Chapter Two

I stirred in warm arms, pressing more into the naked flesh. I inhaled the scent of smoldering fires and forest, underneath the scent of pure male. My Connor.

I could have purred when his large hands massaged my lower back, drawing me closer as they worked on me.

"Better?" My wolf rumbled, inhaling my scent.

"Mmm, yes, thank you." I replied sleepily. I didn't remember falling asleep, just the sex. Must have dozed off after.

A rumble was his response, burying his face in my neck, his beard tickling my skin.

"Is it too early to think of names?" I asked, rubbing a hand down his back.

"How would we know which names to think of? We don't know the gender." He nuzzled into me.

"It wouldn't hurt to be prepared. We can just choose two or three names from each gender that we like. We can narrow it down further when the time comes."

"When the time comes."

"You are going to be a papa wolf. How do you feel about that?"

"I'm not sure, I've never had offspring before."

"Well, then, we can figure it out as we go. At the moment, I am peaceful and content." I kissed his lightly bearded jaw. "You should shave the beard off."

Connor laughed and threw back the furs, standing from the bed. "Alright, I will."

"Hurry, I want to share a bath with my mate." I giggled when he growled in response.

I slid out of bed and grabbed a fur to wrap myself in to keep warm, then padded barefoot to the bathroom. I peeked in, clutching the fur closed in front of me.

Connor was standing over a basin of water, a razor slowly moving across his shaving cream covered face.

I watched in fascination as water droplets trailed down his neck at a turtles pace. I longed to trace its progress down his chest with my tongue.

He inhaled deeply, a rumbling growl vibrated in said glorious chest. "I can smell you, Angel."

"Alpha?" A voice called from the front door.

Connor growled in annoyance, silver eyes flashing. "What?!" He roared, baring his teeth in the direction the voice came from.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but we've caught new scents on the Timmins property." Ash answered, voice unsteady.

"I'll be right there." He replied, turning to capture my lips in a quick, devouring kiss. "I will return soon."

"Be careful, Connor. I want you to come back to us in one piece." I fought the urge to cling to him so he wouldn't be able to go.

"I promise I will return to you."

I hugged myself as I watched my wolf run toward my old house with Ash and a few other pack wolves.

I paced the front of the tent, unable to sit or stand still. I glanced at the homemade cedar clock that Connor had carved for me as a present to celebrate our mating, he had been gone for almost twenty minutes.

I debated with myself, biting my lower lip. Go or stay?

Another glance at the clock made up my mind. Go.

I ran through the trees, slower than usual, but faster than a human was capable of.

I had been running a grand total of ten minutes, my dress swishing in the breeze my movements made.

I was about halfway to the Tollerman property when a loud bang echoed through the forest. Pain enveloped my body shortly after.

I let loose a scream as I fell, curling in on myself a little.

A scent hit me before I lost consciousness, one of the travelers from the bar.

Dean lowered the gun as the body dropped, a feminine scream ringing in his ears.

Well, he got it. Not bad for the amount of distance between him and it.