Chapter 36

Caturix had just pushed his adoptive brother out of his room and slammed the door shut. He was so angry he could have punched his brother right in the face. The thought of his Mika being with someone else, especially his brother, was unbearable.

He knew he didn’t want to keep her forever, but he wasn’t ready to let her go yet. They were just starting to get to know each other. It wasn’t fair. Was he acting like a child? Probably.

He knew he would eventually lose interest in her, or something like that. She would move on and be with another wolf, but not yet. She had to stay with him for now.

Caturix quickly moved around his room, stuffing a duffel bag with the money Lyosha had given him and plenty of clothes. He needed to figure out how to get Shemika out of Rurik without Nikandr picking up her scent.

Nikandr was obviously attracted to Mika. Caturix wasn’t surprised. She was soft, feminine, and had a scent that was unforgettable. Unfortunately.

She had flat out refused Caturix’s idea of covering her in urine. It seemed like the most logical solution. It would quickly mask her warm apple crisp scent with the strong smell of urine. But she had ~adamantly~ said no.

He had thought of many things. There were many things Shemika could have been covered in to hide her scent, but she had vehemently rejected all of his suggestions. He was out of options. He wanted to tell her to pick something to be covered in or she was staying in Rurik, but he couldn’t. When she suggested they go to town, he saw a spark in her he hadn’t seen before. She was excited, full of energy.

He couldn’t squash her excitement just because he needed time to figure out how to hide her scent. If only she didn’t smell like herself. If only she smelled like him…

Caturix moved quickly, gathering some of his used clothes and his blanket. He couldn’t leave his room until the pack calmed down, because he had to go to hers.

Eventually, he climbed out the window and made his way to Shemika’s room. Since she was past the peak of her heat, she let him in right away.

He closed and locked the window, setting his duffel bag on the floor next to her bed. “Did you pack anything?” he asked casually.

She looked panicked. “No. Did Lyosha say it was okay for you to go to town?” she asked nervously.

He walked over to her dining table and picked a petal off the flowers in the vase. “Who gave you these?” he asked, his voice harsher than he intended.

She flinched. “Yana brought them, but she said they were from Nikandr. Why do you ask—”

“Why did you put flowers from Nikandr in a vase? Like you care about them,” he said angrily, his words getting more tense. His thoughts from earlier came rushing back. Did she want him? She had no idea how…fake he was.

“I like flowers. No one’s ever given me flowers before—”

Caturix grabbed the bouquet and yanked it out of the vase. He crushed the flowers in his hand as he heard Shemika gasp behind him. He turned and dropped them in the trash can by her feet. Then he leaned in close to her. “How long do flowers live?” he asked.

She tried to back away but bumped into her desk. “A week or two. I-I…I don’t know.”

“Good.” He suddenly turned away from her, a strange feeling in his chest. He didn’t like the scared look she had given him. “From now on, I’ll get you flowers every week. You won’t accept anyone else’s. Understand?” he asked as gently as he could.

Shemika’s eyes widened and she nodded eagerly. “Absolutely, Cat,” she said, her voice cheerful. His cheerful little bird.

“Uh, good.” He turned away awkwardly. She was looking at him in a strange way. Her big eyes were staring up at him and she had a small smile on her lips.

“So…did Lyosha say it was okay…,” she asked again.

He took a deep breath and turned around. “Yes, but—”

She squealed and jumped up and down, her large breasts bouncing.

His eyes immediately dropped and he cursed his dirty thoughts. “Shemika,” he said sternly, interrupting her celebration.

She stopped jumping, looking scared again, even though he had tried to be gentle. “What’s wrong?” she asked nervously.

“Nikandr will be able to smell you and I can’t think of a good way to hide your scent—”

She turned away and started pacing. “Shit. This is bad, right? That’s a big problem if we want to get out and back into Rurik. I don’t know what—”

“I have one idea,” he said quietly.

She turned back to him, her nose wrinkled and her lips curled in. “No, you can’t pee on me, Cat. No mud, no leaves, no pepper,” she repeated, just like she had before.

He nodded. “I remember. This time I’m suggesting me.”

She froze and tilted her head. “You’re suggesting…you?” Her breathing became uneven.

He nodded. “I can…do my thing and you’ll smell like me, then you can wear my clothes. I’ll wrap you in my blanket and carry you out of Rurik’s territory. After that, you can walk on your own.” He laid out his plan.

She just stared at him. “What…what do you mean? Like…like…like your scent? How?” she stammered.

He furrowed his brows. “I can be with you…more intimately. Get my scent all over you, but this time you won’t wash it off. My clothes and blanket will just be extra insurance,” he said, confused. Why was she so flustered and red?

From Shemika’s point of view, she had misunderstood what he had said. He had said he could do ‘his thing’ and she would smell like him. She had thought he was offering to claim her. Of course, that was silly. No one would offer to mate so casually. It was a long conversation and a romantic date and…not so spontaneous.

She laughed awkwardly. “Yeah. Totally. That’s what I thought you were saying.” She cleared her throat and nodded. “So, Lyosha said it was okay,” she said, not as excited as before.