Page 13 of Chasing Dawn

I laughed and threw a pillow at his head. He tossed it back, and I ducked, letting it hit a painting of a bear in the forest that hung on the stone wall.

“As I was saying, unfortunately there’s no ensuite bathroom in here, but only me, Franklin, and Vance use the bathroom in this area, so, uh, don’t even worry about that. We’ll give you all the privacy you need.” I hadn’t seen Talbot this lost for words in five years, but he plowed ahead, handing her a remote. “This controls the lights and the TV, and this button calls for help. If you need us, we’ll be here in a heartbeat.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, and I walked over to the bed and pulled the blankets back, helping her shuffle beneath them.

“Come on, sunrise. You need to rest.” She scoffed at the silly name but did as she was asked.

She climbed beneath the fluffy covers with a sigh. “It feels like being hugged by a cloud.” I wanted to hug her too and show her clouds were overrated when she could have me, or hell, I’d shift into a bear, and she could have the best of both worlds. She looked up at me, her eyes wide and vulnerable, even though her hair was greasy. Maybe I should get someone to help her shower? Would she let me, or would that be weird?

No, that would definitely be weird. I blinked away the thought as she continued speaking.

“Actually, do you think I could have some chocolate? I haven’t had any in years.”

Talbot was gone in an instant and back before I could even say yes. He handed her his peanut butter cup stash. Like the whole jar.

Holy shit, he did still love her. “Here you go.”

She took it and hugged it to her body, then she smelled herself and scrunched her nose. “I stink.”

I wanted to tell her she smelled like roses and home, but that would be a lie. She smelled pretty fucking bad, considering she’d been trekking toward us for so long. The doctor had cleaned her off a little when he did surgery, but it was quick and out of necessity.

“We’ll run you a bath,” I said, then I paused. “Would you like us to get you one of the females to help you? You’re still pretty weak.”

“No!” That one word was harsh, and it cracked around the den. She shrunk back, like she expected us to beat her for the outburst. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, “but I don’t…” Another shuddery breath, and I gritted my teeth so I didn’t roar in frustration.

We had failed her so badly. I had failed her so badly. I didn’t prevent her pain, but I could have. I could have saved the girl who smiled in the sunshine and laughed at Talbot’s shitty jokes. If only I hadn’t been such a chickenshit.

Talbot reached out and put his hand on hers, kneeling in front of her. “It’s okay. We’ll run the bath and make the bubbles extra big, and then we’ll just hang around outside in case you need help.”

I wanted to tell her we could hop in there with her and make sure she didn’t slip beneath them and drown, but I didn’t. Nudity wasn’t a big thing for shifters. We still had women’s and men’s bathrooms, because no one wanted to see some elderly bear scrubbing his saggy balls in the showers. I mean, I was still forced to see it, but at least we could protect the women and children from that sight.

There was a heap of difference between getting naked to shift for a run and seeing the girl of your dreams naked in the bath though.

Finally, she nodded, and Talbot raced out to get the bath running. I stepped forward, picking her up in my arms. “Let’s get you something clean to wear afterwards.” I headed toward my den. I should have left her in bed and gotten her what she needed, but I didn’t really want to leave her alone. I walked a few feet down the hall and stepped into my room. We didn’t lock the doors here, even though they were all fitted with deadbolts.

I set her on my bed, and she looked around. “This room smells like you,” she murmured, her fingers stroking my blankets.

“I’ve lived here since I moved out of the family den.” I looked around and tried to see the room how she did. Luckily, I’d cleaned it the other day, so there was only the stray sock where it shouldn’t be, and all my cups had gone back to the kitchen.

I pulled out a drawer and grabbed a hoodie. It was basically going to be a dress, but it would be cozy. I gave her some clean boxers straight out of the packet to act as shorts, so it was a whole aesthetic. Tomorrow, I’d see if I could track down some proper girl’s clothes for her.

I tucked them under my arm and walked over to heft her into my arms again. It wasn’t really a heft. She was so light that I knew she was malnourished. I could feel the pointed bones of her hips beneath my fingers.

I tried not to think about it so I didn’t scare her again by growling.

When we made it to the bathroom, Talbot had the bubbles running so high, they were basically overflowing the deep tub. He grinned, and I knew he probably tipped half a bottle in there, but it was worth it for Dawn’s awed gasp. I was going to make it my life’s mission to squeeze as many of those sounds from her lips as possible.

I walked to the edge and lowered her to her feet. She wobbled, and her knees gave way. A frown crossed her face, followed by sadness.

“Don’t worry, we’ll fix this. Talbot, close your damn eyes.” My twin did exactly what he was told. I lifted her and set her on the edge of the bath. “Dip your toes in. How’s the water?”

The soft sigh of happiness told me everything I needed to know. “Perfect.”

I grinned and saw Talbot’s smile pulling at his cheeks too, even though he had his hands cupped over his face.

“Good. I’ll close my eyes and take your gown off, then you can slide right in and hide beneath the bubbles.”

She nodded, and I closed my eyes. Tugging at the edges of her gown, I slid it down over her sides, trying to ignore the indrawn breath she emitted when my fingers touched her skin. I held out my arm, and she used it as a handrail as she climbed slowly into the bath. I listened for the light splash of her entering the water.