Page 34 of Bonded By Christmas
My eyes widen.
It’s a little late for that, but I know how important courting gifts are between alphas and omegas.
I close my eyes, enjoying the tender way Wilder runs his hands over my back. My mind wanders, thinking of what else I might need, but exhaustion takes over, and I fall asleep before I even realize what’s happening.
“You can roll over if you’d like,” Wilder says softly, brushing the hair away from my cheek.
I’m so out of it that I just blink in confusion for a few seconds, but once my brain catches up, I follow his instruction. My face ends up resting on his shoulder and pec as he wraps his armaround my back. It’s like a perfect cocoon of safety. I’d love to bury my nose in his armpit, but that might be weird.
Speaking of weird, crazy things that make no sense…
“Do you have a tattoo of me on your back?”
Wilder chuckles. “The likeness is striking. Isn’t it? I added the gardenias once Grim and Callum mentioned it was one of the notes they picked up from your scent. I’ve always been able to sense something floral, but it didn’t click until they specifically pointed out what it was.”
“That’s insane,” I whisper because I have literally no idea what else to say to that. “It’s a great tattoo, though.”
“Rest, darling. I’ll watch over you until Grim gets home.”
He’s so warm and comfortable that I fall back to sleep almost instantly.
Chapter Fifteen
Grim
I’m done with today.
Handling cleanup and decontamination is a lengthy process. I’m cold, agitated, and missing Lacey something fierce. The only plus side is, I’m pretty sure she fell asleep. Everything we had to manage took way longer than I thought it would, but it’s a relief to know she’s resting peacefully rather than waiting up, worrying about me.
Once we’re finally done, Callum and I argue over how he’s getting back to the house until I finally just swipe a hand through the air and mutter, “Good luck.”
He’s a stubborn fuck.
He never should have brought his bike out tonight, but he’s dead set on riding it back to the house.
I’m still a good friend, even if I’m tired of his shit, so I tail him the entire way to ensure he doesn’t end up a stain on the pavement. That way, if he takes a header over his handlebars, he won’t be flattened into a pancake. That would really add insult to injury.
When we make it back to the house, it’s a little before four a.m. It’s fucking frigid, but that’s no surprise. The weatherforecast played on the radio on the way home. It mentioned there’s a possibility that we’ll get snow tomorrow.
I love winter, but I miss the mountains. There was nothing like waking up on Christmas morning to a blanket of freshly fallen snow covering the ground. It’s still beautiful, even in the city. It just tends to turn to sludge a hell of a lot faster here.
Getting my truck parked in the garage, I climb out, lock it, and follow Callum up the stairs to the door that leads inside.
“I was thinking about it on the way home. I’ve got to say, you were efficient. Not to mention how varied your kill methods were.” He chuckles, scanning his finger to unlock the door and opening it. “A slit throat, a broken neck, and blunt-force trauma. You were going for the varied-kill bonus, weren’t you?”
“You’re a damn idiot,” I grumble.
“The mass murderer trifecta.” He snorts. “I’m proud of you, man.”
Some days, I’m surprised I haven’t snapped and taken him out. Other days, he shows up when I really need his ass and helps me dispose of three bodies.
I guess that’s what friendship is all about. He might be on my last nerve half the time, but the other half, I’m grateful he’s on our side.
It takes everything in me not to rip out Wilder’s spine when I finally locate him and Lacey. I assumed she would be waiting in my bed, but the fucker put her in the pack bedroom, which was actually the third place I checked.
I went into my room first, took a quick shower—even though I did the full decontamination protocol at the warehouse—and pulled on sweats to go look for my omega.
When Wilder’s room was empty, I got anxious, but seeing Lacey sleeping peacefully soothes a part of my soul.
