He surrendered with a reluctant sigh. “Fine.”
I pulled a thin blanket over myself, and my feet poked out from the opposite end.
“You can’t be cold,” he said. “It’s like a volcano in here.”
Maybe I was a little embarrassed to be completely naked in front of him without my old body—the sexy one with the small breasts and a figure that didn’t resemble a lowercase d. Being in the throes of passion was one thing, but lying there when he felt no more desire reminded me of how much I’d changed.
“I always wanted curves,” I said with a mirthless laugh. “Little did I know.”
He ripped the blanket away. “You’ve never been more beautiful, so quit pouting.”
Austin placed three long sticks of beef jerky across my belly and began eating.
“Are you telling me I’m not allowed to pout when my mate is using my body as a dining table?”
He chewed off a meaty bite. “You should have brought a red-checkered tablecloth instead of that blanket. We could have made it romantic.”
When he sang the opening lines to “Sex on Fire” in his smoky voice, I thumped him on the head with a stick of jerky.
“Do you think we stand a chance?” I asked.
He nodded. “We’re holding our own. Word is they took over some of the smaller packs but are having trouble with the larger ones. I’m going to check in with Reno later. It’s his job to keep communication rolling with the other packs in the territory.”
“What about the Council?”
He swallowed a bite and lifted another piece from my stomach. “They’re busy fighting their own battles. I don’t know what’s happening elsewhere in Texas, but we need to concentrate on breaking them down. If we run them out, then they’ll just go after another state.”
I handed him the last piece of meat. “I’m not so sure. This might be a kick in the pants for their morale. They probably expected to fail with Colorado, but after all this time to have no victory? There’ll be dissention in the ranks. Men can’t respect a leader who doesn’t make sound choices. If Judas fails, then his time will come to an end.”
“You don’t have any feelings about that?”
“Why? Because he’s genetically related to me? No. If you want to know the truth, I feel ashamed. People know, and I don’t want them to judge you, me, or especially our pack for something beyond my control. I’m just so disappointed in the universe.”
He laughed softly and wiped off his hand before snuggling close. “Why’s that, Ladybug?”
I sighed, pulling the extra pillow behind my head. “Because the universe doesn’t want me to have a father. Why couldn’t he have been someone amazing? I would have even settled for ordinary.”
“Hmm,” he pondered, his finger tracing across my lip. “Maybe Austin Cole is all the amazing you need. The fates know what’s best, and it made you a stronger woman. A woman like you could have only been born from a powerful alpha, and men like us are faced with temptation early on in life when we’re trying to figure out who we are. He chose the wrong path and decided to live as a rogue; that has nothing to do with who you are. Just knowing the hell you’ve survived makes me want to be a better mate to you and a better father for our child.”
I stroked the bristles on his chin, and he smiled down at me. I briefly wondered if our child would have Austin’s cleft chin or his beautiful eyes. Would the baby take the very best things I loved about Austin—his warm laugh, his devotion, his strong hands, and even his lean?
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“I’m wondering what the plan for tomorrow is.”
“I’ll know more when I call Reno. Let’s not think about that right now.”
Watching his muscles flex as he fluffed the blanket over our legs gave me the tingles. “Austin?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“When you’re done, kill the lights and make love to me again.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
***
I knew it was morning when the cardinals began chirping. Austin and I had made love once more, but not all night like I wanted to. He had to check in with Reno and talk strategy.
I didn’t mind. Every second in his arms was an extra slice of eternity. Long after Austin had fallen asleep, his wolf emerged. I guess he wanted to check on me and make sure I was okay, because he stayed by my side for hours. Austin had a beautiful animal—fur like midnight and eyes that sparkled like glaciers in the sun. I’d switched on the lamp for a few minutes to let him see where we were, hoping he wouldn’t get claustrophobic.
Right before falling asleep, Austin’s wolf moved across the room and settled in, his eyes watchful on the ceiling. He might have been nice to snuggle up to in winter, but the last thing a pregnant woman needs is more body heat.