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Riley snorts as he pulls on a pair of joggers off the floor and stands.

“You’re probably right,” he grunts.

“It’s midafternoon by the way,” Cooper mentions as Riley passes him.

“Shit, really? Why does it feel as if it’s so much earlier?” he mutters.

“The snow plays tricks with the light,” Cooper reminds him as he walks out of the room. “You should get cleaned up, Nina.Otherwise, I’m going to take you back to bed and your holes have been well used over the past five days.”

“Five,” I whisper, my jaw dropping in shock.

“That’s what happens when you suppress things like your heat for a year,” Ethan says, getting out of bed. “We can shower together, and I’ll make sure all of your holes areveryclean.”

Cooper rolls his eyes even as he smirks in amusement.

“She’s more likely to bite your dick off in hunger than suck on it,” he says. “I can hear her thoughts, and they all revolve around food.”

“I can’t help it,” I whine, my arm banding around my stomach. “I’m so hungry.”

“I’m not going to tell you ‘I told you so,’” he chuckles. “Go shower.”

“Yes, sir,” I murmur, walking toward the bathroom with Ethan.

“Suck up,” Ethan teases me, but only once he’s sure his dad is gone.

Mmhmm, I’m not the only one who banks brownie points.

He turns on the shower, catching me around the waist before I can get inside.

“It’s cold,” he says. “Wait for the water to warm up.”

My lips twitch because that’s so sweet. I’m so used to not having any privacy, I just jump into the freezing water to get my shower over with. I can’t just enjoy the spray of warm water or let my mind wander over happy memories because I don’t really have any.

Well, not until now.

“Where did you just go?” Ethan asks.

“Nowhere good,” I admit. “And everywhere wonderful. I was thinking about how nice it is just to take a warm shower.”

“Vivian cuts the heat to your water?” he asks. He’s not wrong to ask. It’s something she’d do if she could, but the water boiler works for the entire house.

“Not quite,” I reply, watching as he pulls out fluffy towelsand checks the shower to make sure he has everything he needs. It’s sweet and very thorough.

He helps me into the shower, and I sigh as the water rains over me. It’s gentle, and not like the sharp spray of the one I have.

“Explain,” he murmurs, getting in and pulling me tightly against his front. I marvel at how warm and handsome he is.

And then I realize that I’m cataloguing everything because I’m going to have to go home.

“No privacy means I don’t enjoy getting undressed when anyone can walk in,” I sigh, blindly looking away to wash my hair.

“I fucking hate your mother,” Ethan snarls, picking up the shampoo and pouring some into his hand. “Tip your head back.”

I open my mouth to ask why when I feel his hands move to what little hair I have. He doesn’t care though, he begins to massage it in. Sighing because it does feel nice, I can feel my eyelashes flutter closed.

“Dad is going to make her wish that she’d never fucked with you,” he growls in my ear. “We aren’t going to play her game, and neither will the other packs. Her days are very limited.”

“But I am going to have to go home,” I confirm.