“Old room,” he growls, making me smile. I playfully bite his jean-covered ass, which is directly in front of my face. He tosses me onto the bed before covering me with his body. “Old room,” he repeats, wanting my confirmation.

“Well, it would be if you’d let me pack my stuff,” I remind him. This is something I’ve been telling him we need to do. He kept saying he could do it, but all I can envision is my favorite shoes and bags thrown carelessly into a box, then duct taped up. Nope, not happening. I love those shoes and bags.

“Fine. We’ll do it now. And then you’ll come home?” I hear the hope in his voice, and I’m a little taken aback by it. This was not how I thought this would go. I didn’t foresee my brute of a mate asking me anything when it came to not being within reaching distance of him. Something’s up.

“You’re acting odd.” I eye him suspiciously, but he gives me nothing. “What if I say no? We’ll pack after I’m done with my shift today?”

“Okay, I’ll wait.” Shocking. He’d stand like a statue in the corner all day. I could see it now. He’d growl at every male that tried to talk to me. Hell, the bakery would be bankrupt in a month. Even when the mating heat passes, I know Xavier will still be more possessive than most males. It’s just who he is. He’s more animal than man. Logically, he knows no other shifter would want me, but he doesn’t care. He sees every male as a threat.

“No, you come back at three.”

I see him fight himself. “This will make you happy?” He searches my face, and I just smile up at him.

“It will make me happy that you trust me.”

“I can’t keep you caged.” He says the words like he’s repeating them from another source. “You’re so full of life. It’s unfair, no matter how much I want it. I just thought I had more time.”

His words surprise me. Then I remember he walked in with Dom, and I’m guessing he had a talk with my mate. Dom seems to be the only other male in the pack he trusts.

“You do have me, but Ruby and Dom are our friends, and they need our help right now. Just like I’m sure if we need them when our babies come, they’ll be there for us, too.” It’s a step in the right direction. He might not be ready to be a part of the pack as a whole, but this is pulling him in little by little. “I want us to be together all the time, too, but if we are going to have all these babies like you want, then we’re also going to have to learn to be apart at times.”

“I’m fighting my instincts, but I want to give you this, give us this.” Xavier nuzzles my neck for just a moment, then looks back into my eyes.

“One day at a time. I’m not going anywhere. If I’m ever at the bakery or running errands, you can call me and come right to me. I know it’s been a while since you had one, but you can track me with your phone.”

He seems pleased with that idea. “I love you,” he growls, before taking my mouth in a deep hungry kiss.

Thank God we have a little time before Winnie shows up.

Chapter Thirteen Xavier

I’m on my way to pick up Gwen from work when I stop in the woods. I catch her scent leading to another trail, and it has me on alert. It’s faint, but I don’t remember smelling it this morning when I walked her to work.

The past two weeks have been difficult for me, but as the days go by, it gets easier. I walk her to the bakery every morning and then leave her there while I work on houses. Dominic told me that there was a need for a builder in the shifter community, and he recommended me to a few people. The work keeps my mind busy while Gwen is away from me, but I don’t know that I’ll ever be completely okay with her being out of reach.

I pull out my phone and check the tracker. I see that she’s still at work, or at least her phone is still inside the bakery. I put my phone away and smell again. Her scent is coming from the opposite direction of the bakery, from a trail that leads to the stream.

I decide to check out the scent just to be safe and to see what’s going on. I take a few steps down the trail and follow the smell. When I make it a few feet, I stop. I can smell Gwen’s wolf, and she’s close. Suddenly, I can feel a wicked smile spreading across my face. My mate is trying to play hide and seek.

I slip off my shirt and jeans and leave them in a pile beside a tree. This is shifter territory, and no one will bother things that smell of other shifters. The snow is light today, only just having started falling yesterday. The afternoon sun is peeking through the trees, and the cold breeze lends a crisp chill to the air.

Gwen and I have gone for runs in the woods a few times. At first, I was really nervous, keeping her close to me and never letting her out of my sight. But like all things with my mate, she opens me up to life. I would have kept locking us inside our home for the rest of our lives if she’d let me, but she keeps reminding me that there’s life outside our bubble.

Once I’m naked, I shift, easily slipping into my large black wolf. I catch her scent even faster this way, and I take off in the direction she’s headed. I lengthen my stride as I prowl through the woods, bringing her closer and closer to me. I run through the trees, letting my wolf come to the front and control my instincts as I track my mate with precision.

When I come to a small meadow, I stop, sensing she’s close. I crouch down on all fours, looking around and waiting for her to make her move.

This place is several miles from town and utterly beautiful. I’ve been out this way before, but most shifters don’t come out this far. It’s still in the protected zone, so I know my mate is safe. I scent the area again just to be sure, and she’s the only other one out here.