Page 25 of Wanted by the Wolves (The Last Shifters #2)

Chapter 24

Nova

M y everything shower was a serious need and so wildly indulgent that I almost feel guilty. My body aches deliciously from how Dex and Briggs worked me over this morning. With the conditioner, loofah, body scrub, and razor combo, I’m a new wolf.

Honestly, a girl could get used to this.

I wrap the big fluffy towel closer around me before sampling the collection of herbal scented lotions Gage has on the bathroom counter. My mind replays little vignettes from earlier. I picture the look on Dex’s face when he dove between my legs. That one gets replaced by the memory of Briggs's hands on me in the tub. Already, I’m slick and itchy skinned again, but I can’t seem to stop.

This must be what Gage was saying about the instincts to bond. My omega wolf knows I’ve met my matches, and she is eager to be claimed, but I don’t think it’s that simple. We haven’t even really spelled out what our plans are. How can we even make plans with the world as it is?

Maybe we can hide away in this cabin forever.

I sigh. A girl can dream.

The mirror is fogged over from the steam of my shower, and I wipe the glass until my face is visible. All my newfound sexiness is dampened by the reflection staring back at me. I barely recognize myself. My life in the forest seems to be etched into my skin. It’s there in the deep bruising under my eyes, the uneven short hair, the ugly scars on my neck, and the way my collarbone protrudes. I knew those things existed, but they didn’t really register.

I open the towel and study my body, trying to become familiar with this new reflection. I map the scars and lean in to see the faintly glowing bite on my hip. It’s haunting—like looking at a sister I never knew. We share features. We’re clearly related. But this version stacks up into someone entirely new.

“They’re beautiful proof.” Gage’s melodic tenor startles me, and I catch his eyes in the mirror.

I lift my brow at him in question. Nothing about me feels beautiful right now.

He leans against the open bathroom door, a stack of clothes in his hands. “Those scars prove you’re a survivor.”

His explanation makes me feel better and worse. He’s right. I’ve done what I had to in order to survive. My body is living proof of that strength. It also paints in stark reality that the old Nova is gone. I’m struck with a wave of grief for that village girl I lost.

I pull my towel back around myself, done with the self-pity. “Are those clothes for me?”

Gage gives me an understanding smile but lets the subject drop. “They are. Why don’t you get dressed? I want to show you something.”

He crosses the bathroom and sets the pile of clothes on the counter before he guides me back in front of the mirror with a hand on the small of my back.

He bends down, whispering in my ear, “I meant it. You’re beautiful.”

He sucks along my neck by my ear, and my head tilts to the side, giving him access. His tattooed hand cups my neck, and his gaze travels across my face. The wolf in him is at the surface, his gaze swallowed in darkness.

My thoughts get trampled by a wave of heat that hits my center.

His other hand skirts between the ends of the towel, and he cups between my legs. “Everything about you is a fascinating combination of strength and sweetness.”

He makes a slow pass along my center, and I feel myself getting slick.

“It makes me desperate for you,” he growls.

A whimper tumbles out, and I shift my hips, needing him to touch me and ease the ache between my legs.

His lips curl into a ruthless smile as he gives a singular teasing swirl around my clit. “Especially when you smell so eager.”

I suck in the heady scent of his pheromones and let them travel straight to my head. He smells so damn good I want to bathe in him.

“Sadly, filling this sweet pussy isn’t on the agenda this morning.” As quickly as his hand is where I want it, it’s gone. He squeezes my hip, kissing my forehead before pulling away. “Now get dressed.”

An almost whine tumbles out, and I stare at the retreating alpha. “You’re serious?”

His throaty chuckle makes me pout. He turns at the door, his eyes filled with humor. “Come on. I think you’re going to like this.”

“More than an orgasm?” I huff. My neediness has made me bold. I can’t seem to care. I feel robbed.

Why do I like his teasing so much?

He shrugs. “Maybe not, but I wouldn’t rule it out.”

I obsess over his cryptic message as I hurry through getting dressed. He’s left me a sweater that smells like Dex’s sweet hazelnuts, a pair of fuzzy socks, and soft thermal leggings that still have a tag on them. Being in human clothes feels a little strange, and Dex’s sweater is so big it’s a dress, but the fabrics are cozy, and the smell of Dex helps settle my nerves.

I tiptoe past the sleeping brothers and find Gage waiting for me in the hallway. He weaves through the living room, and I trail behind him. “Where are we going?”

The weak morning light is obscured by the storm. It’s barely enough to see by, but Gage takes my hand, leading me up the stairs. “It’s easier to explain in person, I think.”

I’ve explored the house in my wolf form. The second story is full of empty bedrooms, each of them big enough for a pack. Despite my curiosity about them, Gage doesn’t linger. We take the stairs to the third floor, passing what looks like a nest.It’s bare, like all the other rooms, but it feels heavy with sadness. I turn away from it, the hair on my neck rising.

“This way.” Gage clears his throat and squeezes my hand, quickly pulling me down the hallway and away from the unsettling nest. Down another shorter hallway, we end at a door. Gage steps back, gesturing for me to go ahead. “Feel free to grab anything that calls to your omega. You can claim one of the pack suites when you’re done, and the guys can help me get it all sorted.”

I have zero clue what he’s talking about, but his expression is filled with equal parts hesitance and hope.

He licks his lips. “Go on. I promise it’s good.”

Curious, I step inside.

The room isn’t what I was expecting. I don’t know what I thought would be behind the wooden door, but this isn’t it.

“What is this place?” I throw a questioning glance at Gage.

“It’s the attic.” He stuffs his hands in his pants pockets without any more explanation, as if that’s adequate reason for why this attic is stuffed wall to wall with… I can’t even take it all in.

My eyes feel as if they’re about to bug out of my head. “Okay, Mr. Cryptic, I need more than it’s the attic .”

There are piles of furs, stacks of fabrics and pillows, and overflowing chests of sheets, blankets, and quilts. Eager to roll around in the piles, my omega wolf pushes me to explore. The instinct to dive in headfirst wars with my curiosity about why this is here.

“This place was given to me in exchange for being the groundskeeper and healer. It was built as a safe harbor before our people were at war, back when we thought we could change the tide.”

The hollow sound of Gage’s voice rips my eyes away from the treasure trove. He looks like I must have when I saw myself in the mirror—haunted and stuck somewhere in the past.

“Who did you harbor?” I ask, though I think I’ve already guessed the answer.

Gage takes his time answering, looking past me without seeing. “Pregnant omegas and their packs. The attic was built as a place for storage for when an omega arrived. It’s got everything needed to build a proper nest.”

How often has he said that to an omega standing where I am? An irrational surge of jealousy travels through my heart. I don’t have any right to his past, but that doesn’t seem to matter.

“Is this—" The question dies on my lips. I can’t ask, but I also can’t take their things, even if it would be impractical not to.

Gage makes a pained sound. “No. Never.”

“What happened to them?” I almost whisper the words, afraid of what he might say and equally afraid he won’t confide in me.

He balls his fists, shooting off tiny green sparks.“All of them came here bonded. None of them survived. Maybe we can spare ourselves the details.”

The sadness and grief in his scent knock me in the chest. I know what happened to my kind. My grandmother was a healer, just like Gage, and I saw the toll it took on her. My jealousy feels stupid and immature in the stark light of reality. “Just one question and then I’ll leave it.”

He gives me a sharp nod.

“How many did you try to heal here, Gage?”

The turn of his head doesn’t save him. His pain is as clear in his voice as it would be in his eyes. “Eight omegas. Eight packs.”

No wonder he’s the way he is. How could you survive losing so many without taking on some of their sadness? My heart hurts for this healer who has seen so much death. Tears threaten to spill, but I instinctively know they’ll make it harder for him.

Gage takes one step, then another, until I’m in his arms. Against his stronghold, my tears don’t stand a chance. They breach the dam.

“Don’t cry for me, star,” he murmurs.

I can’t help it. Thinking about him trying to save them annihilates me. This is why he fears our future—he’s seen it play out.

I hug him back, pulling him to me as though if I just hold on, we can slay our demons together. All the odds are stacked against us, but here in this moment, I wish I could promise him I’ll be his lucky number nine, that I’m the survivor he thinks I am.

The promise won’t leave my lips because I can’t lie. Not to him or about this.

He hums, rocking me in his arms, his voice thick with emotion. “I know, little star. I know.”

That storm crackles between us; this time, it’s full of rain. Gage purrs for me while I cry for both of us. I don’t know how long we stand there hanging on, but eventually, the tears let up. The wood beneath my feet turns solid again. Even though nothing has changed, it hurts a little less when we hold the pain between the two of us.

Gage wipes under my eye with his knuckle and kisses my nose. “I can’t promise you the future, but let me give you this. You deserve a home and a nest. Let’s see if we can find some things together.”

“I like my nest,” I say through a watery smile.

Gage’s lips quirk up. “Humor me.” He spins me around, caging me in from behind and covering my eyes. “Your omega needs to settle. A real den will allow you to solidify bonds with your mates. Listen to your instincts.”

“And if my instincts say we should spend all day in bed?” I ask, trying to bring back some lightness after so much heaviness between us.

“Then I guess you should listen.” With a steady hand, Gage leads me around the room.

He keeps one hand over my eyes, telling me in rough rasps against my neck to touch. He guides my hand through soft silk and warm fur, each time asking me what I like. Next, he asks about colors and textures. He teases me with feathers along my arm or soft cotton that he drapes around me. It’s a tour of touch. My omega purrs through it. I get lost in the experience, the sadness from our earlier conversation fading.

His hands roam my skin, and his scent dampens the outside world. It mixes with Dex’s sweater, and I swear I get hints of Briggs. My wolf loves the combination, and I feel my legs getting slick the longer I think about being in my nest, surrounded by their scents.

The makeshift blindfold melts away, and he whispers in my ear, “Now, be a good little omega and tell Dex and Briggs which room you want to claim for your nest. They can deliver your favorites.”

I turn in surprise to see the two wolves standing near the door, their arms overflowing with piles of bedding. How long have they been here?

Both wolves are looking at me with an overwhelming combination of adoration and lust.

“To my nest, of course.”

Gage laughs, a truly joyous sound.“Are you sure? We can build you one of your own.”

“I’m sure.” I lunge for him, and he catches me easily. His hands slide along my hips as I plant kisses on his scruffy jaw.“Thank you for sharing this with me. All of it.”

He kisses my temple and sets me back down. “Come on, let’s build you a proper nest.”