“You’re welcome,” Vera said as she disappeared down the hallway. “Get up or I’ll bite you.”
Link’s eyes rolled closed, and he let off a long, annoyed sigh. While he was distracted with his irritation, Nicole took the opportunity to hug him closer and sniff his skin. He smelled different right out of sleep, and she loved that she was the one who got to snuggle against him like this. He’d relaxed in the night, and when he smiled down at her, his eyes were a shade between gray and white.
“Do you feel better this morning?”
“Loads better,” he said, kissing her forehead. “And I’ll feel even better after the hunt.”
“Hunt?” she asked.
“We’re low on red meat, and the caribou have dipped lower in the valleys where it won’t be so miserable to hunt them. Tobias has been scouting their movements.”
“Oh. But I can just buy us more red meat from the store in Galena.”
Link leaned down and kissed her lips softly, then eased her back and leveled her with a look. “I love that you have the means to take care of yourself, but money is temporary. Even if you can cover us for five years, you’ll get accustomed to that lifestyle and won’t acclimate to Alaska. If you were living in Anchorage, it would be different. You would work a steady job and meat wouldn’t get scarce. But in Galena, you haven’t seen the meat section in the store lately. It’s mid-winter now, and any meat you can find is expensive.”
“Why?”
“Because the people here hunt their own meat, and even if they didn’t, it’s hard to get deliveries here between the storms. Ian and Tobias run deliveries from bush planes, but they’re grounded half the time because of the weather. And it’ll get worse as winter goes on. You need to learn how to hunt protein for yourself.”
“For us,” she said with a frown.
“For us,” he amended quietly. “Wolf needs this.”
“Oh. Well, why didn’t you just say that? Wolf needs to hunt?”
Link dipped his chin to his chest in answer. “He isn’t fighting the meds, Nicole, because he wants to stay here, too. You know what he said when we first saw you?”
“Oh gosh, I literally have no guess.”
“He wanted to fuck you and put a baby in you before Ian killed us. That’s where we were at—the desperate procreation part of our little crazy-party.”
“Jesus.” She bit her lip and studied his troubled eyes. “What does he say now?”
“That he wants to fuck you and put a baby in you so we can hold it and take care of the two of you. So he can raise his pup.”
Chills blasted across her forearms as she imagined Link holding their child, smiling down at the little bundle in his arms. She suddenly wanted that more than anything in the world, and it was the new goal. Save Link and build a family with him. Nicole hugged him tighter to absorb his warmth. “Wolf has hope.”
Link’s lips lingered on top of her hair. “We both do. This makes Wolf sick, though, so when I have a good day off the meds, I need to make him happy. Hunting makes him happy.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“Thata girl.”
“Waffles!” Vera yelled from the kitchen.
Link laughed and rolled out of bed. “We’re coming.”
“That’s what she said,” Vera called.
Nicole snorted and shook her head as she made her way into the bathroom. By the time she was scrubbed, brushed, and dressed for the day, Vera, Tobias, and Link were already cracking up in the kitchen.
For a minute, Nicole leaned her back against the hallway wall and closed her eyes, just listening to the sound of Link’s deep laughter. God, she loved him.
When she strode around the corner, Link lifted his head immediately. His greeting smile was breathtaking in the soft glow of the single light above him. They sat around the kitchen island, digging into a pile of waffles stacked so high they teetered dangerously and bowls of whipped cream, strawberries, blueberries, several flavors of syrup, and assorted jams. Link wore a pair of jeans but no shirt, and Tobias was dressed much the same. So many muscles in one room.
Vera swatted her ass as she sidled up to the table and grabbed an empty plate. “Mornin’ sunshine. Heard ya got boned last night.”
“Vera,” Tobias groaned.
Link just shook his head and ate another bite, like he was used to Vera’s antics, but Nicole laughed and apologized through her blazing blush. “I tried to be quiet.”
Vera pointed to her ears. “Fox hearing. So, if you need any extra warm clothes, I have some you can borrow. It’s cold as a witch’s puckered teat out there, and you’ll be on a snow machine most of today.”
“Are you not going? I thought Tobias has been scouting.”
“Nope.” Vera shoved a wedding magazine toward her. “Today, I feel like wedding planning, and Tobias has offered to help.”
“Yeah, offered,” her behemoth mate muttered, then grinned and dodged Vera’s swat. “She’s covering everything in glitter. Do you know they can make glittery icing for wedding cakes?”