AllFreeNovel
Share Us
There’s only showing. Only feeling.
And tonight, she’ll see…
Tonight, she’ll experience what it means to be mated to a grizzly shifter.
All. Night. Long.
ChapterFive
Tara
Istep out of the draining bath and wrap a towel around me, feeling much much better. The blood is circulating through my body again. I can feel my toes.
I wiggle them on the wet mat, so thankful that I didn’t lose any to frostbite. I love wearing flip-flops in the summer and some mangled missing toes would have seriously messed up my flip-flop game.
A warm shiver ripples through me when I remember how it felt to have Leo’s big strong hand wrapped around them.
To be lying in his bed… My body flattened against his hard muscular frame… The sound of his heart beating to the same rhythm as mine… The feel of his warm breath on my neck… The kind words whispered into my ear, telling me that everything was going to be okay…
That man saved me.
I have no doubt about it.
I keep thinking about what happened and trying to put the pieces together. I’ve come up with a theory, but I’m nervous to ask him about it.
He left me a pile of clothes by the sink and I dry off and put them on. My bra and underwear need a good wash, so I leave those in the shower stall with my ruined bloody dress.
His pajama pants are way too big for me, so I tie the waist as tight as it will go and then roll them up my legs until I can finally see my feet. The t-shirt is huge as well, but it’s Leo’s so I’m already kind of in love with it. I’m already plotting how I can steal it.
It’s a band I’ve never heard of—Stone Temple Pilots—and I can tell it’s well-loved by the faded image. I sigh contently as I feel the soft material on my skin. The neck hole is so big that it falls over my shoulder, but it’s kind of sexy at the same time, so I leave it.
I fix up my wet hair as best I can and then brush my teeth with a brand-new toothbrush he left me on the counter.
I would like to be wearing some makeup when he sees me for the first time not dressed as an axe-murdering bride, but I don’t have any on me and his products are all for males.
Oh well, hopefully he has a thing for runaway brides or for really irresponsible drivers.
I take a deep breath and head out.
The warm inviting scent of hot soup wafts down the hallway and makes me moan.
I walk slowly down the hall, my bare feet silent on the hardwood floors, and smile when I arrive in the large open space that has Leo’s adorable kitchen, his warm cozy living room with a roaring fire, and the dining area where I can picture us sitting over a hot meal and talking for hours.
Soft music is playing on the speakers—I recognize it asHoloceneby Bon Iver—and Leo has his back turned to me, mixing something in the large pot.
He turns and looks at me with a warm beautiful smile as I walk in. It hits me right in the core and for some reason I want to start crying.
Not sad tears, the happy kind. An hour ago, I was alone in the snowstorm, I was trapped in a trunk, I was certain I was going to die, although I didn’t know which traumatic way would get me.
And now I’m here. Safe and warm with this gorgeous man smiling at me, a crackling fire in the stunning stone fireplace, tender music, a hearty meal waiting for me, and all while the storm rages outside. The frigid wind is howling. The snow is accumulating on the windows. I’m so happy to be here with him, all snug and comfy in the safe shelter of his cabin. The only place I’ve ever felt this content and secure was at home as a kid.
It’s a log cabin with giant logs towering up to the high A-framed ceiling and running horizontally along the walls. The lighting is soft and cozy with candles lit on every wooden shelf and on every piece of antique furniture. The large couches with folded flannel throw blankets draped over the backs of them are inviting me to sink into them and enjoy the warm fire.
Everything about this place is charming and delightful. It’s so welcoming, especially when in stark contrast to the violent storm outside.
“Feel better?” he asks. He’s so cute with his gray apron on, I can’t even.
“Muchbetter,” I say, smiling back at him. “Thank you so much, Leo. I don’t even know what to say.”
