“I was just double-checking.” He shrugged. “I made you a coffee.” He held the mug up, a hopeful smile pulling up the corner of his lips.
“Thanks,” she answered before walking further into the room.
“You’re limping.” A thread of anger surged through him, his wolf bucking at the reins; his mate was hurt, and he wanted nothing more than to go to her and offer comfort. Of course, for that to happen, he’d have to tell her she was his and hope she wouldn’t run as fast as possible in the other direction. Until John was sure that wasn’t going to happen, he’d be keeping the mate word to himself.
Eva waved him off. “Yeah… I’m used to jogging on roads, and my leg was already sore from yesterday, so I’m feeling it now.”
“Then why were you running in the first place?” he asked roughly. It took him a beat to swallow his agitation. Clearly, my mate is going to push boundaries and not look after herself.
“Because it’s what I do,” she answered, either not picking up on his mood or ignoring it. She headed toward the fridge, limping past him, and pulled out a bottle of water. “When I don’t sleep, I run. It’s better than going stir crazy.”
“Why can’t you sleep, Eva?” he asked gently, daring to take a step toward her. He itched to pull her into his arms and erase the shadows in her eyes.
She studied him, seemingly lost in thought. “I need to have a shower,” she answered finally. “Thanks for the coffee.” Her fingers brushed his as she wrapped her hands over the mug and took it from him. Sensation shot up his arm; he never realized it was possible to feel so much from a simple brush of skin.
“I actually wondered if you wanted to come with me for a few hours. I’m going to Logan and Mia’s house to help, probably do some painting.”
Her lips pursed in thought. “Logan is the one who was shot in the café shooting, right?”
John nodded. “They were in the middle of renovating their house when it happened, so the packs have been pitching in to finish it as a surprise.”
“That’s nice.” She smiled. “Sure, why not. Beats being bored here all day. I’ll be quick.”
John watched her enter her room and exit a moment later with a toiletry bag and some clothes over her arm. She eyed him curiously, and he realized he hadn’t moved. With a shake of his head, John headed into the kitchen to make her some food.
Not sure what she’d eat, he prepared some bread to toast and cut up some fruit, before pouring a glass of OJ for her. He’d already eaten himself but decided she’d be more comfortable eating if he wasn’t stood over her waiting, so he poured himself some OJ and toasted a slice of bread. By the time she exited the bathroom, a cloud of steam billowing out of the door, and the scent of sweet flowers filling his space, John had arranged everything at the breakfast bench with what little condiments he had waiting for her to spread.
Her eyes flickered from the food to him. “Thanks. This is… nice.”
He could sense her nerves, and John couldn’t decide what she was nervous about. He didn’t have much experience with wooing females. They’d normally come to him and were forward in what they wanted. Human females, on the other hand, were a whole different ball game, and when it came to his mate, John wasn’t about to mess up by acting all primal wolf and sending her running. He could be gentle, civil even, at least he’d be trying his hardest to be anyway.
“Do shifters not need as much sleep as humans?” Eva asked after she’d chugged down half her glass of juice.
He frowned. “Why? I guess we can survive longer without it, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need as much sleep as you.”
“I heard you come in at 2:00 a.m. and now you’re up five hours later. That’s not much sleep.”
“You heard me? I was being quiet.”
She shrugged. “The door creaked. I wasn’t asleep.”
Interesting. His wolf pricked his ears; Eva struggled to sleep and ran to clear her head. He’d have to tread carefully to learn her secrets.
“Well, I do need sleep, but at the moment, there’s not much time for it. I suppose I could have slept in this morning instead of helping at Logan’s.” He shrugged. “But I’ll survive. You, on the other hand, aren’t as robust as me. Do you need to go back to bed instead of coming with me?”
She shook her head. “I told you I don’t sleep.” Her eyes lowered. “Haven’t since my mom passed.”
Such pain even as she hid it. He took her hand, unable to resist the primal instincts screaming at him. “I’m sorry you lost your mother, Eva. I can only imagine how hard that must be.”
“It helps to keep busy, so thanks for inviting me along this morning.” Standing, she collected her plate. “Are you ready to go?”
John nodded, following suit and clearing his own plate away and the condiments he’d left out. He waited as Eva laced up her sneakers, then opened the door for her and followed her out. They’d only walked a few paces when Zackary called her name.
“I was just coming to your cabin,” he said, falling into step beside his sister. “How was your first night at Dark Shadow?”
“Too quiet. There’s no noise out here other than the howls of the odd wolf.”
Zackary laughed. “You don’t sleep anyway. Did she keep you awake all night, pacing the room?” the
