Love's Entanglement Read online

  “Not what I meant,” I chuckled, shaking my head. “It’s not dirty at all and I never have room to talk about people’s filth. I forgot how small the rooms are.”

  “Right.” He nodded to the bed. “Help yourself. I’ll crash on the chair.” I glanced over at what he was referring to and sighed internally when I took in his twin bed again. I might have been better off in my reading chair.

  “You’re not sleeping on a desk chair. We can fit back to back.”

  I saw him flinch, but he tried to hide it. “Um, okay.”

  He locked the door and I set my keys on his desk before kicking off my shoes and climbing into bed. I watched him pull off his shirt, enjoying the view more than I would have liked to admit, before he hit the lights and crawled into bed. It was awkward that our butts were touching but they were covered and I was tired so I zonked out in no time without any problems.

  * * * *

  I woke wrapped around a warm, firm, slender body… I couldn’t remember the last time I could say that and I liked it. I ground my cock against the tight ass as I moved my hands down the shorts of the person I was wrapped around. “Mmm, great wake up, strudel. Let me have you.”

  “No, Philo.”

  “Tease, such a tease.”

  “Philo, stop!” a panicked voice begged. That snapped me out of it, and I let go of the person in my arms, pushing up. I blinked down at a freaked out, shaking, Norris.

  “Oh god, Norris, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

  “What game are you playing with me now?” he choked out. “Why wouldn’t you let me go?” Then he jumped out of bed and raced for the door. I watched in horror, wondering what I’d done to him in my sleep. I was up hurrying after him a second later.

  He didn’t even make it to the bathroom before I caught him. I grabbed his arm and spun him around so his back was against the wall. “I was still sleeping. Norris, please, no matter what kind of bastard you think me, you can’t believe I would ever hurt you physically! We must have turned over in the middle of the night or something. I’m sorry. It’s been forever since I’ve woken up with anyone. I wasn’t thinking with the right brain. I stopped the moment I heard you.”

  It seemed as if my ramble got through to him because he bobbed his head the more I talked. “Okay.”

  “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

  “No, just groped me a bit.” He cleared his throat and pulled his arm away. “You’re much stronger than me. I couldn’t break your hold. You wrapped your arms around me, and damn, it was like steel bands trying to squeeze me to death.”

  “You should have kicked me in the nuts,” I offered. His eyes went wide and he shook his head. “You should have. Whether I was asleep or not, you didn’t want the attention and I couldn’t hear you. If anyone ever takes liberties with you, that’s what you do.”

  “I’m not a fragile pre-trans anymore,” he growled, narrowing his eyes at me. “I can take care of myself.”

  Now it was my turn to get mad. Here I was offering my own nuts for his safety and he was upset with me? Oh screw this! “We all have someone bigger than us, Norris,” I snapped. “Xana can crush me the way you were describing what I was doing to you. Or shit, I’m the same size as Helios but he’d kick my ass all over the place, so if it comes down to it, and I need to, I’m kicking his nuts to get away. You take the shot you need to.”

  Norris’s anger left his expression and he took a slow deep breath. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”

  “Fine. I am too. I didn’t mean to manhandle you in your sleep.”

  His cheeks turned bright red and he looked down at his suddenly fascinating toes. “It’s okay. I only came out of sleep a moment or two before you and realized it wasn’t a dream either.”

  “Well good thing you woke up because I was ready to have hot dream sex,” I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

  Except it didn’t.

  Norris’s eyes bugged out as he started sputtering. Then his hand went to his throat and the other one came out as if pushing me away. “That would have been a horrible way for me to lose my virginity. Don’t even kid about that.” Then he turned and stormed back to his room, leaving me to stand there and digest what he just said like a dork, before coming back and handing me my keys. I watched as he continued to the bathroom with his towel and shower stuff, not saying another word to me.

  Okay, so we weren’t going to discuss the day’s training since I’d upset him once again. I growled, staring down at my keys. Oh hell no. This was not how things were going to go now that I’d done him the favor of picking up his training. This was not going to be such an inconvenience to me nor was I going to put up with every temper tantrum. Fine, I’d accidentally groped him in bed, but making a joke about how he’d lose his virginity did not get me in the doghouse and have another valid meltdown.

  No way.

  I stomped into the bathroom and yanked back the curtain for the only shower going, biting back a smirk when Norris yelped. “Be at the cafeteria in twenty minutes with an outline of what you’ve worked on so we can go over the course plan for the week during breakfast. You’ve hit your tantrum limit for the week. I didn’t know you’re a virgin and I don’t care. Let’s just forget the whole thing ever happened and focus back on me teaching you which is what you want and why I offered to take you off Matteo’s hands. See you in a bit.”

  I shut the curtain again and walked off.

  Smiling. Mostly because I did love seeing a naked man in the morning and Norris was nice to look at all wet and soaped up. But I told myself it was because I took back control of the situation. Oh yeah, the hard-on I was sporting in my shorts totally screamed control.

  Right.

  It took me next to nothing to shower and change, my mood not cooling down no matter how low I kept the temperature of the water. I made sure to grab a notebook and pen before racing off to get some coffee so I was ready for when Norris met up with me.

  Instead I found Matteo and a group standing by the trays, perking up when they saw me.

  “I’m sooo not in the mood today,” I snapped at them. “Whatever you want, go away. I’m regretting the last favor I agreed to do you. You saddled me with a basket case.”

  “Norris?” Matteo scoffed, clearly taken aback by my assessment. “I have a problem talking with him but that’s completely separate of anything that’s his fault. He’s not a basket case. You’re missing something.” Alexander cleared his throat and Matteo sighed. “I didn’t mean it like that, like you’ve done something wrong, simply that you haven’t had enough time with him to work things out and get a feel for each other.”

  I winced at his choice of words, knowing exactly how Norris felt… But luckily they assumed I reacted for another reason.

  “Yes, we’re here because of your discussion with Matteo yesterday,” Alexander started. I nodded and moved over to the coffee, pretending I had a clue yet, but it was too early, too much had gone on already, and I really was useless before a shot or thirty of caffeine. “While not of our normal curriculum, Matteo and Dimitri helped me to see how the unorthodox nature of the attack went against all of what we have trained our people for and that has caused this monumental disruption.”

  “And I don’t disagree, I’ve simply been friends with Cadric long enough to know the brain needs time to rest and heal,” Helios muttered, scratching the back of his head. “He’s made me take it on occasion and I know the reset has done me wonders. I’m too old not to have reset a few dozen times after about a million changes in the way things are. I mean, phones? That was a huge thing. Changed the world and that was a good thing. This was bad. We need a breather and a reset, not just the trainees.”

  “Right,” I hedged as I finished fixing my coffee. I took a long sip and it hit me. “You want me to call my parents, get us in at La Salvezza?”

  “What did you think we were talking about?” Alexander asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “First cup,” I grumbled, toasting him with the paper cup I
’d just fixed. He nodded as Matteo snorted. As if we needed the distraction, Norris came racing into the cafeteria and slid to a halt, his eyes darting around looking for me.

  “Twenty minutes exactly. You can’t make me shine your shoes or wax the chopper,” he called over before picking up a tray.

  “I can for that smart-mouth,” I bitched before looking to Alexander and Helios who both were trying not to laugh. “Don’t even. I tried to help Matteo out because the kid wants to fly. Don’t make me change my mind on that or the other nice thing I offered.”

  “No, we’ll be good,” Helios snickered, covering it with a cough.

  Right, sure they would.

  “When do you want to do this?” I sighed, realizing the rabbit hole I was opening for this.

  “Um, we figured we were at the whim of when La Salvezza could accommodate so many,” Alexander hedged, glancing at Helios who shrugged. “I mean, how do we book time there?”

  It was my time to laugh and I wasn’t gentle about it. I finally pulled out my phone and connected to my mother when I got myself under control.

  “Philo? Is that you? Is everything all right? This isn’t our normal call time. Has there been another attack?”

  “I’m fine, Mum. No more attacks. Things have been off here with the trainees and some of the warriors since the attack though and—”

  “Well of course it has! It’s like nothing anyone has ever seen. All those boys need some downtime. You all work too hard and someone else needs to take over for a while.”

  I shook my head, smiling as she rambled loudly in my ear like a total Italian mama. “Funny you should mention that, because I swear you spoke from my mouth yesterday when I told one of the main trainers that. He talked to the warrior in charge and now they waited for me at breakfast to ask when you guys might be able to fit us in.”

  “Oh no, did they block your way to the coffee? Poor boys. You didn’t hurt them, did you?”

  Helios burst out laughing before he managed to slap a hand over his mouth.

  “They’re safe. They moved in time,” I chuckled. “Miss you, Mum.”

  “Miss you too, my youngest. You know there’s always room for you and your friends. We’ll squeeze together and double up or more if we have to. You’re always welcome here.”

  “Thanks, Mum. Let me ask when they’re looking to come.” I glanced to Alexander and raised an eyebrow. “So you heard that. What’s the plan?”

  “I have seven Wyrok that volunteered to come any time and keep an eye on things here if Rune shared his clean sweep program.” Helios’s mouth lit up into a very cat-that-ate-the-canary grin. “It took several rounds of convincing, but he’s agreed. I say we make the announcement to pack light, get some other planes here, Theo’s maybe since we were going to ask him and Evan, and get the hell out of Dodge before something comes up or we come to our senses.”

  “Mum, did you catch all that?” I asked her.

  “Yes, my youngest. I’ll get your room cleaned and one of the back residences handled. Good timing too since the harvest is coming in. Warn your friends, darling. Arrivederci.”

  I smiled as I hung up, excited to see her and my papa. It had been forever.

  “What did she mean the harvest is coming in?” Matteo asked with a frown.

  “Nothing’s free at La Salvezza but no one pays with money either,” I chuckled, knowing the line so well. They still stared at me so I took pity on them. “Everyone will get one hell of a workout, pitching in and helping, so get ready to do chores, team building, working together, and all kinds of good for us mental health stuff.” Then I frowned and glanced around the room. “Oh, and warn everyone that if they so much as touch my siblings and cousins who are the counselors, I’ll cut off their favorite organs.”

  “Okay then,” Helios chuckled. I shot him a look and he swiftly nodded.

  “I’m letting you into my family’s home because I believe it’s best for our team, our camp. People need to get that, respect it real fast because my family will come first while we’re there. I laughed because there’s more than enough room for all of us a few times over. La Salvezza is almost like its own village or coven on a huge farm, land my family’s owned forever. Many warriors have gone there to protect it when they’ve lost their mates or simply because they can’t deal with the life anymore.”

  “I’ve heard that,” Helios muttered. “I didn’t know people stayed. I thought it was more a treatment facility and then they went on their way.”

  “Some do, some stay and never leave.” I shrugged. “Either way, our idiots need to be on their best behavior because whole traumatized covens have come in before and it won’t be our camp that disgraces the walls or land of that place, not when I’m a member of that family and brought them there. Got me?”

  “On our honor,” Alexander agreed with a solemn nod. “Even if we have to beat them with whatever’s available.”

  “I’m okay with that,” I chuckled before heading off to get breakfast. I listened as they made the announcement after everyone was gathered in the cafeteria. Norris watched me closely as I winced when all the pre-trans cheered like we were going to spring break in Miami.

  “I heard part of what you said to Alexander, Helios, and Matteo,” he muttered, playing with his cereal. “Since we’re going to be with your family, am I going back with the other post-trans while we’re there?”

  I glanced at him, my ass still a little chapped from the way he came sliding into the cafeteria. “Nope, you’re still with me.”

  He pressed his lips together like he was going to say something and it wouldn’t be polite or respectful, but instead he grabbed his spoon and shoveled some food in his mouth.

  “Wise,” I chuckled.

  But his eyes said a lot. I didn’t think we were at the point where he wanted me dead, but there was certainly some cartoon anvils making appearances in his mind and they were all probably hitting me in the head. Stomach? No, groin. Not sure how an anvil could be made to slingshot into a person’s groin, but Norris would probably start plotting that soon.

  Good times.

  “Hurry up and eat, because we’re the first flight out and I want to get gone before the rest of the hordes come and prepare my family,” I warned Norris as I finished up my breakfast. “We’ll plot out some ideas for training after we get there now that everything’s changed.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  I nodded and headed over to Alexander. “Stick the warriors who can get ready fastest on the first flight with me so we can get rooms set up before all the pre and post-trans arrive and the chaos ensues.”

  “We were thinking the same thing. How long until you’re ready to take off?”

  “Tell everyone half an hour, and if it’s a bit longer, so be it,” I offered. We were guys, warriors, it wasn’t like we had suits and a lot of choices in packing to make. Most of the basics would be provided for us over there and other than some civies to blend in, instead of always the shorts and sleeveless tees that weren’t exactly camis, a week wouldn’t take more than a large duffel bag.

  I would honestly have had a harder time figuring out what to bring to read if I didn’t know my parents always kept a well-stocked library and picked up the newest releases in tons of genres. So that was covered. I smiled. Xana was going to go nuts. I actually told him that when he and Gilroy climbed on board to hitch the first flight out.

  It was kind of funny, all these years at the same camp together and something so small as loving to read was actually bringing us closer together, almost as friends. All because Norris cleaned out my closet and suggested it. That and his comments about people avoiding me. I glanced at him as he stowed his bag. He was an odd one, but he was an honest odd one.

  That was rare. I liked rare.

  And if I was honest, I liked his sharp mouth. I maybe liked his mouth a lot and wanted it for other things than talking. Which was why I was so hard on him.

  Or why he made me so hard.

  5

>   “Why are you back there?” Philo asked me from the cockpit. I glanced behind me and then back to him. He rolled his eyes at me and waved me forward. “Yes, you, twit. Get your ass over here and in the cockpit with me. You’re my trainee, right? That means you fly shotgun with me and are my stick bitch. All the seats are accounted for back there anyways.”

  My cheeks heated up as everyone stared at me, making me once again feel like an idiot. I nodded and scooted past someone else before sliding by him to sit in the seat he’d pointed to.

  “Want to do your first take-off checklist?” he offered, handing me a clipboard. Did I ever, but right then, I would have rather been strapped to the wing of the plane than talk to him or be near him. Still, I nodded my head and took it from him. I studied the clipboard, blinking when it became difficult to read.

  Then to my horror a stray tear fell onto the paper. I swear, even amongst the chaos, the noise of everyone getting onto the plane and stowing their shit, it sounded like a car crash that one drop was so loud. Philo slowly leaned over and grabbed my chin, yanking it up and blinking at me.

  “You’re upset. Why are you upset?” he murmured, studying me.

  “I’m not. Nothing,” I lied, trying to pull my chin away but he was so much stronger than me and it wasn’t worth breaking my face over.

  “No, we’re not starting a trip meant for healing and mental wellness by lying and ill feelings,” he growled, the sound doing things to me that I hated to admit. I hated him and wanted him at the same time. How did that happen? No sane person felt that way about people.

  “You punish me when I’m honest.”

  “I punish you when you’re rude or disrespectful about people’s professional conduct and messing with things that weren’t yours. You shouldn’t have ranted about Matteo the way you did for others to hear or talked back to me like that in an open setting,” Philo explained. “Here and now, I’m asking you, privately, what’s happened. You have every right to express yourself or talk about what’s going on, Norris. You have to learn the right setting. There is a time and a place for things.”