Chapter 6 #2
Liana rolled over onto her side to face her new lover. Eddie was tangled in the blankets. Her dark hair spilled over one arm, her face softened by slumber. Even though she was asleep, Eddie still gave off powerful vibes. The woman held a wildness to her that couldn’t be hidden.
Liana sighed and watched Eddie.
Everything leading up until this night had been a set of misfortunes. The car accident, almost freezing to death, and then almost drowning.
Yet through all the chaos and danger, Eddie made her feel safe.
Liana’s fingers itched to touch Eddie. She wanted to trace along her jawline and down to those magical lips that had pulled multiple orgasms from her.
But she didn’t.
Eddie deserved to rest.
So instead, she continued to watch her so she could memorize every detail of the woman she already knew she’d caught feelings for. A sigh escaped Eddie’s lips. Her body moved slightly under the blankets. The sound stirred something in Liana.
Affection for this woman.
Something else that was far too dangerous to mention right now.
A piece of wood cracked and popped in the hearth.
The chill in the air was getting worse. Liana pulled the blanket tighter again, but it was no use.
Her toes were freezing. She was about to reach for another blanket that hadn’t made it to the pile that Eddie had put underneath them when Eddie stirred.
“What’s wrong? Are you cold?” Eddie asked.
“A little.” Liana downplayed it.
Eddie sat up and rubbed her eyes before glancing over at the dying fire.
“I’ll fix it,” she murmured. She pushed the blankets aside and rose.
Liana’s mouth went dry at the sight of Eddie’s naked form. Her long, dark hair rested mid back, her ass was sculpted perfectly, and her legs were long and toned. Eddie crouched to add another log to the smoldering fire. Sparks rose in a gentle flare as the new log caught.
Liana’s heart thundered against her chest while she watched her poke the embers, coaxing the flames back to life.
“Doesn’t look like the lights are coming back on anytime soon,” Liana said.
“At least we still have the generator to give us some power.” Eddie reached over and grabbed another log and tossed it in the growing fire.
“Do you get outages like this often?”
“Sometimes.” Eddie straightened and turned toward her, a faint smile appearing on her lips. “This far up the mountain, it’s part of the deal. Winter takes what it wants.”
“You sound like you’re okay with that.” Liana found herself smiling.
Eddie walked back to the pallet she’d made them. She sat and slid underneath the blankets next to Liana.
“After a while, you stop fighting the wild and start listening to it.”
The warmth of Eddie’s body seeped through immediately, chasing away the cold. For a few heartbeats, neither of them spoke. It was a comfortable silence. The crackle of the fire, the wind outside, and the soft hum of the generator filled the air.
Liana finally broke the silence.
“You never did mention why you are in a cabin secluded away from the world,” Liana said.
She scooted closer to Eddie who was lying on her back with her hands folded behind her head.
Liana didn’t hesitate to sidle in close to her so her head rested in the crook of Eddie’s shoulder.
Eddie glanced down at her. There was a veil that came over her that Liana couldn’t decipher. Had she asked a question she shouldn’t?
Eddie remained quiet for a moment before turning her attention back to the ceiling. Liana thought that maybe Eddie wasn’t going to answer. It truly wasn’t any of her business why Eddie was hidden away from the world.
“I’m the alpha of the Brown Claw Clan. Lurton is my territory,” Eddie said.
Liana blinked. That wasn’t what she’d expected.
“The alpha? Like the leader of the bear shifters in Lurton?”
“And the surrounding area as well,” Eddie replied. She gave a short laughed and exhaled.
“Wow. That sounds…exhausting.” Liana sat up and leaned onto her elbow so she could study Eddie more. To be an alpha, she would assume the person would be the strongest of their kind in order to lead.
“You could say that. It’s why I’m here. I needed to get away.
I haven’t had one day to myself in years.
Everyone always needs something. Guidance, approval, decisions, protection…
which I have to give. It’s my duty to take care of and protect every member of my clan.
But lately they have become demanding of me in other ways. ”
Liana couldn’t fathom having to be responsible for an entire town of people. She was barely capable of taking care of herself.
“What are they demanding?” Liana whispered.
“A mate.” The word came out like it carried too much weight for her, but Eddie was tall, strong, with broad shoulders.
She thought of how Eddie had been adamant on taking care of her since she’d arrived. That just showed how much the woman cared about mankind. She didn’t know Liana at all and immediately was there to help in her time of need.
But then Liana processed the word again.
Mate.
“They want you married?” Her stomach twisted at the thought of Eddie with another woman. She swallowed hard before continuing. “Why?”
“The clan thinks I need one. Someone to balance me. Keep the peace. Continue the line, all that traditional stuff.”
“What do you think about it?” Liana asked quietly.
“I believe in fate, and she knows what is best. I am not going to let someone else decide who that should be.” There was a hardness to Eddie’s tone.
Liana pitied whoever tried to convince Eddie of anything other than what she believed.
Liana bit her lip, unsure what to say. Shifter politics was not something she was well versed on. She knew a little thanks to Terri, but that was all she knew. No wonder Eddie knew who Terri was. She was the alpha of Terri’s clan.
The idea of Eddie belonging to someone else—touching another woman, smiling at her the way she smiled at Liana—made something flare in her chest. But she didn’t say anything. She didn’t have any right to feel that way.
“Seems to me you deserve someone who sees you, not just the title,” Liana said.
Eddie’s head turned in her direction. The alpha’s amber eyes glowed from the firelight. The wood in the fire crackled, breaking the silence.
“And what about you, Liana? What do you deserve?”
“Not sure. Still trying to figure it out.” And that was the truth. She had no idea what she wanted out of life. She had assumed that one day she would settle down with someone. Have a few kids. But lately, nothing had come to fruition.
“Fair enough.” Eddie’s mouth twitched.
Liana returned to her position in the crook of Eddie’s arm.
Eddie brought her arm down and enclosed it around Liana, bringing her body flush to hers.
There was something special between them.
Liana felt it, but she wasn’t sure if Eddie did.
She snuggled closer and realized she liked the way Eddie looked at her.
It was more than the sex. It was a deep feeling inside her that she couldn’t shake—the feeling that something irreversible had started between them. She felt herself drift back off. The warmth of Eddie allowed her to relax again. One question continued to remain in her head.
Did Eddie feel it, too?