan breathed against her shoulder.
Of course. Being a werewolf, he could probably hear or feel or see or maybe even smell she was awake. Carly wiped her eyes, realizing she'd started crying again.
"Oh, Carly," Kiernan sighed, and then she was in his lap.
Carly wanted to push him away, but she was just too numb. Plus, if she were honest with herself, his embrace felt comforting and good. She leaned her cheek against his good shoulder.
"It's going to be okay," Kiernan said, stroking her hair.
"How?" Carly asked.
"Hmm?"
"HOW is it going to be okay? My family are probably worried sick about me. Oh, and according to you, they're murderers. Dawn and Matt are going to go nuts. Plus, you know, the fact that my brother shot you, I'm being held captive by a pack of werewolves I didn't know existed until last night..." Carly said. She realized, as she rattled on, she was starting to hyperventilate.
Kiernan rubbed her back gently. "Breathe," he said. "I'm going to make it okay. I don't care what it takes. If you want to go home, I'll find a way to get you there. The last thing I want is for you to be unhappy."
Carly laughed bitterly. "How can I go back to my old life now?"
"I-I don't know," Kiernan admitted, and he sounded genuinely sad about it.
"Well, at least you're honest," Carly said. She slid out of his lap, and he let her go. "Can I use the bathroom first?"
"Sure. Sean's in the other one, so I'll just wait." Kiernan got out of the bed and started making it.
Carly paused at the door of the ensuite bathroom. "How's your shoulder?"
"Better. It'll be even better tomorrow, too," Kiernan said, giving her a reassuring smile.
Carly nodded and went into the bathroom. She cried in the shower, and was sure the two werewolves could hear it, but there was nothing she could do to stop herself.
By the time she got out, Kiernan and Sean were having a very animated conversation in the kitchen. Sean was cooking breakfast, and Kiernan was slamming plates onto the counter. "I'm just saying she should see some of the sights while she's here," Kiernan said.
"Yeah, right. You want to take her to Hayward so she can call her family," Sean said. "Don't even try lying to me."
Kiernan began slamming down the silverware. "Look. She's been crying since last night. She's alone, and confused, and those people deserve to know their daughter's okay just as much as she deserves to talk to them."
"You do remember they killed your family, right?" Sean asked. "I wouldn't say they deserve anything."
A glass cracked in Kiernan's hand, and he swore, tossing it in the trash before grabbing another one. "Shit, is there anything people keep private anymore?"
"We're a pack. Jenny told Alec, Alec told the rest of us, you know how it works," Sean said.
"I'm not even done discussing that with Carly yet," Kiernan said. "And maybe her family don't deserve to hear from her, but she deserves to hear from them."
"They're just going to tell her that we're evil and she needs to get the fuck away from us." Sean started plating eggs and bacon. "Isn't that right, Carly?"
Carly blushed, realizing she'd been caught eavesdropping. Though it wasn't as though she'd snuck up on them. They were werewolves, after all. "Maybe they will. It doesn't mean I have to believe them."
"Right. You're going to believe us instead," Sean snorted.
"Hey man, you don't know her," Kiernan said. He sounded plenty pissed off, and Carly was secretly happy he was in her corner.
"And you do?" Sean asked. "Just how long have you known her?"
Kiernan coughed. "Three days."
"THREE DAYS?!! Oh hell no. We're not having her call home," Sean said.
"She's my mate. I trust her," Kiernan insisted. "I trusted her with my life, didn't I? She got me here, didn't she?"
"Whatever," Sean said. "Alec's never going to allow it anyway." He started bringing plates to the table, balancing one on his arm.
Carly was confused by Kiernan's sudden silence, until Sean groaned. "You're not planning to tell him."
"I thought he might have some strong objections, and I'm just not in the mood for his bullshit right now," Kiernan said.
"I just want to talk to my brother," Carly begged Sean as she moved into the kitchen and began pouring them orange juice. "Just for a minute."
"And what possible reason would I have to let you do that? Especially without telling Alec," Sean said.
Carly decided to appeal to his sense of fairness. "It's the right thing to do."
Sean's brown eyes became unfocused. Then he looked at the two of them. "The answer is no."
"Of course you told him," Kiernan growled. He stabbed his eggs hard enough to crack the plate.
Carly's heart felt a lot like that poor plate. "Oh."
They ate in silence for a while, then Carly asked, "Are you really sure I can't contact my family, Sean? Would it be so bad?"
"Alec said no," Sean said.
Carly looked around them, half expecting him to pop out of the furniture. "When?"
"When I contacted him," Sean replied.
"I don't remember you doing that," Carly said, frowning.
Sean shrugged at her. "We can do it telepathically, because we're in the same pack. That's what I was doing before when I was quiet."
"Oh," Carly said. "And he said no—"
Kiernan shoved his plate away, hard enough that it skidded across the table and shattered on the floor. "Ask Jenny."
"Hey!" Sean said. "Careful with the dinnerware!"
"Ask. Jenny." Kiernan's eyes were fiery enough that even Carly wanted to scoot away.
"She's not the Alpha," Sean argued.
"I don't care," Kiernan said.
"You should," Sean muttered, but his eyes went vague again. Emotions played across his face, and Carly began to understand some kind of argument was going on.
Finally, Sean's vision cleared. "Apparently we're going to Hayward."
"Good," Kiernan said, and got up to clean up his mess.
"I'm driving," Sean warned him.
"And you're keeping an eye on us. Yeah, I know," Kiernan said. He swept the remains of the plate off the floor and dumped them in the trash.
Carly's mood lifted for the first time since Matthew had shot Kiernan. She ran around the table and gave Sean a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."
Sean cleared his throat self-consciously while Kiernan let out a low growl. "You're welcome," Sean said.
* * *
Kiernan
The ride to Hayward was fraught with tension. Carly was nervous, Kiernan could feel it in her pulse. But the most friction was in the silent war between himself and Sean. He didn't like that his mate had kissed Sean, no matter how innocently, and Sean knew it. The bastard had been smiling to himself the entire thirty-five minutes it took to get there.
Kiernan knew he was sulking, and tried to remember he was the one holding Carly's hand, not Sean.
"Are you okay?" Carly asked as Sean parked their SUV.
"I'm fine," Kiernan said.
"You don't seem fine," Carly replied.
Kiernan raked his hand through his hair. "I don't like you kissing other men."
"Other... you mean Sean?" Carly asked, sounding incredulous.
"Yes, I mean Sean," Kiernan grumped.
Carly laughed at that, and Kiernan felt his braincells sizzle. "Kiernan, it's Sean. He's doing something nice for me, that's all."
"I still don't like it," Kiernan rumbled.
Then, Kiernan's eyebrows shot up in surprise as Carly kissed him on the lips. "There," she said. "Feel better?"
He did. "I do. Just... don't go around kissing Sean anymore. Next thing you know, you'll be kissing Alec."
"Now that's never gonna happen," Carly vowed. "Asshat."
Kiernan couldn't help it. He laughed, his dark mood dissipating. "Try not to say that to his face."
"That's going to take some effort," she said.