Chapter Fifteen
Adalyn kicked back on the deck with Erin, sipping a glass of sweet tea—something her mother would have never allowed her to have. The sweetness danced around on her tongue, reminding her of her now heightened taste buds. “I didn’t expect my entire body to change just by shifting to my wolf form for the first time.”
Quite literally—everything was different. Her sense of smell was now almost as strong as it had been in her wolf form. Her sense of hearing was also close to that of her wolf. And taste? Wow! She had no idea how a single grape could leave her on the edge of a foodgasm.
“I keep forgetting what it must be like for you. How odd everything must seem and feel. It’s okay to take time to explore the new you and figure out exactly what you can do with your newfound senses and strength,” Erin said.
“It’s very odd, but I like it! I feel truly whole for the first time in my life. Before, I’d always felt like something was missing but I didn’t know what—or how to even describe it.” Adalyn tried to explain.
“I get it. Trust me. I really do. When my mom unbound my witch powers, it was like someone had flipped a switch inside of me. All of this energy poured into my body. Each nerve ending came alive for the first time ever. It was like I’d never truly seen the world around me. The sky, the trees, the grass, the flowers. They all seemed so much more vivid than I’d ever remembered. The taste of food, any of it—all of it, suddenly exploded in my mouth. The first time Lucas kissed me after—dear lord! It was incredible!”
Adalyn looked at her cousin in bewilderment. Erin really did understand what Adalyn was going through. But also—the promise of Wade’s kiss being better than it already was! Holy hell! “Wait! You mean an already perfect kiss is going to—”
“Yep! Hold onto your panties, girl. It’s going to be a hell of a ride!” Erin laughed.
“Oh god! What am I going to do?” Her anxiety kicked into high gear. With the dreams she’d been haunted by all night of Wade, she’d never make it through the day imagining how much better his kiss—his touch would feel.
“Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost?” Erin asked, setting her tea on the table beside her.
“Yeah. It’s just the thought of feeling even more than I already do with Wade. I have a hard enough time now saying no to him as it is. If he dials up the heat, I’m going to get burned.”
Adalyn was out of her league and she knew it. It didn’t matter how much she liked or wanted Wade; she could never hope to compete against a more experienced woman. Hell, before yesterday, she had never known a single kiss.
“You’ll be fine. It’s just like riding a bike,” Erin said.
“Ha! Like riding a bike?” Mina sat down beside Erin and Adalyn. “If bikes could give orgasms, I’d agree. But I’ve never had an orgasm, let alone ten of them in one day from riding a bike!”
“Okay, okay. Maybe that was a bad analogy. I’ll have to try harder next time. I’m glad you could make it.” Erin smiled at Mina.
“You must be Adalyn. I’m Mina, Rafe’s wife and mate.”
Adalyn couldn’t help but stare at Mina’s bulging belly. A warmth she’d never known spread through her heart when she saw Mina gently rub her stomach as a soft smile stretched across her face. Even if she thought her brother had exhibited serious dickish behavior toward her, she had a fresh start with Mina. A woman who clearly had love for her family in her heart and mind.
“It’s nice to finally meet my brother’s wife. I can’t help but notice that you are expecting. You must be so excited!”
“I am! These little ones are killing me. I’m ready to feel them kicking outside of my body for once instead of them dropkicking my kidneys.”
Adalyn couldn’t imagine what Mina must be feeling, knowing that she is going to be responsible for not just one baby but two. Yet Mina seemed calm and resigned to her destiny.
If only Adalyn could feel at peace with what she had been told her destiny was.
“Twins! I wouldn’t even know what I’d do with one, let alone two babies at the same time. When are you due?”
“It’s taken almost my entire pregnancy to get used to the fact that I’m going to have two babies at once, but I’m good with it now. Rafe, bless his heart, has been by my side the entire time—always watching over and protecting me and the babies.”
“You mean up your ass!” Erin joked.
“Well, yeah, let’s just say I haven’t had much alone time and I guess that’s too be expected. He just wants to make sure that we’re safe—especially with everything going on around here. And to answer your question, I have four weeks left, but Erin said they could come anytime—that twins are generally born a bit early.”
“I’m very happy for you and Rafe. Not that I know anything about him, but he seems very…intense. Is he always like that?” Adalyn asked, curiosity getting the best of her.
Mina was the first one to answer. “He is. But I don’t see it as a bad thing. It means he loves hard and unconditionally. He will protect his family and his pack no matter what it takes.”
“I can see that about him. I haven’t been here long enough to know how this whole pack thing works, but I can easily see he cares a great deal for everyone. He wears that love on his sleeve. It’s an honorable trait,” Adalyn said.
Adalyn felt her attitude toward her brother soften a bit. Meeting Mina, talking to her, learning about the babies—it made her realize Rafe may not be a total dick, as she’d first thought. He’d absolutely been an ass to her, but he had invited her to stay.
“He’s trying to protect his pack. His family. We are a great threat to all he holds dear,”her wolf said.
