Vera pushed the needle into Ian’s massive shoulder and emptied the syringe, then pulled it out and kissed Tobias before she crawled up the ladder and made her way outside.
Elyse was huddled on the seat of the snow machine, cradling the moonshine like a baby as she stared off into the woods. The long scar down her cheek was stark and red against her porcelain skin. Tobias had told her all about how she’d gotten that. Elyse was a warrior.
“Want to help me get the sled ready?”
“For what?”
“Ian will be tired and a little numb for a bit. It’ll be hard for him to move around easily, but we need to go wake Jenner up, too. Unless you want to stay here?”
“No. No, we’ll come. It should be a family affair.” Elyse’s face stretched into a smile, and she squeezed Vera’s hand. “I’m glad you found Tobias.”
“I hired him,” Vera said lightly as she made her way over to the sled hooked to the back of the snow machine.
“Wait, you hired Tobias?”
“He’s my mate for hire.”
“Ian is my husband for hire! I needed someone to help me with the homestead. And Lena hired Jenner to take her to photograph the brown bears.”
“But he is a bear.” Vera giggled. “Bear for hire. These Silvers didn’t even know what hit them.”
“No,” Elyse said laughing as she helped Vera unfold blankets onto the sled. “I guess they didn’t.”
A soft noise brushed Vera’s oversensitive ears, and her inner fox drew to attention. Vera snapped her gaze to the house and listened harder. Two men were talking low. One was Tobias.
“Elyse,” she whispered through a smile. “I can hear him.”
“Ian?”
“He’s asking where you are. If you’re okay. Tobias is trying to get him to hurry up and eat.”
Elyse leaned heavily on the snow machine and clasped her hand over her mouth. Her eyes looked so full of hope and joy it stole Vera’s breath away. She laughed thickly and said, “Ian just said ‘Fuck eating. Where is my mate?’”
Elyse laughed and set the moonshine down in the sled, then wrung her hands, waiting.
The door opened and Elyse gasped, frozen in the snow like some beautiful garden angel statue. Tobias came out first, but he had Ian’s arm over his shoulder. The second Ian’s eyes landed on Elyse, he let off a long sigh of relief and stood straighter. By the time he was down the porch stairs, Ian shoved off Tobias and wrapped Elyse up in his arms. “I love you. I love you,” he murmured over and over as his mate cried against his shoulder. The dog went crazy, crying and yipping and rubbing all over Ian’s jeans like a giant cat.
Ian cupped Elyse’s cheeks and kissed her, and Vera’s cheeks flushed with heat at witnessing such an intimate reunion.
When Ian released Elyse, he looked around, eyes bright. “Where’s Jenner?”
“Still asleep,” Tobias explained. “We woke you up first.”
Ian stumbled toward Vera, and she caught his weight, but just barely. He was still clinging to Elyse’s hand, but he hugged Vera so tight she couldn’t breathe. “You did this. Thank you.”
How did she tell him she did it for selfish reasons? How did she explain she needed Tobias awake to stay happy and steady? How did she explain she couldn’t stand the thought of Lena and Elyse alone out here, protecting their mates’ bodies half the year? She needed the Silvers awake so she could be okay. Maybe someday she would find the words, but not today. “You’re welcome,” she whispered instead.
“Lena’s waiting,” Elyse said, tugging his hand.
Ian sat heavily in the sled, and Elyse nestled herself between his legs while Vera and Tobias settled onto the seat of the snow machine. The snowy mile ride to Lena’s cabin seemed to take forever. Ian and Elyse talked quietly in the back, too low to understand over the roar of the motor, and Vera held onto Tobias’s strong waist as she let her other hand catch the crisp breeze. Twice, the dog, Miki, Elyse called him, bounced up and touched her outstretched glove with his head, as if he couldn’t wait for the snow machine to stop for an affectionate pat on the head.
Lena was sitting on the porch in an oversize sweater, leggings and wool-lined snow boots, clutching a large package wrapped in thick brown paper and twine. She stood as Tobias pulled to a stop in front of her cabin.
Lena broke out in a disbelieving smile as her gaze landed on Ian, standing slowly from the sled in the back with Elyse’s help. Tobias grabbed the backpack, gave Vera a quick kiss, and whispered, “I’ve got Jenner. He’s deep under the house. You stay here with Lena.”
Tobias gave Lena a hug and murmured something too low for Vera to hear, then jogged around the side of the cabin.
Lena looked shocked, and all the blood had drained from her face.
“I like your place,” Vera said, shyness suddenly creeping in.
“I got you something,” Lena murmured distractedly as she stared off in the direction Tobias had gone.