Free Three Fur All by Crymsyn Hart Page B

okay.”
    The lethargy of sleep gripped his muscles. He snuggled against her chest, loving how her breasts cradled his head. “I’m glad to hear it.” A warm fuzz descended on his body. His wolf was happy and already rolling over in his mind, ready for a belly scratch.
    “Typical.”
    “What do you mean?” he murmured.
    “You might be a wolf, but you’re still a man who falls asleep after sex.”
    He blinked. “Sorry.”
    She guided his lips to hers in a quick kiss. “It’s okay. I should go back downstairs.”
    “Stay.”
    “What about Elliot?”
    The thought of his friend hadn’t crossed his mind. “We’ll have to let him know in the morning.”
    “Let him know what?”
    “That you chose me over him.”
    “What if I don’t want just you? Would that bother you?”
    Mika’s brows lifted . Does she really mean what I think she means? “Well . . . you’d have to see how he feels about it. But that would mean you staying here.”
    “I know. Never mind. We’ll talk about it later.”
    He nodded and listened to her heart. Its even rhythm helped to keep him calm, but what was not said haunted him. Mika tried to think about it more, but his brain was shutting down, and sleep was taking over.

Chapter Nine
     
    October opened her eyes to discover Mika wasn’t in bed with her anymore. The spot next to her was still warm when she trailed her hand over it. Her body ached, but in a good way, from their lovemaking. It had been a long time since she had let anyone get close to her. At first, when she saw his eyes glowing yellow, her heart had nearly stopped. After facing those fears with Mika, she knew that he wasn’t going to hurt her. She ran her hands over her body and then looked at her wrists. The bruises were yellow and purple in some places. They didn’t hurt the way they had in the beginning. Even her ankle was getting better. She didn’t need the crutch as much as she had. Thinking about running brought up the conversation they had the night before. Discovering they were wolves had nearly thrown her into a panic. When Mika had dashed off, she started thinking it was because she had hit a raw spot with him.
    She had retreated to her room after Elliot left her alone. It put everything into perspective. They hadn’t hurt her. They were hunting the creature who had kept her captive, and she believed them. Not to mention she was highly attracted to both of them. Contemplating going back to her life now was almost like returning to an alien way of life. First being held captive had jarred her reality. Then she had escaped and walked into a fairy tale where she was Little Red Riding Hood surrounded by wolves at every door. They had asked her to choose between them. It was mind-boggling for her to wrap her head around that she had slept with Mika. And it had been wonderful. Then there was the other man she wanted to take into her bed. Elliot was kind and gentle, even if he was hiding behind a stone heart. It was softening. If she left now, then he would remain behind the ghost that still haunted his heart. October wrapped the sheet around her since Mika had torn the buttons off her nightshirt. She tested her ankle and found it was still tender, but she was able to stand on it. She hobbled into the hallway, when she walked right into Elliot.
    “October, hi. Is everything okay?”
    She saw his surprise. “I’m okay. I’m sorry about last night.”
    Elliot flashed her a smile. “No apologies needed. You weren’t expecting us to be wolves. At least you didn’t run off in the middle of the night. I expected you might. Not that you wanted to steal Mika’s tiny, beat-up car.” He chuckled. “Are you hungry? Mika’s making waffles downstairs.”
    “Yeah.”
    She tried to move forward, but stumbled. Elliot caught her. His warm hand on her shoulder made the breath hitch in her throat. His hand traveled down her shoulder and then across her back. She leaned in closer until she stared into his eyes and saw the