Ravenna walked into the cabin whispering something into Colt's ear before glancing at me and chuckling.
"Oh, Luna! I hope you don't mind, we were just catching up a bit,"
Her arm was wrapped in his and the previous me would have exploded only to be told to hush like a troublesome pup.
Now things were different.
"Where am I sleeping, Colt?"I said not even regarding her at all as I hung my coat in the hanger in the entryway.
Before I could get my answer his other brothers, his Jaden and Rake came in from the living room area.
"Greetings, Luna, we weren't expecting to see you,"Rake said with an exaggerated bow.
My skin crawled remembering that these men had the same intimate parts of myself that I had only shared with Colt.
"I could say the same,"I told him icily before brushing past.
In the living room were their mates.
"Luna Lyra, what are you doing here?"Liliana, Jaden's mate said, like she was talking to a pup that had strayed on the road.
"Oh welcome, Luna Lyra,"that awkward greeting came from Becca, Rake's mate.
Colt came and explained the sleeping arrangements.
There were three bedrooms and three couples which naturally made Ravenna the odd number.
"That's not a problem,"she said unbothered, "I'll sleep in the loft, problem solved right?"
Colt approached her, his arm finding its way across her shoulder.
"Will you be comfortable in the loft?"anyone hearing him would think that she had agreed to sleep outside in the bushes.
She nodded fast.
"Yes, I'm the only single Pringle here, so I shouldn't get in the way of the couples..."she looked directly at me, "... Especially since some people can get so insecure,"
I wanted to snap at her, tell her that she didn't grab the crotches of the other men in this room or make lewd jokes to anyone but Colt.
But I didn't.
She wanted him? Fine she could have him at the end of this month he and I'll be out of the picture.
Everyone settled in, chattering with their little inside jokes that I was never a part of.
Eventually it was time for lunch, and Ravenna offered to cook.
Each person laughed a little and it was Colt that openly teased her.
"Last time I checked your only skill in the kitchen was boiling water,"
"Meanie!"she stomped over to the couch where he was sitting and smacked him play fully on The shoulder.
"If you're so worried why don't you come watch me?"
She glanced at me from the corner of her eye as I sat cross leg with an old magazine.
So far she hadn't been able to dig any reaction out of me and I knew it was crawling under her skin.
"Don't worry I was going to follow you to the kitchen even if you didn't offer,"Colt looked at me almost as if his eyes were asking for permission yet again and I just shrugged
"Do what you want,"
The cabin had an open air framework that connected to the kitchen, so while I was seated on the couch and watching them make the lunch.
Well more of them flirting, Colt got behind her at one point.
"That's not how you cut a cucumber, it's this way you silly goose,"
She giggled loud enough to fill the cabin.
"I was just distracted because it's the size of Colt jnr,"
She pushed against him and again that shameless moan, I gripped the magazine.
Liliana misread it as jealousy when it was actually disgust.
"You guys should stop playing around like that, the Luna might start crying,"
They all burst into laughter, with Colt barely suppressing his own still smooched against Ravenna.
"You're all a bunch of meanies really," Robin I said throat still full of laughter, "Luna Lyra, don't pay them any mind, you know these are all jokes right?"
And right as she said that she pushed against his crotch.
This time the sound that came out of his throat was undeniable.
The laughter got a little awkward, all eyes were on me.
"Now that I think about it, I don't have the appetite for sesame peanut noodles,"
I got up to head to the assigned bedroom and in record time Colt fooled behind me to tell me that I was doing too much.
"Okay I guess how you would misunderstand that..."he said setting his hand on the door and using his Alpha strength to keep it closed.
"But can you be a little bit more understanding? I didn't-"
"I understand,"I told him mechanically, "it's fine,"
The smile that swept his features made me sick to my stomach.
"I'm glad you're finally relaxing, maybe at the end of this weekend we can all be friends,"
I didn't answer that and he just cupped my cheeks, my stomach churned at his touch and I couldn't have been more relieved when he pulled it away.
I didn't realize just how weighed down I was both emotionally and physically until I crashed on the bed and I couldn't get up until hours passed then I finally forced myself to get up and shower.
After stepping out in my robe I found Colt sitting on the bed.
"Why did you shower on your own? We could have showered together, this is supposed to be our romantic getaway right?"
"Really?"I said dryly, "I thought it was a group vacation, considering you spent the entire day with your friends,"
His face reddened.
"You were the one who abandoned me first to sleep here for hours, I was just being a good host and-"
He had not finished when Ravenna burst into the room without even knocking she rushed into his arms and he stood up to hold her.
"What's wrong Ravenna?"he said to her trembling form.
"The nightmares..."she whimpered into his chest, "... The nightmares are back, can we go to the living room and just keep talking?"
Colt shook his head, "you know they only get worse when you don't sleep," he turned to me.
"I can't sleep alone, that's the worst!"
Colt turned to me still holding her in his arms,"Lyra... Could you... Just for tonight,"
"You're asking me to leave for her?"I said it's not because I was jealous but just so that he knew the full weight of his words.
His face flushed, "she's having a nightmare, do you expect me to abandon her?"
I almost told him that she could have gone to any other man in this cabin
Yet she chose him.
Because of course she would choose him.
"Fine,"I said and as I was leaving I saw a crack on Ravenna's mask of fear , revealing a smug smile.
She thought she was winning not knowing that I had already stepped away from the game.