CHAPTER 5

HANNAH

For the first time in months, I’d woken up and felt a little like my old self.

I was completely enveloped in my mate’s scent between wearing his shirt and being snuggled deep in his sheets. I inhaled a deep breath and felt my entire body relax; in the distance, I could hear voices. I would have been content to lie there all day, but my bladder had other ideas, and it eventually chased me out of bed and into the bathroom.

Finishing up, I jumped in the shower, and once I was done, I rummaged through Anton’s drawers until I found a pair of tracksuit pants and another shirt. Pulling them on over my scarred legs, hiding them from view. Tying the drawstring tight around my waist, I rolled up the legs so that they didn’t drag on the ground and wandered out of the room to go and find my mate.

He was on the veranda with Luca, Miah the human who had sat with me yesterday morning, and the wolves. Even though I’d met them all yesterday, I still stopped in the doorway, a little wary of the shifters I didn’t know well.

I knew that with their senses, they were all aware that I was standing there, but none of them said anything. Once I felt comfortable, and even though my heart was pounding like a drum in my chest, I left the safety of the doorway and walked to where Anton was sitting, making a wide path around the wolf shifters. It seemed like I was always going one step forward and another step back in my recovery process. It was frustrating.

Anton’s face lit up with a smile as soon as my eyes made contact with his beautiful chocolate brown eyes, and I couldn’t help but smile back. Opening his arms, I made a beeline straight for their comfort and settled myself on his lap, tucking my head into the crook of his neck. Feeling a tap on my foot, I pulled my face away from Anton and smiled at Luca, who had hold of my foot.

Luca and Anton looked so much alike they could be twins; their only difference was their eye colour. Where Anton had dark eyes the colour of chocolate, Luca had eyes as blue as the summer sky.

“How are you feeling, Han, can I get you something to eat?”

Thinking about his question before I replied, “I’m feeling better than I have in a while, thanks, Luca, and yes, I would like something to eat. Whatever is easiest.”

With a nod, Luca gets up and goes into the house; he wasn’t gone long before he was back with a sandwich and a bottle of juice. Taking them from him with a soft thanks, before he disappeared back into the house, his phone to his ear.

Moving from Anton’s lap to the seat next to him, making him grumble, and my mouth kicked up in a small smile at his disgruntlement. I ate while listening to the conversation around me.

Yesterday I’d arranged accommodation with a friend’s family who owned a camp in Livingstone. Today I would be working on accommodation in Kariba as well as booking a houseboat. I was happy that there was finally something that I could do for them.

“What are you up to today, baby girl?” Anton asks softly before continuing to tell me what he was doing today, “I’m waiting for Zane to arrive to go over everything with him for while we’re away.”

Finishing the last of my sandwich, I turn my head to him, “I’m going to book accommodation for Kariba and look into a houseboat for a weekend. Was there something else you needed me to do?”

Anton ran his hand down my back at my words and when I looked over at him, his eyes held a proud gleam, shaking his head no at my question.

“No, baby girl. Just wanted to know if you wanted to stick with me or if you’ll be happy using the phone in the office as it has better reception. Luca will be in the office with you if you need anything.”

“Okay. I’m happy to stay with Luca today. Is that okay?”

“It’s fine, Hannah. I won’t be far if you need me.”

Nodding, I finish my drink and get up to leave. Only to be pulled back by Anton.

Looking at him in surprise before a smile breaks out on my face at his next words, “Kiss, baby girl.”

Still smiling, I bend and press a kiss to his lips. It doesn’t last long, but after all this time, I feel a stirring of interest in something other than just comfort from him.

Anton senses the change, I can tell by the flare of his nostrils, but he doesn’t say anything just pats me on the arse and pushes me towards the house.

The rest of my day is arranging accommodation and booking a houseboat on Lake Kariba for a weekend. I figured that would be as long as any of those of the shifter variety would be able to handle being cooped up before tempers would fray.

I was excited to be getting away for a bit. I had a feeling it was going to do both Anton and I a world of good to get away from the stress that we’d lived with the last month. I know I was certainly ready to start getting on with my life.

I had no idea how much our lives were going to change over the next weeks. All for the better.