“She’ll want it. Check the cabinets and refrigerator.” I had a sneaking suspicion she’d have a couple of chocolate bars stashed in the fridge somewhere. “And Henry’s food,” I added. “He likes that applesauce.”
Chance quietly did my bidding while I held firm to Reese, who barely stirred in my arms. The adrenaline withdrawal from what she experienced that evening had likely taken its toll. And from what I knew about my mate, there was a good chance that she hadn’t slept well in quite some time. She was exhausted.
If I had any luck, she’d sleep the entire drive back to her new home in New Mexico. With me. Where I could keep her safe.
While there was the possibility of her having an adverse reaction to my taking her away from all she knew, that didn’t stop my sense of relief as I loaded her into my truck. I leaned over and secured the seat belt in place before running my hand down the side of her face. She inhaled and leaned into my hand.
A thrill shot straight to my cock at how her body responded to my touch, even in sleep.
Henry whimpered behind me. He stared up at me with an uncertain look in his eyes. I moved to the back door, peeling it open. With one arm, I reached down and picked him up to get him into the truck. He settled onto the back seat. I placed the large dog bed that had been beside Reese’s bed beside him. He licked the side of my face, grateful.
I chuckled when my wolf growled at him, causing Henry to bow in deference.
“You need one of these.”I turned to Chance and caught the T-shirt he tossed my way.
“Thanks, brother.”
I’d lost my shirt when we arrived at Reese’s, and I instantly smelled other shifters in the area. I caught Reese’s scent and followed it down the trail she walked, where the shifter scent increased. As soon as I hit the pathway, I shifted, uncaring about the clothing I destroyed. All that mattered was getting to my mate, ensuring her safety.
We always kept extra clothing nearby for just this reason. I was able to grab my extra pair of jeans from Chance’s truck before confronting Reese, but I hadn’t cared about putting on a shirt since checking on her to make sure she wasn’t injured took priority.
Chance nodded and went over to his truck, waiting for me to pull out with my precious cargo, before following me. Reese was still fast asleep, even as I reached over, taking her hand and bringing it to my lips.
“We’re going home,” I promised before placing her hand in my lap. Those words never sounded better.
CHAPTER13
Reese
I hummed and sighed as I rolled over in the bed, wiggling my body deeper into the warmth of the bedsheets.
“Henry,” I groaned when I felt his warm, wet tongue licking at my fingers that hung over the edge of the bed. “It’s too early,” I mumbled without opening my eyes. He continued to lick at my fingers, tickling them.
“Okay, Okay. I’ll take you out.” I inhaled deeply and took a long breath before finally peeling my eyelids open. When I did, I came nose to nose with a giant gray-and-white wolf.
I screamed and sat straight up in bed. “What the hell?” I yelped as I scurried over to the far edge of the bed in an attempt to get away from the furry beast.
“What’s going on?” A booming voice pushed through my terror.
Chael stood at the doorway, eyes wide, appearing as if he was ready to attack.
What the heck is he doing in my bedroom?
That was the moment I took a look around me and realized I wasn’t in my bedroom at all.
This bedroom was massive, probably double the size of my room at home. The bed I woke up in had to be a California king size and sat low to the floor. On the far side of the room rested a long desk and accompanying chairs. Wooden paneling lined three of the walls, while the fourth wall slanted at a forty-five-degree angle. A spacious window sloped into the wall, allowing me to see out into the distance.
Are those mountains?
“Elsie, you were supposed to come to get me when she awakened,” Chael said to the wolf, bringing me back to reality.
It whined.
His face softened. “Thank you for watching over her. You can leave her to me now,” he said in a more delicate tone but it still held his usual underlying authority.
The wolf lingered as if it wanted to stay.
“You can come back later.”
