“Yourcoat,” she said, attempting a smile that felt wobbly at the edges.
“Right.” His eyes crinkled at the corners, not mocking her situation but acknowledging its strangeness. “Let me get you something warm first.”
“I’ll go grab my fuzzy socks,” Maisie said and disappeared down the hallway.
“I can show you our Christmas tree,” Teddy said, bouncing on his toes. “Dad says it’s the best one ever, but he says that every year.”
Holly smiled at his enthusiasm. The simple joy in his voice made her chest ache with something that felt dangerously close to belonging. “I’d love to see it. But I don’t want to make your floor wet.”
“Take off your shoes, and scoop up your dress,” Teddy suggested, acting out a scooping action.
How could she refuse? With a smile, she leaned down and scooped up the soggy bottom of her dress, making sure she would not drip on the floor. “Okay.” The gesture felt ridiculous and oddly ceremonial, like she was gathering up the remnants of one life to carry them carefully into another.
“This way, princess!” Teddy took her hand, his small fingers wrapping around hers with complete trust. The innocence of the gesture made her throat tighten as he guided her into the living room.
The Brooks’ home wasn’t large or fancy, but it radiated warmth in a way that had nothing to do with the actual temperature. Soft lamplight cast a golden glow over well-worn furniture. Pictures lined the walls—mostly of the children at various ages, gap-toothed grins and birthday candles marking the passage of time. Toys peeked out from under chairs, a blanket was half-folded on the back of the sofa, a pair of tiny socks lay abandoned near a heating vent…beautiful, ordinary chaos.
And there, dominating one corner of the room, stood a Christmas tree that made Holly’s breath catch.
It wasn’t perfect by magazine standards. The ornaments clustered unevenly, clearly placed by small hands. Homemade decorations mingled with store-bought ones, and a slightly crooked star topped it all. But something about it made her want to stay. To be a part of this cozy world.
One obviously filled with love. The kind of love that didn’t need polishing or staging, that existed in smudged fingerprints on baubles and crumpled paper chains and a star that listed slightly to the left. The kind of love she’d always told herself was for other people.
Chapter Three – Daniel
Daniel climbed the stairs with unsteady legs, his heart pounding so hard he thought it might burst out. He gripped the banister for support as he reached the landing, needing a moment to collect himself.
Our mate…His bear was equally in shock.Our mate is downstairs.His bear’s voice rumbled through him, vibrating with joy and disbelief in equal measure.
Daniel pressed his palm against the wall, steadying himself. “I know,” he whispered aloud, then froze. The kids would think he’d lost his mind if they heard him talking to himself.
I know,he repeated silently to his bear.But she doesn’t. And she just ran away from her own wedding. This isn’t exactly ideal timing.
His bear huffed dismissively.The timing is perfect. She didn’t marry someone else. She’s here. With us. Where she belongs.
Daniel pushed off from the wall and headed to his bedroom, trying to focus on the simple task of finding clothes for Holly. Just thinking of her name sent another wave of that strange, instinctive recognition through him. He’d heard stories about mate-bonds all his life, and in the last few weeks, his best friends had also found their mates, but nothing had prepared him for the reality.
The bone-deep certainty that she was meant for him, that had appeared in an instant and now felt as fundamental as breathing.
He opened his dresser, rifling through for his smallest sweatpants and a soft, worn sweater that wouldn’t swallow hercompletely. The domesticity of the action—providing clothes for her to wear—made his bear purr with satisfaction.
She’ll smell like us,his bear noted with obvious pleasure.
Daniel grabbed a T-shirt too, since layers were important if you wanted to keep warm.
Or he could hold her and use his body heat…
He took a breath and let it out slowly. He needed to act normal, to be practical, and not overwhelm her with the intensity of what he was feeling. Holly needed shelter, warmth, kindness, not a shifter announcing she was his destined mate mere hours after she’d fled her own wedding.
Are you sure?his bear asked unhelpfully.
Yes,Daniel replied as he shut the drawer.We play the long game. We always have.
He gathered the clothes and headed back downstairs, trying to compose his features into something resembling casual hospitality rather than the earth-shattering revelation that was still reverberating through him. Shoulders loose, mouth relaxed, nothing to see here except a man not losing his mind over a woman in a wedding dress.
However, his carefully composed expression did not last long as Daniel stopped short in the doorway to the living room. Holly stood before the Christmas tree, her wedding dress catching the colored lights, Teddy’s small hand still in hers.
The sight of her there, in his home, admiring the tree he and the kids had decorated together, hit him with unexpected force. She belonged there, with his children, with him, as if the universe had this all figured out all along.
