Page 95 of Stealthy as a Wolf

As I looked at these remarkable men, I vowed then and there to love them with every fiber of my being. I would never give them a cause to regret choosing me.

Chapter Twenty-six

MAGGIE

When I stepped out of the bathroom, I was amazed at the transformation that had taken place in such a short time. The cabin no longer looked like a horror show. The bodies were gone, the destroyed furniture had been hauled away, the bloodstained rugs removed. The cabin was now sparse, but clean.

And it was all thanks to the two men who were currently mopping the floor.

They’d cleaned up, done all of this, for me.

The men straightened when I entered the room, and I couldn’t keep myself from scanning them for injuries. Though they were roughed up, bandaged in spots, they were relatively unscathed.

They were alive!

I was so thankful that tears sprang to my eyes, and I had to blink them away before the others noticed.

At my entrance, Matty dropped his mop and came straight toward me. He hugged me tight, like he would never let me go, and I melted against him. Grady leaned on his mop handle, a small smile on his face as he watched us. Then he collected both mops and put them away, giving us a moment alone.

“Are you okay?” I grabbed Matty’s shoulders and held him away, noting every bruise and scratch. When Grady neared, I grabbed his arm as well, checking him over. I felt sick, knowing they were injured because of me, and it was hard not to blame myself for every wound, every scratch.

“If they had killed you—”

“Stop.” Grady spun me until my back was against his chest, then wrapped me in his arms. “What happened is not your fault. I’m just glad we were here for you.”

I slumped against him, his forgiveness easing some of the anxiety burrowing in my chest.

“He’s right.” Matty lifted my hand, kissing the back of it, then the worry in his eyes morphed into anger. “But since I’m now one of your mates, believe me when I say you don’t ever get to run off like that again, do you hear me?”

I grabbed his hands and held on just as tight. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

Matty pressed his forehead against mine, not caring that I was in another man’s arms. “You scared me to death.”

“Same.” I cupped his face, releasing a shaky breath. “When the wolves attacked, I thought I would lose all of you. It made me realize how much you’ve all come to mean to me.”

I pulled away, biting my lip as I glanced at my mates. “I never had a mate before I met any of you. I never dreamed I would find one, much less four of you.

“I’m bound to screw this up, and when I do, please don’t give up on me. For the first time in my life, I feel whole and wanted and happy, and it’s all because of you guys. The day you all stumbled into my life was the best thing that ever happened to me—prison escape, fistfight, road chase and all.”

The guys grinned, passing me from one to the next, each giving me a crushing hug, and I loved every second of it. When they pulled away, the scent of them on my skin left a warm glow in my chest. I took a deep breath, savoring each of them, then gave a bright smile. “So what’s next?”

Grady cleared his throat, and the guys turned serious, everyone glancing at him. “Since we don’t know if our location is compromised, we can’t stay here.”

“How did the wolves find us?” I asked, unable to hide my concern, and it was all I could do not to shove the men out the door and just run. “Do we think the wolves are working with the snakes?”

“No,” Grady said, a flush filling his cheeks. “I believe the wolves learned about the incident at the market and tracked us back here to the cabin.” He scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck, looking both proud and abashed at the same time. “I don’t believe they’re working with the snakes, but we can’t take the chance. We need to proceed as though they know we’re on our way to the Summit.”

“What happened at the market, exactly?” Boone asked, sounding suspicious, even though there was no way to disguise the naughty twinkle in his eyes.

I blushed, unable to keep the grin off my face, remembering in vivid detail what we did in the back of the market.

Grady growled, stepping right into my space, then proceeded to kiss the daylights out of me. When he stepped back, I wobbled slightly before I caught my balance. “What did I do to deserve that?”

He shot me such a delighted grin that I couldn’t help but smile back at him. “Do I need a reason to kiss my mate?”

My whole body melted at the bold way he claimed to be my mate, and I couldn’t resist leaning up and giving him a brief kiss. “I like how you think.”

The sound of a car horn startled me so much that I nearly jumped out of my skin. I shoved Grady behind me, then took up position in front of the door. The silence of the cabin slowly registered, and I peered over my shoulder at the guys.

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