Page 124 of Piece You Saved

Aden clears his throat. “Saige, do you—”

I turn to smile at him, even though I can’t see him in the darkened room with two wolves lying on either side of me. “It’s okay. You can shift if you want.”

His shift comes much slower. Minutes to Kade’s seconds.

Dariel lifts his head from my neck and turns to watch him closely. Soon, I’m looking at Aden, a light brown and gold wolf. His movements aren’t as assured or as smooth as Kade’s when he jumps on the bed and settles himself near my feet. When he has, Dariel lowers his head again.

I stroke Dariel’s fur as I stare up at the ceiling, muttering under my breath, “I’m sharing a bed with three wolves. I thought sleep was impossible before, but this is something else.”

* * *

I blink my eyes open. Almost blinded by the bright morning light streaming in from the window on my right, I recoil.

The only reason I don’t immediately burrow under the covers and go back to sleep is because of the naked man propping his head on one hand as he peers down into my face.

Dariel.

He’s lying on top of the covers, and he’s wide awake. He must have woken some time ago.

“You shifted,” I whisper, not wanting to wake Kade or Aden. The heavy weight covering my legs and keeping them toasty warm reveals Aden is still a sleeping wolf. I can hear his deep, steady breaths.

On my left is another naked man, this one under the covers, and his breathing is slow and steady. Kade is still sleeping as well.

Dariel continues to pin me with his emerald stare. “I could have killed you.”

“But you didn’t,” I say.

He reaches a hand toward my face, halts, and draws his fingers away as if he can’t trust himself to touch me—as if he still believes he will hurt me. “You shouldn’t have touched me. You should have let Kade stop me.”

“Kill you?” I pause. “Is that what you mean?”

His expression is blank—unreadable—but his eyes are full of torment. Haunted. “I’m not safe to be around.”

“I think last night proved you’re wrong about that,” I say.

Dariel doesn’t believe me. He doesn’t say a word, but I read his doubt as loud and clear as if he’d voiced them aloud. He turns away, moving to get up, and halts with his back to me. “From now on, sleep with your door closed.”

I study his olive-skinned muscled back. “And if I don’t?”

“I’d rather not shift to find I’ve ripped your throat out.” Standing, he crosses over to the open doorway.

He’s stepping out when I call out, “That won’t happen.”

“It won’t because I won’t let it.” He peers over his shoulder. His face is so cold and emotionless, I struggle to align the wolf who snuggled up to me with the man. “From now on, sleep with your door closed. I’ll do the same.”

Slowly, I sit up. “You mean continue to lock your wolf away? Because that hasn’t been working out for you.” A flicker of confusion makes me wonder how much he remembers about last night. “You weren’t going to kill me, Dariel.”

The confusion melts away. “Yes, I would have,” he says, turning to leave.

“Your wolf isn’t feral or crazy. Your wolf needs touch and connection, and you haven’t been giving him what he needs.”

“My wolf is not safe to be around anyone.” Dariel’s tone is insistent. “Last night was luck. That’s all. Next time, you won’t be so lucky. Close your door.”

“And you call me the slow one,” Kade rumbles from beside me, still sounding half-asleep. “You’re supposed to be the smart one here, Dariel. Use that brain of yours. She’s right. Your wolf is no threat to her or us. You caged your wolf, and he was reacting as any caged animal would. Pissed. And rightfully so.”

Dariel’s gaze returns to mine, and for a second, there’s hope there. As if he wants to believe it. As if he’s starting to.

Until he blinks, and the hope dies. “I’ll grab a shower and see you downstairs. We still need to talk through what’s happening at the bridge tonight.”

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