part of him, however, was already picturing her naked and wet, her skin slick with suds, her pert nipples begging to be licked and kissed. His softening cock twitched with renewed interest as he ushered her toward the double doors.
“You can have your shower,” he told her, “but I can’t guarantee how clean you’re going to get.”
Chapter Eighteen
The morning of the full moon arrived without pomp or circumstance.
Teams woke up and patrolled the borders around the hospital, covering up to three miles in every direction. Some checked weapons and gear. Others sparred, battling each other across the frozen ground behind the hospital.
The only exception to this routine was that Luca had taken a small group to retrieve the vans they needed for the rescue. No one questioned where he would find them or how he planned to commandeer them. By four o’clock that afternoon, they’d simply appeared in the north parking lot.
That evening, Mackenna picked at her dinner but didn’t actually eat much of it. A pity since macaroni and cheese had always been a favorite of hers. Cade noticed, of course, but for once, he didn’t say anything about it. Maybe because he’d barely eaten anything on his plate, either.
Afterwards, while everyone else geared up and began loading the vehicles, Mackenna headed to her room for her own preparations. There, she grabbed a long-sleeved white tee and a pair of blue sweatpants off the sink in the bathroom.
She’d worn the clothes earlier when she’d gone for a run with Cade through the woods. Both smelled like she’d rolled around in something dead, which was exactly the point. As gross as it was, she hadn’t showered after their jaunt, either. If she wanted the Coalition to believe that she had escaped Hunters and traveled miles to find help, she couldn’t waltz into town smelling like soap and fabric softener.
Next, she pulled her hair from its ponytail and dragged her fingers through it, letting it fall in untamed waves down her back. Maybe she’d add pieces of leaves and a few broken twigs to it once they reached their destination. There was just one more thing she needed to add to her disguise, but that, too, would have to wait. For the time being, she’d done all she could.
Grabbing her jacket off the bed, she tugged it on and headed out to find Cade and Roux. Since the story was that the Hunters were holding other Gemini in their compound, there had been no need to avoid the shifters and weres staying in the hospital. Still, it would be best if the strongest scent clinging to her was human.
She found the pair waiting for her near the front exit. Cade looked grim, but Roux gave her a bright smile when she approached.
“Well, you smell terrible,” the female said cheerfully. “That’s a good start.”
Zipping her jacket up to the neck, Mackenna snorted. “You say the nicest things.”
Cade grunted at them both and turned on his heels. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”
Following him out into the cold night, Mackenna walked close by his side but said nothing. She had no words of comfort, nothing to say that would make the next few hours any easier.
“It’s about damn time,” a terse voice called from the parking lot. “Move your asses.”
Mackenna jerked her head up and frowned. “I didn’t know Luca was coming with us.”
Cade shrugged. “Don’t look at me. He insisted.”
“Is it just me, or has he been more of a dick than usual lately?” Roux asked as she fell into step on Mackenna’s other side.
Mackenna didn’t know the male well enough to say one way or the other. Luca certainly seemed to take charge of any situation he found himself in, and he didn’t put up with bullshit. Unless he was asking questions or giving orders, he didn’t talk to anyone except Abby or the two human males who followed them around. While he hadn’t exactly been friendly toward her, he hadn’t been unkind, either. Sure, he seemed a little anti-social, but she didn’t know if that necessarily made him a dick.
Cade, however, nodded. “Something is going on with that whole group.”
“Especially Abby.” Roux mirrored his nod. “I’ve noticed as well.” She bit her lip and stared down at the ground. “She barely even talks to me.”
According to Cade, the two females had become close after meeting in Pennsylvania. Mackenna tried to imagine what it would feel like if, after so much uncertainty, she found Jess, only for her friend to