Page 60 of Bonded By Christmas
Once we’re home and safely inside, Wilder and I share a quick shower, and he helps me get dressed in his sweats and one of Grim’s shirts.
I can’t help myself. Grabbing a huge handful of the material, I bring it to my nose, huffing deep hits of his scent. It soothes my frayed edges, but I wish he and Callum were here. That way, I could be sure they’re safe. Though I can feel them in the bond, it’s not the same as having them here with me.
Once I’ve huffed out all of Grim’s smell that I can find, I drop the T-shirt and prepare to roll up the top of Wilder’s sweats…only, it’s not necessary.
They’re so long, they bunch around my calves about a million times, but they stay up just fine.
Damn.
I didn’t realize Wilder was quite that slender.
It’s only after I’m dressed in more of their clothing that I realize I never actually made it to my apartment. I don’t have any pets, so it’s not an emergency, but at some point, I do need to have a conversation with the guys about breaking my lease.
Wilder pulls on a T-shirt and grabs his towel, drying his dark hair. His eyes sparkle, and he tosses the towel onto the bathroomcounter. “I know you want to get to nesting, but you skipped lunch. Once your heat fully hits, you won’t have any desire to eat.”
“I’m really not hungry,” I admit, rubbing absently at my stomach.
“Okay,” he agrees, shrugging. “Let’s check out the nest.”
My insides light up. No one ever gives in to me this easily, but Wilder seems to enjoy spoiling me. I’m not going to complain. It soothes me on a foundational level to have this particular alpha at my side.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Grim
Idon’t even like cats. Okay, technically that’s not true. I’m indifferent to their existence. I’ve always been more of a dog person because…litter boxes.
But somehow, I’ve gained two kittens who won’t stop meowing in my face. Well, one has its face buried in my gut. The other won’t stop trying to attack my beard, but neither is particularly fond of Callum.
“We should have left them in the damn carrier,” I grumble, patting the cream-colored one on the head as it claws its way up my shirt for the fifth time. It’s the crazy one, and of course Callum picked it. The other calico-colored one lies on my thigh, nuzzling its face against my stomach and looking a little terrified any time I make eye contact. I gain no joy from scaring children or small animals, so I brush the backs of my fingers over its small head.
“I thought that would stress them out,” Callum says, chuckling. “Look, they love you. Quit your bitching. We’re almost home.”
We found a whole lot of nothing, but the team is going to continue to investigate. It’s possible Callum simply overreacted. It wouldn’t be the first time. It’s better to be overly cautiousin this situation, especially because we finally have something worth protecting… More accuratelysomeone.
“You’re going to be a menace,” I mutter, plucking the kitten off my shoulder as it bats at my beard with a tiny paw.
“That’s a perfect name. I wonder if Lacey will let us keep it?” Callum flips on the blinker, turning my truck into the neighborhood.
I’m still not sure how he got to drive while I ended up onkitten nannying duty.
“Give me the sweet babies,” Collins says as we meet him in the garage. “They will do best acclimating to a small space at first.”
Callum snorts. “You just want to kidnap our kittens.”
I shove the carrier at Collins. “Callum will help you bring in the supplies.” The entire back seat of my truck is filled with litter boxes, toys, and food. Hell, we even got them each their own bed.
They’re awfully small to be left out roaming the mansion, and with Lacey on the verge of going into heat, it’ll be better to hold off introducing her to them until it passes. It’ll also give them the chance to get accustomed to our scents and staying in one area since Collins’s bedroom is near the laundry room, which is where we talked about setting up their litter boxes, at least at first.
I hope Lacey knows what the hell she’s doing when it comes to cats because the lady at the pet store laughed in my face when I suggested we should get a litter box for each room.
“Wilder and the omega were in the middle of a standoff in the kitchen when I meandered out.” Collins holds the carrier up to his face, peeking inside. “I believe the heat tantrums have begun.”
“Dammit,” Callum says, turning to face me. “I really want to see how she reacts when I take over in the middle of a meltdown. Let’s flip for it.”
“Fuck off,” I growl, jabbing a finger at his chest. “I’m just as capable of putting her at ease.”
“At ease? I wanna put her over my knee,” Callum says, chuckling. “I could work with bending her over the kitchen counter.”
