the adjacent wall. The sheets were in disarray and several pillows were scattered along the headboard. A laundry hamper sat empty on her right next to a dresser with a television mounted above it. She wouldn’t say it was the ultimate bachelor pad, but his room was pretty close to it.
For a moment, she stared longingly at his bed, knowing when he came home, her use of his space would send the wrong signal. She totally understood what it would look like, but she felt safe here. In his space, she was freer. She could be herself and speak about the things that bothered her. Taze had been nothing but understanding since she had finally told him everything.
“Fuck it,” she whispered as she climbed in the bed, pulling the covers over her body. The room was cool, but he had enough blankets to keep her warm until morning. Glancing at the clock, she made note of the time. Just after three in the morning. He usually arrived home anywhere from seven to nine. Hopefully, she would be able to sleep deeply enough to not worry about any sounds she heard outside his window. With his scent on the sheets, Calla relaxed and closed her eyes.
The bed dipped, waking her from a deep, restful sleep. The split second of panic was replaced with a purr from her panther. Taze’s scent enveloped her as she pulled the covers over her shoulders.
“It scented of you,” she explained.
“I was surprised to find you in my bed,” he admitted. A bright smile lit up his face. “I’d like to see you there more often.”
“I was worried you’d get the wrong message,” she mumbled, immediately regretting her words the second they left her mouth. Taze’s eyes held a bit of hurt from her admission. “I didn’t mean it that way. What I was saying…I…I don’t know. I think I was worried you’d come home and think I was ready to touch you.”
“That’s not it, Calla,” he replied. “I didn’t think that at all. I was worried you’d had a hard time sleeping on my couch or you got scared.”
“I just wanted to be close to you,” she said. Gods, she sounded so fucking weak, but Taze’s scent…his presence did something to her. It grounded her in a way nothing else ever had. Not even the training she had done made her feel this in control.
“You are always welcome here,” he replied. “Do you want that run we never took last night?”
“Actually, I do,” she nodded.
“I’m ready when you are,” he replied, making a fist in the sheets when she stretched. It was obvious he was fighting his hold on the need to touch her. “I’ll make you a cup of coffee before we go.”
She watched him as he left. The male was perfect in so many ways. His broad shoulders, narrow waist, and thick legs were normal for the Guardians, but the way he walked, with so much confidence had an ache building in her belly. There was something in the way he wore his leather jacket, too.
“I need to get out of his bed,” she whispered to herself.
As she drank her morning coffee, Taze sat across from her looking exhausted. She didn’t know exactly what he went through at night, but from the look on his face, it wasn’t easy.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He nodded and stared at the table for a few seconds before raising his eyes to meet hers. “We found four females last night. Two of them were in the beginning stages of their change. The other two were already fighters.”
“I’m sorry,” she gasped, wanting to reach out and comfort him. Instead, she gave him a soft smile. “At least you are making a difference. I know it’s heartbreaking when you find them, but you have to look at the positive. Those females would be in worse shape if they were taken back to the Gadaí alphas. I know firsthand how they treat females.”
“I don’t even know how to help Evie with them,” he admitted, wiping a hand over his tired face. “She calms them as best as she can when she gives them the sedative. On the way back to the pride, she sits with them to keep an eye on them. The males we capture are feral, to say the least. Last night was no exception.”
“What happened last night?” she pressed.
“I had to handcuff the females who were already changed,” he began. “I know it’s my nature making me feel