Page 47 of Wolf Forgotten

"You don't need to worry about me." Breathing in his scent, I shut my eyes, and my muscles relaxed. "Why do you smell so good?"

"I imagine it's because I'm your mate." He pulled back and kissed my forehead. "Let's go to bed. You're sleeping with me tonight."

I groaned. "My vagina has taken a pounding today. Maybe I should sleep in my bed."

He chuckled and wrapped his arm around me, walking me toward the sliding door. "I didn't mean to have sex. Just to sleep."

Imagining him wrapped around me, his face buried in my hair, made me happier than I thought it would.

* * *

The smellof bacon and coffee woke me up the next morning. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, I groaned in disappointment that it was barely seven. I loved sleeping in when I had nowhere to be, and seeing as I was on a leave and with little freedom, sleeping all day sounded right up my alley. But the smell of bacon takes no prisoners, so I pulled myself out of Cole's bed.

After brushing my teeth, I went downstairs to find Cole standing by the stove with no shirt on. His back was to me, his wolf tattoo greeting me, and he was staring intently at the pan on the stove that sizzled and popped. My heart sped at the sight.

“Is the bacon going to escape?” He must not have heard or smelled me coming down the stairs because he jumped at the sound of my voice. I laughed and went to the coffee pot where an empty cup waited that had the phrase ‘I Don’t Do Mondays’ on it in shiny letters. In small type under that was a list of the other days of the week. “Did you get me this?”

“I was going to give it to you at work, but well…” He shrugged and walked behind me to the refrigerator. He yanked it open, glass bottles clinking together, and pulled out eggs and orange juice.

“Do you like bacon and eggs?” He glanced at me briefly but turned his back to me to crack eggs in a bowl near the sink. His pajama bottoms rode low on his hips, showing the slightest sliver of his boxer briefs.

“There are people who don't like bacon and eggs? Well, besides vegans and vegetarians." Now that I was thinking about it, I was always grumpy when meals didn't include some kind of meat. “Where's Eli?"

"He's already outside gardening. He likes to get it done before we workout." He pulled the bacon out of the pan, setting it on paper towels. Before pouring eggs in the pan, he poured the grease into a bowl. The eggs were going to be delicious. "You should come to the den to workout. There are a few women who do their own workout."

"I don't know if you can handle me working out. I'm a beast in the gym." He snorted, and I gasped. "I'm a division one volleyball champion and was captain of my undefeated intramural team."

"How long has it been since you went beast mode in the gym?" He turned around and handed me two plates with steaming scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon.

My stomach growled as I sat down at the kitchen table, putting Cole's plate where he always sat. "It's been a few weeks since I worked out. With the retirement party, my birthday, and then my almost death, I've been a bit busy."

Cole went to the refrigerator and filled two glasses with ice. As he walked toward the table, I nearly choked on the piece of bacon I had just shoved in my mouth.

I had seen him naked after shifting and after having sex, but the sight of him strutting toward me in pajama bottoms was almost too much. They were barely hanging on his hips, riding just low enough to be indecent, and his muscles flexed as he walked. Besides the V cut that pointed like an arrow into his pants, there were a few raised veins that made my eyes settle there for way too long.

“Normally, I just walk around here naked in the morning, but I figured that might not be conducive to us doing anything except fucking all day. Next time, I’ll put a shirt on," he said teasingly. He sat down next to me, poured himself some orange juice, and took a drink, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. His closeness was making my nipples harden.

“No! I mean…” I shoved a large bite of toast into my mouth to shut myself up. His mouth quirked into a smile. I swallowed the toast and changed the subject. “Do you normally cook?”

“Eli cooks most of the time, but I told him I wanted to cook you breakfast.” He took a bite of bacon and closed his eyes as if he was savoring the taste. It was like he was purposely trying to rile me up.

“Who cooked that venison the other night?”Please say Eli. I really didn’t need any more reasons to find him attractive. I was spiraling head-first into adoration of this male, and I didn't want to go down that road when there were so many uncertainties.

“I did. I enjoy cooking when Eli lets me. What about you? Do you enjoy it?”

“Oh yes, very much so,” I replied with a sultry rasp. He meant his cooking, right? I needed a cold shower or a workout. These feelings were making me have impure thoughts. “No, I don’t cook. I mean, I can, but what’s the point in cooking for one?” I put the back of my hand to my forehead to make sure I wasn’t running a fever; my words were like word vomit.

"Well, now you don't have to worry about that." He smiled sheepishly, and my heart melted. I knew asshole Cole was still in there somewhere, but right then, he was pouring on the sweetness. It was the perfect opportunity to try my hand at getting what I wanted.

"When can I have my cell phone back and the Wi-Fi password? I'm about halfway through my dad's contacts to see if any have a connection to Arbor Falls or anywhere around here."

"I'll text Sara and see if she's done adding some precautionary measures to your phone." When I narrowed my eyes at him, he laughed. "Just secure browsing, calling, and texting ability, and a GPS tracker. All of us have it. It's important we know where everyone is in case shit goes down. We only use it in emergencies... like when we crashed. That's how everyone got to us so quickly."

"And if I don't want a GPS tracker on my phone?" My gums started tingling like the canines were about to break through. My wolf did not like the idea of being located so easily.

"Then no phone." His voice was stern, and the thought about him making a good father popped into my head. I did not need to be thinking about babies when it came to him.

We ate the rest of breakfast in silence as I stewed over my new reality. I could still run. They thought I was all-in; it would be the perfect opportunity to find a set of car keys and run.

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