Page 183 of Knot What I Expected

She was.

I'd woken with her cheek on my chest, one soft thigh thrown across mine, her dark hair everywhere, and her scent wrapped around me so completely Monster hadn't made a single fucking sound.

Not one.

That should've scared me.

Instead, I'd lain there staring at the ceiling with my hand spread across her back, wondering if this was what peace felt like.

Then the fucking call came.

Duty. Always fucking duty.

And this one had been a near miss.

A couple of idiot would-be hunters had decided to bring their bows and arrows onto the mountain to test their mettle.

Out of fucking season, I might add.

Apparently, breaking hunting regulations wasn't enough excitement for them because they'd also built a campfire, gotten drunk, and failed to put the damn thing out properly.

Wind did the rest.

Thank fuck Justin had been scouting the skies, cloaked and invisible in his Dragon form. He'd spotted the smoke and called us in before a stupid mistake became another catastrophic wildfire.

By early afternoon, we had it contained.

Another hour and we were certain it was dead.

And now all I wanted was a shower, clean clothes, and my woman.

My woman.

Fuck.

That still did something to me.

Mate, Monster rumbled.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Talking to yourself again, Wolf boy?”

I flip Wreck off without bothering to look at him.

He laughs.

Asshole.

“Good job today,” Wreck says as I rinse off in one of the outdoor showers at the station.

I grunt.

“Thanks.”

What the fuck am I supposed to say to that?

We don't usually go around thanking each other and shit.