Am I still in the corner?
REID POV I lay on the ground, with Taryn draped over me, my wolf creating a barrier between the snow and her body, keeping her warm. It’s only been around ten minutes that we’ve been waiting, but it feels like longer. Taryn’s fingers comb through my fur, and her eyes flutter, an exterior sign of the exhausted and semi-conscious state she is in. The injuries she sustained to her head, leg, and feet combined with the adrenaline rush and stress to her body from her escape through the woods threatens to pull her under. But my girl pushes through it all, forcing herself to stay awake. The enormous goose egg on her forehead has already gotten smaller, and the blood flow from her leg has stemmed, the cuts stitching themselves together slowly, both from our enhanced werewolf healing and from the presence of her mate. But even though she’s healing, she’s still lost a lot of blood, and it’s freezing out here, and getting colder by the second. I need to get her to my car and back to Crescent L
TARYN POV My wolf stirs in my mind as I shift my position on the bed, snuggling deeper into the pillows. I’m surrounded by warmth, by the scent of fresh baked snickerdoodles and a forest of pine. It wraps itself around me and embeds itself into my soul, leaving me aching for another whiff of it. I want to bathe myself in the scent, want it to follow me everywhere. It’s life, and comfort, and home. I smile to myself, and squeeze the hand holding mine, the hand that spreads warm sparkles of gold through my skin, up my arm, and into my heart. It’s more intoxicating than anything I’ve felt before, more addictive than the strongest drug ever created. I want the sparkling tingles of gold to travel further, to cover my entire body and awaken my senses with its intensity, its pure pleasure and love. I roll onto my side and pull the hand closer to me, opening it and pressing it against my cheek, luxuriating in the tickles that awaken under my skin from the touch. My wolf purrs and rolls on h
REID POV I hate hospitals. They are too clean, too white, too stifling. And underneath the surface, the hint — the threat — of death lingers. Nothing good ever comes from a visit to the pack hospital. One visit to the pack hospital eighteen years ago changed the entire trajectory of my childhood — of my life. I walked into the hospital thinking my mom was just hurt, just needing extra medical attention after an intense rogue attack. And I walked out of it motherless. The wall against my back is cold — almost as cold as the snow covering the ground outside — even through my T-shirt. It’s uncomfortable, but it keeps me here, keeps me anchored in the present. For the most part. It’s difficult, though, now that I’m not with Taryn. Her presence and touch kept the demons at bay, but the reality of what happened hits me full force. The similarities between this night and that fateful night — it’s overwhelming. Taryn is lucky. We are lucky. Rogues are ruthless, relentless, especially w
TARYN POV “These are prenatal vitamins. You need to take one with food every day. If they’re too much to deal with — you know, because of morning sickness — we can look at trying a gummy vitamin or a powder option that you blend into a smoothie, but Dr. Russo recommends at least trying the pill form first.” I nod and take the bottle of vitamins from the nurse, adding them to the bag she brought me. It’s filled with brochures and pamphlets about prenatal care and tests, and a special werewolf prenatal care packet that is filled with information specific to werewolf pregnancies. “Dr. Russo wants to see you again in a few days to review the results of the blood work — the sex of the baby and its alpha blood status, plus anything else we find. And then you’ll come in every four weeks until you’re twenty-eight weeks pregnant, then every other week until you’re thirty-six weeks pregnant, and then every week until you deliver.” I nod again. I have said little since she came back to discha
TARYN POV The snowfall continues, growing heavier by the minute, layering atop the already snow covered grounds and trees of Crescent Lake, painting everything pure white. It’s so thick, I can’t even see through it to the lake. Not that I’m paying much attention right now. I’m too busy drowning in my swirling thoughts that mirror the storm outside. Wesley said the Silver Ridge packhouse suffered pretty severe damage from the fire, but they won’t know the full extent until they can examine everything once the storm passes. I thump my head against the back of the less than comfortable brown couch in the guest suite they’ve offered me for the time being. There is a bag of clothing Haven gathered for me from pack members, but I don’t have the energy to look through it yet. I’m still in the T-shirt and sweatpants the hospital gave me to change into. And I have yet to take stock of the supplies and food she said the pack’s hospitality team placed in the small kitchen of the suite. Instea
TARYN POV When my eyes open again, I’m alone in the bed, curled up in the spot Reid slept in, my face buried into his pillow. I pop up, my eyes searching the room, scanning it to find any trace of him. I vaguely remember curling into his side at some point during the night, sort of recall his arms wrapping around me and holding me as we both drifted back to sleep. But the bathroom light is off, and the only hint he was even here is his black blanket still on the bed, his shirt on the armchair in the corner, and the lingering scent of him on the bedding and in the air. The frosty morning air nips at my skin as I leave the bed, my bare feet padding across the hardwood flooring. I snatch his blanket off the bed and wrap it around my shoulders, leaving the room bundled in his cozy scent. As soon as I enter the hallway, the scent of pancakes cooking fills my nostrils, mixed with Reid’s full scent and freshly brewed coffee. I peek my head into the kitchen. And there is Reid, his sweatpan
TARYN POV His growl shifts, the tension in his body switching from anger to something else. Something equally dangerous, but not because he might hurt me. No, dangerous because of how my body and my wolf respond to every movement, sound, and nuance of emotion coming from him. Dangerous because I know I’ll never be able to resist him when he’s like this. Dangerous because I already find myself thinking of other things I can do to bring out this dominance and possessiveness in him again. “Get on the counter,” he orders, his hands sliding up my sides and under the shirt I’m wearing. The fabric glides over my skin, followed by his hands that leave goosebumps wherever they touch. My arms lift without a thought, and then the shirt is up and over my head in an instant, tossed on the counter behind me. My heart pounds, my breathing heavy as his eyes travel down from my face, reaching my breasts at the exact moment his hands do. He cups them from below, his thumbs brushing over my nipples.
REID POV “Remind me again why we’re outside in the snow?” Taryn asks, her arms crossed against the wind, her body bundled up in a dark green down coat, a tan satin lined beanie with flecks of color — like little sprinkles on a cupcake — atop her head to protect her braids. “Because it’s Winter Wonderland Day,” I reply. And because I need you out of the guest suite while hospitality sets up everything for the rest of our day. “But it’s a snowstorm.” “Oh, come on, Cadet. It’s not that bad right now!” I say, looking around at the heavy snowfall. Okay, so it may be coming down a little harder than just a regular snowy day, even for us as shifters. Especially for someone who came from Southern California and is used to beaches and temperate weather. But my little warrior looks so cute with her grumpy face and puffy jacket and with snowflakes dusting the lengths of her braids. She just stares at me, then turns on her heel and starts towards the house. But I grab her hand and snap her