A Shifter Disaster Thanksgiving (Holiday Shifters of Frost Mountain #6)

Chapter Six

“We Will Share My Bed”

Sylvester and Jon continued to work together at the forge for the next several hours until Jon announced that he had to head back home to his wife. A few hours later, Sylvester decided he should do the same. The sun had set by the time he left the forge and made his way across the village to his cabin.

It was not until the porch steps were creaking under his weight that he realized Diane had not had anything to eat since he brought her into his cabin. Feeling his chest tighten, he rushed into the cabin, his eyes scanning the living room and was surprised to see her lying curled up on the rug where he’d left her.

She jerked awake at the sound of his footsteps, and sat up, blinking at him for a few seconds. “You’re back.”

She got to her feet, rubbing her arm nervously, her gaze drifting from him to the floor and back. Sylvester felt his heart flutter. In the firelight, she looked radiant. The look of terror was gone, but she still seemed somewhat uncomfortable.

She was as beautiful as he remembered, still dressed in the clothes he’d put on her. Taking off the clothes she’d been wearing and replacing them with thicker ones had been one of the hardest things he’d ever done. He’d gotten a good look at her bare body, illuminated by the fireplace, and in the minute before he snapped back to his senses and slipped the new clothes onto her body, he’d found himself appreciating her smooth skin and delicious curves.

“Why are you still here?” he asked, discarding the thought as quickly as he could.

Her slender eyebrows furrowed. “You told me to stay here.”

True. “I know. I’m surprised you listened. I figured you might have tried to take off,” he admitted.

To his further surprise, she smiled and shrugged. “Don’t sound so disappointed. I did try, but then I ran into your neighbor, Quinta.”

“Ah, I see.”

“She gave me some food.”

“Oh?”

“And she told me about Frost Mountain.”

“Oh.”

Diane’s grin widened slightly, and Sylvester felt a tiny tug in his gut. He liked her smile, he decided. It seemed to make the room a little bit warmer.

He cleared his throat. “That is good. Now you know I wasn’t lying to you when I said this mountain is dangerous. And I’m sure you know what dangers lie out there. Did she tell you?”

“Not exactly. But she didn’t have to.” The smile vanished, to his mild disappointment. “The second I left the cabin, I nearly froze to death.”

“You’re human. Your chances of surviving on your own are minimal, even against the cold alone.”

“Thanks,” she said, rolling of her eyes. “That makes me feel so much better.”

She turned away, and he studied her, catching himself just as his gaze drifted to her curvy lower body. If Quinta had told her about Frost Mountain, then she must know that she is trapped here for the rest of her life. No chance of escape. How was she taking the news? She didn’t look much younger than he was, maybe somewhere in her mid-forties. Probably had left plenty of friends behind in her world. Or children. Or a husband.

As if having read his mind, she turned around, her green eyes locked on his face. For the next few seconds, neither said a word.

“Why did you ask me to be your wife?” she asked suddenly.

Sylvester’s jaw clenched. Should he tell her? She’d agreed to be his wife already. She didn’t have much of a choice now. She might as well find out the reason he’d asked her in the first place.

“You will find out soon,” he told her. “I’m going to talk to my brother tomorrow.”

“Your brother… the village chief?”

His left eye twitched. Clearly, Quinta had told her more than he’d expected.

“Yes. Gregory. I’ll go to see him in his cabin, and you will come with me. I’ll show you the village along the way.”

“Oh.” She frowned, marring her beautiful features. “Why are you going to see him?”

She asked a lot of questions, this one. “You’ll find that out, too. Tomorrow.” He pulled off his jacket, and he thought he heard her inhale sharply as he revealed his bare torso. “Right now, it’s getting late. I’m going to get some rest.”

With that, he proceeded toward his bedroom, but stopped just at the door. When he turned around, she was still standing on the rug, a confused look on her face.

“You should rest, too,” he said.

“I slept when I got back from Quinta’s.”

“Nonsense. You look like you could use more. Come with me. We will share my bed.”

She blanched. “I… I can sleep out here.”

“I wasn’t asking,” he told her. “You are my wife now. You should be sleeping with me.”

Silence passed between them like a gentle breeze, followed by the sound of her clearing her throat. She nodded. “Okay.”

He opened the door, stepping aside to let her through. Dim light filtered into the bedroom from the fireplace, casting a soft glow across the wooden floorboards. Blinking in the semi-darkness, Diane could just make out the outline of his bed, tucked in a corner of the room. Neatly arranged at the foot was a pile of clothes, among which were the ones Diane had been wearing when he snatched her in midair.

He gestured toward the bed, and she made her way to it, sitting awkwardly on the edge of the thin mattress. She blinked at him, as though waiting for other instructions.

“I’m going to take a shower,” he told her, gazing down at his hands, which were blackened from the forge. “Get some sleep.”

The shower was a quick one. By the time he returned to the bedroom minutes later, she was lying on her side, with her back to him. He sensed her stiffen as he climbed into bed next to her and knew instantly that she was still awake. They lay together in silence, and he felt the minutes tick by slowly as he gazed up at the ceiling, fighting the thoughts that surged through his mind.

He glanced sideways at her form. Curled up on her side, her curves were visible even in the dim light. Sylvester felt a sudden tightening in his trousers. The urge to reach out and touch her gripped him, but he held back, teeth clenched slightly. Not now . She might be his wife, but he hadn’t taken her as his so he could enjoy her body, no matter how powerful the temptation was. No, all he wanted was to get a rise out of Gregory. And he would.

Yet he could hardly take his mind off this woman. When had he ever felt an urge so powerful? He clenched his fists and closed his eyes, determined to clear his head of all thoughts.

He settled on focusing his mind elsewhere. The tension between the villages was growing as time went by. Even within Pine Gap, he could sense it. People were tense, as if everyone was expecting an invasion any moment. Gregory and Jon were right after all. Talk of war continued spreading.

Perhaps there would be war. Sylvester hoped not, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. Besides, his biggest concerns lay elsewhere. War or not, he would not rest until he avenged his father’s murder.