Page 6

“Ooh, it’s so cozy here,” Cerise said, loving the side of the house where no snow fell and the wind moved high overhead. She shut off her flashlight and leaned against the wall, her heart full and happy. Her wolf—Beckett—came close and leaned against her, lending her warmth. She cuddled him standing up, loving him so much it was like she could burst with it. He was real, he was good, he was strong, he took care of her, he listened to her, and he cared about what she wanted. Her old life had been so horrible, but the last two months had made up for it all.

Cerise and her wolf stood like that for several magical moments as the storm raged on around them, but didn’t touch them. The snow seemed to absorb much of the sound, giving the wind a mystical quality that Cerise had never heard before, adding to her pleasure.

Beckett chuffed and shook his head, making his ears fly.

“Let’s build a snowman,” Cerise suggested, instantly in love with the idea. She put the flashlight down and propped it so it lit the area.

Beckett chuffed his agreement, ran to a good spot and started digging, making snow fly everywhere.

Cerise laughed and grabbed two handfuls of snow, piling it on his back. Beckett shook, making a mini snowstorm. Cerise turned away to shield herself, then ran, calling to Beckett.

“Over here!”

She started a snowball, then dropped it on the ground to roll it, but the snow was too wet in some places, and frozen solid in other places, and it didn’t want to pack properly. She kept trying, but the snowball fell apart again and again.

“It’s not working,” she yelled into the wind, as snow splattered her face and some flew into her mouth. She wiped it away, tasting snow and leather, then piled more snow in a lumpy mound in front of her.

Beckett ran close at full speed and bit her mound of snow in half, his teeth snapping together audibly. He flipped around in the air and came in for another pass, biting at the pile and making snow fly everywhere. She laughed at him and scooped up a big handful of snow, chasing her wolf with it, but he ran away. The drift she was walking on gave way, plunging her through the crust. She tried to crawl out, and Beckett ran back. He dug at the snow all around her and pushed at her with his head, trying to help her up, making her collapse in giggles instead.

“You destroyed my perfect snowman!” she yelled, grabbing for him, but he leapt away easily. She pulled herself free, pushed to her feet, and ran to the little protected area by the house, where she leaned against the wall to catch her breath. Beckett was still in the snow, head down, eyes on her. He was beautiful and she loved how unique he looked with his fur ‘boots’. He loped back and forth in the snow with his head down, occasionally raising it and looking around, then he’d look back at her.

He shifted, surprising her since he was naked, standing knee deep in snow with bare feet, butt hanging out, willy swinging free. He scooped up a snowball and threw it her way, then shifted back into a wolf before the snow even hit the wall of the house near her.

She laughed at him and dodged. He shifted into a man again and threw another snowball, closer this time. Cerise yelled in mock outrage, then giggled and ran for a handful of snow. Beckett grinned at her and waited for her with open arms. She scooped up a second handful of snow, reached him, and painted his bare chest with it. He gave her his sexiest grin, then he was shifting, pitching forward, arms becoming forelegs, face becoming muzzle, fur sprouting everywhere. Cerise stood still, completely transfixed by the transformation. When he was fully a wolf, she grabbed him and just hugged him, feeling so happy. They stood like that in the snow for several minutes, until they both had snow piled on them. Cerise broke the hug, and when she did, Beckett burst free of the snow that had piled on him. He leaped clear, landing several feet to her right. Cerise brushed snow off herself and ran close to the house.

Some snow had worked its way into her boot and she took off her gloves to dig it out, only then realizing that her hands were freezing, and her toes were cold.

“I’m getting cold,” she said, grabbing up the flashlight.

Beckett moved close to her. He shifted into a naked man for just long enough to talk. He couldn’t speak ruhi.

He said, “I want to take you a little way into the forest before we go inside. You’ll like it.”

She nodded at him, smiling, and he shifted back into his wolf, then pressed against her side. She held onto him tightly with one hand, and they headed out into the snow like that. She used him for balance as they made their way over and through the deep snow together. They reached the forest quickly and Beckett took her along a familiar trail. After a few minutes of walking, he stopped and nosed at the flashlight. Cerise turned it off, and the result was magical. The deep snow all around, combined with the high evergreen trees made the storm sound distant, like something calm and soothing. Cerise, barely able to see a thing, just listened, smiling foolishly, loving her mate and her life in that moment.

Her wolf whined and pressed against her, and they sat like that for another minute or two, then it was time to go. Cerise stood and made to walk out but Beckett got in front of her.

“I can ride you?”

Beckett pressed against her and nodded his wolfy head.

“All right,” she cried excitedly. She threw a leg over and he handled her easily, trotting down the forest trail, making her bounce up and down a little. As soon as he left the forest, the going was more difficult and she climbed off. The wind whipped her hair and Beckett’s fur, as they moved quickly to their porch and in the front door.

Cerise stomped the snow off her boots, saying. “The forest was amazing.”

Beckett padded down the hallway to the bathroom as a wolf and came back out as a naked man, drying himself with a towel, his thick cock fully visible. She smiled, her cheeks heating because she couldn’t look away.

“Glad ya liked it, darlin’,” he said, dropping her a sexy wink and grin. This man, she thought. He did things to her. Her cheeks heated and she looked down, taking off her snow clothes and hanging them up to dry. By the time she was done, Beckett had put his boxers and tube socks back on.

“C’mere, darlin’, let’s snuggle,” he said, inviting her to the couch.

They sat cuddled together, Cerise mostly on Beckett’s lap, looking out the living room window, seeing nothing but snow flying sideways and piling up against the windows. They watched the snow, not speaking. Cerise pulled a blanket over them and snuggled into her man’s chest, just loving him in a semi-dozing state.

After a bit, Beckett said. “It’ll be light soon,” his voice heavy and quiet.

“D’you have to work today?”

“Yeah. I better get a couple more hours of sleep.”

“I’m tired, too,” Cerise said, standing. She folded the blanket up. “It’s cold in here.”

“Sure is, want to go up to the main house?”

Cerise shook her head. “No, I want to sleep in my own bed. We can use lots of blankets.” She headed for their bedroom, but Beckett grabbed her and pulled her close.

“Hold on, sugar, I’ve got another gift for you and this is a perfect time.”

Cerise smiled at her man and hugged him. He’d been giving her gifts for days—chocolates, flowers, lingerie, jewelry. “Another gift?” she asked, feeling swept away.

“Course,” he said. “Just gotta get my boots on.”

He went to the entryway and pulled on his boots and jacket.

“It’s outside?”

“Yeah.”

Cerise looked out the window. “You want to get it now?”

“Yeah, now is good,” Beckett said. He put his hand on the knob and pointed at her. “Close your eyes—no peeking.”

She gave him a look then covered her eyes with her hands.

“I mean it, no peeking, no matter what you hear. Promise?”

Cerise curled up on the couch and pulled the blanket over her. “Promise!” she called.

She lay still, listening while Beckett opened and closed the door, all was quiet except for the sound of wind blowing. After a minute, the door opened and he came back in and she could hear the sound of something clattering to the floor, then the door closed.

“I’ve got all the holes pre-drilled,” Beckett said. “So this won’t take but a minute.”

“Okay!”

She listened as unknown stuff was moved around the house, musing about what he could mean about pre-drilled holes. It sounded like he was in the bedroom… then she heard his drill start up and screw something together. A few more things were moved around and put down, and Beckett ran upstairs to the loft, where the nursery would go once she got pregnant. She couldn’t imagine what was going on up there. He came back down and everything was silent for a few minutes.

“Okay, ready,” he called.

Cerise bounced to her feet, smiling in anticipation. Beckett took her hand and led her to the bedroom. The door was closed and she pushed it open and peeked in, but was unable to see anything.

“Here,” Beckett said, putting a flashlight in her hand.

She turned it on… and gasped in surprise.

“You made me a canopy bed?” she cried, looking at the thing. It was gorgeous, four posts made of dark wood and connecting over the bed, with sheets of silver fabric draping the bed.

Beckett went into the room and picked up something from the dresser, bringing it to Cerise. It was a roll of pink fabric and a roll of black fabric.

“Pick your favorite.”

She shook her head, taking the fabric from him. “I can’t pick. I love them all.”

“All it is,” he said.

She hugged him and he hugged her back. Together, they hung the pink and the black fabric up with the silver, then pulled all the drapes closed. Cerise stood back and played the flashlight over it, admiring it. She gave the flashlight to Beckett so she could caress the pretty, silky fabric.

“Looks gorgeous,” she said. She pulled a curtain back, climbed onto the bed, then lay down on her pillow, looking up into the darkness. Beckett climbed in next to her and lay on his pillow, then he put a flashlight in her hand. She shone it up at the fabric enclosing the bed.

“It’s so pretty,” she said.

“And pretty warm,” Beckett said.

“It’ll stay dark so we can sleep in.”

“Shit, they’re gonna come pounding on the door soon.”

“Put a sign up maybe.”

“Good idea.”

Beckett left the bed and headed out into the living room, and Cerise followed. He got a piece of paper and a marker and put it down on the kitchen table, writing in large blocky letters:

We’re FUCKING—

“Beckett!” Cerise exclaimed, laughing.

He held up his marker. “I’m not done.” He went back to work on it.

We’re FUCKING SLEEPING. Leave us alone.

“Perfect,” Cerise said.

They taped it to the door, making it a two-person job.

“The wind,” Cerise said.

“It’s stopped.” Beckett yawned sleepily. “Still snowing though.”

“Yeah.” Cerise hugged him, her own eyes heavy. They made it inside and closed the door, then quickly got ready for bed. Together, they made their way back to Cerise’s beautiful new canopy bed.

Beckett held the curtains aside and bowed, a smartass grin plastered onto his face.

Cerise patted him on the back of his neck as she passed him to climb inside her beautiful bed. She lay flat on her back, her head on her pillow, and Beckett joined her. Just enough dawn light filtered into the room that she could see the fabric of the canopy around her. She felt like a princess, one who had found the best prince in all the land.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Anything for you, Cerise,” he said, his voice warm and sincere.

Her heart was warmed. She squeezed his hand and he squeezed back. In no time at all, they were both asleep, still holding hands.