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“Have you known who I was this whole time? Have I been walking around like an idiot thinking no one knew when really everyone knows?Doeseveryone know?” My voice squeaks and cracks as panic sets in. “Fuck, this is not good. The media is gonna get wind of this, and then my mother is going to show up.”

“Shhh. It’s okay,” Hunter soothes, calming my spiraling babble, releasing my hand to rub up and down my arms in reassuring strokes. “No one but Ginger and I know. And I didn’t know till I saw your photo on her phone the day after dinner with my parents. I forced her to tell me. Don’t worry. There’ll be no media showing up here if I have anything to say about it. As you can imagine, a town filled with wolf shifters and fairies doesn’t exactly like a lot of media attention.”

My racing heart calms at his gentle tone. At least I won’t have to worry about being outed to the gossip rags and websites.

My mind races and spirals, imploding with all the new information. There’s a lot to digest about non-humans, Hunter being a shifter and knowing I’m Alexandria, this whole mate thing, elves wanting to use me as leverage against Hunter to gain his land, and so much more. The sheer overload of information has me dizzy.

“I think I need to sit down.”

Gently, Hunter wraps an arm around my shoulders, guiding me to the couch and helping me sit.

“I know this is a lot of information, and you’re taking it exceptionally well. Why don’t we just take it easy for the rest of the night? I’ll make us some dinner, and we can talk or not—it's up to you. In the morning, I’ll have Ginger come over, and she can explain the things I can’t.”

Inhaling lung fulls of air, the lightheadedness passes, and I nod.

“Okay, good. I’m also going to stay here tonight. To keep an eye on you. I was going to watch the cabin from outside as a wolf, but now that I’m here, I’d much rather sleep on the couch than in the dirt outside.”

Hunter gives me a roguish smile, and the last bit of my uneasiness vanishes. I give him a flirty smile in return.

“The couch, huh? You’re not going to try and convince me to share the bed with you?”

“No, little bird. When we share a bed, I won’t need to convince you. You’ll be pulling me by my tail to join you.”

“That’s awfully confident. You sure about that?”

Hunter leans in and brushes his lips against my neck in the faintest of touches. Breathing heat against my skin that prickles in response.

“I am very sure about that Nightingale.”

His words are a brand on my skin, and I believe every single syllable.

“Now, let’s see what you have that we can make into an acceptable dinner.”

Hunter removes his lips from my flesh and stands from the couch, taking with him the lust that nearly consumed me at his words.

Shaking my head clear of the lust-filled fog his voice created, I watch him cross the small space to the kitchen.

“You can cook?”

“Of course. You didn’t think my mother was the only one, did you?”

With that Hunter proceeds to make me the first cooked meal in my kitchen since I arrived.

Chapter 23 – Lottie

Just as he promised, Hunter slept on the couch and didn’t once try to sneak into my room and share the bed with me. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t have minded snuggling up close to him in human or wolf form. They’re both very cuddly.

I spent a reasonable amount of time staring out my window last night, unable to fall asleep with everything running through my mind. Eventually, my eyes grew heavy, and I fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

The smell of coffee—non-burnt coffee—brewing lulls me from that sleep. Soft golden rays of sunlight slip in through the picturesque window.

Stretching, I slip out of bed and make my way to the kitchen. There’s already a fire crackling in the fireplace, warming the small cabin and keeping away the cold chill of the autumn morning. September in southern California isn’t nearly this cool. I’m thankful Luna warned me of the weather before coming so I could pack warm pajamas.

Hunter stands in the kitchen, his back turned to me, his head tilted to focus on something on the stove. He’s still wearing the sweats and shirt from last night, and I take a moment to admire his firm ass through the flimsy material. Just as nice as it was last night.

“Good morning,” I call out, pulling his attention from the stove.

He turns, and his face brightens with a wide smile. “Good morning, sleepy head. I was wondering when you were going to wake up.”