I tried to take it slow with the wine, but Kara wasn’t having any of it. The day passed by quickly. However, getting Kara tipsy did pay off in the end. She laughed a lot more, and her body relaxed. I could tell in the way her head swayed from side to side as she concentrated on the wines. The sound of her laughter made me smile every time. Out of all the years I’ve known her, I’ve never heard a true laugh come from her lips.
“Tell me again,” I say, looking into her half-lidded gaze. “What did you think of the Chardonnay?”
She tried both my Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, saying the Chardonnay was her favorite. I don’t think she would’ve been so open if she weren’t drunk. Either way, I’ll take her opinion to heart.
Kara finishes the last drop in her glass and stares into it as if she’s looking for more. “Very tasty,” she says, giggling.
Holding back my smile, I watch her, loving every minute of it. If only I had it on video.
Her gaze narrows, and she huffs halfheartedly with her head tilted to the side. “Wait, why are you asking again? I already told you.”
I shrug. “I kind of want to hear it again. I remember you saying something about it not being sweet, but you can taste the pineapple notes.” Her eyes widen, and I wave for her to continue.
“That’s right,” she agrees, her words slightly slurred. “And it’s buttery with hints of vanilla and spice.”
“Exactly. But overall, you like it.”
A moan escapes her lips, and she closes her eyes. “Love it.”
No one will ever believe I got her to admit that. Hell, she’ll deny it tomorrow. Kara crosses her arms on the bar and lays her head down. “I think you need some food,” I joke. “Something to soak up all that alcohol.”
Kara mumbles, but I have no clue what she said. A few seconds later, her breathing deepens, and she’s passed out cold.
The main door opens, and Ayla walks in, carrying a stack of notebooks to the back hallway. She looks over and freezes, her eyes stretched wide when she sees us. “Oh, hey. I saw your car, but I didn’t know you’d be in here.” Ayla moves closer. “Is she okay?” she asks, nodding down at Kara.
I hold up the empty wine bottles. “I think she drank too much. Do you mind putting a dinner order in next door for me, please?”
Ayla shifts the notebooks in her arms. “Sure. What do ya want?”
I choose something easy, so I request two Timberwolf burgers with steak fries. Ayla hurries off to the back to drop off the notebooks and then disappears into the restaurant. More people pull into the parking lot, hoping to get their mid-week meal. You would think on Wednesdays it wouldn’t be crowded, but the bistro always is.
While Kara’s asleep, I wipe up the bar and take our dirty glasses to the kitchen to be cleaned. A few minutes later, Ayla strolls in with our food, all packaged up neatly. She sets our food on the bar and cautiously stares at Kara.
“Are you sure she’s okay? What if she gets alcohol poisoning?”
“She won’t.” I laugh. “Powers gone or not, I think she’ll be okay.” It doesn’t look like she’s getting up anytime soon, so I pick her up in my arms, and she lays her head on my chest. “Do you mind carrying the food to my car so I can put her in?” I say to Ayla.
Ayla nods and grabs the containers. “Of course. I’ll get the door for you.” She takes the lead and opens the door.
Several people in the parking lot stare as I carefully put Kara into my car. When I get in, Ayla hands me the food.
“Why do I feel strange seeing you two together like this?”
I shrug. “It’s just business, Ayla. I wanted her advice on some things, and I got it.”
Her brows furrow. “Okay. Just be careful. She makes me nervous.”
“You don’t have to worry about me. I know what I’m doing.” Do I really? Fuck no.
Ayla steps away from my car. “I’ll see you tonight with everyone else.”
“Sounds good.”
She disappears into the restaurant, and I drive down the road to my house. When I pull my car into the garage, Kara wakes up and looks around, confused. “What the …”
“You passed out,” I say to her. “I got you some food, though. You need to eat something.”
Kara clutches her stomach. “I can’t argue with you there.”
She fiddles with the handle, and I hold back a laugh. “Do you need help?”
“Nope. I got it.” She gets the door open and stumbles out. Luckily, she makes it into the house without falling on her ass.
I carry our food into the living room and turn on the gas logs in the fireplace.
Kara joins me and sits down in front of the fire. “Are we eating on the floor?”
Still standing, I hand her one of the containers. “Is that okay with you?”
She snatches the food and opens the top, breathing in the scent with a sigh. “I don’t remember the last time I’ve had a cheeseburger.” Kara grabs the burger and shoves it into her mouth. Ketchup and mustard coat the corner of her mouth, but she keeps on chewing. Out of all the days I’ve had with her, this one has been the most amusing.
I sit down beside her and pop a fry into my mouth. “What’s your favorite thing to eat?”
Kara tilts her head back, still chewing a mouthful of burger. “Right now, this cheeseburger.” She takes another bite and closes her eyes. “But nothing beats a pot of homemade soup on the fire. It’s been two centuries, but I still recall the taste.”
My parents are old enough to know what that’s like, but I didn’t grow up in that time. It fascinates me, though. “What was it like living back then?”
Kara finishes her burger and leans her back against the couch. The fire flickers in her eyes, and I can’t seem to look away from her. “It was magical. The land was clean and pure, not disgusting and polluted like it is now. I miss it.”
“I wish I knew it the way you do,” I admit wholeheartedly.
A sad smile spreads across her face when she looks at me. I can tell she’s still a little drunk by the way her eyes are glazed over. “I can see it clear as day. My grandmother used to make the most delicious roasted apples on the fire. I used to grind the cinnamon for her.” She blows out a sigh and focuses on the fireplace, her eyes twinkling in the light. “I love the smell of cinnamon. At my house in Virginia, all I have are cinnamon candles. Every time I light them, I get reminded of my grandmother.”
She climbs up on the couch and lies down. I can feel sadness all around her. Sliding over, I rest my arms on my knees and stare at her, even though she doesn’t look away from the fire. “What happened to her? Was she part of the pack war with the royals?”
I know one set of her grandparents was involved, but I don’t know about the rest of her family.
Closing her eyes, Kara shakes her head. “This was my mom’s mother. She was loving and kind, never aggressive or mean to anyone, not even to the humans who lived in the village next to us.”
Hearing the sorrow in her voice, I can already tell her grandmother didn’t have a happy ending. “You don’t have to tell me,” I murmur.
Kara swallows hard. “It’s okay. I haven’t spoken about it since it happened.” She grabs one of the pillows on the couch and slides it under her head, clutching it tightly. “One night, she shifted and went for a run. The village next to us had problems with animals killing their livestock. When one of the men saw her as a wolf in the woods, he assumed she was the culprit. So he shot her four times with his bow and arrow. They went right through her.”
I’ve never known that kind of pain, but I can feel hers. I lift my hand to touch her cheek, but I pull it back. “I’m sorry, Kara. I can’t imagine losing someone so close to me. What did your grandfather do?”
A tear falls down her cheek, but she wipes it away. “He was overwrought with anger and grief, so he went after the villager and ripped him apart. After that, he disappeared into the woods, and we found him a year later, starved to death. He was nothing but skin and bones.”
“He lost his mate,” I whisper. I would’ve killed the villager, too. Shit, I might’ve done a lot worse than that.
Kara sighs. “I’ve heard it’s the worst feeling in the world. Most wolves would prefer death over losing their mate.” Her eyelids flutter, and her head sinks farther into the pillow.
“Did you think Zayne was going to be your mate?” I ask, trying to keep her awake.
Blowing out a breath, she opens her eyes. “At first, I did.”
“I know I asked you if you loved him, but I never asked if you still do.”
Her eyes bore into mine. “I stopped loving Zayne a long time ago.”
“Then why did you try to hurt Amelie if you didn’t want him?”
“Because,” she whispers, turning away from me, “I wanted Zayne to feel my pain.”
Her breathing slows, and her shoulders relax. I get to my feet, gently pick her up in my arms, and carry her to the stairs. Her arms wrap around my neck, and she clutches me tight. I don’t want to let her go.
“Where are we going?” she asks, her voice just above a whisper.
Leaning into her, I breathe her in. She smells like a mixture of wintertime and apples, very sweet yet clean and crisp like snow. Then again, she is a royal arctic. “To bed. I think you’re done for the night.”
She opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Once upstairs, I open her bedroom door and carefully lay her down once I have her comforter pulled back. After I slide off her shoes and cover her with the blankets, I sit down beside her and brush a strand of her blonde locks away from her face.
“Kara?”
“Mm-hmm,” she moans, keeping her eyes closed.
“If you could go back and change things, would you?”
She doesn’t hesitate. “Yes. I would’ve stayed in Virginia. Then I’d be free.”
I can hear the truth in her words. “I believe you,” I utter, wondering if she even heard me.
Slowly, I slide off her bed, but then she reaches out and grabs my wrist. Her eyes open halfway, and her grip tightens. “Stay with me,” she whispers.
Hearing those words makes me want to do things I shouldn’t be thinking about. Tonight is a full moon, which means everything we feel is heightened. Resting on my knees, I get on her level so she can see me. She lets my wrist go, but then her hands cup my cheeks, and she pulls me down to her lips, all warm and inviting. Her tongue pushes into mine, and like a starved man, I deepen the kiss, desperate to taste more of her. My hands grip the back of her neck, and she moans. As sexy as her whimpers are, it breaks me out of the spell.
Slowly, I pull away and let my hands slide away from her neck. “I have to go.”
With her eyes closed, Kara pulls the covers in closer to her body. “Maybe next time.”
Next time? I doubt there will be one. She’s drunk, and I knew I shouldn’t have taken advantage of the situation. Nevertheless, every part of me wants her. I long to feel her body wrapped around me as I claim every inch of her, to claim her as mine.
Up the road, I can hear Cameron and the others in my pack approach. It’s time for our run. Quietly, I make it to the door and take one last look at Kara, asleep on the bed.
What the fuck am I going to do now?