Chapter 14 - Laila
“You have nice shoulders?” Laila pressed the heel of her hands into her eyes. That was the best she could come up with. “Why am I so lame?” she muttered. Needless to say, flirting was not her forte.
She took a long, slow breath and continued staring at the ceiling, which she’d been doing for about an hour. Instead of feeling comfortable in her home, she was more restless than ever. Her mind kept straying to thoughts of Tolliver in the living room. Was he asleep? Was he thinking about her as she thought about him? Was she crazy for still wanting him?
After their night together, she couldn’t help aching for his touch again. It was confusing and upsetting because she didn’t want to put herself in the position to get hurt again. Yet she couldn’t help her sexual desire for Tolliver. Maybe that was normal after a five-year dry spell… She hoped it was.
Movement coming from the living room caught her attention. She cocked her ear to listen. It sounded as if Tolliver was restless and shuffling on the couch. There was no way he was comfortable being crammed into the chair. Guilt nagged at her because she was small enough to sleep on the couch. However, he’d been adamant that she took the bed.
She tried to ignore the sounds coming from the other room. Shifting beneath the covers, she tried to get comfortable. Laila lay with her eyes closed, waiting for sleep to come, but it never did. Her mind continued its relentless loop. Groaning, she dragged a hand down her face and sat up.
“Laila?”
She froze. It sounded as if Tolliver was at the door. “Yeah?”
“I heard you moaning. Are you all right in there?”
Amusement surged through her. Of course, he’d hear the slightest sound. His shifter hearing was even more acute than hers. Of course, that was because she’d been living like a human for years, never letting her wolf out. Sliding out of bed, she went to open the door.
Tolliver stood there, shirtless. She had to force her eyes away from his chiseled torso and bulging biceps. His hair was tousled—from all the shuffling she heard him doing, no doubt.
“Nothing gets past you, does it?” she asked.
“Not much. You didn’t answer my question. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
When his gaze lowered to take in the rest of her, she remembered that she only wore a thin T-shirt with nothing underneath. Her cheeks flushed, even though Tolliver quickly looked away from the outline of her nipples.
“What about you?” she asked. “I feel sorry for your poor back having to sleep on the couch.”
His lips twisted into a small smile. “It’s okay, I couldn’t sleep either.”
“Can I get you anything? Maybe more pillows, another blanket… something to eat?”
He studied her keenly. Despite the dim lighting, he could see her clearly with his sharp vision. “Since neither of us can sleep, what do you say about a late-night snack and a drink?”
Laila considered for a moment. Being with Tolliver in any context was risky. When she spent time with him, she found herself wanting to throw caution to the wind. However, she caved as she stared at him and saw the hopeful and genuinely concerned look in his eyes.
“I love late-night snacks.”
He smiled. “I know.”
“I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
After she got dressed, she and Tolliver went downstairs to the bakery’s kitchen. He carried the bottle of red wine she had stashed in a cabinet. She pulled a tray of brownies with cream cheese frosting from the fridge. As they settled on the stools next to the counter and dug into the pastries, Laila couldn’t help feeling a little nostalgic. She and Tolliver used to do this often—enjoy a night snack.
When they’d first started dating, she’d been self-conscious about her love for food and pastries. Tolliver had always been built like an athletic god. What if he balked at her liberal diet? So, she had tried to curb her snacking habits. The super observant person that Tolliver was, he realized quickly and told her she didn’t have to change a thing about herself. He was so supportive and sweet, and she’d fallen even more in love with him. After that, having late-night snacks became their thing when they couldn’t sleep. Laila missed those days.
She watched him take a sip of the wine he’d poured. “I know wine isn’t your thing, but it’s all I have.” He preferred much stronger drinks—bourbon was his favorite.
“It’s okay. These brownies are delicious. Your skills have only gotten better. I’m impressed.”
She couldn’t help beaming with pride. “Thank you.”
He took a huge bite out of a brownie. “Tell me about how you came to own this place. When we were shacked up at your old apartment, you had your eyes on it. You said you’d own it one day, and now you do.”
Laila laughed at the shacked-up bit. They’d been shacked up all right. Tolliver had practically moved into her place mere weeks after they started dating because traveling from Bellefleur had become too much, and he didn’t want them to be apart for days at a time.
“It came down to good luck, really.” She shrugged. “I didn’t have the money to buy the place when I wanted to. Someone else had made an offer I couldn’t beat. I thought I’d lost out on it, but then the other person changed their mind, and the owner agreed to take what I had, and we set up a payment plan for the rest. After two years, everything was paid in full, and I was making enough to hire employees. Business has been great since then.”
“It wasn’t luck,” Tolliver said. “It was all you—your determination. I’m proud of you.”
She pursed her lips and stared into her half-full glass. As much as she didn’t want it to happen, Tolliver’s praise made her feel warm and tingly inside. “I love this place,” she said, looking around the kitchen she had revamped with modern appliances. It was her dream kitchen. “I feel at home here. I feel a sense of pride because it’s mine, you know? The Thomas’s weren’t around long enough to build a legacy. My mom disappeared, my dad died, and then my grandmother. It’s just me now, and I wanted to make a mark for my family… have a legacy. Kind of like yours. The Sterling’s legacy in Bellefleur goes way back.”
Tolliver watched her and took in her wistful air. He knew Laila often got sad when she thought about her father and grandmother. She’d always said she felt alone until she met him… then he left, too. He didn’t want her to dwell on sadness a moment longer.
“You’re doing well with your family’s legacy, Laila. Your father and grandmother would be proud.”
“I know,” she sighed. Still, it was hard for her not to be disappointed that neither of them was around to see what she was doing with her life. Her grandmother would be pleased that she’d followed her passion.
“You’re getting sad, and I don’t like it,” Tolliver said. “What can I do to cheer you up?”
Her eyes flickered to meet his. “What I really want to do might not be possible.”
“You won’t know unless you tell me.”
Her teeth gnawed at her lower lip as she considered telling him or not. “Well… Do you remember how we used to go on runs after our late-night snacks?”
Tolliver tilted his head and nodded. “I do. I enjoyed those midnight runs.”
“I did, too.” Back then, Laila hadn’t worried about staying fit after indulging in her snacks because she’d gotten into the habit of running with Tolliver. “I haven’t let my wolf out in five years.”
His eyes bulged. “What? How…”
“How is that possible?” Laila finished with a laugh. “I know it seems crazy to you because you’d go stir-crazy if you kept yours locked away for more than a few days.”
“I probably would.”
Laila shrugged. “It hasn’t been that hard for me because…” She paused. When Tolliver broke up with her, she took that as a rejection. Her wolf had wanted him back then, with every instinct and fiber of her being, because they were fated mates. The end of their relationship left her animal so heartbroken that she had retreated so far beneath the surface that it stayed dormant, wounded, and withdrawn. Laila hadn’t felt the urge to shift since. Her gaze darted away from Tolliver. She wasn’t ready to admit how much he’d hurt her.
“Well, I guess I’ve just gotten distracted with human things,” she said instead. “Besides, I have to hide my true nature from the humans here. It’s been so long, I’m not even sure if I can shift.”
“That isn’t possible,” Tolliver said. “You’re a full shifter. Although it’s been a while, you’re still able to.”
She shrugged. “What I want to ask is…” She glanced at him. “I know we have to be careful, but can we go out tonight for a run? I want to let her out.”
Tolliver gazed at her without a word for so long that she thought he’d refuse. Maybe the suggestion was silly… “You really want to do this?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He sighed softly. “There’s a good chance the men looking for you have no idea you’re here. I suppose we can go out for a little bit. It’s dark, and we’ll go to the outskirts of town. We’ll be super vigilant.”
Laila’s heart soared. She knew he didn’t like the idea but was willing to risk it for her. “Thank you. I’ll do everything you say. I promise.”
After a moment of silence, he nodded. “Let’s go. We’ll go to a secluded area on foot. The car will draw too much attention.”
“Okay.” Excited, Laila followed Tolliver to the back door of the shop. When they stepped into the alley, he swept her off her feet. Letting out a yelp, she instinctively wrapped her arms around his shoulders and stared at him with wide eyes. “What are you doing?” Her words came out breathier than she would have liked. The proximity to him robbed her of breath.
“There are security cameras all over town. If one of the mysterious kidnappers happens to hack into the security system looking for you, they’ll know you’re here. We have to move fast.”
“B-but I can move fast,” she breathed, staring into his eyes. Why did she want to kiss him so badly? She should be ashamed of herself for wanting him so much.
“You said your wolf hasn’t come out in five years. No offense, Thomas, but I think your skills are a little rusty.”
Her lips twisted wryly. “You’re not wrong.”
“Well then, hold on tight.”
As soon as her arms tightened around him, he took off, and the world around them blurred into a whirlwind of shadows. The dark alley disappeared in a blink. Laila’s breath hitched as Tolliver picked up speed. Cedar Ridge’s buildings and streets flashed past as Tolliver moved through the town effortlessly. His speed and strength were impressive.
The cool night air tugged her hair and caressed her skin. She felt alive. Moving that fast without her wolf's instincts engaged was a surreal experience. When they finally left the town behind, the scenery transformed from concrete and buildings to dense woods. Tolliver stopped under the covering of massive trees that the moonlight barely filtered through. It would have been nearly impossible to see if not for their acute night vision.
He set her on her feet, and she laughed as she panted from the sheer excitement. “I can’t believe you’re the one who did all the work, and I’m the one who’s breathless. That was exhilarating! I missed this.”
Tolliver smiled as he watched her. She looked up at the dark sky and grinned broadly. Seeing her happy like that made his heart flip with joy. He also felt a spark of remorse. Had Laila kept herself locked away, refusing to access her shifter abilities for so long because of him? He wanted to ask but didn’t want to bring up anything too heavy. She seemed so content.
When she beamed at him, he decided to keep his mouth shut.
“You’re much faster than I remember,” she gushed. “Stronger, too.”
He shrugged. “That happens when you exercise your abilities often. I’m glad you had fun,” he said. “Now it’s your turn to run. What are you waiting for? Shift.”
Laila’s smile faded, and a nervous air came over her. “Goodness, I can’t believe I’m so anxious.”
“It’s okay. It’s been a while for you, after all. I’ll go first.”
She watched him with flushed cheeks as he undressed and then put his clothes in a neat pile beside a tree trunk. He seemed comfortable in the nude, basking in nature. Laila, on the other hand, was embarrassed to undress in front of him. She watched in awe as his body transformed, every muscle shifting seamlessly. Tolliver’s features melted into the form of a wolf—a sleek creature with luxurious chestnut fur that caught the moonlight and glistened.
The wolf’s glowing amber eyes were fixed on her as it inclined its head. Laila’s heart raced as she took a shaky breath. She felt both exhilaration and trepidation. It’s my turn. She could feel her wolf stirring, restless after years of being locked away. It was as if it were finally waking up, eager to surface to be closer to its other half… only Tolliver was no longer their other half in the romantic sense.
Laila shoved aside the familiar feeling of longing and began to undress. When she noticed Tolliver still looking at her, she paused and frowned. Gentleman that he was—even though he was now literally an animal—he turned away. However, Laila caught the hint of disbelief in his eyes, and it made her smile. She knew what he was thinking. He’d already seen every inch of her naked many times. But this was different. They weren’t in a sexual scenario, and she wasn’t as comfortable in her own skin as he was.
She shed her clothes and folded them beside Tolliver’s. The breeze brushed her skin, and she shivered slightly from both the cold and the anticipation. Inhaling deeply, she tapped into the familiar energy of her animal and coaxed it to the surface. Her skin prickled as the shift began, and she braced herself for what was to come.
The change began slowly, bones stretching and reshaping. Then heat spread through her body, rippling under her skin. Her shift wasn’t the smooth, practiced transformation Tolliver had gone through. Hers was halting and stiff, even uncomfortable. Her muscles tightened, and she winced as her bones snapped and her limbs bent.
Laila gritted her teeth against the pain and strange sensations. It was like she was rediscovering how to be a wolf all over again. Her vision blurred as her eyes adjusted to a new spectrum of sights. After what felt like an eternity, she stood on four legs. Her wolf’s coat was a rich brown—a few shades darker than Tolliver’s. When the lingering aches of her shift faded, she felt lighter and ready to move.
Tolliver approached and nudged her gently. She let out a triumphant howl as she looked up to meet his gaze. It sounded foreign to her ears because it had been so long since she heard it. With a playful glint in her eyes, she took off into the woods. Tolliver stayed behind her, never too far away. Each time she picked up speed, so did he. She knew he’d keep up—he was much faster than she was. He left her to enjoy the thrill of the run, and she appreciated it.
Her senses were sharper than she remembered, and the colors around her were more vivid as she sprinted between the trees. The scents and sounds were almost overwhelming because she had grown accustomed to the limitations of the human senses. But with each stride, she adjusted, and soon, everything experienced by her wolf felt natural again. As they sprinted deeper into the woods, a playful burst of energy surged through her. Laila increased her speed, veering around a cluster of rocks to test her limits. It turned out she’d wandered away from the cover of the thick forest and made her way to the road.
Tolliver appeared beside her with a growled warning, nudging her back toward the trees. Laila gave him a sheepish look and darted back between the foliage. She was careful after that to avoid any further reprimand from Tolliver. She ran until she was tired and had to slow down.
They reached a clearing, and Laila stopped, breathing hard and her wolf's chest heaving with exhilaration. Tolliver came to a halt beside her, his golden eyes gleaming with warmth. She met his gaze, feeling the embers of the bond that had once been between them flaring back to a full blaze. It made her heart jolt with the apprehension of getting hurt again. Still, she gave in to the feelings flooding her and rubbed her nuzzle against Tolliver’s neck in a gesture of thanks. He didn’t have to risk coming out to run, but he did it for her.
His wolf let out a soft sigh in response, and they went on to stare up at the crescent moon and enjoy being surrounded by the night for a while.