Was it me or was it hot in here? I was sweating.
Erik was by my side suddenly, an arm around my waist. “Hey, what’s wrong? Do you want to leave?”
“No. No, don’t go out in this.”
My voice was raw, and had the edge of desperation to it that would have embarrassed me if I hadn’t been so worried about Erik driving out there. I’d learned how easy it was for someone to lose control of a car. The damage it could do.
And, out there on those country lanes, it would take hours for an ambulance to find us if something happened.
“Please.” I wasn’t above begging.
Erik nodded. “I won’t leave, okay? I won’t leave you.”
“Don’t drive in the snow.”
“I won’t.”
“Are you sure?”
If he was annoyed that I was questioning him, he didn’t give me any sign of it. Instead, he looked up at me with such sincerity and said, “I promise.”
Nodding, I relaxed slightly.
Erik said, “Come and sit in the other room. I’ll bring our tea in. And don’t worry, I’ve got enough food to last a few days so we won’t starve.”
For the first time, I realised that I’d basically dumped me and Sonny on him. “Sorry. I’m taking up your time and eating your food.”
“Not at all. I’d be stuck here anyway. This way, I have you to keep me company.”
He held out my borrowed crutch to me and I took it, then he picked up my plate and carefully lifted both mugs of tea and went into the living room. I followed him, and something about it made me feel… confident. He had turned his back on me and trusted me to follow behind. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d moved around my mum’s house without her eyes on me, waiting for me to fall. I loved her, and she was worried about me, so I’d never questioned it. But the fact that Erik was letting me do my own thing felt liberating.
Chapter 13
Erik
Icould hear Sonny’s regular breaths in the bedroom, quiet and reassuring. It was nice to hear sounds in the cottage that wasn’t just me walking around on my own.
In fact, I was thoroughly enjoying having them there, having Sonny in my bed and Declan right beside me on the couch. I was enjoying it too much and it made me feel guilty.
Sonny could have been really badly hurt, if I hadn’t been there to slide into the water after him and carry him somewhere warm quickly. And Declan was worried about Sonny and freaking out about the possibility of driving on the snow-covered roads.
I understood his fear, a little. The roads were narrow and twisted and turned. Covered in snow, the edges of the road weren’t visible and any car could slide off the lane and down into the ditch at the side. Or someone driving too fast could skid. That was the biggest risk.
I made sure my thigh was pressed against Declan’s to give him comfort as we sat together, without me draping myself all over him. I quite wanted to slide my tentacles around his shoulders and his waist and hold him tightly so he would know I’d never let him go out there alone again.
Obviously I didn’t. He wasn’t interested in me, he was in love with Sonny.
Not to mention he would freak out at the sight of my tentacles. Even other shifters found them creepy and slimy, so a human would hate them.
Suddenly my happiness dimmed a bit. Sitting so close to Declan wasn’t as fun any more.
I cleared my throat.
“I wasn’t expecting any guests this Christmas,” I began.
“Sorry,” said Declan quickly. “I didn’t mean to crash your cottage.”
“That’s not what I was saying. I meant I’m sorry there are no Christmas decorations up. It doesn’t look very festive.”
