“I believe that’s supposed to go on your cap,” I laugh. Rory bursts out into laughter beside me as we both egg the boys on with their pitiful attempt at entertainment. As Kaleb’s vocal processional gets louder, Marlowe starts to open his robe, one sultry flap at a time, in an overly exaggerated attempt to be provocative. Each motion just serves to make me laugh harder until I think I’m going to bruise one of my own ribs.
“What the hell is going on here?” Romulus’ voice bellows through the barn, instantly shattering the golden bubble we’ve disappeared into.
Kaleb’s song ends in a strangled note alongside us as we all turn to stare at their father.
“We were just having some fun,” Rory says from his spot next to me, his hackles instantly raised. I can practically see the wolf itching to burst forth.
Romulus doesn’t look at all amused.
He just glares around the room, his eyes seeming to narrow further as his gaze comes to rest on each one of us in turn.
“Do you have any idea what could happen if you—if any of you—” He seems unable to finish his sentence as he glares at the boys. He shakes his head as if to clear it.
“We weren’t doing anything, honestly. We were just joking around,” Marlowe says, tightly wrapping his robe around him to make sure it stays closed. But Romulus isn’t ready to ease up.
As if he ever is.
“If any of you were to mate with her—”
“We know,” Kaleb interrupts Romulus, and I’m almost shocked that he does. It seems a bit unlike him to take such a strong stance against his father, especially when Romulus is so obviously furious.
Romulus ignores the newest member of his pack and turns his glare toward Rory. “Keep a handle on your brothers,” he warns. Then he shoots a look back at Marlowe. “And put those robes back in the house before your mother finds out. She’d throw a fit if she knew what you were doing with them out here.”
I get the feeling that isn’t the case at all. I can’t imagine Lydia caring that much about the boys’ graduation robes. I’m sure it was just a more polite way of warning Marlowe to put his pants back on and stop the faux strip-tease.
Faux strip-tease. No. There was nothing fake about it. I have no doubt in my mind that Marlowe would have stripped bare if Romulus hadn’t interrupted us. Just the thought of it makes color rise in my cheeks.
Marlowe tugs his pants back on under his robe and then takes it off as Romulus walks back out of the barn, grumbling something under his breath about the boys being no better than “irresponsible pups”. Kaleb neatly folds both of their robes and sticks them back into the box, shooting only one last glance towards the door before coming to sit down with us.
“What was that all about?” I ask. “I mean, he knows we were just fooling around.”
Marlowe shrugs as he plops down onto the hay.
More importantly …
“What did he mean about mating with me?”
Kaleb laughs, but he avoids looking into my eyes. “Surely you know what mating means, Sabrina. Biology is a course at school.”
It’s my turn to roll my eyes at him. I smack him on the shoulder as well for good measure.
“Yes, I know what mating is. Give me a break. What I meant was why the giant warning from your dad?”
All three boys grow quiet in that way I’ve grown all too familiar with. I probably should just let it go, but the curiosity is killing me.
“Is it because none of you have had sex with a human before?” I ask.
The quietness turns to a silence that makes every breath in the barn sound deafeningly loud. Finally, after the stalled moment goes on a bit too long, Marlowe finally breaks it.
“Sabrina, none of us have ever had sex with anyone before.”
I don’t know what to say to that, I don’t even know what to think about that. I had just assumed since they’re … well … them, that they would have already been with plenty of girls. Wolf-shifters or not.
I’d just assumed they were holding back from being with me physically to protect me. Now I’ve started to wonder if it’s something else. The boys have hinted at it before, but like so much else, never actually gotten around to explaining it to me.
I look over at Rory and raise a skeptical eyebrow.
“Not even you?”