Page 164 of Haze

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I do what Deacon says, but I take it one step further. It’s a bold choice, but I grab her pillow off the bed. I noticed that she’s been carrying it back and forth between the pack house and her apartment. It was the one she always pulled to sleep with each time I’d brought her enough comfort to sleep during her heat. After a last-second grab of her phone charger and laptop, I make it back to my apartment.

I start making boxty. It’s not fancy, but it’s homey.

The step-by-step instructions from Deacon pairs well with the information Cade gave me. She’s not used to relying on someone. She’s not used to having someone care for her.

Yesterday, no. Not yesterday, fuck, this entire week. I did the wrong thing by not letting Lena know I would be stepping into Second. I knew she would be angry. My decision protected my peace, not hers. How is that any different from all the other surprises she’s had sprung on her over the past month? Deacon is absolutely right, I’ve made a mistake, and my beautiful submissive was hurt because of it.

The potatoes are nearly cooked when I catch the sound of a slamming door. Only seconds later, my door rattles with the pounding of Lena’s fist.

I don’t grab my gun when opening the door. Lena tries to barge past me, but she’s trapped as I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her back against my chest. The door falls closed behind us.

Her arms push down on my hold around her waist. “Let me go, you fucking bandit. I want my damn pillow and my fucking pj’s and to never see your shit-eating grin face again.”

“God knows I love a woman who can swear, but Kathleen, if you don’t watch your mouth, I’ll take a spoon to your ass,” I threaten with a whisper in her ear, wrapping my other arm across her shoulders.

She’s stuck against me, squirming to escape. The thrill of holding a feisty woman in my arms, my feisty woman, makes my cock twitch. Even if she does behave, maybe I’ll see about taking a spoon to her ass anyway.

Lena goes quiet, and her body stills but doesn’t relax. She’s trapped in the rage she’s harboring inside, and it permeates our bond. I refuse to let her live in that rage. I kiss down the side of her neck and then her shoulder, where my bite mark sits beneath her T-shirt. With a soft rumble, her body relaxes a fraction, but it’s only slight relief.

“Good girl.” I loosen my grasp to match the way she relaxed. “Your pajamas are in the dryer warming up, and your pillow is on the couch. I was an ass. I want to talk.”

Lena’s body unwinds, tension floods off, and she slowly looks around. “You made dinner?”

“Yes. I made you dinner. It’s nothing fancy.” I kiss the top of her head when I let her go, stepping away and running my hand across the back of her shoulders.

Chapter 54

Lena

I’m angry with him. I’m so angry. He broke into my apartment and stole my shit. But I’m also hungry, and he made dinner. My full-speed-ahead angry rage hits the pause button. I should stand my ground about this and keep being mad, but I don’t want to go back to my apartment and eat who knows what so I don’t attack a delivery driver.

“You’re out of snacks,” Finn says smugly.

I look back from the door to him, seeing his side-eyed look while plating food.

Conceding, I head to the back of his apartment, where the washer and dryer should be in the layout. The dryer is still spinning when I open the door. My sweatpants, T-shirt, and three of Finn’s T-shirts fall to the bottom of the drum. The last of the warm air bellows out toward me. Finn’s scent of fur and warm salty bread is thick. Based on how strong his scent clings to my clothes, those weren’t clean T-shirts.

Clever asshole.

I swipe my items out of the dryer and head to the bathroom, leaving the dryer door open. Slipping out of my clothes and pulling on the dryer-fresh ones, I relish the warm, soft fabric against my skin. Holding up my shirt collar to my nose, I draw in a deep breath.

My wolf does a happy dance at the memories it brings of his touch and closeness.

Focus. I opt to go commando. Two can play that game.

I toss my underwear and bra in with his shirts and restart it. If I have to smell like him, he has to smell like me.

My wolf is practically preening with the way we’re enveloped in his smell. So safe and cozy. We can live like this forever.

Once I head back to the kitchen, Finn has put plates on the table. A beer sits next to one, and a water glass next to the other. I slide my butt into the chair with the beer and start taking my hair out of its messy bun.

Coming back to the table, Finn eyes me reaching for his beer. I pick it up and draw a swig. It’s mine now.

“Don’t you work tomorrow?” he scolds.

“And? Don’t you?” I answer.

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