Beauty Sleeps (Fairytale Shifter #2)(24)

“You do have me, but Ruby and Dom are our friends, and they need our help right now. Just like I’m sure if we need them when our babies come, they’ll be there for us, too.” It’s a step in the right direction. He might not be ready to be a part of the pack as a whole, but this is pulling him in little by little. “I want us to be together all the time, too, but if we are going to have all these babies like you want, then we’re also going to have to learn to be apart at times.”

“I’m fighting my instincts, but I want to give you this, give us this.” Xavier nuzzles my neck for just a moment, then looks back into my eyes.

“One day at a time. I’m not going anywhere. If I’m ever at the bakery or running errands, you can call me and come right to me. I know it’s been a while since you had one, but you can track me with your phone.”

He seems pleased with that idea. “I love you,” he growls, before taking my mouth in a deep hungry kiss.

Thank God we have a little time before Winnie shows up.





Chapter Thirteen





Xavier




I’m on my way to pick up Gwen from work when I stop in the woods. I catch her scent leading to another trail, and it has me on alert. It’s faint, but I don’t remember smelling it this morning when I walked her to work.

The past two weeks have been difficult for me, but as the days go by, it gets easier. I walk her to the bakery every morning and then leave her there while I work on houses. Dominic told me that there was a need for a builder in the shifter community, and he recommended me to a few people. The work keeps my mind busy while Gwen is away from me, but I don’t know that I’ll ever be completely okay with her being out of reach.

I pull out my phone and check the tracker. I see that she’s still at work, or at least her phone is still inside the bakery. I put my phone away and smell again. Her scent is coming from the opposite direction of the bakery, from a trail that leads to the stream.

I decide to check out the scent just to be safe and to see what’s going on. I take a few steps down the trail and follow the smell. When I make it a few feet, I stop. I can smell Gwen’s wolf, and she’s close. Suddenly, I can feel a wicked smile spreading across my face. My mate is trying to play hide and seek.

I slip off my shirt and jeans and leave them in a pile beside a tree. This is shifter territory, and no one will bother things that smell of other shifters. The snow is light today, only just having started falling yesterday. The afternoon sun is peeking through the trees, and the cold breeze lends a crisp chill to the air.

Gwen and I have gone for runs in the woods a few times. At first, I was really nervous, keeping her close to me and never letting her out of my sight. But like all things with my mate, she opens me up to life. I would have kept locking us inside our home for the rest of our lives if she’d let me, but she keeps reminding me that there’s life outside our bubble.

Once I’m naked, I shift, easily slipping into my large black wolf. I catch her scent even faster this way, and I take off in the direction she’s headed. I lengthen my stride as I prowl through the woods, bringing her closer and closer to me. I run through the trees, letting my wolf come to the front and control my instincts as I track my mate with precision.

When I come to a small meadow, I stop, sensing she’s close. I crouch down on all fours, looking around and waiting for her to make her move.

This place is several miles from town and utterly beautiful. I’ve been out this way before, but most shifters don’t come out this far. It’s still in the protected zone, so I know my mate is safe. I scent the area again just to be sure, and she’s the only other one out here.

The meadow is small and surrounded by thick trees, covered with a light dusting of snow. I lie in the shadows and wait until she makes her move.

After a few moments, my patience pays off and I see her breach the trees. Her wolf walks through the clearing, slowly making her way to the center.

Each time I see her, her beauty takes my breath away. Her wolf is solid white with crystal blue eyes, and she’s long and lean. She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, and I’ll never get tired of looking at her.

Silently, I creep forward just to the edge of the trees, and I watch as she goes to the middle and stops. She looks over in my direction as if she senses me, and lowers herself to the ground, growling.

Oh, my mate wants to wrestle? Done.

Digging my feet into the snow for traction, I leap out of the trees and into the small clearing. As I come down to land on my mate, she rolls over and kicks up her paws, knocking me off her.

I can feel my wolf grin as I run back to her, and we begin to roll in the woods playfully. I can’t remember a time before our mating when I played. Since mating with Gwen, she’s opened my eyes and my heart to life. I had shut down who I was and what I wanted for so long, just existing and not living. Thanks to her I laugh every day. I say ‘I love you’ every day. And I never forget to tell her just how important she is to me. I have a family again.

After we are both covered in snow, I pounce on her one final time, holding her to the ground. I playfully nip at her neck and watch her shift under me. I shift at the same time, both of us naked in the middle of the meadow.

“I knew you’d find me,” she giggles, reaching up and rubbing my face. She likes to pet me, and we’ve both discovered I like to be petted.