Page 37 of Knotting Autumn

It would be awkward facing Thorne after what I’d just done with Sawyer, but maybe he’d understand and gracefully step aside, despite what Sawyer said.

I crossed my fingers, hoping for the best.

Chapter 14

Dinner & Getting High

Holding my head high, I walked into the living room and headed straight for the kitchen, grabbing two slices on a plate. Our never-used third and fourth kitchen chairs were pulled out from the table, and once I took my normal seat, all three men loaded up their own plates and settled around me. Their knees were crowded in the small space.

To my left, Sawyer sat in his usual seat, and to my right, Thorne leaned over his stack of pizza slices, his eyes dark. Swallowing nervously, I looked across the table to Cole. He’d shoved his chair back so no one touched him.

From under his mess of dark hair, his gray eyes narrowed, and his mouth pulled into a smug smile. “So, where are those pineapple pizzas you promised us?”

“Sorry,” I muttered, feeling the blood rising in my cheeks. Sawyer was right. Cole was handsome, and it made me flustered.

His smile widened into a grin, and my lips parted. His face went from cold and detached to warm and inviting with that one change.

Sawyer huffed. “I’m sure we could find some canned pineapple in the back of the pantry if you’re desperate. Autumnspent last summer trying to bake a hummingbird cake, and we went through a lot of pineapple. I’m sure there's a can or two left.”

“Hummingbird cake?” Thorne asked.

Clearing my throat, I set my first slice down. “It’s similar to carrot cake, with pecans, but instead of carrots, you add banana and pineapple. But it’s still a spice cake with cream cheese frosting.”

“I’ve never even had carrot cake, so I’m not sure what hummingbird cake would be like,” Thorne admitted, rubbing at the back of his neck with his free hand.

I’ll make it for you.The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I held them back. Soon, Cole and Thorne would be leaving, and inexplicitly, that thought left a sense of dread in my gut.

Strange.

“Sounds good,” Cole said, leaning back in his seat with his smug smirk back in place. He took a vicious bite of pizza, flashing fangs that had me swallowing and shifting in my seat.

Beside me, Sawyer stared at Cole, and I swear he was drooling a tiny bit. Jostling his shoulder, I shook him out of his trance. He coughed and shoved more pizza into his mouth.

“This pizza is so good,” Thorne said between slices. “Who would have thought of mushrooms and bacon together?”

Frowning, I cocked my head. “That’s not that strange of a combo.”

Thorne shrugged.

“We haven’t had a lot of pizza, to be honest,” Cole said quietly.

“Your pack doesn’t get pizza?” Sawyer asked, frowning as he studied Cole.

Cole shook his head.

I cocked my head, trying to think things through. “Oh, that’s right, you lived in a pack of werewolves. So you guys don’t live in a town like normal?”

“They’re usually remote,” Sawyer said, his eyes flitting over Cole’s hand on the table, up his chest to land on his face.

“It’s about two hours west of here,” Cole explained, raising an eyebrow as he met Sawyer’s gaze.

“We have all the same amenities. Even a little movie theater,” Thorne said defensively.

“But now we can go to a real theater,” Cole said, measured.

The strained expression on Thorne’s face eased. Did he really want to leave his pack? Or did he just do it to protect Cole? Biting my lip, I watched them as the three men discussed pizza and movies and nothing at all.

After dinner, Thorne and Sawyer did dishes together and Cole went onto our balcony. Both had a strong desire to take care of me, and they wouldn’t let me even pick up my own plate.