Chapter 16: Morning

I woke in the morning with the covers draped over my body and a pillow tucked close to my chest. The light shined through the window next to the bed and felt refreshing against my skin. Birds outside chirped and sang in the nearby trees. My wolf begged to be released. She wanted to run and join nature like we had been doing for so long. She wasn't used to being caged inside and scratched constantly at the locks. In a whisper I said, "Later, I promise".

I stretched out my arms and legs and my foot hit something solid at the end of the bed. Feeling frightened I sat up quickly and looked down. A white wolf stared back and huffed in response. "James?", I questioned. The events of the night slowly crept inside my mind and embarrassment washed over me. I could still smell the faint scent of Michael on the sheets. He must have left in the night but how in the world did James get in here without my notice? I chastised my inner wolf for not noticing or not caring. Two men had slept in my bed now and I was not sure how that made me feel.

James sensing my uneasiness crawled towards my end of the bed. When he was against my side he rolled over on his back and whimpered. He took up more then half the bed in this position and looked ridiculous. He whimpered and nudged his head against my hand. I moved my hand to his belly and began to scratch. I couldn't help myself from laughing at the absurdity. This huge wolf wanted to lay in bed with me and get a belly rub. I hit that sweet spot and his leg went wild. I laughed louder and pushed at his neck. "Okay, okay, that is enough. I'm getting up", I warned. I pulled the blanket off and swung my feet over the edge. I hopped down and walked to the bathroom.

The bathroom door creaked as I opened it. I turned my head before entering the room and looked at James. He was staring up at the ceiling. My gaze followed his and landed on nothing. He was staring at a white completely plain ceiling for some odd reason. Confusion set in and then realization... he was being a gentleman. Bare skin made me feel more at ease but I never thought about how the others might feel.

My words came across weak and quiet when I spoke, "Do I make you uncomfortable?". James' head turned in my direction and he hopped off the bed. He slowly trotted towards me and stopped within inches of my body. Where a wolf had once stood, James now towered over me. His eyes pierced into my soul as he spoke, "Never. I want to make you feel comfortable here". When he finished speaking he brought his hand up and tucked a piece of loose hair behind my ear. His fingers lit a fire in my belly and my wolf pushed out of her cage enough to lean against his touch. He caressed the side of my face with his hand and trailed down my neck. "You're beautiful", he whispered. In this moment he could do anything he wanted to me and I would let him. He was so very handsome and so very sweet but his kindness outweighed everything else. James gave me a home, a real home. I wanted to show him my gratuity.

As I was about to reach out James retracted his hand and took a step back. He cleared his throat and spoke, "I'm going to go get ready while you shower. I'll meet you downstairs for breakfast". He hurried out of the room like it was in fire and closed the door behind him. Men were weird. Feeling a little awkward I retreated inside the bathroom to take a cold shower and get ready for the day.