Girl Gone Rogue (The Shadow Hunters #2)

16. The Truth

I heard Aella pacing the room as I rolled onto my back, opening my eyes. The morning rays assaulted my vision as I tried to fight the fatigue still weighing me down.

Sleep had been difficult to find.

Alexei and I had returned to the cabin hours after we were supposed to be back. We had laughed and made out against almost every tree that led towards the cabin. It was impossible keeping my hands to myself, especially when he coerced me with those dark, mahogany eyes that burned with every stroke of his hand against my skin. It didn't help that he suddenly couldn't help himself from pawing my butt each time I turned my back on him. I enjoyed it far too much and Alexei had no qualms about it, stealing a butt squeeze when the urge rolled over him.

When I returned to the room, Aella had already been fast asleep, her face squished into the pillow as she slept like a starfish over the covers. I didn't know how she wasn't freezing her ass off. After drowsily changing into my own sleepwear, I joined her. She immediately turned over, her limbs tugging me close like a handsy octopus.

Now that it was the morning, the memories of last night were clouding my thoughts in a thick fog.

Aella parked her butt on the edge of the bed, peering down at me with a knowing smirk. "You smell like Alexei." She whispered with a sly look in her face, "What were you two busy doing last night?" She crooked her head to the side, resembling a creepy but lethargic porcelain doll.

I reached for the pillow beside my head, slapping it over her unsuspecting face. She squawked as I pummelled another hit against her face. She managed to fight the object from my hand, slapping it over my face with a righteous bellow. I gasped, sitting up and attempting to steal the pillow from her fist.

Bitch was going down.

A hesitant knock sounded at the door. "Are you guys awake in there?" Jamison's voice trailed over our pillow squabble.

"Yeah, we're good." Aella huffed with a laugh, successfully lobbying another hit to my head before rolling off the bed. I noticed she was already dressed in her combat gear and her long, flowing hair had been tied into an intricate braid that draped over her shoulder. "We'll be out in a few minutes." She called out to the Enforcer.

Jamison mumbled something incoherent before his footsteps faded from the closed door.

I slipped off the bed, finding balance on my feet.

Aella laughed under her breath as she took in my dazed, sleepy state. "You okay over there? Need me to get Alexei to perform mouth-to-mouth on you?" She teased.

I barely caught myself from nodding like an idiot. Instead, I waved my hand, moving to the bathroom. "Ignore me. As you can see, I'm finding it hard to locate my brain this morning."

Aella laughed, "I'll be in the lounge with the men. Take your time." She left, closing the door behind her.

Considering, I hadn't seen the bathroom from the last visit, I completely missed the fact that it was tiny, I could barely move around without hitting a limb against something. There was only a glass cubicle where the showerhead sprouted from the stained tiles, with a toilet and sink within reach. Nothing fancy. I twisted the knobs, cringing when the pipes squeaked loudly. Ice cold water gushed down, soaking the smooth floors. I fiddled with the knobs until the water warmed up. I stripped out of my sleeping clothes and hopped in, relaxing immediately once the hot water cascaded down my skin, soaking my hair.

There were little bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body wash sitting on the edge of the sink. I grabbed the items, washing my hair first before applying a liberal amount of the mint scented body wash along my skin.