Creed

Chapter Four

Angel knew she’d survived when she woke. Every muscle seemed to ache. The heavy weight on her back and the warm breath that fa

She was still restrained. The last thing she remembered before passing out was Creed giving her water to drink and gently cleaning her. He’d also adjusted the chains at the side of the bed, moving them to the top so she could lie more on the mattress instead of just being bent over it. Her ankles and legs had been freed. He’d collapsing on top of her after that and brushed kisses along her shoulder. The heat faded to a warm glow inside her body. The need for Creed to fuck her had calmed. He’d come down from the high of his hormones soon after she had. Not that she’d had any complaints.

“Creed?” Her voice came out raspy, her throat dry.

He tensed over her and his breathing changed.

“Can you untie me yet? I need your bathroom.”

“Yes.” His voice sounded gruff.

She stifled a laugh. He was probably experiencing the same issues as her. She just hoped he ached a little bit less. He slowly moved off her and unbuckled one wrist. She bent that arm, stretching it up. He undid her left arm last and she rolled over.

Creed stood at the end of the bed with his back to her. “I’m sorry I fell asleep. But you did, and I just thought I’d let you sleep for a little bit before I took you home.”

She sat up and adjusted the so-called dress. He had on his towel garment but it was a bit askew. She gri

“It’s okay. Do you know what time it is?”

He crossed the room, not looking at her. He opened a drawer and peered inside. “Damn.”

“What?”

“It’s past noon. We slept the morning away.”

She eased off the bed and cringed when she stood. Her legs were wobbly but held her weight. “I didn’t have anywhere to be. Did you?”

“No.”

“Where’s your bathroom?”

He pointed to the closed door in the corner. “There.”

“May I use it?”

“Of course.”

He wouldn’t look at her. That hurt. She hadn’t ever had a one-night stand before but she wasn’t liking the aftermath of her first experience at all. He could at least act as if she were a person. Instead, she felt as if he wanted her gone. Pain came first but it was quickly followed by anger. She walked past him and opened the door. She didn’t glance his way. Two could play that messed-up game.

The bathroom was a surprise. She expected a compost toilet in his cave but there was actual plumbing. It was a little crude in the rock-hewn room, but still nice. She closed the door and shook her head. GarLycans were pretty ingenious with making their cave dwellings comfortable. She quickly used his flush toilet and decided to shower while she was in there. The shower was a lower section of the room, with a drain in the floor and a hanging hose-like faucet. It would probably make him pricklier that she pla

The water wasn’t hot but comfortably warm. She sniffed his shampoo and liked the scent. She took her time, and then dried off, putting the dress back on since it was all she had to wear. She borrowed his toothpaste and used her finger to clean her teeth. She opened the bathroom door finally and found him sitting on the end of the bed. He met her gaze. His eyes had returned to their normal stormy blue. He also looked as if he’d showered. She wasn’t certain how that was possible, but his hair was freshly wet.

“Two bathrooms?”

“I have an outdoor shower above. I climbed up there since you were taking your sweet time.”

“Why do you have a second one?”

“I don’t think you want the answer to that.”

“I wouldn’t have asked otherwise.”

He hesitated for long seconds. “So I don’t have to clean up inside if I come home bloody. I can wash outside.”

She wasn’t shocked. GarLycans and Lycans sometimes dealt with violence. It was just a fact. Creed’s job was to protect the pack, and she was sure blood had been spilled on many occasions over the years. “That’s smart. I’m ready to go.”

He arched an eyebrow.

“What? You want me gone. Let’s go.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You wouldn’t even look at me. I got the message loud and clear.”

He stood. “It’s because I feel guilty. I was trying to think of a way to apologize. I’m sorry.”

“I knew what I was getting into.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Really? Because I didn’t mean to keep you chained down and pass out on top of you. That came as a surprise to me.”

Angel shrugged. “We were both pretty worn out.”

He came closer. “How are you feeling?”

“The shower helped. How do you get warm water down here?”

He hesitated. “Do you really want to know?”

“I asked. It’s pretty clever.”

“I installed solar panels for electricity and keep water tanks above. They refill when it rains. They’re metal and they heat up in the summer. I also have a propane water heater for the winters. It doesn’t get as hot as your homes would but it’s more comfortable than trying to heat water and take a bath in a plastic tub.”

“And the toilet?”

“I drilled in water and waste lines. That wall isn’t too far from the edge of the cliff and a small ledge. It and the sink aren’t hooked to the hot water but come directly from the collection containers above that store all the rain water. That’s what I use for the kitchen too. I boil anything before I use it for cooking.”

She glanced around the bedroom. “How did you get that big bed in here?”

He gri

“It’s very comfortable and big.”

He came even closer. “Was it everything you thought it would be?”

“You have a nice home.”

He reached out and fingered a long wet strand of her hair. “I meant what happened between us.”

She stared into his eyes. They made her feel a little weak in the knees when he looked at her like that. She swore it was passion she saw but dismissed it as hopeful thinking. He was over the ravaging. She debated on lying. She decided not to answer at all.

His features tightened. “Did I hurt you?”

“No.”

“Would you do it with me again in thirty years?”

He wasn’t going to let it go. Maybe he needed to ease his conscience or was looking for a compliment. “In thirty years, I’ll be almost sixty. I doubt you’ll want me by then. I’m human, remember? Those aren’t Lycan years.”

His hands clenched at his sides. “Isn’t your mother sharing her blood with you to slow your aging?”

“No.”

He turned a little ashen. “I thought she’d started doing that when you turned twenty-five. We discussed it and that was the plan.”

“You discussed that with my parents? Why?”

He said nothing. Which irritated her, but she figured he had brought her to the Lycans when she was a child, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he might want to know about her life. It actually made sense once she thought about it.

It was also a little nice that he kept tabs on her. It softened her anger.