I nodded again. I wasn't sure what had stolen my voice, but I couldn't seem to push the words past my lips.
Shep held my gaze for another moment, finding whatever confirmation he needed. He clicked a button on the clippers and a low buzz filled the room.
I swallowed, my gaze never wavering from the mirror in front of me.
Shep’s other hand came up, and he ran his fingers through my hair.
Increasingly familiar warmth spread through me at his touch, and I let out a shaky breath.
Shep lifted the clippers and began to cut away the shackles of my old life.
Chapter
Eight
SHEP
Rylan was a warm, pliant weight in my arms. After I cut his hair the night before and watched as every dark tuft fell from him like a weight lifted, he'd been dead on his feet.
I’d quickly swept up the loose hair on the floor and then made sure the house was all locked up while Rylan took a quick shower.
After that, I’d given him one of my shirts, watched it swallow his smaller frame and pulled him into the bed to sleep.
It was easily the best night of sleep I'd ever had. My bear was totally content, rumbling happily in my chest. My mate was safe. His scent was calm and warm in my nose.
My pack was safe and so many of them were under my roof. In all my years, I had never felt such ease.
Lying there now, Rylan snuggled closer, his nose snuffling at my collarbone and tickling the hair on my chest. As the minutes ticked by, he started to squirm a little. I thought for a moment he was having a bad dream.
“Rylan, sweetheart, wake up.”
The undercurrent in his scent changed. It grew deeper, spicier, filling the room and my head with undeniable notes of arousal.
It dawned on me quickly—my mate was going into heat.
I ran my hand over the newly short hair on his head. The style suited him.
He hummed and snuggled closer.
I let out a little chuckle. “Sweetheart, I need you to wake up now.”
Slowly, he opened his eyes. “Shep?” Ry’s voice was soft, sleepy and possibly the sweetest thing I’d ever heard.
“Good morning, sweetheart. Can you wake up for me?”
He blinked several times, shaking off his slumber. His brow furrowed for a moment before his eyes shot open wide. “I’m?—”
“Yes,” I said, keeping my voice soft and rubbing a palm up and down his back. “Tell me what you need from me.”
He took a shaky breath and pushed himself up to sit beside me. He crossed his legs and turned so we were facing each other.
“Truthfully, I don’t know. Trent didn’t let any of us spend our heats alone. Whether it was him or one of the others.” He looked down, fiddling with the blanket pooling around him. “For me, it was always him. He didn’t hurt me, but I didn’t really want him either.”
Even though I’d assumed as much, hearing Rylan say it out loud made rage burn through me. My bear wanted blood. How dare that monster treat our mate like that? Treat anyone like that. At that moment, I vowed to stop him. Whatever I had to do. Whatever favors I had to call in. He would never hurt anyone else the way he’d hurt Rylan and the others again.
I sat up farther as well, pushing myself to lean fully against the headboard. “I’ll get you settled in here. It should last about a day, right? I have a mini fridge in the garage I can bring in for drinks and food.” I threw the covers off my legs and scooted tothe edge of the bed, thoughts picking up steam as a plan formed in my mind. “We’ll find you a heating pad. Ice packs?—”
Rylan’s fingers closed around my wrist.
