"You looked for me." "We did," he agreed.
Abruptly he turned and hauled me against him.
He was shaking, and he hid his face in my hair.
It was useless, if he was trying to prevent me from understanding what he was feeling.
I had a Technicolor view through our bond.
I hugged him as hard as I could so he'd know I was real, that I didn't mind him holding me hard.
"I'm here," I said.
"I couldn't find you either," he told me, his voice a bare whisper.
"Our bond was broken, and I couldn't tell if you'd done it on purpose, if the queen had managed it--or if you were dead.
We could feel you in the pack bonds, but that's been known to happen when people die.
Bran came and he couldn't find you either.
Then yesterday, Darryl was feeding us lunch and dropped the pan on the floor." I'd heard about that already, from various people, but I didn't interrupt.
"Darryl thought someone was messing with Auriele, and stormed halfway up the stairs--only to be met by Auriele, who was worried about him for the same reason.
That's when Bran came up from the basement and said .
.
." He stopped speaking.
"He said, `I've done the hard part, Alpha.
Now tell us where your mate is,' " I said.
"And he was holding the walking stick in his hand." "And there you were," Adam told me.
"Inside of me, just where you belonged." He drew back, moving his hands to my cheeks.
The heat of his skin felt precious to me, his hot amber eyes feeding the fires in my heart--and my body.
His nostrils flared, like a stallion scenting a mare.
His hands dropped to my coat, and he ripped it down the back and threw it on the floor before backing away from me.
"Damn it," he said gruffly, his head against the door.
"Damn it .
.
.
I can't do this." I pulled my shirt over my head and stripped off my jeans and underwear.
Warren didn't keep his house at seventy degrees--since he was mostly sleeping at Kyle's these days.
But I didn't feel the cold, not while I could feel the force of Adam's need roaring like a welding torch.