Page 10 of Howling With Wolves

I couldn’t fight the urge to grab the sheet and pull it up, tucking it under my arms. While I’d been surrounded by promiscuous men and women in my father’s pack, I’d never been one to strip at the drop of a howl. I wasn’t insecure. It was the misogyny in the pack. My father had no respect for my mother or women, in general, and that mindset had carried over to the other males in the pack. I’d noted it, felt it, and wanted nothing to do with it. I’d stayed on the fringes as much as I could, mostly from self-preservation.

“Where did you go?” Anthony asked, cupping my chin and tilting my face toward his. He dropped another quick kiss on my lips.

“Where’s Donovan?” I asked instead of answering.

Anthony lifted a brow but went with my question. “He ducked out to pick up a few groceries. He’ll grab some breakfast on the way back, which should be soon. There’s coffee made.”

“I’d like to take a shower. Where did my clothes go?”

“They were bloody and ripped in spots. We tossed them out, but several of the women in our pack dropped off stuff until you can go shopping for new things. Wallace didn’t leave behind anything but you. I’d have gone to get stuff for you, but I didn’t want to presume what you’d like.”

“Thank you.”

“Why don’t I go make you a cup of coffee while you take a shower?” he offered.

“I’d like that.”

“I’ll lay some stuff on the bed for you to sort through. We’ll go shopping later, so you can grab what you want.”

“You don’t—”

“Shh,” he interrupted. “You’re our mate. We’ll take care of you. We want to take care of you.” He gave me another soft kiss. “Shower. Eat. Talk. When you’re ready, we’ll go over to Bas’ house, meet with him and Cyan. We can shift and go for a run from there. Your wolf is probably pressing to be free for a bit. Sound good?”

I nodded, and for some reason, a tear slipped down my cheek.

Anthony kissed it away. “We’ve got you, love. Donovan and I won’t let anything happen to you. You’re ours now. Just aswe’re yours. From the first moment we saw you, we knew. You can trust us, Emma. We won’t let you down.”

“I sense that.” And I wanted to believe it, but it would take more than words. “I’ve had a lot happen recently. Most of it bad. I need to catch my breath. Get my feet underneath me. Breathe.”

“Take all the time you need,” he whispered.

He stood, scooping his arms under the sheets and lifting me.

“Anthony!” I cried. “I can walk.”

“I like carrying you.” He took me into the bathroom and sat me on my feet. He opened a cabinet and pulled out a big, fluffy towel, before turning and starting the shower. There were multiple showerheads, one of which looked like a rainfall. “Take your time. When you’re dressed, follow the hallway out to the main room. We’ll keep breakfast warm.”

“Thank you.”

He pulled me close, hugging me tightly.

“Anything for you,” he swore, and I knew he meant it. He gave me another searing kiss then slowly released me, turned, and exited the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

I didn’t rush, but I wasn’t lingering, either. At some point, I’d decided it was best to speak with Anthony and Donovan about everything first. They were my mates, and though I wasn’t sure how they defined that, I knew how I wanted to define it for me. I took the time to brush my teeth and braid my hair out of my face then rushed through dressing. No underwear, but there was a pair of joggers, a sports bra that was obviously new, anda T-shirt. There was even a pair of sneakers in my size. Fully dressed, I took a deep breath, shook out my hands, and collected my thoughts.

Be brave, Emma.

I followed my nose down the hallway to the main room. I’d barely entered before Donovan was there, tugging me to him. He nudged up my chin. I expected him to kiss me, but he merely stared at me as if he were drinking me in.

“What?” I finally asked.

“You’re breathtaking,” he murmured and gave me the kiss I’d been expecting from the start.

“Come eat,” Anthony called, and Donovan took my hand while he led me into the kitchen.

“Sit,” Donovan ordered, pointing to a stool pulled up to one side of the island in the center of the room. He turned and grabbed plates, putting one in front of me then one to each side of me.

“I forgot to ask how you take your coffee,” Anthony said, grabbing the carafe as he turned to smile at me. “Cream? Sugar? Donovan has some Italian sweet cream creamer.”

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