Roses Wither: Into the Darkness
Twenty-one

Chase

Yesterday hadn’t gone well at all. Rosa stayed in her rooms all afternoon and hadn’t left, even to eat. Not that I was keeping track.

Matthias had insisted that I follow him to the kitchen while he ate breakfast.

My brother couldn’t live off of blood, which is why he was working on the stove right now.

“What are you making?” I asked, looking at his frying pan.

“That is a crepe,” he grinned, “Do you smell it?”

“This smell thing is strange.” I grimaced at the food, “The taste thing is even stranger.”

“Taste thing?” He turned to face me with a grin.

“Only a few days,” I snorted, “Rosa made some egg toast. Yes, it was good and no, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Do you want to try this?” He cocked a brow at me.

“Does it taste like it smells?” I examined the food again.

“In a way, yes.” He nodded, “The fruit gives it more flavor.”

“Okay.”

We were both seated at the counter and I was working on my second helping, enjoying the food, when Rosa walked in. She was wearing a flowy, silver gown that reached the floor, and went straight for the coffee pot.

She spoke to Chandra in Romanian, ignoring us.

“Thank you for the coffee, Chandra.” She was fluent, just softer than the language required her to be, “You really don’t have to. Back at the packhouse, I helped cook and clean. Everyone was a team there, and Intend to do the same here.”

“Don’t you dare. I am happy to do this for you, my Queen.” Chandra spoke warmly and I could feel the appreciation between them, “You were such a beautiful child, from the pictures Marcus always showed me, but you are stunning in person and such a sweet woman.”

“Well,” She smiled and rolled her eyes “Tell me that this moron with The Guard hasn’t been in here harassing you all morning and you won’t have to see my bad side.”

Matthias gave me a pointed look and I smiled at him. She must think that we couldn’t understand her.

Chandra began to laugh, “Aside from the mess he left me, he is fine, beautiful baby.”

Matthias gave me another pointed look, but I said nothing, I just gave him a shrug and continued to eat.

The food was enjoyable, and it was a good distraction from Rosa and the way her gown formed to her sillouete perfectly.

My brother stood, his plate in hand, and moved over to where the women stood by the sinks.

“Do you want me to order him to clean up after himself?” Rosa whispered, not looking at Matthias, but her expression read what she would do if he bothered her.

“Don’t you dare.” Chandra scoffed, “It is why your father pays me, and these men have never been a hassle.”

“Just let me know if they get out of hand, especially that one.” Her eyes darted to Matthias and I had to look down at my plate, not to laugh.

“Rosa?” I watched from the counter as he leaned over teasingly.

Why, out of any of the brothers, had he come? At least the others followed direction.

“Coffee, no talkie.” She mumbled as she took a sip.

“You were just speaking with Chandra.” He smiled dryly.

“I like Chandra.” She sipped her coffee again.

“You know, I wouldn’t have imagined you as a flowy nightgown kind of person.” He gave her an obvious once over, “Or the kind of girl to romp around in one.” He chuckled and turned to me, “Would you, Chase?”

I paused, mid bite, to glare at him.

“Well, I figured that I couldn’t come down in my normal sleep attire, with morons like you stomping around the castle,” She spoke matter-of-factly and I began eating again. I was replaceing food was a good distraction tactic, “Usually, I sleep naked, it makes the first shift of the day go a little smoother, almost like your version of a morning erection.”

I choked on my... What did my brother call this? A crepe?

She smiled at Chandra who gave a nod and sauntered off with a polite smile for me.

I had been around the wolves and knew this wasn’t true, but Matthias had no idea and he was joyously shocked.

“Seriously?” He gaped at her, “You sleep naked, so you can shift?”

I scoffed at his stupidity. My brother, for being as old as he was, was very gullible sometimes.

“Yes,” She couldn’t hold her smile back any longer, “We’re naked all day. We even have rituals where we dance around fire naked too. It brings the rain for new harvests.”

Matthias’s gaping turned into a sneer and she laughed. A genuinely, natural, twinkling laugh that hit me in the core of my body.

“You are such a tease.” He twisted his mouth is displeasure.

“Mmmm,” She chugged her coffee, “That’s what you get for bothering me before my coffee is gone.”

“Well, if you weren’t sneaking out at all hours of the night, you wouldn’t feel a need for coffee.”

“I haven’t snuck out since the day you arrived.” She sneered at him.

“Staying up late, talking to your boyfriend then?” He snorted.

“I don’t have a boyfriend.” She answered dryly turning away from him.

“I thought you had the hound,” He urged the conversation on, “You know, the four legged one you call your mate?”

Her eyes closed and she inhaled deeply, but didn’t say a word as she left the kitchen.

“Did you see her neck?” He smacked my arm, “The mark is fading. How does that happen?”

“I’ve only ever heard of one instance,” I shrugged, my heart filling with pain for her, “One of them renounced their bond.”

Rose

“War is an art form.” Chase paced in front of me, “It’s a matter of being one step ahead of your opponent.”

Blablabla... Oh, he was so hot though... Especially when he didn’t have a shirt on. I liked to watch the muscles move and flex under his markings. Markings that I was positive my father had referred to in his books.

“It’s like a dance. They move you counter, you move, they counter. If you are quick enough, you get the upper hand.” He paused and examined me, “Are you listening?”

Matthias snorted, catching me blatantly staring at Chase’s chest. Shit! He was the last person I needed to notice anything of the sort.

My eyes darted to Chase’s as both of our gazes silvered over, then he did that thing where his lip quirked up at the corners, like he was trying not to smile.

“Distractions could be a disaster on the battlefield, your highness.” He steeled himself, nodding. Then he attacked.

His fist came from below, aimed at my chest, but I countered and leaned back, barely missing it.

I went low by sweeping my leg out and kicking his out from under him. He fell flat on his back and I jumped onto him, pushed his chin up and leaned in for the kill. Then paused before my fangs got too close.

“I’m not distracted.” I inhaled his heavy scent. That, mixed with my lust as our bare skin connected.

Even though his touch hadn’t been anything romantic, my body reacted to him in the worst way. He left my skin feeling so raw and needing to be caressed.

Before he could roll us over, I jumped up and grinned, “Can we play with the knives now?”

I really needed knives. I needed to get some of this frustration out.

“She wants knives.” Matthias snorted.

“She does not get the throwing knives,” Chase glared at me, but it was all play when he turned to face Matthias, “Unless... Do you want to work with her on those, brother?”

He knew damn well that I never missed, and he was giving me an easy target.

"Yes!" I grinned, "Let's work on those!"