Forbidden Hunger by R.L. Kenderson
Eight
Ranulf Shaw tookthe pan off the stove and loaded scrambled eggs onto three plates. Just as he was pulling the bacon out of the oven, Chase walked into the kitchen.
“Smells good,” he said as he scratched his belly. “What’s with the food?” He looked at his watch. “And all before dawn?”
“Did you catch Raven’s scent last night?”
Chase closed his eyes and groaned. “Did I ever. Our girl has never smelled so fucking good. I had to force myself to act nonchalant. I can still smell her, and she’s not even in the room with us.”
“Exactly. She’s so close to her heat.”
“Yeah, she is. I’m surprised we fell asleep last night.”
“I’m not. Once she left the room, our bodies knew we needed to store up the energy for what’s about to happen.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Chase walked over and snagged a piece of bacon off the plate Ranulf had been setting them on. “So, all this food is to build up our reserves?”
“You got it.”
“Smart.” He shoved the entire length of bacon in his mouth.
“Do you think you can go get Raven?”
“Sure.”
Chase left the kitchen, but it was barely a minute before he came back with a very groggy Raven. If Ranulf had thought she smelled good last night, she smelled even better now. He was hard before she even entered the room, and he swiftly adjusted himself.
As soon as Chase helped Raven sit down at the counter, he pointed a finger at Ranulf and mouthed, You owe me. He used his hands to frame his crotch. I’m so hard that I would fuck you right now.
Ranulf snorted, and Raven looked up at him. He quickly dropped his smile and carried her plate over. “Eat.”
“I want to go back to sleep. I don’t know what time it is, but I know that not enough time has passed since I took a sleeping pill last night.” She looked around, but he wasn’t sure at what. “And why is it so hot in here?”
He met Chase’s eyes.
Ranulf slid a fork over. “I think you’re close to your heat, baby girl.”
She picked it up and stabbed at her eggs. “Don’t call me that.”
He frowned. “Why not?”
She shoved her bite of food in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Ranulf saw the questioning look in Chase’s eyes, and he felt the same, but he wasn’t going to push for an answer. Instead, he changed the subject. “Is the food okay?”
Raven looked up and around the kitchen. “Why am I the only one eating?”
He brought the other two plates over and slid one over to Chase.
“We’re eating, too,” Chase said.
“Why are you two still here?” Raven asked.
Does she not know?
Ranulf looked at Chase, who shrugged.
But before either of them could answer, Raven started talking about something else. “You probably figured it out, but I put the rest of your pizza in the fridge.”
Ranulf nodded. “I saw that this morning when I found the eggs.”
Raven snickered to herself. “Right,” she said as if she’d just realized the eggs came from the fridge. “You didn’t have to cook for me. My parents left me plenty of food in the fridge and freezer.”
He’d seen that this morning, and while it was enough food for her, it wasn’t going to be enough food for all three of them. Chase and he were going to have to figure something out. The smart and easy thing to do would be to get groceries delivered. He made a mental note to do that after breakfast.
“I think Ranulf just wanted to make sure you were fed well, so you’re ready for what’s about to come.”
Raven looked at both of them like they’d grown extra limbs. “You know this is not the first time I’ve gone through mating heat before, right?”
Chase chuckled. “Yeah, we know. But this time is different, don’t you think?”
She shrugged. “I guess. I mean, you both smell really good, and I can tell I’m close.”
Ranulf smiled. So, maybe she didn’t know what was going on.
They continued to eat, mostly in silence, and toward the end of their meal, Raven’s eyes were barely staying open.
“I think it’s time you went back to bed,” Ranulf told her.
“Yeah. My sleeping pill has definitely not worn off yet.”
Chase began gathering the plates and silverware. “Since Ranulf cooked, I will clean up.”
“Thanks. I don’t want to worry about a mess later.” She pushed herself up and wobbled, prompting Ranulf to sprint over to her side.
“Let me help you to bed.”
She put her arm around his shoulders. “Thanks. And thanks for breakfast. I do feel better.”
“Happy to help,” he said as he led her down the hall.
When they made it to her bed, Raven fell onto her mattress but didn’t remove her arm, so she took Ranulf down with her.
She started to giggle. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s perfectly fine.”
She made no move to let him go and buried her nose in his neck. “Why do you have to smell so good? Like the grass after it’s rained.”
“I think that’s the way it’s supposed to be.”
She sighed. “Yeah, I know. Mother Nature’s way of ensuring the next generation is born.” She released him and rolled away as her eyes closed. “Now, you and Chase had better get out of here before I jump the both of you.”
“You mean, fall asleep on us?”
A small smile passed over her lips. “You’re funny. I thought Chase was the funny one.”
“Baby girl, you are literally falling asleep on me as we speak.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he winced. “I’m sorry. It just slipped out.”
“Don’t tell Ranulf and Chase, but I actually like when they call me that.”
Ranulf’s eyebrows flew up at her words. This was news since she had just said not to call her that. But the fact that she had clearly forgotten she was talking to him made him think that she was telling the truth now.
“Why did you tell him to stop earlier?” he asked, referring to himself in the third person.
“They make me want things I can’t have.”
He slowly sat up, so he could look into her face better. “What does that mean?”
Her breathing had deepened. She had fallen asleep, leaving him wondering what the hell she had meant by that.