Eostre's Baskets: Stacking the Deck by Selena Illyria

Author:Selena Illyria [Selena Illyria]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Tags: Paranormal; Shifters
ISBN: 9781623007096
Publisher: Loose Id LLC
Published: 2014-03-29T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

They walked in silence through the town. Tension radiated through Dean. Determination and dread spiderwebbed his body, ensnaring him in emotions. His lunch threatened to rebel. Memories tried to shove forward as sweat beaded on his brow. His palms felt damp. He wanted to pull his hand away from Carrie’s grip but couldn’t muster enough energy to release his hold on her. Her touch helped keep him in the here and now and allowed him to feel somewhat safe.

By the time the house came into view, he felt drained of energy. Every step had been an effort. He felt like he’d been trudging through mud. When they stopped at the front door, Carrie laid a hand on his arm.

“Hey, you don’t have to tell me anything.” Her voice was soft and soothing.

Dean could only shake his head. “Need to.”

A sense of panic frayed his nerves. The urge to look for exits, even in his own home, grew as each second stretched out like a rubber band ready to snap. As they approached the front door, his feet felt like they were filled with cement. Sweat beaded his brow and dampened his lower back. Tension tightened the muscles of his legs and arms. The spot between his shoulders itched and burned. He clenched his jaw and forced himself up the front steps and waited as she unlocked and opened the door. She touched his arm and he jumped.

“Dean.” Her voice was low.

Warmth ebbed up his limb from contact with her.

He gave himself a mental shake. Get a move on, he ordered himself and forced his body to move forward and into the safety of his home. The cool darkness wrapped around him as soon as he was inside. Rather than wait another second, he turned and headed toward the main staircase. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.” His words came out harsher than he’d intended.

“The picnic basket?” Her voice came as if from far away.

He paused on the first step, perplexed.

“Look down at your arm.” This time she sounded closer.

He followed her order and saw the wicker handle hanging off his wrist. For the first time since they left the park, he felt the weight and rough-weave pattern pressing into his skin. “Oh.” In a haze, he switched his direction and went to the kitchen. On autopilot, he put the things away before going back to the stairs. Carrie grabbed his hand and led him up the flight toward her room. They didn’t say a word until they were in the bedroom. She shut the door and locked it. The snick rocked up his spine as the sweat at the base of his back increased. The tendons in his neck felt tight and ready to snap.

“Dean, you’re safe. You’re with me,” she crooned. “Focus on me.”

He closed his eyes and opened his senses. He could feel the warmth of the room from the heater. His skin prickled at the brush of warm air. Her vanilla perfume couldn’t mask the faint scent of her desire.

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