“What do you mean, ‘taken care of your father’?” she asked.
“Katalina, stop worrying, okay,” he answered a little sharply.
Katalina nodded her response, wondering why he was being cagy.
He smiled at her warmly and Katalina chose to leave the subject. She trusted him. Sebastian Evernight made her feel whole. He was the missing piece she’d never realized she’d been searching for.
He’d rescued her. He was taking her home and he’d gone against his pack for her. He’d said she intrigued him. He’d also said she was beautiful, a queen; but what did all that really mean? She needed to understand what was between them; she needed a real answer.
“Why, Bass, why are you taking me home? Why are you helping me? And don’t say I intrigue you. That’s not an answer.”
He glanced at her briefly, smiling. “You’re mine.”
“What does that even mean, Bass? Talk like a normal human being, will you?”
He chuckled softly at her.
“What’s so funny?” she said, frustrated.
“You are. I’m not human, Kat. I’m a shifter, just like you, and I’m talking just like a shifter.”
“Well, I was raised in the real world.”
He looked at her, a sparkle in his eyes. “So you were, and in the ‘real world’, as you put it, I’d say, I love you, Katalina Winter.”
Katalina couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe. He loved her, this gorgeous, sexy, boy, loved her! How was that even possible? They’d had a handful of meetings and stolen kisses, yet her heart raced when his words flittered through her.
“Your wolf was made for mine. They fit perfectly together. We were made for each other. You are mine and I am yours. You’re my mate, Katalina.”
She was mesmerized by his words. He spoke with such certainty that she found herself squeaking out, “Mate?”
“Yes, Kat, mate,” he chuckled again. “Can’t you feel it?”
There was a rightness to his words. “I knew you were coming. Before I even saw the truck. I knew it was you. I didn’t understand how, but deep down I knew.”
He took her hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing each of her knuckles. “Because you are my mate.”
Katalina moved closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. She soaked up the heat of him. “I love you, too, Bass.” Her words spilled from her without them even registering in her brain. She spoke from her heart. As soon as they filled the cab, she knew she had spoken the truth.
They drove on in silence, hands entwined, only stopping once to fill the truck with gas and to clean and bandage Katalina. Before long, Katalina dozed off, snuggled against Bass as he drove through the darkness. It had been a while since she’d felt truly safe, and with Bass she did. She trusted him.
She woke to Bass’s fingers stroking her face, his soft voice whispering against her skin, “You’re home, Katalina.”
She sat up, feeling suddenly wide-awake. It was still dark outside. A quick glance at the clock said it was one a.m.
“There’s a car parked out front.”
Katalina’s eyes scanned the drive, finding the car. “It’s my grandma’s. She must be here.” She leapt out the car, running for the front door, not caring about the sharp stones beneath her feet.
Bass was beside her in seconds, his dark eyes scanning all around. He positioned his body to protect. After a few loud bangs against the locked door, Katalina could hear feet shuffling toward the door. A light turned on above their heads, casting them in dim light.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me, Gram.”
“Kat?” She heard the startled whisper and then the sound of a key turning.
Crap, what am I going to say? Too late now.
Just before the door opened, Katalina quickly kissed Bass on the mouth. “No mate talk in here. You’ll freak Gram out.”
Bass didn’t get chance to answer before the door was swung wildly open, and Katalina was dragged into the arms of her grandma.
“Oh, God, Kat, it’s you. It’s really you. I thought… Oh, thank God, you are safe. Let me get a look at you,” Grandma said, holding her at arm’s length, her eyes focusing on the white dressings on her shoulder and down her arm.
“I’m all right, Gram, nothing serious.”
“Well, I thought, after your mom and dad, well I…” her voice trailed off with emotion. Composing herself, she asked, “Where have you been, Kat?”
“Oh, I…erm” Shit, shit, shit! She glanced at Bass out of the corner of her eyes, hoping he had some idea of what to say.
“Her father found her on the side of the road, the other side of those woods. He took her to hospital, but she couldn’t remember who she was, or what had happened when she woke.”
Katalina’s grandmother gave a startled squeak, only just noticing Bass. “Kat, who is this?”
“Oh, erm, he’s my friend.”
Bass took a step forward, offering his hand, “Sebastian Evernight, but my friends call me Bass. It’s nice you meet you.”
Grandma took his hand, still looking startled. “I’m Kat’s grandmother, M-Mary. You said her father?”
“Her biological father.” Bass didn’t seemed fazed at all.
“And he didn’t think it was important to inform her family she was alive?”
“I’m certain he wasn’t aware she had any more family, and with Kat not having any memory, he was uncertain of what to do. Of course, when she recovered, I brought her straight here.”
“Where is he?”
“Gram,” Katalina jumped in, “I’m so tired. Can we talk about this in the morning, please?”
“Oh, yes, of course. You must be exhausted. Your friend can stay in the spare room.”
They stepped over the threshold, Arne scampering in and curling up in his bed.
“It’s so good to be home, hey, Arne?” Katalina smiled at her dog. “Come on, Bass. I’ll show you the way.”
With another quick hug, Katalina kissed her grandma on the cheek, and took Bass’s hand, dragging him off down the hall.
Her home wasn’t large. It had four bedrooms but the smallest was an office. Katalina walked past the spare room and realized her grandma had been asleep in there.
“He’ll have to stop in the office. I…I couldn’t bear to touch your parents’ room.”
Katalina swallowed down her tears as she walked past the next door. Slightly ajar, she caught a glimpse of her parents’ bed, still unmade as if they would be jumping back into it any moment.
“Here it is,” she said to Bass, overly cheerful.
He pulled her in for a hug. “There is no need to put on a brave face for me, Kat.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said, giving him a quick squeeze. “I’ll go find some sheets. I’m afraid it’s just a sofa bed. Hope that’s okay?”
He answered with a soft kiss to her forehead. She returned a few minutes later with an armful of sheets and blankets. Bass took them from her before she could make his bed.
“I’m capable of making my own bed. You need to rest, Katalina. Is that your room?” he said with a nod toward the door opposite.
“Yep, bathroom is next door. Do you need anything else?”
Bass smiled, a wicked smile, his eyes glancing down the hall and then back at her. The silver flecks sparkled as he spoke low and the awareness between them jumped. “Just one thing.” His words wrapped around her, making her shiver. His lips touched hers, softly at first, teasing, and then increased their pressure, becoming urgent. She moaned into his mouth, opening up for his tongue to explore, to taste.
Katalina pulled away breathlessly. “Bass, my grandma is just down the hall.”
He smiled again, that naughty, wicked smile, which made her weak at the knees. “She’s asleep. Can’t you hear her?”
“Of course I can’t—” Katalina’s words stuck in her throat. She could hear her. Her breaths were soft and even. “Wow.”
“It’s about time you started using your n
ew senses, Katalina.”
“Hmm, I still need to go sleep, Bass. I can’t spend the rest of the night kissing you.”
“Are you sure?” The hunger in his eyes made Katalina take a step back. If she didn’t put some distance between them, she’d not be able to resist the pull she felt for him.
“Yes, stop that!” she said, trying to sound firm but failing. Part of her so desperately wanted to lose herself in him, but the more sensible half of her knew she needed to be well rested for the inevitable visit from Jackson.
“Stop what?”
“You know what. Stop looking at me like I’m edible!” She stood, hands on hips, trying not to smile.
He chuckled. “Okay, I’ll behave.” He dragged her back against his lean, hard body, kissing her softly. “Goodnight, Katalina Winter, I love you.”
Katalina grinned stupidly. “I’ll never tire of hearing that. Night.”
Katalina closed her door, keeping her back to the room. She took a deep breath and prepared herself to turn around. It didn’t matter how many deep breaths she took, the pain at seeing her room, the memories of her old life, a life she could never truly go back to, no matter how much she wanted it, the pain was too much. She let out a broken sob. Thick tears rolled down her face as she walked around her room, looking at pictures of her parents.
The door opened behind her. She knew it was Bass without looking, whenever he was near, she could feel the connection deep in her heart. “I’m fine, Bass,” she said, wiping her face.
“No, you’re not. I can feel your pain as if it’s my own, Katalina.”
She turned to face him, seeing for herself the pain he felt etched in his eyes. Being someone’s mate was going to take some getting used too. It meant more than just loving someone. The connection was mind, body, and soul, as if they were your other half.
“You no longer need to suffer alone. Come here.” Bass took her hand and led her to the bed.
“Wait, what are you doing?” she asked, startled. She’d never had a man in her room, never mind bed.
“I’m going to hold you while you sleep.” He got on the bed, dragging her with him and wrapping his arms around her.
“But my grandma, she’ll freak out if she finds you in here.” I’m kinda freaking out, too.
“Kat, I’ll be out of here before she’s even out of bed. Now sleep.” He pulled the blanket around her, tangling his leg with hers. “Goodnight, my beautiful mate.”
The urge to protest disappeared when she was wrapped in his hold. She didn’t feel embarrassed or self-conscious. It simply felt right.
Katalina smiled into the darkness, entwining her fingers with Bass’s. His heat seeped into her, his solid strength a soothing presence. The tears still came, but she wasn’t alone. He never said a word, just held her impossibly tight, stroking his thumb in circles over her skin, leaving only when she’d cried herself out and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Chapter 11
Katalina woke to the sound of talking and the smell of bacon. She sat up, running her hands through her hair. It felt so surreal to be back in her bed. Pulling on a chunky cardigan, Katalina ventured out to the kitchen.
She stopped in her tracks as she rounded the corner. Bass was in the kitchen, cooking. She’d only ever seen him in his ragged jeans and the dark t-shirt he’d had on the previous night. Before her, Bass was wearing a baby blue t-shirt, which clung to his lean muscular body in all the right places. As he looked up smiling, her breath caught, the color of his shirt bringing out the faintest shade of blue in his impossibly dark eyes.
“Morning, Katalina,” he said as she sat down next to her grandma.
“Hey,” she answered, amazed she was able to keep the shake from her voice.
“Sebastian is cooking us breakfast,” her grandma said, sticking a forkful of bacon into her mouth.
“Yes, I can see that. I didn’t know you could cook,” she said to Bass.
“My father isn’t the most gifted of cooks, so it was either learn or eat his rubbish. I learned.”
Katalina laughed, giving him another once- over she sighed, content; he was sexy as sin and all hers.
“What about your mother?” Katalina’s grandma asked.
“She died when I was a baby,” he answered, placing a plate of bacon, eggs and pancakes in front of Katalina.
“Oh, I’m sorry, dear.”
“That’s all right. I’ve had many years to come to terms with it.”
Katalina searched for a change of subject. “What are you up so early for, Gram. You’re never out of bed before ten.”
Her grandma’s face fell. “It’s your mom and dad’s funeral today, sweetie.”
“Funeral? They haven’t been buried yet?” The thought of them lying in some morgue made her feel queasy. She wrapped her arms tightly around her stomach, attempting to settle the emotions churning inside of her.
“No, darling, the police have only just finished their investigation, ruling it an accident.”
“Oh.” Katalina didn’t feel much like eating anymore. She pushed her food around her plate, staring at the food but focusing on nothing.
“What happened, Kat?” her grandmother asked her tentatively.
Katalina stared at the counter top a second longer. She didn’t want to relive the horror from that night. What do I even say? How am I supposed to explain everything without sounding insane? She glanced up at Bass, wishing she’d asked him if there was some story she was supposed to be keeping to. With everything that had happened the previous day, she’d fallen asleep in the car, and when she’d arrived, Katalina had been overwhelmed being back home. The last thing on her mind had been making up a story.
“It’s all a bit of a blur. We were driving home from my birthday dinner and I saw a wolf running alongside the car. Dad turned to look and a group of wolves ran out onto the road. He didn’t see them in time. The car skidded and flipped…”
“Wolves, the police said there were wolf prints all over the scene, but I couldn’t believe wolves would be so close to town.”
“Yes, Grandma, there were wolves,” Katalina said sadly, glancing up to see how her grandma was reacting.
“But how did you get away, Kat? What happened after the crash?”
Kat’s voice stuck in her throat. Images of that night tumbled through her mind: wolves tearing at her, pain everywhere, Arne saving her, and Toby carrying her away.
“A-Arne scared them off,” she stuttered.
Her grandma frowned. “A German Shepherd scared off a pack of wolves?”
“I—” There was a knock at the door.
“Oh, that must be your aunt.” Her grandma got up and hurried off to answer the door.
Katalina pushed her plate away and put her head on the counter top. “God, I can’t do this. What am I supposed to say?”
He was at her side in a flash, murmuring, “Listen, Kat, you were in Henry Ford Hospital. Your father came that night to tell you about himself. He found you a few streets over, where you’d managed to run to before collapsing. He never saw the crash. He didn’t tell you who he was until your memory came back. Do you understand? That’s the story.”
“But I never went to hospital, Bass. If they check—”
“There’ll be records, Kat, I’ve pulled some strings.”
“What…how?” Katalina glanced toward the front room; her grandma and aunt were coming. “Bass?” she whispered urgently.
“Do you trust me, Katalina?” he whispered.
“Yes.”
“Then stick to that story,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head as he stepped to the side of her.
“Kat!” her aunt shrieked, running toward her. “Oh, I’m so pleased you’re okay.”
“Hi, Aunt Susan,” Katalina greeted, returning her hug, sadness lacing her words.
“And who is this, Kat?” she asked, looking Bass up and down.
“Susan, leave the lad alone,” Katalina’s grandma said.
“This is
my friend, Bass. Is Dillon with you?”
“No, I left him at home with your uncle. A funeral is no place for a five-year-old.”
Katalina nodded, taking a deep breath. She wasn’t sure she was ready for a funeral either. As if sensing her feelings, Bass squeezed her shoulder. “Would you like to get some fresh air, Kat? I’m sure your aunt and grandmother have lots to do.”
Katalina practically jumped off the stool and ran out of the house. Every inch of the house reminded Katalina of some happy moment from her life and all she had lost. Just the thought of saying goodbye broke her heart. Being home, she could almost imagine nothing had changed, yet everything had. Even a second inside was too much; the air was too thick, oppressive, to the point that breathing became too great an effort.
“Don’t be long, Kat. You’ll need to get ready,” her grandmother called after Katalina’s retreating figure.
The second Katalina was out of the house she leaned against the wall of the house, her hands on her knees. The wind blew past her, making her shiver. The sky, grey and dreary, seemed fitting for the day.
She looked up as Bass approached, “I can’t do this, Bass. I can’t keep it together and lie about all that’s happened. What was I thinking coming back here? I should have just disappeared.”
“Katalina, that isn’t true. You wouldn’t have wanted your family to wonder what happened to you. I understand this isn’t easy, but you’ve come back because you need to say goodbye.” He cupped her cheeks and brought her head to his. “I’m here for you. You are going to get through this day and the day after that. I will always be here, to keep you going.”
She nodded, wrapping her arms around him. “You look amazing in blue by the way.” She grinned up at him, desperately wanting to think of something other than her parents’ funeral.
“Your aunt seemed to think so, too.”
Katalina burst out laughing, amazed that even with a heavy heart, he was able to make her smile. “Come on. I’ll show you around the impressive garden,” she said sarcastically with a wave of her hand.
Winter Wolf (A New Dawn Novel Book 1) Page 9
