Shadow's Awakening: The Shadow Warder Series, Book One (An Urban Fantasy Romance Series) by Molle McGregor

“I guess I’m having soup for dinner,” she said.
    “Hannah,” Conner said again. She forced herself to pull away, if just to show Conner she was all right. He took a step back from her and examined her face.
    “It’s okay,” Hannah said. “It would have been worse if you’d made me a steak and I couldn’t eat it. A good meal, even if it’s soup, and a full night's sleep and my jaw will be up to chewing tomorrow.”
    Conner nodded and moved around her to open the back door of his SUV. He pulled out her escape bag, his worn duffel and several shopping bags and led her to the cabin. Someone had already turned on the interior lights. They walked into the great room, paneled in wide milled pine boards, glowing with warmth and welcome. A stacked stone fireplace took up most of one wall. It was surrounded by a couch and two overstuffed armchairs, each with a matching ottoman. Built-in bookshelves were tucked on each side of the fireplace, filled with paperbacks and board games.
    An open kitchen with an island and a dining area filled the other side of the great room. Above them, thick peeled pine logs formed beams that supported the peaked ceiling. The cabin wasn’t large, but the cathedral ceiling and tall fireplace gave it a sense of space and light, even at night. Hannah could imagine living happily in such a place, curled before the stone fireplace on chilly nights, cooking satisfying meals in the spacious kitchen while she looked out the window over the sink into what she assumed would be a view of the woods. Peaceful. Relaxing.
    “Let me get you settled in,” Conner said, leading her toward a door near the fireplace. Hannah saw there was a similar door by the kitchen and another in between. They must be the bedroom and bathroom since Hannah didn’t see a second floor. She followed Conner into a room paneled in the same golden pine as the rest of the house. A large bed sat in the middle of the room, taking up most of the space. It was made of more peeled pine logs, varnished to a high shine, covered with what looked like a hand-stitched quilt. A matching pine dresser faced the bed beside a door that led into the bathroom. Conner dropped the bags on the bed and gestured to the bathroom door.
    “You can take a shower if you want while I heat up the soup,” he said. He didn’t meet her eyes.
    Hannah wondered if he still felt bad about her jaw, or if it was something else. Not knowing set her off balance. She found herself unable to meet his eyes either. Instead, she looked at the bags he’d dropped. “What is this stuff?” she asked.
    “We noticed that you didn’t have much to wear. Kiernan—the other Warder who helped get you out of the house—ran into the store to pick you up a few things. He guessed your size. I hope it fits.”
    “Oh.” Hannah’s eyes teared up. She hadn’t had new clothes in almost a year. “You didn’t have to do that. Thank you.”
    “It’s no big deal,” Conner said, shrugging. “I’ll let you get settled in.”
    Hannah watched Conner leave the room, shutting the door behind him. He was being weird. He seemed to be bothered by the jaw thing, but that hadn’t been his fault. She hadn’t even realized it was still so tender. Gingerly, Hannah touched the weak spot again. Pain flared. Wincing, she pulled her hand away. She’d bet she still had a hairline fracture. She was lucky it was healing straight considering the abuse her face had taken in the past few days. She didn’t want to imagine what she must look like. Hannah pushed that issue aside for the moment. Sliding her makeshift escape bag under the bed out of habit, she put her knife on the bedside table and began looking through the shopping bags Conner had left on the bed.
    For someone who had spent the past six months as a prisoner it was a treasure trove. Shampoo, conditioner, hairbrush, toothbrush and paste, deodorant, mango-scented body wash, a package of hair elastics, another of pink razors, and a huge