“Who won’t be attacking for six weeks,” she pointed out.
That’s what they say, Rune said. We’re not taking any chances. He stood and stretched. I think I’ll patrol the perimeter tonight.
Leif glanced at the clock above the mantel. Almost ten p.m. “You hungry?” he asked me.
“Yes!” Wren hopped up eagerly.
Leif chuckled. “I know you are. What about you, Cora?”
“I could eat.”
“I’ll whip up some pasta.” He pointed a finger at Wren. “You want to help?”
Wren scrambled off the sofa. “Yes, Wren help.” He scampered over to Leif, up his leg, and onto his back. “Can Wren have some cheese?”
“Sure you can.” Leif padded into the kitchen.
Halle blew out a breath. “And I thought my life was exciting.”
I twisted in my seat to face her. “The proxy thing, right?”
She did her best evil laugh, tipping her head back and flipping her golden hair. “Oh, the power.”
“Yeah, but you have to have babies.”
She shrugged. “I don’t mind. I love kids. Always wanted a huge family. And I get to have a shitload of fun building it.” She whipped out her phone. “Wanna see the contenders?”
“You took photos?”
“Er…yeah, I did.” She hit the gallery button on her phone and began flipping through pics. Huge hulking guys, dark-haired, silver-blond-haired, grinning, winking, thumbs up. Nice-looking guys, then we were on the picture of an Adonis with amber highlights in his golden hair, dimples in his cheeks, and hazel eyes flecked with gold that twinkled with mirth. He had his arm around a woman…Halle.
Wait… “Halle, is that…”
“Yeah, Rune.” She sighed. “We were so happy.”
“What happened?”
She tucked the phone away. “Bad shit, Cora. But it’s Rune’s story to tell. Not mine.”
Urgh. I guess I had to respect that. “Fine, but can I…Can I see that picture again?”
She smiled softly and handed me the phone. “You can see them all. I have plenty.”
I flicked through images of the man I’d only met as a wolf, smiling, happy, bright-eyed. Playing the guitar, singing karaoke, rising out of the lake, hair flat to his scalp and a huge grin on his face. There was so much life in these photos. It was as if I were seeing him for the first time. Seeing behind the golden eyes and into the man he’d been.
This was Rune. This was my third mate.
I traced his face with my fingertip, unable to keep the smile off my face. “Thank you, Halle.”
“He’s in there, you know,” she said. “But he’s forgotten how to laugh. Maybe you can change that?”
I tore my gaze from Rune’s handsome face and met her hopeful one. “I’ll do my best, Halle. I swear it.”
She reached out and hugged me on impulse. “I’m glad it’s you. If Rune had a choice, he’d have chosen you.”
But we hadn’t had a choice. We were here and we were gonna make the best of it. At least that’s what I’d like to think, but truth was, this…all of this…felt too much like fate.
But problem was, fate…She could be a bitch.
Wren was tucked up in bed and Halle was curled up on the sofa. Rune had taken his spot by the hearth and Leif had turned in for the night, leaving me trapped in my bedroom with Tor.
Okay, it sounded ominous, but it wasn’t. It was me being an idiot. But I picked joggers for bed because sleeping in a vest and shorts with Tor felt too intimate.
He didn’t seem to have that issue, though. I stared, dumbfounded, as he hooked an arm over his shoulder and tugged off his tee, then pushed down his joggers to reveal snug black boxers.
“Um, are you going to sleep like that?” My voice came out reedy.
“I usually sleep naked,” he said. “But I’ll leave the boxers on to appease your delicate sensibilities.”
“I don’t have delicate sensibilities. I like naked men.”
He arched a brow. “In that case.” He hooked a thumb in the waistband of his boxers.
Calling my bluff, huh? “No. Don’t.”
He locked gazes with me. “Yeah. I figured.” He sighed. “Look, I won’t cross any lines. I promised you that I’d respect your boundaries, and I will. But I can’t control the way my body might react to your proximity.” He looked down and I followed his gaze to find the thick, long outline of his arousal straining against the material of his boxers.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “No, I get that. It’s fine. Let’s just sleep.”
“I can sleep on the floor,” he offered.
“No need. The bed’s big enough.” There was no reason for us to have to touch.
I climbed into bed and pulled the covers up to my chin. Tor padded to the other side and the bed dipped as he joined me.
Conversation...We needed conversation to distract me from the fact that a sexy, half-naked shifter was in my bed. “You really think the vamps might attack before the six weeks are up?”
“I don’t know. But I’m not into taking risks. We know too little about them to let our guard down.” The bed shifted as he turned onto his side. “We need to be prepared, but so do you. The guys and I will train you physically, and I spoke to Sloane about helping you hone your power. My first choice would have been Elijah, but he left a day or so ago and no one has any idea where he went.”
Shit. “I think he might have gone looking for the vamps’ hideout.”
Tor frowned. “Alone?”
“I don’t know.” Anxiety squirmed in my belly.
He looked worried but then exhaled. “Elijah can take care of himself. You start training tomorrow. When these fuckers come, we’ll be here to protect you, but I’m gonna make damn sure you protect yourself too.”
“Sounds good.” My eyelids were getting heavy.
“Close your eyes, Cora,” Tor said softly. “I’ve got you. You know I don’t sleep.”
Wait a second. “So you’ll watch me sleep?”
He rolled onto his back and plucked his phone off the bedside table. “I have an ebook app on my phone.”
Books? “You like to read?”
He shot me
