connection they’d both worked for.
He wrapped her tightly in his sweater and rolled gently until they lay on their sides, facing one another and holding each other close. And as minutes drifted by, they watched the sun rise over the mountains together, all tangled up and happy.
“I lied to you,” he said with a serious set to his mouth.
“What about?”
“After you told me not to fall in love with you, I said I wouldn’t have a problem following that rule.”
A relieved smile stretched across her face. “And?”
“And I fell in love with you. Hang your rules, Cas.” He brushed his fingers across the claiming mark he’d given her. “From here on, we’ll make our own rules.”
“Together?” she asked.
Hugging her close and resting his cheek against hers, Haydan murmured, “Always together.”
Chapter Ten
Six months had passed in the blink of an eye.
No longer were the winds the cool breezes of autumn and winter. Now, they were warm with the promise of new life and springtime.
Cassie’s life had changed completely in the span of half a year. She was now a full partner with Riley in a company called Shabby Shifter Home Decor. She worked every day at the shop, which Damon Daye had kindly turned from a rickety shed to a red, refurbished barn behind the trailer park. Cassie was taking on more of the back-straining work lately because Riley and Drew were going to have a child of their own soon. She had a career, amazing clients, and a best friend in Riley she’d never thought she’d have.
It was mid-logging season, so Haydan was busy during the days up at the landing with the rest of the crew. She took sandwiches up to him on Wednesdays, and Tagan was nice enough to give him an extra fifteen minutes for lunch to picnic with her.
She’d moved out of 1010 and into Haydan’s den, and she hadn’t even balked against Petty living there, too. Now, she gloated that Petty liked her more than Haydan since the piggy chose to follow Cassie to the shop every morning, and then back home in the evenings while Haydan was up in the mountains clearing timber. She also slept on a blanket on the floor beside Cassie’s side of the bed. Cassie loved it, sleeping all safe and warm, surrounded by her favorites—Haydan and her pretty Petty.
Brooke had gifted her a painting of a grizzly bear standing beside a black bear, both overlooking a cliff with infinite stars stretched in front of them. It was hanging beside the kitchen table, and Cassie still couldn’t pass it without admiring the built-up, thoughtful strokes Brooke had created the painting with.
Cassie dragged her attention away from the picture now and smiled down at Wyatt, who was snatching grapes almost as fast as she was washing them. Any he didn’t eat, he passed to Harper, who’d gone to following him everywhere he went.
Today they were celebrating with a barbecue because this morning she’d registered to the public with the Ashe Crew. And when the paperwork had asked her who her mate was, she’d proudly penciled in Haydan’s name.
It was official now. She belonged.
“Hey, sexy, you ready?” Haydan asked from the open doorway.
“What’s sessy?” Wyatt asked.
“Ask your dad,” Haydan advised, picking Harper up and blowing a raspberry onto her tummy until she giggled.
“Dad!” Wyatt yelled, blasting out of the trailer.
Harper wiggled out of Haydan’s arms and stumbled after her little friend, less steady on her toddling legs.
“I’ve got her,” Diem said through a grin at the doorway, pulling her daughter into her arms.
Haydan stalked closer and settled his hands on the counter on either side of Cassie’s hips. He searched her eyes before he leaned in and kissed her gently. “I like coming home to you,” he murmured.
“I like the way you just said home .”
“Mmm,” he said, nipping at her neck. “I like the way you screamed my name last night.”
“Brute,” she teased.
“Toast time,” Bruiser called out,
He wrapped her tightly in his sweater and rolled gently until they lay on their sides, facing one another and holding each other close. And as minutes drifted by, they watched the sun rise over the mountains together, all tangled up and happy.
“I lied to you,” he said with a serious set to his mouth.
“What about?”
“After you told me not to fall in love with you, I said I wouldn’t have a problem following that rule.”
A relieved smile stretched across her face. “And?”
“And I fell in love with you. Hang your rules, Cas.” He brushed his fingers across the claiming mark he’d given her. “From here on, we’ll make our own rules.”
“Together?” she asked.
Hugging her close and resting his cheek against hers, Haydan murmured, “Always together.”
Chapter Ten
Six months had passed in the blink of an eye.
No longer were the winds the cool breezes of autumn and winter. Now, they were warm with the promise of new life and springtime.
Cassie’s life had changed completely in the span of half a year. She was now a full partner with Riley in a company called Shabby Shifter Home Decor. She worked every day at the shop, which Damon Daye had kindly turned from a rickety shed to a red, refurbished barn behind the trailer park. Cassie was taking on more of the back-straining work lately because Riley and Drew were going to have a child of their own soon. She had a career, amazing clients, and a best friend in Riley she’d never thought she’d have.
It was mid-logging season, so Haydan was busy during the days up at the landing with the rest of the crew. She took sandwiches up to him on Wednesdays, and Tagan was nice enough to give him an extra fifteen minutes for lunch to picnic with her.
She’d moved out of 1010 and into Haydan’s den, and she hadn’t even balked against Petty living there, too. Now, she gloated that Petty liked her more than Haydan since the piggy chose to follow Cassie to the shop every morning, and then back home in the evenings while Haydan was up in the mountains clearing timber. She also slept on a blanket on the floor beside Cassie’s side of the bed. Cassie loved it, sleeping all safe and warm, surrounded by her favorites—Haydan and her pretty Petty.
Brooke had gifted her a painting of a grizzly bear standing beside a black bear, both overlooking a cliff with infinite stars stretched in front of them. It was hanging beside the kitchen table, and Cassie still couldn’t pass it without admiring the built-up, thoughtful strokes Brooke had created the painting with.
Cassie dragged her attention away from the picture now and smiled down at Wyatt, who was snatching grapes almost as fast as she was washing them. Any he didn’t eat, he passed to Harper, who’d gone to following him everywhere he went.
Today they were celebrating with a barbecue because this morning she’d registered to the public with the Ashe Crew. And when the paperwork had asked her who her mate was, she’d proudly penciled in Haydan’s name.
It was official now. She belonged.
“Hey, sexy, you ready?” Haydan asked from the open doorway.
“What’s sessy?” Wyatt asked.
“Ask your dad,” Haydan advised, picking Harper up and blowing a raspberry onto her tummy until she giggled.
“Dad!” Wyatt yelled, blasting out of the trailer.
Harper wiggled out of Haydan’s arms and stumbled after her little friend, less steady on her toddling legs.
“I’ve got her,” Diem said through a grin at the doorway, pulling her daughter into her arms.
Haydan stalked closer and settled his hands on the counter on either side of Cassie’s hips. He searched her eyes before he leaned in and kissed her gently. “I like coming home to you,” he murmured.
“I like the way you just said home .”
“Mmm,” he said, nipping at her neck. “I like the way you screamed my name last night.”
“Brute,” she teased.
“Toast time,” Bruiser called out,
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