He held me until I stopped crying, running his hand down my hair and brushing kisses on my head. “You’re going to get through this,” he whispered to me.
But I didn’t want to get through it. I wanted Meredith to get through it. And for her and Donovan to have a happy life together.
I was going back to La Alquelarre in the morning.
“Would you rather I shift?” Dastien said.
“No.” I didn’t want him furry tonight. I liked being held by him. I needed that.
“Okay. Then, sleep.” Dastien’s command was backed with power, and I faded into a deep, dreamless sleep before I could fight it.
Chapter Thirteen
Sunlight was streaming through the curtains when I woke up. Dastien’s arms were tight around me. His hot breath fanned the back of my neck. I wondered how late it was.
I searched the room for a clock, but I couldn’t see one from where I was. Why didn’t he have an alarm clock?
“It’s still early,” Dastien said from behind me.
I froze for a second. “Did I wake you?”
“In a way. I felt your bond go crazy with worry.”
“Do you always feel when I wake up?”
He pressed a kiss to the back of my neck. “You didn’t know you were my alarm clock?”
I grinned. “What did you do before me?”
“I set the alarm on my phone. But now, when I’m not in your bed as a wolf, I don’t need one. I know when you wake up, and I get ready so I can meet you for breakfast.”
I thought about it for a second. “I can’t tell if that’s uber creepy or kind of sweet…I’m leaning toward creepy.”
“That’s the second time in twenty-four hours that you’ve called me creepy. What’s so wrong with wanting to have breakfast with you?” He squeezed me tighter.
“What time is it?”
He rolled over and grabbed his cell. “Nine.”
“Any word about Meredith?”
“No.”
I had to stay calm. No news was good news. “I’m going to throw on my clothes from yesterday and then I’m going to see her.”
“Hey,” Dastien said, holding onto my hand before I could fully roll out of bed.
“What?”
“I really liked having you here.”
On any other day, when I wasn’t about to go beg for my friend’s life, I would’ve wanted to linger in bed and enjoy being there. But I couldn’t afford the time. “I liked being here.”
I headed to the bathroom and splashed water on my face. I looked like hell and could really use a shower, but there wasn’t time. This would have to do. I pulled on my jeans and T-shirt and knotted my hair in a messy top-bun.
When I stepped out, Dastien was dressed. Old faded jeans and a nondescript gray T-shirt. A pair of cheap foam flip-flops. Fighting clothes. All stuff that could be easily discarded.
I wondered what he was planning on doing today.