“Oh, yes.” I stood up from the table where we’d been talking. “I am a little tired.” And not about to dump all my trauma on someone I just met. But Christmas Day was over, at least, and I could start the healing process all over again.
I picked up my bag and started for the guest room. “Room on the right?”
“Yes.” He pointed in the correct direction. “Go and make yourself at home. I’ll wake you up for dinner.”
“I don’t think I’ll sleep that long, but I appreciate the hospitality. It’s very kind of you to take in a stranger.”
“Remember, you promised not to murder me.” He spoke sternly. “Now, go! Rest.”
I studied his face, the humor in his expression diluting the fierceness of his order. As an alpha, I was unused to being bossed around, buthow could I be angry about something intended in kindness. My living brother and his family were nice to me, but even though they wanted me with them, I never felt seen in the way I did here.
Those bags under my eyes had been there at their home as well, but with their family and all the holidays entailed, they hadn’t noticed. Or at least had not commented. They tried to make me welcome, but my lack of holiday cheer did not exactly make it easy for them to have the happy time they deserved.
Jude’s living room was still decorated, but I’d have to just ignore it as best I could. With all he was doing for me, it was the least I could do in return. Since it seemed likely I’d be here for a week, I would need to behave like a polite guest. And, for now, I would be safely in the guest room where I could soothe my overwrought senses for a while.
Drawing in a deep breath, I opened the door and stumbled backward. No…I couldn’t.
Who, if they were not having company over the holidays, bothered to decorate their guest room? Even my brother and his family kept the kitsch to thecommon areas with a tiny tree in the kids’ playroom. Jude did seem to be really into the season… As I stared at the queen-size bed with its red-and-green ornament quilt, matching drapes at the window, a Christmas-themed throw over the back of the rocking chair and everything else, my vision blurred. When it cleared, I noticed the braided rug to the side of the bed had Santa’s bearded face beaming up at me. And there was more. So much more. A North Pole village. A Christmas tree. A copy of’Twas the Night Before Christmason the nightstand.
Maybe…maybe I’d misunderstood which room I was to take? But I’d checked. Still, I stepped back out into the hallway. “Hey, this is the right room?”
Jude was sweeping up some needles under the big tree. “Yes, the one on the right. And there’s an attached bath in there. The cabin has technically two primary bedrooms, same size and with en suites.”
Damn. That had been my last hope. That I’d somehow wandered into his room. If this was how he did the guest room, his must be plastered with holly. I wasn’t going to find out.
“Okay. Thanks.” Returning to the guest room, I set my bag down on a padded bench at the foot of the bed, unzipped it, and withdrew my shower bag. I’d sleep much better if I had a warm shower. But when I opened the bathroom door, I stumbled back. Shower curtain Santa…check. Trash can embossed with reindeer and a sleigh…check. Red towels, but at least they were just the color and didn’t have any pictures on them or anything.
My fight-or-flight instinct kicked in, muscles tensing, and it took all of my self-control not to turn and run out into the snow. With nowhere to go. I’d avoided all of this for so many years, put up walls when I couldn’t escape, hidden behind them. And that was in situations where people understood, at least as much as they could.
This omega was enjoying his Christmas season. He saw only the beauty in it, and it was not up to me to ruin that because mine had been ruined by trauma. Wasn’t it enough that I suffered? My wolf, generally pretty quiet inside me, stirred with a low growl. My twin’s wolf had been his brother, as I understood it,and he’d been in grief as long as I had. Did the animals die when we did? I didn’t know, and my wolf never said, but I understood enough to get that my brother’s wolf was at least not alive on this plane.
Loneliness followed us both. So, yes, I shifted, we hunted, and ran. But without the joy we’d shared while my twin was still with us.
With no choice but to stay, I pulled the curtain back and found a space completely without ornamentation. A basic, clean stall into which I placed my shampoo and soap. I stripped off my travel-stained clothes and turned on the water then, as it warmed, stepped under the spray and let it wash away whatever tension it could.
A small window revealed snow coming down heavier, but inside this home I was safe, and gratitude for the omega’s providing sanctuary warmed me as much as the water. Dry and clean, I pulled on a pair of boxers and crawled into the bed for a rest. I never napped, but I was tired and needed to close my eyes for a few minutes.
Wolf friend.
My eyes popped open. I had never heard this from my beast before. And it touched me deeply. Maybe our short stay would be healing for him as well.
Chapter Eight
Jude
“Something smells incredible.”
I was stirring elk stew, caught up in my own bubble of nervousness, when Ripley spoke. Overthinking was kind of my thing, especially when there was an alpha occupying those thoughts. And this wasn’t any alpha. This wasthealpha.Myalpha. My wolf demanded I acknowledge the fact, but I was still on the fence. Teetering toward his side, though.
Elk stew was one of my specialties. I’d hunted the elk myself and processed it right here in my home. My wolf didn’t mind food from the grocery store, generally, but he wanted to kill our meat with his own mouth.
I shook my head. He wasn’t talking about me smelling incredible. He was referring to the stew.
“I hope you like elk. I make a lot of soups and stews in this weather, but I could make something else if you like.”
He chuckled, rolling up the sleeves of his Henley shirt that tugged and stretched over his pecs. “Stew is great. The smell woke me up from my nap. I must’ve been tired. Knocked out as soon as my head hit the pillow.”
The alpha was comfortable here. It meant the world to me that my den could be a place where he would relax and refuel his body. “That’s good. Winter is the time to rest. I’ve never understood why humans choose January first to make new plans and begin new journeys. It’s cold, dark, wet, and the sun is out less. Makes sense to wait until spring. Sorry, I’m rambling.”
