Animal Instinct

Sighing, I straighten out my desk. It’s my first day, and my desk is already slightly cluttered all thanks to Adam. After training, he asked me about my day. Once I’d told him about my job—and subsequently my new boss—he made it a point to take me on a late night Walmart run because we had to buy stuff for my desk. To my right, slightly leaning against my computer, is a picture of me and Adam. It’s a selfie he took during one of our lunch dates. I didn’t even know he was taking the picture. I’m shoving some fries into my mouth while he kisses my temple. I gave him an earful after he showed it to me, but I wasn’t and am not upset about it. If he wants pictures of me looking a hot mess, that’s his prerogative. The picture frame is covered in sharks. Next to the picture is a shark pencil holder and a teal and white stapler. Pretty much everything he picked out is in teal and white. I keep telling myself that it’s pack colors so I don’t trash it and get Rangers’ stuff to make him angry.

Desk organized, I turn to my computer which has finished loading. I type in my login and wait for the computer to respond. Glancing across the hall, I can see Mr. Frasier glaring at his own computer. He was already here when I arrived and making a face much like the one he is now. Rather than try to help him again, I open the packet in front of me. It was sitting on my desk when I got in. Looking through it, I see that it’s instructions on getting myself set up in the office and a few assignments to be completed by Wednesday. I play around on my computer, familiarizing myself with the operating system and where things are located. I rename my trash bin Pittsburgh with a small smile. Checking, I see that my first assignment is clearing out Mr. Frasier’s appointment log. In my packet, he’s made a few notes about what needs to be on his calendar and what can be removed. Popping my knuckles, I get started on my task.

Lunch arrives quicker than I expected. I’m nearly done with Mr. Frasier’s calendar through the next five months. Some of the appointments and notes he had in there were utterly pointless. He had a recurring note to himself to eat a snack at ten am every day.

“You ready for lunch?” I jump slightly at the sound of Adam’s voice. I look up at him a little confused. I didn’t tell him where my office is. I check the time. It’s after one. I don’t even know when my lunch hour is.

“Yeah…Let me just check with my boss.” I stand carefully, making sure my skirt is pulled down and my shirt is straightened out. Adam smiles at me as he moves toward me. From the smile on his face, I know he’s about to hug me, but I put a hand out stopping him. “Wait until we’re not in my office. Please.” I shoot him a sheepish smile before going across the hall to knock on Mr. Frasier’s door.

“Come in.”
I open the door quietly, sticking my head through the small opening. “I was just wondering when my lunch is and how long it lasts. I forgot to ask that earlier.”

He looks up at me, his gold eyes a little stormy. “It’s whenever you decide to take it. And you have an hour. If you don’t take one before five, you can just leave an hour early as your day technically ends at six.”

I nod. “Would you like me to bring you anything back?” I know he hasn’t taken a lunch break yet because my door has been open all afternoon and he hasn’t left his office for more than ten minutes.

“McDonalds. Two double cheeseburgers and a large fry. And a bottle of water.” His eyes lighten to the color of marigolds.

I salute him, “Okay Captain.” I smile at him before shutting his door and turning back to Adam. He’s leaned against the wall next to my office door, his arms folded across his chest. My wolf swoons a little at the sight as do I. His t-shirt does nothing to hide the muscles in his arms and I can tell he’s flexing his pectorals. While he looks completely calm, I can feel his jealousy rolling under the surface. I don’t know how long I can put off having the mate talk with him. Anytime another guy is around me, his dominance spikes and he basically claims me. He doesn’t even know he’s doing it.

As I smile at him, he draws me to him by the hand, lacing our fingers together. A shiver passes through me and I can tell he enjoys it. He’s slowly been getting me to tell him about the reactions I have to him. He’s asked about our “DTR” talk and what happened that day, but that comes too close to the mate conversation for me to feel comfortable telling him about it. Needing something to focus on other than my attraction to Adam, I ask him where we’re going for lunch.

“I thought we could try Mediterranean today. There’s a place not far from here.” I nod, pressing the down button for the elevator. The doors open immediately and Adam pulls me inside, hitting the button for the lobby. Despite my request to wait, he pulls me flush against him as soon as the doors close. I start to argue, but my words are cut off as his scent hits me. His smell is honestly one of my weaknesses. Giving up, I move my face to the center of his chest and inhale deeply. The icy note to his scent is slightly stronger. He must have come here right after practice this morning. And possibly not showered as well as he should have. I can feel him chuckle and I pinch his side gently.

“That’s not fair and you know it.”

“Neither is you looking like a naughty librarian.”

I glare at him. “I do not. I look like a young professional.” He snorts. I force myself to move away from him as the elevator doors open. His arms slip from around my hips as he takes my left hand in his right. He flashes his prince charming smile at the receptionist as we leave the building. My wolf shoots out a flare of dominance as the receptionist’s arousal hit us. Even though it’s only been a few days, my wolf has gotten comfortable in the back of my mind. We haven’t come close to mastering having a discussion without people knowing, but Mr. Fuller is proud of the progress we’ve made. I mentally stroke under her chin, feeling the sensation on my own chin as I do so. That’s something else that’s developed. Whenever I do something to her, I can now feel it on my own physical body. It’s an odd feeling but we both find it too amusing to stop. She settles back into her spot. I choose not to look at the receptionist. If I do, it will draw Adam’s attention to her reaction and I don’t want to out her as non-human without talking to Mr. Frasier; whom I still need to tell about myself.

As we reach his truck, Adam opens the door for me, helping me into the passenger seat. He kisses my cheek before shutting the door and going to the driver’s side. I watch him walk around the front of the car, smiling. Once he gets in, he shoots me a slightly mischievous smile before starting the truck. I rolls my eyes. Adam is one part man, one part boy, and three parts troublemaker. I’ve learned not to ask what that glint in his eyes means. It usually leads me down a road that I don’t need to be traveling. Instead, I get comfortable and sit quietly as Adam drives. I should have commented on that look when I first saw it because Adam surprises me in the middle of lunch with his inability to lead into a topic.

“So am I your mate?” He sips his beer innocently as he watches me choke on a bite of my Greek Salad. I take a few minutes to reign my wolf in and get my breath back before staring at him.

“What.” My tone is flat. Inside, I’m raging. Where did he come up with that? And why? I haven’t explained that concept to him for the same reason I don’t discuss that day in [i]The Grill on the Alley[/i]. I refuse to even use that word around him because I don’t want to have any lead-ins to that discussion with him. I explained it to him once and I’d like to at least pretend that we have a normal, human relationship.

“You heard me, Gracelyn.” The look he gives me tightens that part of me that only Adam can effect.

“We both know I heard you. I was more questioning your sanity.”

He raises an eyebrow, “My sanity?”

“Yes. Where did you hear that word and what makes you think it applies to us?” I lean back from my plate and fold my arms over my chest. I’m not ready to have this conversation with Adam. I’m just not. My wolf has stated her opinion clearly but I’m not going to agree or disagree with her.

“Since you refused to tell me what happened that day in [i]The Grill[/i], I asked Alec.” I force myself not to react. It never occurred to me that he’d ask someone else about that day. His only options would be Alec or Mr. Fuller. And knowing his…relationship with my Alpha, it’s logical that he would ask Alec. What’s disconcerting is the fact that Alec apparently answered his questions. “Gracelyn.” I stop glaring at my salad to look at Adam. Once again, his calm exterior does nothing to hide the turbulent emotions rolling beneath the surface.

“Adam, I really don’t think this is a conversation we need to be having on my lunch break. Or at this point in our relationship.” I try to keep my voice firm, but I can hear the pleading undertone.
He concentrates on his Gyro for a few minutes, picking it apart but not taking a bite. “I’m fairly certain you’ve been avoiding this topic with me—”

“I have been.”

He gives me a dark look for cutting him off, and probably for my answer, before continuing. “I don’t get why. I know you told me about it before, explained the concept and whatnot. But you kept the conversations abstract.”

“For a reason. Can we just…not? I like you Adam. A lot. But we’ve only been together for three months. If we’re still together nine months from now, I’ll be a big girl and have this conversation with you.” His eyes darken at that. I can also feel my wolf’s disapproval of my comment. It’s the if that got both of them. I know it. But I need to put the brakes on this conversation. It’s been three months. Three. By society’s standards, we’re still in the honeymoon phase. I know too much has happened for me to really believe that there isn’t a deeper level of commitment on both sides, but I’m desperate to hold on to any bit of normalcy I can get. All the couples in the pack that are mated are married. And I haven’t heard of anyone casually dating. I don’t want to take that choice away from Adam. With that thought in mind, I decide it’s time for me to actually seek out another were-human mate pair and ask some questions. This is the second time Adam has pushed me toward claiming him and I need to know how normal this is.

“You’re gonna make me wait nine months to have this conversation? Considering what Alec told me, I really think we need to have it sooner rather than later.”

I rub my temples before checking the time on my phone. “Considering I have to be back at work soon, we’re not discussing this right now. But I do want to know what Alec told you.” I need to know what I’m working against. If he put ideas into Adam’s head, I’m going to kick him in the shins. Beta or not, this isn’t something to play around with. Adam is human. He needs the option to walk away from this without the guilt of leaving behind a mate.

He doesn’t answer me right away. Instead, he waves down our server and asks for the check. I finish my water and pick the rest of the Feta and black olives out of my salad while he pays. He finally answers once we’re back in his truck.

“He didn’t tell me much. Just that I almost verbally mated us during our talk.”

I twist in my seat, glaring at him. “And knowing that, you decide to press the issue today? What the hell is wrong with you, Adam? You know what? Don’t answer that. I still have half a day of work to do and I can’t be pissed off while doing it. Just drive through McDonald’s and drop me off.” I face forward, folding my arms over my chest.

Once back at my office, Adam walks me back to my desk. It takes more self-control than I’d like to admit not to punch him. I can feel the anxiety rolling off him, but I ignore it. The wolf in me wants to comfort him, but I fight the urge. I cannot and will not give in this time. It’s just too much to handle right now. After giving my boss his lunch, I place a perfunctory kiss on Adam’s cheek before seating myself behind my desk. he lingers in the doorway for a couple minutes before leaving with a slightly defeated air about him. I focus on the minute details of my work to keep my emotions in check.

The rest of my workday passes in a bit of a blur. I don’t allow myself to think over my conversation with Adam. The one time I let a silver of our talk enter my thinking, I snapped my pencil in half. When six pm comes around, I tidy my desk, putting my first task for tomorrow morning right by my keyboard. I check my purse to make sure I have my phone, keys, and wallet before pushing back from my desk and standing. Mr. Fraiser is leaving his office as I am leaving mine, so I school my face into a polite smile. I know it’s pointless since he can probably sense my emotions, but I can at least pretend I’m not an open book to him.

“I gathered that lunch with your…boyfriend was a little tense, but I didn’t think it would affect you for so long.” What is it with the men in my life being so tactless. I give Mr. Fraiser a less than amused look as I close my office door. “I just want to know that your personal issues won’t affect your work.”

“They won’t.” I keep my voice firm. My boss “hms” deep in his throat and it sounds somewhat like a purr. I stop myself from rolling my eyes as I press the button for the elevator. Deciding to throw his own game back in his face, I don’t even look at him as I say, “I’m a werewolf.” My gaze stays straight forward as I feel him stiffen beside me. “So if we start fighting like cats and dogs….it’s understandable.” I grin a little at that.

“How do you know I’m a cat?”

“My Alpha smelled it on me as soon as he got within five feet of me.” I glance at him. His eyes have lightened to that translucent gold that lets me know his were side is near the surface. We’re silent the entire elevator ride down to the lobby. The little bit of joy that startling him brought me isn’t enough to drown my irritation with Adam. And now that I don’t have work to distract me, I know I won’t be able to avoid thinking about my lunch hour.

I stare up at my ceiling, having thrown myself onto my couch after eating dinner. Mr. Fuller gave me the night off from training so I could de-stress from my first day of work. I’m tempted to go over to his anyway to ask him what to do about Adam. But I realize there’s someone a lot closer that I can talk to about this. Glancing at the clock, I see that it’s not too late to go down to the Hill’s. I know Mrs. Hill isn’t Adam’s biggest fan, but I want to think she’ll help me figure this out. With a grunt, I push myself off my couch and grab my keys and phone. I don’t think anyone will be calling me, but I’d rather not get in trouble with my Alpha for missing one of his calls. After locking my apartment, I clomp down the four flights of stairs to the Hill residence. I knock lightly, knowing the kids should be in bed by now.

“Gracelyn?” Mrs. Hill looks slightly confused, but steps aside to let me in.

“Hey, Mrs. Hill.” I pop my knuckles as I enter the apartment. I didn’t really think this through before I came down here. I just know that I didn’t want to be alone with my thoughts anymore. I was chasing myself in circles. I’d talk to Alec about it but he’s half the reason I’m in this mess. And I know Mr. Fuller would probably have me tell Adam in detail everything there is to know about being mates and what that means for our relationship.

I wave to Mr. Hill—who is sitting in his Lazyboy— as I flop onto their couch. “And to what do we owe this pleasure, Gracelyn?”

“I need advice.” Mrs. Hill picks up my legs, joining me on the couch. She rests my calves on her thighs, taking off my shoes. Mr. Hill sets aside the crossword he was working on, shifting in his chair to sit a little straighter.

“Am I right in guessing this has to do with that human boy of yours?” I groan, pulling one of the decorative couch pillows over my head. “Well out with it, girl.” So I spill it all. I start with meeting him and try to gloss over the intense talk at [i]The Grill[/i] before explaining how I had to reveal myself to him.

“…And today he asks me if we’re mates! And this is after he supposedly asked Alec about that day at [i]The Grill[/i]. I just…don’t get it. We’ve been dating for three months. I shouldn’t be having these kinds of problems after three months.”

“Oh Gracelyn…” They both start laughing. I glare at them both.

“This isn’t funny.”

“Actually, it is. Gracelyn, did you really think our relationships progress as human speed?”

“Yes. And why wouldn’t they? Just because we’re werewolves, doesn’t mean we aren’t human.”

Mrs. Hill squeezes my leg gently, “Honey, we have animal instincts pushing us to mate and mate early. What takes humans about a year and half to figure out, we learn in two months.”
I frown. That gives me no kind of help. “That’s well and dandy, but Adam is human. Shouldn’t he be the one avoiding this conversation?”

Mr. Hill chuckles, “Not necessarily. He’s a man who has been forced to look reality in the eyes.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I twists slightly to look at him.

He smiles. “Gracelyn, he found out a month into dating you that werewolves exist. From the sounds of it, he’s done a lot of research into our animal counterparts. Something it seems like you need to do more of.”

I huff. “I get that we share some wolfish traits and instincts, but we’re still human. I can still think like a rational human being.” I don’t have to give in to that desire to mate early. I’ve dated since becoming a wolf and never had this problem. Although the wolf in me was never interested in the guys I dated. They weren’t dominate like Adam. They were pups compared to him. I guess that makes sense with how much my own dominance has grown through my training. My wolf knew that whoever claimed us would have to be strong and capable of leading. Which Adam is. He catches the attention of more than just my eyes.

“But those rational human thoughts are tainted by wolf instinct,” Mr. Hill states. I drop back into the couch. “Our emotions are intensified just like our sense of smell, hearing, and sight. Your Adam sounds like a pretty clear cut guy. If he’s aware of how your wolf affects your emotions, he’s probably acting to ensure his place in your life.”

“But why?”

“That’s something you have to ask him.” I grunt folding my arms over my chest. I don’t want to ask him. I know that his answer is going to terrify me.

“I told him to wait nine months before asking me about this again.”

Mrs. Hill gasps. “Why would you say that? You probably broke that poor boy’s heart.”

I give her a look. “He’s human. Why would we have the mate talk based on my wolfish timeline? He needs to slow it down anyway. We don’t have to have a whole relationship in one hockey season.” I hold the pillow over my face, breathing deeply. “I just…I told him the basics of what mates means. For him to just blatantly ask me after three months…”

“Shows he’s serious and making an effort to be part of your life.” I muffle another groan with the pillow. “Gracelyn, I know you don’t want to, but you have to talk to him about this. Figure out why he’s so adamant about it.”

“Or you could just shoot me.”



I don’t talk to Adam for three days. He has a game during that time which I don’t attend. I give in and talk to Mr. Fuller about it all and he says the same thing as the Hills: talk to Adam. Rather than talk to my boyfriend, I get a few were-human pairs on the phone after work. Their situations offer little insight as I realize that the men are the weres in the relationships. Apparently it’s rare for a female were to mate a human male because of the dominance issue. But the girls were able to tell me that it didn’t take them very long to know that they were making the right choice. Of the five couples I talk to, only one pair didn’t wait to get married after having the mate-talk. All the others let the relationship appear to run the course of a normal human relationship—which involved getting engaged after a year or two and then getting married. But the guys all hinted at the same thing: the mate talk comes early in a relationship. That didn’t make me feel better. One of the guys, Marco, seemed to understand a little more than the others. He voiced my own fear of feeling like he was trapping his wife in the relationship. He knew after three months that he wanted to claim her, but he put off telling her for another two months. After that, his wolf wouldn’t let him wait any longer.

Collapsing on my couch, I toss my phone onto my coffee table after hanging up with Marco. I’ve talked to him more than the others because he understands my hesitation. Closing my eyes, I lay there, trying not to think. That’s all I’ve been doing for the past three days and my brain is over it. I just want an uncomplicated relationship. But to get that, I’d have to be human; now that I’ve gotten more in tune with my wolf, I don’t want to be human. I’m embracing the wolf within me. At that thought, I realize this is something I’m not embracing. I’ve been so focused on being normal that I’m forgetting I’m not normal. Not humanly or wolfishly speaking. I’m a werewolf whose dominance hasn’t settled.

Popping my knuckles, I reach for my phone. It’s time to stop being so childish. As I pick up my phone, I mentally prepare myself to call Adam. However, before I can find him in my address book—I refuse to use his speed dial which he himself set—a knock sounds on my door. From the way the wolf in me perks up, I know it’s Adam. I can feel his inhuman dominance through my front door. I drop my phone on my couch as I get up. Approaching the door, I get a whiff of his varied emotions: pissed, anxious, and depressed.

As soon as I pull open the door, Adam brushes past me. I’m guessing he’s dispense with the pleasantries tonight.

“Sure, come on in Adam…” I shut the door before turning toward him. His blue eyes are bright as he glares at me. I start to move by him on my way back to the couch, but he catches me in his arms. My wolf curls to the feeling and I drop my head to the center of his chest out of habit. We both relax as he hugs me, one hand slipping into my curls. I bring my arms up around his waist, giving in. He buries his head in the space between my neck and shoulder.

“If you ever avoid me again, I will kick your door in and kidnap you.” The threat in his statement is clear, but it’s undercut by the hurt. I hug him tighter. It wasn’t my intent to hurt him. But I needed time to clear my head so I knew what to do. A few more minutes pass before he pulls away and leads me to my couch. He sits sideways, pulling me down to face him. He keeps our hands connected as he gets comfortable, pulling my phone from under him. I take it, setting it on the coffee table.

“I’m sorry. I needed time to figure things out.” I meet his eyes and wish I hadn’t. They tell me that we won’t be waiting nine months to have the dreaded conversation. They tell me exactly what I haven’t wanted to admit to myself since that day in [i]The Grill[/i].

“And did you?” He keeps his voice empty but I can feel him tense.

“I’m not breaking up with you, Adam.” He kisses me before I can go any further. As unexpected as it was, I’m able to control my wolf through the kiss. The heady feeling of his lips on mine lulls my wolf into complacency. I have to pull away before either of us are ready. There’s too much emotion rolling through his kiss and we have to have this conversation.

He leans back against the arm rest and I’m thankful for the distance. “I’m not going to apologize for that.”

“I’m not asking you to. But do you think you can contain yourself until after we’ve talked?” He doesn’t answer. Instead, he shifts so his knee is pressed against mine. I take a cue from my tactless boyfriend and decide to dive into the conversation. “Why would you ask me if we’re mates when you know how…much weight that term carries?”

He starts to respond, but cuts himself off. We sit in silence for a couple minutes as he figures out how to answer. “It’s the one topic you’ve avoided talking to me about and it’s the one I’m most curious about.”

I can’t stop the frown forming on my lips. “Why? Adam, claiming someone as a mate is the same thing as asking them to marry you. It’s not something to be taken lightly.”

“I’m not taking it lightly.” He runs his hand through his hair. “Look, I talked to Alec some more while you were ignoring me. I get that it’s a big deal, okay. But I can’t stop thinking about it. Ever since you glossed over the topic a couple months ago, it’s been in the back of my mind. And the last couple weeks, it’s been eating at me.” I keep my mouth shut, waiting for him to continue. Despite how joking our conversations are, I’ve learned to wait him out. When he gets serious in a conversation, he needs to feel safe to express himself. Jokes aside, Adam is a sensitive guy. I’m struck with an idea, but I force myself to let him explain himself. “What if some werewolf comes along and claims you? Do I just get tossed aside like yesterday’s newspaper? Because I’d…break.” He steadies his breathing before continuing. “I know it’s only been three months and I’m a little terrified of what I’m feeling, but I need to know you’re feeling it too.”

“What are you feeling?” I’m worried it might just be infatuation. I’m something new and exciting because I’m a werewolf. I really don’t want to claim him, only to have his desire fizzle out in another three months. Because then I’d break…and probably kill whoever caught his attention next.

“I feel like this issue is already settled, like I already know the answer. It’s like….hockey. I’ve known in my bones since I was little that I was made to play hockey. Despite the roller coaster that is a hockey career, I’ve always known that I’d make it one day. Sure I’d doubt it every so often, but the feeling settled in me and when it came down to it, regardless of how unsure I was, I still knew somehow. I still struggle sometimes, but I know this is what I’m meant to be doing.”

His words echo those of the other were-human mate pairs. Marco’s wife Stacey told me that once she heard the word “mate” and what it means to werewolves, she knew. It wasn’t a logical, conscious conclusion she drew. It was something bone deep that she had to accept; when Marco explained mates to her, something in her clicked and fell into place. I relax a little hearing Adam’s explanation.

“Adam…I want you to be sure. We’re essentially talking about marriage.”

“I’m sure.” The quiet confidence in his voice almost does me in.

I sigh, closing my eyes. Am I really ready to admit this? To be twenty-two and mated? I realize that’s some of my fear. I feel too young for this. To unprepared.

“Gracelyn. I told you two and a half months ago that I don’t want or need to play games. I’m past that point in my life. If I’m not your mate, we’re just playing games.” His eyes are intense as he looks at me.

I nod, dropping my head to my knee. That’s the crux of it, isn't it. Knowing what I am, if I know we’re not mates, I’m basically toying with him until someone better comes along. At that thought, Adam’s confession to me from a month prior resurfaces, [i]I’m afraid you’ll break my heart[/i]. How could I let him think I’d break his heart when I know in every part of me that he’s worthy of protecting mine?

I sit up, looking at him with a blank expression. “Can you at least wait until next year to buy me a ring?”

His dominance spikes and I can tell he’s trying not to smile. “Gracelyn. I want a straight answer. Am I your mate?”

I pop my knuckles. “Yes, Adam.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I feel the lightest I have since meeting him.

He grins and those same parts of me tighten. When he kisses me, I feel like I’m about to explode. My wolf wants to come out and mark him, but she knows now isn’t the time for that. When he finally ends the kiss, I barely have air left in my lungs. “So you’re my fiancée now. Not just my girlfriend.” I groan, dropping my head to his shoulder.

“Adam, we are not getting engaged after three months of dating.”

“Why not? Wolves are monogamous so I’m obviously it for that half of you until death do us part. And you’re not the kind of girl to shack up with a guy and then split after a while. Combine the parts of you and the whole says you’re my fiancée.”

“Can you be content with only calling me that in private?” Knowing Adam, that’s a long shot. He wanted commitment after two weeks of talking to each other. I’m fairly certain he considered me his girlfriend long before I agreed to take that step.

“Why would I hide the truth? In the eyes of other werewolves, we’re married, right?” I nod reluctantly. Though very few chose not to go through with the human ceremony, once a couple claims each other, a legal marriage is formality. “So calling you my fiancée is a step down already.” He smirks, “You’re already my wife.”

I don’t stop myself from punching him in the arm, but I hold back the amount of strength I put into it. “Can you please pretend to be normal?”

“Baby, I’m a dating a werewolf. What’s normal?” He pulls me up, leading me to my room. I sit on my bed, watching him dig through my drawers. “I’ll wait to buy you a ring. But if I call you my wife or fiancée every now and then, try not to get angry. I told you, I feel it in my bones that you’re my forever; that’s been settled for me since I talked to Alec. And now that I know you feel that too, I’m not going to be able to ignore it.” He tosses a t-shirt at my head. “But I’ll play along with your little charade of normalcy. For now.” His grin makes parts of me clench tighter than they ever have. Fighting with my arousal, I go into my bathroom to change. Apparently, we’re not spending the night apart. My thought is confirmed when I re-enter my bedroom to find Adam under my covers, watching the bathroom door. We haven’t shared a bed but a handful of times, but I can feel my body hum with anticipation. The smell of ice and body heat that encases me when I slid under the covers has be half asleep before I’m really comfortable. Adam pulls me flush against him, resting his forehead on my shoulder. My wolf curls around the feeling of being in Adam’s arms and I smile.

Notes

An update in 2 months instead of a year?! Shenanigans. But it's true. Although it might take another 2 or 3 months for the next one. I recently bought Sims 3.