“Hey! What do you know that I don’t know? Did you just trick me?”
Brooks rolled back over, his body settling against Toby’s like it was meant to be there. He loved being the little spoon, even if he wasn’t technically spooning at the moment because he was still on his back and staring at the ceiling. But he loved snuggling like this, especially because he was always cold, and Brooks was nice and warm.
“Maybe.”
“Maybe what?” Toby couldn’t take his eyes off Brooks’s chest. His bare skin, muscled shoulders, thick neck, scruffy cheeks and…
“I tricked you.”
“Because I’m dreaming. Because you’re perfect. And warm.”
Brooks frowned. “Are you cold?”
“I’m always cold.”
Before he could process, Brooks had them rearranged so he was the actual little spoon. He let out a happy sigh because Brooks seriously radiated heat, except now he couldn’t see his face. And his pretty blue eyes.
“I can’t see your eyes.”
He hadn’t meant to sound so plaintive, but he couldn’t seem to help it. His entire world had gone topsy-turvy. He couldn’t be blamed for being a bit whiny.
Brooks snickered into the skin of his neck, obviously not minding.
Toby trembled, the snicker sending a rumble of sensation throughout his body. Then Brooks moved again, this time sliding away from him. “No, no. Come back. I told you I’d scare you off.”
“I’m pulling down the blanket so I can cover us up.”
“Oh.”
And then he did just that before sliding back into bed and pulling Toby against him. The blanket settled over them, trapping the warmth from Brooks and creating a snug little nest.
“Such a good dream.”
“You aren’t dreaming.”
“Sure.”
“Want me to pinch you again?”
“No!”
Brooks laughed. “Good, because my alpha-mate is going to be pissed that I did that in the first place.”
“Alpha-mate? What’s that mean?”
“Mate of the alpha.”
“That tells me nothing.”
“Uh… husband. Of the alpha… the leader of my family.”
“Oh right. Like the alpha wolf, right? I’ve read about wolf packs. It’s a fascinating species.”
“Well, wild wolf packs and my wolf pack are a bit different.”
“Of course they are.”
Because things would be complicated. This was Toby’s life, after all.
“You met my alpha. Vaughn. He’s a doctor. Well, technically he’s a vet. It’s hard to explain.”
“Oh… that was the alpha? I thought he’d be all big and growly. Oh, like the Viking guy. He’s an alpha, right?”
“That’s Jedrek. He’s the alpha-mate of Nick.”
Toby nodded as a piece of the puzzle finally clicked into place in his mind. “Of course, Nick is an alpha. Also, Jedrek is scary. But Nick is scary too. In a different way.”
“True. And Jedrek is a hellhound. He’s very scary. Or can be.”
Toby gulped. “A hellhound? The myths about them are… terrifying.”
“Yep. Don’t worry. You’re safe. He’s obviously gotten used to the weirdness that happens around here. A human learning about our world didn’t even set off his sigil.”
Toby scowled. Brooks’s explanation didn’t really explain anything at all. “I have questions.”
Brooks nuzzled his hair and ran his big warm hand down Toby’s back. The buzz of fear eased, and his brain stopped his thought spiral in its tracks.
“I forgot my questions.”
Brooks laughed. “When you remember, you can ask.”
“The, um… the little girls. Are they yours?” Toby wiggled around so he was on his back again.
Brooks hesitated for a moment. “No.” Then he sucked in a breath. “But I’m trying to work up the courage to ask Nick if I can adopt them.”
“Oh wow. That’s… that’s awesome.”
They stared quietly for a moment. Brooks’s warm hand settled at Toby’s waist.
“Are you normally this… welcoming of strangers? Is this… um… a wolf pack thing?”
Brooks grinned and leaned closer. His eyes flared, the blue becoming brighter for a moment. “What do you think?”
Toby gulped. “I… I think that this is my dream and my dream guy is in it. But if this isn’t a dream…”
“Wolves mate for life. There is only one mate for us.”
Toby’s heart began to race.
Brooks moved closer still. His warm breath tickled Toby’s cheek. He wanted to raise up, close the distance between them, but he didn’t. He waited…
Brooks’s nose brushed his cheek. “When we find that one, we are truly blessed by the Goddess.”
“Brooks?” His voice shook, so low he’d barely made a sound.
“Yes, Toby?”
“Have you been blessed?”
“Yes, Toby. Today the Goddess blessed me with you.”
Toby blew out a breath and closed his eyes. He leaned his head into Brooks’s chest. Listening for… something. He didn’t know. But all he heard was the steady thump-thump of Brooks’s heart.
“When I saw you, the world stopped turning,” Toby confessed.