Page 22 of Fated In Winter

I was more than an introvert. I liked my solitude. I reveled in it.

But had I choked my wolf in the process of taking care of the human half of me?

That idea scared me more than anything.

“I know you didn’t, Conner.” I let out a breath and did what I had wanted to do since we both pulled apart to get dressed. I moved forward, put my hands on his cheeks, and cupped his face. He let out a shaky breath and leaned into me, the stubble of his beard slightly rough against my palm. He smelled of home and everything I had been missing and hadn’t even realized.

“I know, Conner. I didn’t realize my wolf needed someone so much. I didn’t realize anything. I’m really good at being alone.” He pulled away, but I reached forward again, put my hands on his chest. “I don’t know if I want to be alone anymore.”

“We’re mates, Romy. I don’t think we’re going to have a choice.”

“No, I don’t suppose we are.” I let out a breath. “I need to collect my thoughts, and then you and I will plan for the party, do all we said we would before. Make sure that each person in the Pack has the job that they want, then we’ll find the rouge, and we will protect our Pack.”

“And somehow, in all of that, we’re going to figure out what the hell just happened?”

“Somehow. But do you mind? I need to walk.”

“Okay. Frankly, I could use a moment to think.”

“Are you going to call your twin?” I asked, not knowing I was going to say the words till they were already out.

He swallowed hard. “Yes. Though I have a feeling Kaylee might already know.”

My eyes widen. “You have a twin bond?”

“I know not all twins do, but we do.”

“I would like to get to know Kaylee better.” I let out a breath. “And I would like to get to know you.”

He reached out and brushed a tear from my cheek. I hadn’t even realized I started crying. “I would like to get to know you, Romy. I can feel you along the mating bond, but it’s so fragile I’m afraid to do anything more than brush against it.”

“I don’t think that either one of us is ready, Conner. But our wolves sure seemed to be.”

“Perhaps. I’m still Redwood, Romy.”

I nodded. “And I’m still Talon.” I paused. “We both knew that the Packs were slowly becoming one, albeit with two Alphas. I guess that’s truly a thing now.”

“We’ll have to meet with the Alphas and figure out what to do.”

“There’s a lot of things that we need to figure out.”

I shook my head, went up to my toes, and did the one thing I knew I needed to do, despite the confusion and the uncertainty with everything else. I pressed my lips to his and kissed him.

He growled into me, a growl that sent shivers of sensation and need right down to my toes. I pulled away and swallowed hard, and he did the same.

“I’ll call Kaylee and then meet with my Alpha. You go for your walk, but stay safe. And then we’ll figure out what the hell is going on.”

I nodded and watched him walk out of my tiny home, the home that wasn’t anything other than a refuge from the outside world.

I looked around the place that didn’t seem like the home of someone nearly a century old. Instead, it seemed like a shack out in the woods, the one with no memories and no connections.

How had I become this person? And how was I going to change that?

I shook my head and made my way out of my small cabin and through the woods.

I scented Gideon before I saw him, and that told me the Alpha had been upwind for a reason. He hadn’t wanted to startle me. Gideon could hide better than most wolves than I knew.

He was one of the best, and he was Alpha for a reason.

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