Page 49 of Drive me Wild (South Island Shifters)

“Will do.”

“Declan, your coffee is ready,” one of the staff members says as she carries the two drinks into the room. I take the drinks and look at Edward. “Have a great day.”

“You too.”

I exit the café and make my way out to my car. I’m no closer to solving this problem than I was a week ago. I head home, hoping Winter will be there when I get back. She returned to her place last night with Liliana. While I wanted them to have girls night at my place, they wanted to be with her sister too. So, reluctantly I let them. I don’t want Winter out of my sight unless she’s working, of course. It’s possessive, I know, but I’m afraid that if they can get to me this easily, what is to stop them from getting to her?

Making my way inside, I hear humming coming from upstairs in my room. I follow the sweet sound and find Winter there, collecting all the laundry as she moves about the room. I lean against the door frame to watch her. She’s breathtakingly beautiful. Her hair is in a messy bun at the back of her head, she’s wearing gym shorts, and if I’m not mistaken, one of my t-shirt.

She pauses and whips around to face me. Dropping the basket, she skips over and wraps her arms around me, snuggling against my chest. She must’ve missed me last night.

“You okay?” she asks softly.

“Better now you’re here.” She hugs me just a little tighter. Her calmness envelopes me, making the tornado of emotions flowing through me evaporate. It’s exactly what I need. She has no idea of her effect on me. She steps back and cups my face in her hands. “We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

“I hope so. So, when can I meet this sister of yours?” I ask, changing the subject because I don’t want to dampen the mood between us with our current security issues.

“When can I meet your family?” she quips.

“You already met my sister.”

“Doesn’t count. I want to meet your brother and Nana.”

“And my clan? I think of them as family too.”

“Can’t I start with your brother and Nana?” she whines.

I look at her. “You can’t avoid my clan forever.”

“Not forever. Just let me meet your brother and your parents.”

“You’ll have to meet my Nana.”

“Your Nana? Why am I not meeting your parents?”

I sigh. I’m not ready to discuss this with her, but if I want to meet her family, I have to.

“My father was killed on the night of my sixteenth birthday. It was a wolf attack. Those wolves had plans for my sister, and not very nice ones, I assure you. My father was critically injured, and my mother lost her mind after his passing. She’s still alive and lives in the respite care part of the very same rest home that my Nana lives in. I’m not allowed to visit my mother, though.” I can’t hide the bitterness in my tone.

“That’s rough. Why can’t you visit her?”

“I look too much like my dad for her to understand, and every time I did visit, she’d scream and freak out. It was suggested by the staff that I don’t visit anymore. My brother and sister still go, though.”

“What’s your Nana like?”

“She’s the most amazing woman in the world, aside from you, of course. She loves cross-stitching, watching soap operas, oh, and she’s the best baker I know.”

Winter smiles. “I look forward to meeting her.”

I return her smile. “I think you two will hit it off.”

“I’m going to have a bath. Wanna join me?” she asks.

I sigh. “Alright.” I’ll admit I’m not the bathing kind of man, but it’s relaxing and fun with Winter.

She leans up and kisses me before taking a coffee from my hands and dances away into the bathroom, where moments later, I hear my tub being filled.

Stripping out of my shirt, I follow her into the room.

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