Page 19 of Abdominal Snowman

Besides, tasing him would probably just scare her more, because the electricity would make his molecules all confused, and he’d end up half shifting and probably looking more like a monster than she ever thought he was.

He glared at her sleeping face and sighed. Fine.

Wrapping her in the blanket, he lifted her with barely any effort and glided across the floor to the stairs. Holding her this close made her scent even stronger, all mixed up with his. There was something possessive about it, and he didn’t know how to feel about that.

Half of him was hoping she would wake up and he’d get to startle her, and then she’d explain what the hell was going on. But sadly, she slept through it all, even when he lowered her to the bed and covered her up in order to make up for the loss of the fire.

He sighed. He was caring again.

With a roll of his eyes, he dropped the taser onto the bed, capped and safe and ready for use, though she wouldn’t ever need it.

If it made her feel safe, she could keep it. He’d just know to sleep with one eye open.

And he did just that, on the fucking couch like a gentleman, while the lady snored away in the loft’s California king bed.

* * *

Soren’s dreams were filled with rich, dark hair and bright amber eyes, a sense of peace filling his chest as he slept on the mildly uncomfortable couch. His eyes snapped open at the rustling of the blankets upstairs. The human must be up. Sage.

He jumped up quickly, grabbing the gym shorts he’d tossed off in a heated huff during the night. Despite how much he despised the heat, he’d kept the fire going all night for his special guest.

Soren didn’t want to add to her nerves. She was brave and very good at hiding her emotions behind a wall of sarcasm, but he knew she was nervous. And he knew there was curiosity warring with it.

Sage hadn’t run away screaming at the sight of his abominable. She wanted to know more, and that spoke volumes. But, this woman, this human woman, was curious about him.

Soren heard the soft padding of her feet across the floor, a swish of the blanket being dragged behind her. He sat up, straightened his back, and prepared himself for confrontation.

But she didn’t head toward the stairs. What the hell is she—

“Seriously?” he called up to her, shouting over the sound of the chair scraping along his hardwood.

There was a pause, an intelligible grumble, and the bathroom door slammed behind her. She was extra noisy as she jammed it under the handle.

Soren lifted his head to the ceiling, asking for patience from the skies themselves.

Flicking the blanket he’d used the night before back over the couch, Soren stood, stretched, and padded his way into the kitchen. He half listened as Sage ran through a morning routine, the rustle of clothing as she got changed, the water running as she brushed her teeth.

It was oddly… nice having someone here. It had been so long since someone besides himself had lived here, he’d forgotten. The thought made him frown. Was it really so easy to forget people so important to him?

Footsteps alerted him to the human’s presence, and Soren reminded himself to be polite as he turned toward her, a steamy mug of coffee in his hands.

“I wasn’t sure how you liked your coffee, so I left it black. I have cream and sugar, if that’s your poison.” He slid the mug across the countertop as if it was a bribe, a soft grin shot her way.

As he studied her, Soren realized what bright-eyed and bushy-tailed meant. This human, she looked… pretty. Her dark auburn hair was twisted away from her face, soft tendrils touching her cheeks from where they’d fallen from her bun. Sage’s eyes were bright, but suspicious as she greedily accepted the mug.

All in all, she reminded him of the… sunshine.

“Thanks,” she said softly, narrowing her gaze. “I’ll take some poison.”

Soren watched her, so indifferent to the monster standing so close. How was she so casual about this? Wasn’t she shocked?

Suddenly, she rolled her eyes and rounded the bar, coming in his direction. She even patted his shoulder as she walked by, the gentle human touch warming his skin.

The plastic cap of the creamer snapping open echoed around the quiet kitchen like a gunshot.

“I’ll just, um, go get dressed,” he said sheepishly. He turned and found Sage pouring a generous amount of cream into her coffee before waving a hand at him. Grabbing his own mug and hiding a smile, Soren wandered up the stairs and paused at the top. The mixed scent of his snowy pine and her muted strawberry was all over his room. It was heady, knowing she’d been in his space and sleeping in his bed.

Her creamy skin and fruity scent infiltrated his thoughts.