“It was a shitty accident, Emberlin.You couldn’t have known that would happen.You could have been grabbed just as easily as Talia or died out there in the dark.”
She shivered and he put his arms around her, unable to stop himself from holding her.
“Thanks for finding me, Sebastian.”
“I will always find you.”
She smiled up at him and it made him feel warm from the inside out.
“Okay,” she said, pushing away and taking his hand.“So, if you had to guess, would we be able to leave Northernmost between now and Christmas Day when Santa is safe from Frost and his evil machinations?”
She held open the door to the cabin for him, and he found the small home charming, just like he’d always imagined for himself and his mate and family someday.
“Well,” he said, closing the door behind them, “we could possibly come back here before Christmas, but Santa has really cracked down on unnecessary trips.”
“No, I just mean, should I pack enough to last through Christmas, or could we come back?”
“It would be best if you packed enough to last.”
“That’s cool,” she said.She gave him a curious smile.“Are you ready to live with me already?We just met a few hours ago.”
“You’re my truemate.I feel like I’ve known you forever already.”
Her eyes crinkled at the corners.“I feel the same way.I didn’t know that was a thing, like love at first sight almost.It’s fast, but it doesn’t feel rushed, which I realize is an oxymoron.”
He followed her to her bedroom and sat on the bed while she pulled a suitcase from the closet and set it next to him.
“We can still take things slowly, you know,” he said.“I have another bedroom.You could stay in it if you’d like.”
She arched a brow at him.“Is that what you want?”
His wolf howlednoooooin his head.
The first damn time his wolf was practically verbal.
She stood in front of him, curved in all the right places, smelling like sweet vanilla and flowers, and stared down at him with her beautifully mismatched eyes – one gold and one blue.He grasped her hips, feeling the sweet warmth of her skin through her clothes and pulled her closer.She sat on his lap and put her arms around his neck.
“I want you in my bed, Emberlin.But I don’t want you to think that I’m trying to push things faster than they should go.We haven’t even gone on a date yet.But it’s also like three in the morning, and I’m oddly wired.”
“Me too.”She giggled.Cupping his face, she kissed him and then said, “I want us to move forward, however we move forward.Don’t worry about rushing things or holding back on what you’re feeling.We’re truemates.We met in such a strange way and you saved my life.I’m honestly game for whatever.”She tilted her head and kissed him again, and then she slipped from his lap and began to pack.
Okay.He was as turned on as he’d ever been and he very much wanted to toss her to the bed and find out what she sounded like when she was at the height of pleasure.But the security team was expecting them in less than an hour and at some point, he and Emberlin would give in to the exhaustion that was inevitably chasing them.He wanted to be at his best for her, so sexy whatnots could wait.
For a while, anyway.
When she was finished packing, she called her sister’s cell and she didn’t answer.Then she called Mother Nature and told her the good news.After a quick conversation, she ended the call and said, “We’re good to go.”
“Before we walk outside and you open a portal, tell me who all these people are in these photos.”She joined him at the fireplace and told him who the family and coven members were in the framed photos.He liked the glimpse into her life and was looking forward to getting to know her better.
He carried her suitcase while she slid a backpack onto her shoulders, and they walked outside, where she opened a portal.The security team was waiting and escorted them into Northernmost.
As the Portal closed, she yawned and adjusted the strap of her backpack.“Okay, the tiredness is catching up with me.”
“Me too, sweetheart.”
Hands linked, they walked with the security team to the main building and headed to his apartment to rest.What happened after that was anyone’s guess, and honestly, he didn’t care what they did as long as they were together.
Emberlin didn’t remember falling asleep in Sebastian’s arms in his apartment underground, beneath the ice and snow of Northernmost, but she was vaguely aware while she slept that she’d never felt so at peace or so safe in her whole life.
