Welcome to Silver Hollow

Laughter and conversation fill the air as Griffen leads us through the compound.

The people we pass greet us with warm smiles, like we're long-lost family members returning home instead of strangers. It's a far cry from the suspicious glances and whispered gossip that often greet newcomers in Hartford Cove.

"Dinner! Get it while it's hot!" shouts one of the men who came to our rescue, and the others peel away from guarding us to join those gathered at a group of tables laden with food.

The shrieks of children split the air, and my focus jerks to the side, where I spot an army of kids running amok, their tiny legs kicking up dust as they chase one another around the smaller cabins that surround the massive central one.

"Welcome to our humble abode," Griffen says as we approach the big cabin at the center of the compound. "This is where Levi, Ezra, and I live together."

"Cozy." I study the large structure. "Like a mountain lodge on steroids."

Levi takes my comment in stride. "Thank you. We're also fostering two younger werewolves who came from the outside. They'll stay with the other kids, though, while you're here."

"Fostering?" I ask, curious. "How does that work?"

"Sometimes human women give birth to werewolves and drop their kids off here to be raised." Levi pauses at the porch to let Tris slide off his back. "Most humans who haven't mated with a werewolf want nothing to do with the cursed children. Fucking werewolves is sexy and thrilling, but not so much raising their children."

"Sounds about right." Tris rolls his eyes.

Haut turns to look back at the kids. "There are so many."

Envy underscores the words, and I hug his big body with my arms and legs. Children are nearly non-existent in Hartford Cove, and not from lack of trying. The barrier here that gives werewolves control over their shift must mean the moms don't lose their babies the way wolf shifters do.

An upgrade to our barrier gets added to my mental to-do list. If it's possible here, then it's possible for our home, too, so long as they leave my uterus out of the equation.

Tris frowns. "So you guys just take responsibility for raising all the kids?"

"We take in the pups, no questions asked." Levi's expression tenses. "Some are brought in from the other side of the barrier, too, though those are usually adults the Paranormal Council have picked up who haven't killed yet. Werewolf children born outside Silver Hollow are rare."

I watch the kids playing tag nearby. "Must be nice to have a place like this where they can grow up without being judged or feared."

Levi's face softens into a proud, warm smile. "We do our best to give them a good life."

"When a human and a werewolf have a baby, is it always a werewolf?" I ask, wanting to know how werewolf biology works when they're not driven to murder by the full moon. "Like how babies with one witch parent are always witches?"

"Actually, it's fifty-fifty." Levi scratches his chin in thought. "Sometimes, the child will be human, and other times, they'll be a werewolf."

"Interesting." Tris raises his eyebrows. "So, do moms ever ditch their human children here?"

"No, that'd be far too dangerous." Levi turns to continue up the porch toward the front door, where Griffen waits patiently for him to open it. "Human kids wouldn't stand a chance in this environment."

Two rambunctious pups tumble around in the dirt, wrestling with each other.

"Fair enough."

As we walk through the main living area of the Alpha's cabin, I'm surprised that it looks like a normal house, albeit with a rustic charm. The wooden walls and cozy furniture give off a homey vibe that makes me feel surprisingly comfortable despite our near-death experience just moments before.

With a head bob, Griffen trots down a hallway, leaving us with Levi.

"He's going to change and put on some clothes," Levi explains.

"Aw, shucks." Tris sticks out his bottom lip in a pout.

Haut growls at him, his moss-green eyes flashing dangerously. "You see enough nudity in Hartford Cove. Give it a rest."

"True, but this is new nudity." Like a leech, I tighten my hold as Haut tries to shake me off. "New nudity is always more interesting than the same old naked folks we're used to."

Levi laughs, distressingly still not offended. "Well, we don't make a habit of walking around naked here, even in the compound. We have frequent visitors, and for the most part, we can't shift without a full moon."

"Good to know." I kick Haut's thigh to settle him down. "Free swinging giblets are a constant risk when going into town at Hartford Cove, even with the addition of vampires and witches."

"Really?" Levi seems fascinated by this cultural difference as he leads us farther into the cabin, if it can even be called that, with so many rooms. "I'll have to keep that in mind the next time I visit."

"Have you heard any news about Aspen?" Worry fills me for my mentor.

Levi pauses to glance at his phone. "Looks like they found him. He has a minor leg wound and is getting settled at the clinic. We'll drive you into town tomorrow to check on him."

Phew. I didn't get Aspen killed with this adventure. The tension in me relaxes.

Levi leads us down a hall in the opposite direction that Griffen went. "We have you set up in the guest rooms. The kitchen, living room, and dining room are at the center of the cabin, and the family quarters are on the other side."

He stops in front of a door and pushes it open. "This is the first room. It has an ensuite, so no need to share bathrooms."

Haut walks into the cozy bedroom. A warm glow comes from the lamps on the nightstands, and a handmade quilt covers the queen-sized bed. A sturdy wooden dresser rests against the wall between the closet and bathroom. A clean, lemony scent fills the air, with not a speck of dust in sight.

"We'll take this one," Haut announces.

Before I can demand to see the other options, he reaches up and grabs me by the scruff of the neck, peeling me off his back and tossing me toward the bed.

I land with a squeak, bouncing in the center of the mattress, which envelops me in ridiculous comfort.

Tris launches himself onto the bed beside me, stretching out his limbs. "Are you sure about this? It's small for three people, don't you think?"

"Not you." Haut grabs Tris and tosses him into the hallway with a growl. "Find your own room!"

"Hey!" Tris protests, making grabby hands at me. "I need my spark!"

"Your spark will be fine without you for five minutes." Haut slams the door in Tris's face.

Levi's voice drifts through the door. "We'll have food ready in the dining room once you freshen up."

Haut stalks toward me. "Alone at last."

Feet lifting, I wiggle my sneakers in Haut's face. "You realize Tris will just climb into bed in the middle of the night, right? There's no point in throwing him out."

"I know." Haut undoes my laces and pulls my shoes off, dropping them to the floor. "But I… I need a minute, okay?"

"Whatever you need, bad wolf." I stay still as Haut peels off my socks next, inspecting each of my toes for injury.

When he bends to scoop me back up in his arms, I squeal in protest. "Hey! I can walk, you know."

"Your face still hurts from the fall," he mocks me before his expression softens. "Let me take care of you."

The crash followed by the fight in the woods must have affected him more than I thought, and my insides go all ooey gooey.

As he carries me toward the bathroom, I wrap my arms around his neck. "Oh, no, I just remembered that my legs don't work. It's a good thing you're so strong and reliable."

"That's more like it." He settles me on the counter next to the sink and brushes back the strands of hair that escaped from my braid. "That's a nasty lump."

His fingers graze it, making me wince. "It's not fair that witches don't have super healing like you wolf shifters."

"No, it's not." Dropping a kiss to my lips, he walks to the linen closet and collects clean towels, then searches through the medicine cabinet until he finds a small first aid kit.

Since Levi's broken hand healed before we even reached Silver Hollow, I'm surprised they have one. Maybe they have non-werewolf guests, too.

Knowing Haut will want to check the rest of me for injuries, I pull off my sweater, jostling my head in the process.

"Ouch," I mutter, struggling with my collar.

It wasn't a lie when I said my face still hurt, and now that the adrenaline from the fight is wearing off, the bumps and bruises are making themselves known.

"Here, let me help." Haut frees me from the soft knit and sets my sweater on the counter by my hip.

As he warms up the water and runs a washcloth under the faucet, his gaze flickers over my bare arms and throat, assessing for damage.

"It's not that bad," I assure him. "It would have been a lot worse if you hadn't been carrying me."

"You need to learn Aspen's night vision spell." He dabs at the dirt on my face with the warm, damp cloth. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three? No, wait—two." I squint to focus on his upraised hand. "Definitely two."

"Right." Haut frowns, unimpressed by my counting abilities. "Are you dizzy or nauseous?"

"A little," I admit.

His frown deepens. "What are the names of your mates?"

I snort at the pop quiz. "Are you trying to gauge how scrambled my brain is?"

He leans down, close enough for the tips of our noses to bump. "Answer the question, bad puppy."

"Fine." I huff a breath into his face. "Greyson Haut, Owen Hartford, Ambros Shultz, and Tris."

"Perfect." He straightens and lifts my hands one at a time, cleaning them off gently, as if afraid I might break. "Now, let's check you for other injuries."

"Do we have to?" I whine, well aware he won't be swayed. "I promise I'm not hiding any broken bones."

"The lump on your head is the size of a golf ball." He cleans under my nails, wiping away all traces of dirt. "Humor me."

"Fine." I roll my eyes, which hurts, but I'll never tell him that.

Haut runs his hands along my arms and legs, searching for any hidden wounds, the warmth from his body sinking into me, better than any hot compress.

"See?" I say when he pulls my leggings back down after inspecting my knees. "Told you I was fine."

"You're a walking accident waiting to happen." He rises back to his feet and rests his head on my shoulder, his breath shaky against my throat. "It scared the hell out of me when we crashed, and you were unconscious for those few minutes. Then in the woods, running from that thing… I wanted to leave everyone else behind to make sure you'd be safe."

Emotion thickens his voice. "But I knew that would piss you off."

I lace my fingers through his thick hair. "Damn straight it would have."

His arms come around me. "I don't like it when you leave Hartford Cove. Even when I'm with you, you still get hurt."

I rub behind his ears, trying to soothe him. "You still protected me."

He lifts his head, and a hint of the feral wolf fills his eyes from the time when I left him.

"Rowe, I can't—" he starts, but I cut him off with a kiss.

"Shh," I whisper against his lips. "I'm okay, Haut. Really."

Our eyes lock as he leans in, pressing his mouth harder over mine, something more primal and urgent darkening his features. His hands find my waist, pulling me to the edge of the counter, his hips fitting between my thighs.

"Rowe…" His lips trail down my neck, sending shivers through me despite the heat radiating from his body.

"No more adventures after this one," I promise him. "From now on, I'm a homebody."

"I enjoy being a homebody." He nips at my collarbone, drawing a gasp from me.

His hands slip beneath my camisole, trailing up my ribs in a way that would tickle if desire wasn't building between us.

Fisting his hair, I pull his head back up for a heated kiss, our tongues tangling together.

His rough palm covers one breast at the same moment the bathroom door slams open, causing both Haut and me to jump apart like two naughty kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

Instead of our host, Tris stands in the doorway, his golden-brown eyes taking in our flushed faces. "I knew it!"

Haut glares at him. "Then leave so we can continue."

"No can do! Dinner's ready, and Levi said there's ice cream!" He bounces on his toes like a puppy eager for a treat.

If he still had a tail, it would be wagging right now.

"Dinner can wait," Haut growls at him, annoyance clear in his tone. "Can't you see we're busy here? Get out."

Undeterred, Tris folds his arms over his chest. "Yeah, I can see that. But Rowe needs an icepack for her bump, don't you think? Or are you planning to hump the concussion out of her with your magic knot?"

Haut's focus jumps from Tris to me, and dismay fills his face, signaling the end of sexy time. "No, you're right."

Tris's brows shoot up, his shock at Haut's capitulation mirroring mine. "Yes, I am. So sweater on and hands off."

Tris backs out of the bathroom. "If you're not out in two minutes, I'm eating every ounce of ice cream in this place."

Suitably threatened, I reach for my sweater and pull it over my head, then give Haut an apologetic smile. "Ice cream first, then we can pick up where we left off?"

He frowns, then leans down to press a chaste kiss to my lips. "We can hold off until you're healed. After ice cream, you're showering and going straight to bed to rest. Everything else can wait for morning."

"What? No!" I grab his pecs. "I need magic healing wolf shifter sex!"

"Patience is a virtue." Haut helps me down from the counter, then takes my hand and leads me out of the bathroom. "We can abstain for a few days."

Is he seriously saying that after getting my panties wet?

I'm going to murder Tris for turning Haut into a caring nursemaid.