Page 28 of Shifter Marked and Claimed

“Is everything okay?”

“Fine,” she said but I could feel her anxiety rising. Something was going on and she clearly didn’t want me to know about it. “You’re practically wolfing out. We’re okay.”

She surprised me by reaching out and touching my arm. It calmed my wolf in an instant.

“What happened?”

“It was nothing, really, just a minor accident.”

Vada’s eyes were puffy and red and the shower curtain was pulled off the wall. I knew I had smelled blood but there only seemed to be a tiny amount on the floor next to a razor. I leaned down and picked it up as the little girl withdrew from it.

I didn’t say a word but put it up high and out of her reach in the shower.

“I can fix this.”

“It’s okay,” she insisted. “I’ll get it later.”

Why was she so nervous? It looked like a normal casual accident.

“I falled,” Vada confessed. “Owie, Doc.”

“Well, I can fix that all up. Where does it hurt?”

She pointed to her leg where there was a very faint red line.

“Well, it looks okay. Not too bad.”

“Mommy fix. All better.”

“Mommy’s are good at making everything better, huh?”

Her head bobbed up and down.

I smiled, but when I turned to look at Lucy her face was drained of color, and I thought she might be sick. Our bond was beginning to grow which thrilled me, but in that moment it also terrified me, because whatever had happened in there before I arrived had Lucy scared, really scared.

I set down the thermos and filters and pulled her into my arms.

“Hey, she’s okay. Everything’s okay.”

I held her closely until she started to calm down.

“Hungry!” Vada yelled. “I hungry.”

I snatched her up with one arm while Lucy reached for the coffee and Ziploc bag of filters I’d brought.

“What is this?” she asked.

I shrugged, never taking my arm from around her as the three of us walked to the kitchen as one.

“You mentioned you were out. I just bought a pack. Should last you a few weeks at least.”

She looked up at me with confusion and happiness shining through her eyes. I was trying not to read too much into it.

I smirked. “I mean, I can just bring coffee by every morning if you prefer.”

She shook her head, but there was a smile on her lips.

I stared at her lips for longer than I should have not willing to let her go just yet. I wanted to kiss her so badly, but I sensed she wasn’t ready. If it were left up to me, we’d already have sealed the bond growing between us.

---