Free Loving Lucius (Werescape) by Skhye Moncrief Page B

for making her so upset.
     
    Marcus rode past me, glaring.
     
    We should fight. Rip into each other. End the friction eating at both of us. But I needed to deliver Elise into Augustus' hands. Then I could flay Marcus' tail. I dismounted, assisted Violet from the saddle, and turned to reach for Elise.
     
    She stepped down on her own and faced me, gazing off to her right.
     
    Purposefully avoiding meeting my gaze. Or my touch. Well, that doesn't matter. She wouldn't have to see me again for a long time or worry about my touch. "Come on. My sire is waiting."
     
    Red, Elise, and Violet followed me through Augustus' roughly-hewn door and into the cool shady interior of his lodge. Empty except for the wooden table, benches, and chairs Augustus loved to build.
     
    My large sire stepped through his bedroom's doorway in camouflage pants and a golden buckskin vest, grinning. He eyed the three sisters. "Home at last, Lucius? And what did you find on your journey?"
     
    Nobody answered.
     
    Good to see they chose to leave the leading to me. "Augustus, these are sisters. The daughters of New Boston's warlord Langston."
     
    Augustus' graying brown eyebrows arched as he slid his gaze to the trio. "What brings you to my outpost?"
     
    The females cast glances between each other.
     
    Apparently, Elise was no longer speaking for the group. "Their sire asked us to hide them in The Wild. And he wouldn't permit me to tell him where we were heading."
     
    Augustus' brow furrowed. "Why would a man send his daughters away?" He studied all of us.
     
    As if one of us could provide an answer.
     
    He waited while the shadows of ideas fluttered across his curious features.
     
    I'd report the basics until we were alone. "The extraterrestrials exterminated New Boston. I'm still uncertain as to why. But I'll leave that for you to learn."
     
    Augustus' gaze flicked to mine. "We'll discuss that later. As for now, these ladies need lodging for the night. Why not the cabin next to yours?"
     
    Perfect. I'll have to listen to Tacitus scratching at Red's door. I nodded.
     
    "And once you're settled," Augustus smiled at Elise, "come back and eat. I'd love to hear any news from back east."
     
    "Of course," Elise finally spoke and nodded. "Thank you."
     
    Well, time to take them to their lodge and be done with my duty. "I'll show you to your quarters."
     
    They turned toward the door. Red shot me a half-scowl. Violet gave me a wide-eyed look. And Elise watched the floor.
     
    The perfect new neighbors. Life couldn't become any more complicated. I shoved the door back into sunlight, allowing them to file through one at a time.
     
    Augustus filled the doorway after Red stepped into bright sunlight.
     
    Sunlight that strengthened the contrast between the white and brown streaks in my sire's shoulder-length hair.
     
    "I want to speak with you as soon as you show our new friends their lodge," Augustus called after me.
     
    Of course he would. I'd been in the saddle all day. I needed a bath. But first things come first. A clan leader needed to assert his authority. I nodded and led the way to their door around the back of the main lodge.
     
    To the surficial guest lodgings designed for anyone visiting the outpost. Visitors weren't taken underground until their motives were deemed worthy of joining our community. But the cabin was actually four rooms divided with central walls. Four rooms per structure. Each room had its own entrance and stone fireplace. The sharing of walls actually conserved heat. But these women probably wouldn't think twice about that. Nor would they realize I could monitor their activities by hearing any strange noise or the opening or closing of their door through the wall our cabins shared. I slid my hand across the raw wood of the planks pieced together to create the lodge's door and pushed.
     
    The sisters continued past me, into the room as if suddenly excited about something.
     
    Probably anxious to live in a room instead