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“Why is your home underground?”
He felt her chuckle against him. “I can’t explain it. After my failed induction, I needed to be here. I think it was about healing first, then safety. I feel safe underground, though I never thought I’d say that.”
“I have a burrow I still use. I figured it was only a wolf thing.”
“I think it’s a Five Bridges thing. We have limited space here and we get new alters in every night. We either build up, or we dig in the earth.”
She leaned away from him and grabbed some tissues. The movement was enough for him to glide out of her. As she took care of herself without the smallest hint of embarrassment, she rolled to face him, her hands settling beneath her cheek. “You’ve been here a long time. Are you happy here? Or maybe I mean, were you happy before Laura’s death?”
“Are you asking if it’s possible to make peace with what you’ve become, yes, absolutely. It took time, of course. I was so angry when my wife and I first arrived. We’d had a good life. We were trying for a family. Then suddenly, it was all over. Some alters bear children, but it’s rare. It didn’t happen for us.
“Our life in Scottsdale now seems like it never happened. It’s hard to remember when I wasn’t a wolf.”
She touched his shoulder, rubbing her fingers over the dips between the muscles. “Do you shift often?” Her gaze flitted to his, but she kept her hand on his shoulder. He liked the contact. It eased him.
“Every wolf’s experience is different. I find shifting is not only pleasurable, it’s necessary. There’s a longing to run I can’t explain. When you took me for a forest ride just now, in the spell you created, you can’t imagine how much it pleased my wolfness. But how did you know to do that?”
Her arched, reddish-brown eyebrows rose. “I didn’t know I could even do something like that. But the image that came into my head was of a forest and the rest flowed from there.
“It’s amazing, by the way, that there’s a forest now in Five Bridges, in the middle of the desert.” It had taken two decades for the Savage forest to reach maturity. He was grateful to his predecessors for planting it. He’d had full access from the time he’d arrived.
He pursed his lips then frowned. “Wolves need a forest to run in. The men and women who first arrived as alter shifters said there was more fighting among the packs than I could ever believe possible. A lot of it was because of a lack of proper running space.
“We have different troubles now, mostly with the drug cartels and their stranglehold on Five Bridges. Even with the disaster of the alter serums and being so closely related to the flame drugs, it’s inconceivable to me how people would continue to even get close to the drugs. I’m still iffy about your infuser.”
“I know. But it got the job done. The way I’ve come to see it is that drugs used medicinally can be a good thing. I use an extremely small amount compared to a typical hit of emerald flame. It’s the transport mechanism for my potions, an enhancer only of what’s in the recipe.”
“In future, keep the stuff away from me. I’m deeply prejudiced against it because in Savage, the cartels mass-produce emerald flame and twenty percent of our wolves get hooked on it.”
“I understand and I’ll do my best.”
“I appreciate it.”
She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. He eased himself onto his side. He propped up his head with his hand and looked at her. “You have a beautiful profile.”
She seemed surprised. “Thank you.” She twisted her fingers around one of her tight curls.
He touched her hair again as he had earlier. “It’s really thick.”
“It is. Mostly, it’s a pain. I used to wear it very long when I first arrived. When I went berserk and killed those witches, my hair was like a lion’s main, only curly as hell. Afterward, I cut it all off. It was freeing in a way I can’t explain.”
“I would have liked it long but I don’t blame you for cutting it.”
“I think most men like long hair.”
He’d never thought of it before. Laura had always had long hair. He’d loved it. “Maybe we do.”
She sat up. “Well, that’s enough of that.”
He couldn’t help himself as he laughed out loud. “What do you mean? Chatting here with me? In bed? Some women beg for what I’ve heard referred to as ‘cuddle time’.”
“Look. I don’t know how it is we’ve gotten together here, but there’s something you should know. I’m a real doer. I don’t like sitting idle.” She planted her hand soothingly on his shoulder. “I mean, this has been really nice, but my to-do list is usually the length of one of Veyda’s spells. Also, we need to get after Kiara and get this figured out.”
“Absolutely.”
“Good.” She slapped his shoulder which made him smile, then leaped from bed but turned to face him. He had a great view of her breasts. “I’m going to shower. I won’t take long. Then you can shower, too, if you want. But please don’t join me.”
Now he was curious. “Why not?”
