get comfortable, there wasn’t much he could do about it.
Ophelia glanced down between them, her cheeks going red again, and Henry braced for her to roll away or make excuses. But she bit her lip and looked at him shyly, like she wanted permission, and hesitantly moved her leg to hitch over his hip. Henry held his breath and helped drag her thigh up, pressing the wet heat of her core against him, and groaned in anticipation as they started to fit together in a slow, heavenly slide.
She sighed and pressed her face against his chest as Henry’s arm went around her back, holding her as close to him as possible, and murmured, “I like this.”
God, he was lost. Completely and utterly at her mercy, for every moment of every day for the rest of his life. He kissed her throat and shoulder and gently pressed deep into her. “Me too.”
Her back arched as he thrust and her hands worked into his hair, encouraging him with each murmur and soft sound. It was intimate but still intense, there under the covers in their own dim world. He didn’t want it to end. He wanted to share that space, that moment, with her forever.
But too soon, she moved faster against him and bit back a groan, her walls clenching around him, and Henry sank into her to find his own release. They lay there panting, sweaty from the friction of bodies moving together, but Henry couldn’t have moved even if the house was on fire.
Ophelia traced shapes on his back, her arm still draped over his ribs, and didn’t bother to open her eyes as she nuzzled closer. “Maybe we don’t have to get up today.”
“Sounds like a perfect plan to me.” He knew she’d need to eat and hydrate, but he could deal with that later. His mate needed to rest, and his bed—in his arms—was the best place to be.
They dozed and time moved slowly. Ophelia moved to her back and Henry lay half on top of her, wanting to keep her covered in case anyone else decided to barge in, and she wiggled a little more and nearly distracted him again. His phone buzzed a few times, and it was only when it started ringing that Henry forced himself up and out of bed.
Ophelia stirred but he patted her arm and yawned. “Stay here. I’ll get food.”
She grumbled but didn’t get up, yanking the covers back over her head. He couldn’t help but smile, shaking his head, and wondered at how fast life could change. After leaving his pack in Montana, it felt like it took forever to find something new and normal, something better. He’d worried it might be months before he knew how he felt about Ophelia, and how she felt about him. And yet... a day, maybe three. One night and he was completely done. The world would never be the same.
He got in the shower for a quick rinse after texting Evershaw that he was on his way down, then got dressed. He squeezed Ophelia’s foot and asked what she wanted for breakfast, but all he got in response was a soft snore. Henry made a mental note to not keep her up all night again, then grinned and closed the door behind him. He wasn’t strong enough to resist keeping her up to all hours, that was for damn sure. Guess they’d just have to be nocturnal or nap the hell out of every afternoon.
He barely made it into the kitchen before Evershaw found him, expression grim. “Have you heard from Silas?”
Henry went still. “Last night. He was finishing the patrol to the north and was going to head back after an hour, around one. Isn’t he back?”
“No,” the alpha said. “And no one’s seen him at the pack house. Did anything strange happen last night?”
He moved to the kitchen, half his attention still on feeding Ophelia while the rest of his thoughts raced to find a clue on where Silas might have gone. “No. No new tracks, no scents, no hint of anything wrong. Just a bunch of whispers and hints and rumors of shit. Nothing concrete.”
“Something is very wrong,” a calm voice said, and he turned to find Deirdre approaching, Cricket in her arms.
The house cat managed to scowl, chirping a disgruntled meow when no one immediately offered him treats, and hopped out of her arms to twine through their legs. Henry frowned as he found lunch meat and sandwich fixings