Page 80 of The Thief

Bear’s wolf undoubtedly made me feel protected, but tonight I needed more.

“You.”

He put his legs under the covers.

“Wait a second,” I said. “You can’t wear jeans to sleep.”

“My clothes are downstairs.”

“Take them off.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The metal zipper slowly going down got me a little hot but not enough to reach over and start something. He removed his jeans, leaving him in a pair of boxer briefs. The second he switched the light off, scratching sounded from the door.

Then a whimper.

Then a yelp.

Bear cursed under his breath and shot up from the bed. When he opened the door, ambient light filtered in.

“No,” he said firmly.

Then an incessant moan replied. When Bear shut the door, the wolf barked.

Sitting up and gripping the covers, I told him, “Open the door before he wakes up the house.”

When he did, Virgil’s white wolf pounced onto the bed and licked my face.

“I’m fine,” I said, realizing his wolf had come out because he was concerned about my fragile state.

Bear lingered at the door, arms crossed. But Virgil’s wolf sat on his haunches and stared defiantly at him. During the standoff, I realized I was either going to sleep alone or with the both of them. Virgil was in protection mode by his body language, and there was no reasoning with a wolf.

I lay back down. “Might as well surrender. He’s either gonna bark all night outside the door or sleep in here.”

Bear shut the door and made his way over. Candlelight from the vanity cast shadows across the walls, the aroma of cinnamon apples overtaking the stench of ash. When he crawled under the covers, I stirred with laughter.

“I didn’t plan on anything happening between us,” he said. Then he inched closer. “Not unless you want it to.”

I touched his lips. “Virgil can remember his entire shift. So why don’t we just go to sleep without any talking.”

Bear sighed loudly—a silent message to Virgil, whose wolf was walking in a circle to snuggle between us.

Just as we settled in, a light knock sounded at the door. When Lucian entered the room, Bear sat up in a rush.

“Don’t bother,” Lucian said, closing the door behind him. “I already know you two are in a sexual relationship. Do you really think you can keep secrets from a Chitah?”

When he crawled on the right side of the bed, I glimpsed his eyes. Even in candlelight, I could see the gold pulsing with black. He purred low, a deep vibration that sounded like a lion or large cat.

“If you flip your switch in here and start a fight, I’ll never forgive you,” I warned him.

While this bed wasn’t built for four, I was touched. Maybe both Virgil and Lucian were acting on instinct, but they cared, and knowing that people cared about me made me fiercely protective of those friendships. I wanted to honor them the best way I could. Never again would I hurt those who trusted and depended on me or looked to me for advice or friendship. Would my packmates always feel this protective? Would they change their opinions after learning what I’d done?

It didn’t matter. This moment—this feeling—of having packmates who were there for me filled the empty hole in my heart. Maybe this was what the old me had always been missing and why she’d made so many mistakes. All that I’d ever needed to guide me in the right direction was love.

A foul stench infiltrated my nose, and I yanked the cover over my head. “Who did that?”

Virgil whined.

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