CHAPTER 4

Tess sat by the window, drifting between daydreams. It was late in the day in the cottage and the sun was already set behind the mountain, but the remaining hint of daylight still illuminated the fresh snow.

The smell of food wafted from a large pot in the kitchen caused her stomach to growl. Her head leaned back and rested upon the wall behind her.

How much longer could she wait before returning home to the farmstead she’d grown up on? How much longer would she have to keep guessing the fate of her lover?

Tess snapped from her thoughts to the sound of crunching snow. A path of footsteps etched their way through the hillside and she leaned against the glass to identify the stranger.

As the door opened, the cottage woke up. The children by the fire pit untangled themselves from their half sleep and stared at the new stranger who was just out of sight from Tess.

“Connor!” they shouted.

Tess couldn’t stand fast enough and tripped over the blanket at her feet, catching herself with her hands. She rolled her eyes as she stood to her feet to greet him. Connor was covered in young pups trying their best to climb over him as though he were a living jungle gym, it seemed she wasn’t the only one excited to see him.

“I guess you have fans,” Tess laughed as she winded her way through the young crowd.

Connor lifted a young one over his head to screams of delight only to catch her as she fell close to the floor. Another skittered up his back and straddled his shoulders, begging him to take her for a ride around the room.

Tess’s heart melted. He was such a good man. Anyone able to play with kids like that would make an amazing father. She wrapped her hands around her stomach and allowed herself this moment to feel contented.

“A little help?” he asked.

She didn’t want to let it end so soon. Yet, she yearned to spend some time with him, alone. With a hearty sigh she stepped in the middle of the crowd.

“Dinner’s almost done,” she shouted, “Time to go get cleaned up!”

The youngsters let out a collective groan but Tess gave them no quarter. She straightened her grin and clapped, pointing them toward the sink to wash their hands.

“They’re worse than the bears,” he chuckled. He lifted the pup from his shoulders and set her gently on the ground. She scampered off to join the rest of the children.

Tess ambushed him from behind, coiling her arms around his tight abs.

“I missed you,” she said.

Connor turned to face her and they locked eyes. She was lost in the deep blue marbles that smiled back. He kissed her on the forehead and after a time they decided to sit by the roaring fire in the middle of the room to both warm up and talk.

“How was the drive?” she asked.

“Do you really care about that,” Connor asked.

“Not really,” she replied, truthfully, “I just like the sound of your voice.”

For the brief moments they sat by the fire, her fears dissipated and she could feel him start to relax. Instead of being in the middle of this terrible feud with the bears, or rival pack members, Tess felt like she was back in the forest on the first night they’d met.

“Do you think I’m doing the right thing?” he asked, stroking his hand through her hair.

She responded silently by snuggling into the crook of his arm.

His eyes scanned the room and she wondered what it was he was really looking for. “Is there somewhere more private we can go?” he asked.

Tess pushed herself up to sit and thought for a moment.

“Well, the alpha here said there are a few cabins in the area that are mostly unused at this time of the year. Maybe he’ll let us have one of those for a while,” she said with a coy smile, “I’ll go find out.” She readied herself to stand but was stopped short by Connor.

“I got this one, you just relax,” he said.

Connor took a pillow from nearby and tucked it under Tess before rolling to his feet. The pack alpha was in the kitchen, starting to dole out the evening meal. Tess watched the two converse for a brief moment. It was still crazy to think that this sexy man was not only the alpha but her lover.

He returned to her and offered a hand that she took happily as he helped her to a stand.

“Can you walk,” he asked.

“After sitting cooped up in this cabin for the past few days, walking sounds good. I’m sure I’ll manage,” she replied, slapping him in the stomach with her pillow.

Connor helped her into her jacket and the two ventured into the vast snowy hillside. The air was crisp and biting. She was glad that Connor held her so close; his warmth was enough for the short trip they’d need to make to the nearby cabin. The falling snow was already covering Connor’s tracks from before.

The cabin was tiny compared to the large cottage they’d just left. A tiny smoke stack peeked out from the snow covered rooftop and snow piled in front of the unlocked door. If Connor weren’t so strong they might have needed to find a shovel, but he wrenched it open with little effort.

Upon entering they found a simple setup; a single bed was nestled against wall to their left, with a set of sheets folded at the foot. A cast iron stove stood against the back wall with a pile of wood stack up beside it.

Connor got to work quickly and started a fire while Tess threw off her shoes and shivered her way into the bed covers. As the fire burned brighter, Tess clicked off their single flashlight and they lied together in the small bed. The last flash of daylight passed through the snow covered window and they were left in darkness.