“You don’t have to do that.”
“I’m hot.I don’t feel the cold.”He kept his hands on her shoulders and Astrid slid her hands inside each arm.
“Thank you.”His warmth surrounded her, along with his musky scent.She could never quite put her finger on what he smelled like.It was like the earth and home, and everything that gave her comfort.She was pretty sure there was a little pine mixed in there as well.
Lord didn’t remove his hands right away.He gripped her shoulder and she liked him holding her.Actually, she loved having his hands on her.
****
Lord had intended tosteer clear of the house.The costume he wore was an old one his mother had made for him.He didn’t know why he had kept it, just that he had if there was ever a need to wear it.Even after all these years, it still fit.
He loved to see the look on the kids’ faces when he hinted at being so old.He was not an old wolf.He was forty-five years old, and to many wolves, that was young.Without a pack or a mate, he knew he was going to age a little faster.It was why he had the streaks of grey in his hair.He didn’t know how being in a pack or mated slowed down the aging process, just that it did for some packs.Lord hadn’t minded the aging.
Wolves were not infallible, although folklore pretended they were.He would live a long life, but over the last few years, that had seemed almost unbearable.
The last few months hadn’t, though.
The kids started to come fewer and fewer as it got later.Astrid still didn’t want to go in the house.He heard soft, spooky music playing, and he saw, even with his jacket, she was getting cold.He needed to find a way to warm her up, fast.He didn’t want her getting cold.He had a horrible feeling the guys would be pissed if their best cook couldn’t feed them anymore.He knew he would be.
Going to the stereo, he turned up the music, and then glanced toward her.“I don’t suppose I could have this dance?”
“I don’t know how to dance,” she said, nibbling her lip, which he found so cute.
“That’s okay, because I know how to dance for both of us.It’s all right, I don’t bite.”
Although, imagining sinking his teeth into the flesh of her ass was so damn intoxicating.He’d love to get his mouth on her body, but he didn’t say a word.Now was not the time for crazy, sexy fantasies, although that was exactly what he wanted.She was pure temptation to him.
He was used to his years of being a lone wolf with no one around.Maybe that was why he was reacting this way.
Astrid stepped toward him, put her hand in his, and he wondered if she felt the sudden hit of electricity.It was sharp and intense.The moment her hand was in his, he didn’t want to let go.This need kept pulling him, begging him to continue.
He pulled her in close and immediately put a hand at the base of her back.Staring into her brown eyes, that pull didn’t fade, but got stronger.Holding her as close to him as possible, he let the music flow over them, and he touched as much of her as he could, attempting to warm her up.At first, she shook within his arms.The cold had seeped into her bones.
No more children came to visit.They were all alone, surrounded by the spooky fairy lights Astrid had put up.
He never celebrated Halloween.As a wolf, he didn’t find it funny.This year, he had enjoyed it.He liked to see the kids dressing up as wolves, or whatever ghouls they picked.
The scent of vanilla assailed his senses and he didn’t want to let her go.She was everything he ever wanted.He felt this overwhelming sweeping urge to press his face against her neck, to breathe her in, but he ignored it.He was not going to push too far.His natural body warmth began to flood her, and she stopped shaking.She started to rest her head against his chest.There was something different in his wolf—a calmness he wasn’t used to.
One song ended, and a second one started, but he wasn’t ready to let her go.Astrid didn’t try to pull away.This was everything.He didn’t want it to stop.
And then, fireworks suddenly went off, filling the night sky with bright, shocking color.It startled Astrid and she pulled out of his arms.
Lord gritted his teeth.
At the sound of the horses from the barn, he had no choice but to go and check on them.“I’ll be right back,” he said.
It didn’t matter how long he took.Checking on the horses, he saw they were all fine.The sudden noise hadn’t seemed to startle them.
The moment between him and Astrid was lost.He arrived at the front of the house to find her already putting items away, carrying in the leftover candy, along with the tables.
“That was some night, huh?”she asked.
He wanted to pull her in his arms again, but he knew it was going to be pointless and inappropriate.He was the fucking boss.
“Yeah,” he said.
Astrid removed his jacket as the last of the tables were taken inside.“Thank you for keeping me warm.”
