Chapter Nineteen

Everything that once belonged to Nikolai was now nothing more than wet ash. Monica knew her small home wouldn’t work as the Pack’s headquarters. There was no room to run, no room to be the wild beasts they all were, especially on territory that belonged to Oscar. They would need to upgrade, and soon.

Monica threw herself onto the couch, and Nikolai reached to pull her into his body. She fit against him as if they’d been molded for one another. Perhaps they had, by whatever forces controlled fate and mates. All she knew was that it set her at ease, so much so that she could easily fall into a peaceful sleep.

“What do you have in your hands?”

Monica lifted the magazine for her mate to see. “Real estate brochure. We seriously need to find a new house.”

A week ago, a small fight had broken out in her back yard. The shifters getting the fight out of their system crashed through a fence she shared with her neighbor. The repairs set her back almost four commissioned paintings. There was no way she could keep her job at this rate. She was still waiting for one of them to break her fridge with the force they used to slam it shut.

“Are you sure?” Nikolai played with the small hairs at the base of her skull as he spoke. It sent chills down her spine and nearly muddled her mind.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

Nikolai laughed. The sound of it filled her body and soul. She leaned into it, yearning to hear it again. The arm he wrapped around her traveled up and over her shoulder until it looped around her neck. She shuddered in his arms and let her head fall back. Her mate looked down at her, a small smile on his lips.

The magazine in her hands was forgotten as she lost herself in the rise of his perfect cheekbones and the endless depths of his eyes. “You’re too beautiful.”

He cocked a brow. “Men don’t normally like the term beautiful, but I will gladly accept the compliment.”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

Nikolai did as was asked of him. He bent over her, his nose grazing her chin as he gently kissed her. Greedy, Monica bit his lip. She eagerly devoured the offered lips, delving into his mouth with her tongue. Nikolai groaned. He pulled back, leaving her cold and kiss-less. Monica made a sound of frustration before her mate could lift her onto his lap.

With one hand, he brought her head down for another kiss. With the other, he gently guided her hips into a rocking motion. His growls of greedy hunger multiplied. His kiss became more urgent, and the hands on her tightened. Monica reveled in his touch, in the way he held her like she might escape at any moment.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she whispered into his mouth.

She watched the tears gather at the corner of his eyes, despite the grin that took over his face. “Like hell you aren’t. You’re going underneath me in a moment.”

Monica lifted her hands in the air, letting him tug her shirt over her head. The couch creaked and groaned beneath their love making. Neither of them cared to listen to the warnings, too lost in each other. Just as they finished, orgasm taking them at the same time, the arm of the couch let out a deafening crack.

It collapsed to the ground, the rest of the couch falling into a lopsided stance. Nikolai gripped Monica, holding her to keep her from falling over, and began laughing. His cheeks darkened, lips pressed together, as he fought against his obvious laughter. Monica realized why he was laughing, and her jaw dropped.

“You didn’t.” The warning in her voice was light, half jesting.

“I was wondering when it would go.”

Monica slapped his shoulder playfully. He laughed and drew her into his arms. She tried to fight him, but soon gave in to the touch of his hands. “My couch didn’t deserve that.”

“We can get a new one,” he said as he nuzzled her neck. “Maybe one with cupholders.”

Monica shook her head, even though she couldn’t wipe the smile from her face. This was payback for her last prank. As he kissed the hollow of her neck, she tried to plan her next one, but Nikolai’s presence scrambled her brain. A giggle slipped out of her lips as he tickled her earlobe with his lips. Their laughter soon overtook them, and they fell onto the floor together.

Despite everything that had broken since they mated, Monica wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. The life that had once felt devoid of anything other than art was now bursting with laughter and smiles. She woke beside Nikolai every morning, the sheets no longer shredded beneath her. He gave her time to work in her studio, sometimes coming to provide steamy breaks in between paintings.

As she rolled over, she reached for the real estate magazine she’d dropped earlier. It’d fallen open and she yanked it close to peer over the revealed page. In the center of expensive Californian homes was a place near Gilroy. It was a sprawling example of modern architecture with huge windows. There was even a small, remodeled barn in the back.

Excitedly, she pushed the magazine toward her mate, pointing to the listing. Nikolai glanced at it, barely even reading over the description before responding. “Whatever you want.”

Monica hesitated. “You didn’t even look at the price. How do you know we can afford it?”

He gathered her into his arms once more, as if he could barely stand to be even inches away from her. “My father was good for one thing, at least. He left me a well-padded account. Add to that the insurance payout from the house Alex burnt, and we can afford whatever you want.”

Monica chewed her lower lip.

“What is it?”

“Not once in my life has money been a non-issue. I’ve always counted my pennies.” She ran her finger over the price on the listing. It was higher than anything she’d ever considered before. When she pointed it out, she’d thought they would be pooling their savings. The idea that Nikolai would cover it never crossed her mind. “I’ll let you pay for it, but I’m still going to count my pennies.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Good. You’ll keep me in check. The only thing I ask you let me do is buy our next couch.”

“So, you can get another bachelor couch?” She playfully slapped his chest.

Nikolai responded by tightening his grip on her. She could hear the rumble of a happy growl in his chest. The bear lingered in his eyes, making them glow. Both were happy to see her. The panther inside her was happy, too. It purred in response to his bear’s growl.

“Whatever you want,” she whispered before reaching to claim his lips again.