Page 40 of Howl For Me
“Yeah, you were,” he admitted.
“I was with my best friends, wasn’t I?”
His heart stuttered, and he didn’t know how he’d tell her she was the only one to survive the crash. He settled back against the pillows, drawing her into the crook of his arm. Her hand settled on his chest, and he stared at the ceiling.
He wouldn’t lie to her. Whatever she wanted to know, he’d tell her the truth.
“Yes. You and your friends were off for a girls’ trip—”
“Me and my sexy bitches were off to Hawaii.”
His breath caught in his throat. He turned to her and saw a distant look in her eyes as she stared off into the air. It was a term that her and her friends had always jokingly referred to themselves as. They were all beautiful women with a sense of humor that mirrored each other’s.
“You remember?”
“I remember bits and pieces. It’s like my mind was replaying what happened right before everything went dark.”
She paused, and he tightened his grip on her. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what she had gone through.
“I can see their faces just as clear as day, but their names won’t come to me. You know the feeling you get when something is right on the tip of your tongue?”
Damara turned her eyes to him, and he nodded. She blew out a deep breath and closed her eyes. Turning over onto her back, she rested her head on his arm. “Why can’t I remember? They were my best friends. They’re all dead, aren’t they?”
“Yes.”
Her eyes filled with tears as she looked to the ceiling. A trail of wetness escaped disappearing into her dark hair. She took a few deep breaths, regaining control of herself. He had never been more proud of his mate at the moment. She was facing her nightmare head-on and wasn’t backing down.
That was the strength of a true alpha mate.
“Tell me their names.” Her voice was weak, but he still heard her.
“May Kelley.” He paused, waiting for her to respond.
Her lip quivered, and they lay there in silence. His wolf whined.
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.
“She’d just cut her hair for our trip,” Damara whispered, her voice loud enough for his shifter hearing to pick up her words.
Gavin held back his surprise and didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to break her concentration.
“Kizzie Walker.”
“She was the jokester of the group. She just had a way about her that always made you smile when you looked at her. She always knew how to cheer me up.”
Gavin watched another tear slide along her skin and vanish into her hair. Kizzie had been Damara’s college roommate, and the two had been the closest. Her bottom lip quivered, but she captured it with her teeth. He was in complete awe of her strength.
“Orena Harrell.”
“Legs. We were all envious of her height and her gorgeous legs. They seemed to go on for miles, while mine are short and stumpy.”
“I love your legs,” he growled. They wrapped themselves around his waist perfectly. He gripped her face and turned her to face him. Her body was perfect, and he’d be damned if she thought otherwise.
“I’m not tall like most shifter women.”
“I don’t love most shifter women. I love you just the way you are.”
She smiled and cupped his hand that rested on her face. He didn’t like the look of sadness in her eyes. Her lips curled into a small smile as she leaned into him, offering her lips to him. He swooped down and covered her mouth with his. He poured all the love he had inside for this woman into one kiss.
