Alec chuckled at Leif’s gentle teasing. Leif poured the tea as instructed and while it was steeping, he headed to the bathroom to make sure he was free of any remaining blood and gore. He felt Alec’s eyes on him as he went, and it made him happy to know his mate liked seeing him naked. He rarely wore clothes when he was alone—no reason to wear anything when he spent his time patrolling his territory as a wolf and only went out as a man when he needed supplies once a month. He did enjoy cooking and the comforts of home, so the cabin was fashioned with that in mind instead of merely being a den of stone and dirt.
His reflection caught him off guard. The smile on his face was wide and uncontrollable, and he let himself enjoy the emotions whirling in his chest and belly. This time yesterday he had been trapped in a rut of depression and loneliness, and a day later he was full of hope and a rising joy.
He left the bathroom after making sure no blood remained and he went to the chests behind his massive bed; the bed’s platform was also full of storage drawers and hatches full of stuff. Mostly clothing, weapons, and a few personal items from his long life.
Equipment and supplies for cabin upkeep were kept farther down the mine shaft at the dead end, another seventy or so feet past the walls he built behind the bed platform. The bedroom was built in the main shaft, the wallbehind the bed cutting off access to the remaining mine shaft.
That wall had a hidden door that led to the rest of the tunnel, and the door was fashioned in such a way that it was impossible to see, the seams obscured by design, the hinges recessed. He knew it was there, but if someone entered the cabin while he was gone, they would find next to nothing to steal. Maybe the copper wiring and pipes, and some of the antique swords in the chest he mentioned to Alec might fetch a thief some decent cash.
The end of the original mining tunnel was used for storage and he was happy to expand it into a room for Alec if his mate wanted his own space.
If Alec even wanted to stay here in the woods with him once the initial rush of the mate bond lifted. Alec mentioned getting things to make it easier for him to live in the cabin—which Leif supported—but then, they’d been mates for less than a day. Leif learned long ago to never argue with Fate, but Fate seldom laid out the clearest path to its end goal.
Never take anything for granted. It was the fastest way to die…and break your own heart.
Chapter 8
Alec
Breakfast was filling, and Alec hid a massive yawn behind his hand, jaw creaking. Leif was watching him with a soft expression, and Alec blushed. He was not used to a man gazing at him with any kind of softness. Affection was a foreign concept after the death of his mother, and the few sexual partners he’d had weren’t the kind for softness or concern.
Alec was dressed again in clean clothes borrowed from Leif; he’d left the previous bloody garments out on the front stoop before making breakfast to keep the smell from the cabin. Dishes washed and put away, enemies dead and left for the carrion birds, Alec was ready for a nap. A warm, solid arm curled around his back, and Alec leaned into Leif, snuggling into the heat of that big, strong body. Leif reminded Alec of an ancient oak tree, standing tall despite centuries of storms, wildfires, and greedy humans with axes.
He was really tired.
Alec realized his eyes were shut, and he blinked them open, yawning again. “Can I take a nap?”
“I was about to suggest just that,” Leif murmured, and Alec hardly noticed when Leif swooped him up in his strong arms and carried him down the tunnel to the bedroom. His mate obviously liked to carry him around and Alec had no problem with it.
“Nap with me?” Alec asked, nuzzling into the warm skin of Leif’s neck. Breathing in the scent of his mate, he felt the bond stir to life. Each touch, each glance, every breath laced with the scent of Leif made the bond glow, as if happy, content. “You can go wolfy if you want.”
“Wolfy?” Leif chuckled, “is that an official word for the Change?”
“Yes, I just decided right this moment,” Alec teased, smiling, barely awake but happy to banter with Leif. He was so different from what society said alphas were like—he was powerful, but kind, patient, and tender. Not at all the brutish, overprotective, possessive alpha-hole from urban legends and romance novels.
Alec dozed in and out but was alert enough to register Leif tucking him into bed, the werewolf stripping out of his clothes, but pausing before removing his pants. “Clothes off?”
“Clothes are evil,” Alec muttered, making Leif snort out a laugh, the alpha shucking his pants and tossing them to the side. He was gloriously naked and Alec loved the view.
Alec wiggled around until he was able to remove his own shirt, and then big, hot hands helped him get out of his borrowed clothing. He reveled in the feel of the furs and clean sheets on his bare skin, and then the heat pouring off of Leif as his mate slid under the covers beside him.
Alec rolled into Leif and fussed about with soft whimpers, making Leif laugh again, but his mate understood Alec’s silent demand and wrapped him in strong arms,holding him securely to his broad chest. Alec pressed his nose to the firm expanse and sighed happily, falling asleep before he even managed to finish a breath.
Leif
Alec was asleep instantly,his breathing evening out as he gradually went limp, his soft, near-snores vibrating against Leif’s chest. Holding his naked mate in his arms was arousing and delightful, but he was old enough to tell his cock to behave and wait until Alec made it clear he wanted sex. Nothing was more of a turn-off than an unenthusiastic partner.
A few hours later he woke to Alec sprawled out by his side, and found himself in his wilder form, having Changed in his sleep. He slept most nights as the wolf, but now that he had a mate, he might need to be a man more often. A habit to build.
Alec’s head rested on Leif’s foreleg, both arms wrapped around his leg, fingers buried in thick fur, as if afraid Leif would disappear while he slept.
He sniffed along Alec’s head and down to his shoulders, unable to stop his tongue from licking the bare skin he found. Alec twitched, tickled, and Leif made himself behave, resting his head atop of Alec, covering his mate. Alec wasn’t a small man, but he was far, far smaller than Leif when he was the wolf, and it made a primitive, wild part of him quite satisfied at the size disparity.
They spent the day in bed, Alec sleepily asking if he could stay abed instead of getting up, and it made Leifincredibly happy to let his mate recover in his bed. Between food and water breaks, Alec always reached for Leif, needing to touch. The bond grew in the quiet moments, and Leif rested, content, protecting Alec as he slept.
Alec
Ridinga gigantic wolf in broad daylight was a far different experience than doing so in the dead of night.
