“Oh.” His cheeks flushed a deep red. “Well, do you - doyouwantto?”
“I mean, I want whatever my wolf wants,youknow?”
His blush somehow got even deeper. “Isee.”
Silence fell, and the clearing went quiet. The only noise was the quiet night wind between thetrees.
I took the first step. A low, magnetic sensation vibrated in the air between us. My wolf and my bodywantedDavid. It was unlike anything I’d felt before - at least, not that I could remember right now. Was this the connection we had? Was this the truth that Gunner had stripped awayfromme?
I took another step. Only a few feet separatedusnow.
“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” David said seriously. “I only just got you back. We can take it slow, like we did in thebeginning.”
I paused, then asked, “How didwemeet?”
David smiled. A warm softness spread across his expression as he recalled the memory. “It was a cold, shitty day. There must have been at least two feet of snow, and it was practically impossible to walkanywhere.”
He laughed a little as he spoke, which warmed my heart. I knew his story was genuine, which was something I’d been lacking in my time here. Maybe, hopefully, I wondered, hearing this would jog mymemory.
I closed my eyes, andlistened.
“I was pissed off that day, for some reason. I think I’d run out of milk or something and was on my way to the grocery store. But right in front of the door, I slipped on ice underneath the snow and completely wiped out. And there you were, laughing yourassoff.”
“Ilaughedatyou?”
David nodded, a twinkle in his eyes. “You did. I got so mad at first. There I was, laying embarrassed in the snow, with this random omega laughing at me. But then you helped me up. And to be honest, your laugh was infectious. I found myself laughing with you, laughing atmyself.”
Something like mist danced across my eyelids. I imagined the scene and it materialized in my mind as if I’d really been there. Except Ihadbeen there. The memory was real, visceral, honest, palpable. For a brief second, it felt like I could reach out and touch the snow, feel the bitter cold on my skin, hear David’slaughter.
“Niko?” David’s voice was full ofconcern.
I didn’t open myeyes. “Hm?”
“You’recrying.”
I lifted a hand to my face and found tears streaking down my cheeks. I opened my eyes, and the misty memory faded away. But this time, I wouldn’t lose itagain.
“I… I remember,”Isaid.
David’s eyes widened. He came closer to me, his body tense with excitement. “Youdo?”
“Yes. When you described it, I could sort of see it. It came backtome.”
I thought I saw a glint of tears in his eyes a moment before he rushed towards me and wrapped his arms around me. His chest was firm and warm, and I found myself melting into it. With a tiny sigh, I reciprocated the embrace. My heart thrummed. My wolf howled with happiness. Feeling his arms around me like this feltright.
“I’m so sorry,” David murmured inmyear.
“Aboutwhat?”
“For ever lettingyougo.”
I shook my head gently. “Don’t worry about that anymore. What’s important is that we’re here, right now. We won’t lose each otheragain.”
“You’re right.” David sighed. “You always were thesmartone.”
I laughed, then did something unexpected. My body moved on its own. Before I knew what I was doing, I leaned up and kissed David onthelips.
David froze, but didn’t pull away. I think he was more shocked than anything else. But a moment later, he was kissing me back. It was a soft, chaste kiss - but it was more wonderful than I everremembered.
