Page 14 of Valentine's Day Treasure

Ella stood in her bathroom, wrapped in a towel. She’d been out of the shower for a few minutes and was towel-drying her long black hair, thinking of babies and car seats and strollers and delivery dates. She was 18 weeks along and had a noticeable bump that she absolutely loved, and so did Trevor. She turned sideways to admire her bump in the mirror, smiling as she thought about her life these days. She was married, or mated, as the wolves called it, to awolfen, a man who could turn into a wolf, and he was the sexiest and best man she’d ever known. She loved him so deeply that it threatened to overwhelm her often… but right then she just felt happy, and so much more. She felt happy, sated, cared for, and appreciated, and she liked it a lot. Even the constant threat of the demon seemed unimportant when Trevor was near. Besides, the demon had already gotten her once but she’d been rescued. She and Trevor were alive and thriving and at times like this, Ella could almost forget any of that had ever happened.

Ella wrapped herself in a robe and went out to her closet to dress. On the way, she thought she heard someone yell outside and diverted to the window to look out.So much snow!It was all she could see. She didn’t hear anything more so she crossed the room to a window that looked out over the back of the property. Here, too, almost all she could see was snow, but she could make out Crew and Dahlia’s cabin, and next to it, Beckett and Cerise’s. A flash of black was visible at the edge of the forest for a moment. Ella watched, but didn’t see it again.

Her housecat, Chelsea, came into the room and wound between her ankles. Ella stooped to pet the cat then looked out the window again. The cat wandered away, out the bedroom door.

Ella called her mate’s brother inruhi. Trent, are you out back? I thought I saw something in the forest by the cabins.

I’m patrolling there now.

Okay, it was probably you.

Trent growled softly in her mind, agreeing with her.

What’s going on?Ella asked, leaving the window and heading for her closet.I haven’t been downstairs yet.

The storm is a bad one. It took out police radio communications and all the roads are closed. The team outside won’t be getting relieved today or fed, either. Serenity is essentially shut down.

Crazy.Ella said.Maybe I should put some breakfast on the stove for them?

If you want. It might be the only way to keep the horde out of your fridge.

Thanks, Trent.

Again, he growled low and soft in her mind.

Ella smiled and picked out a comfortable outfit of a jersey knit t-shirt with a cable knit cardigan, and soft yoga pants. She slipped her feet into some fuzzy slippers, then headed downstairs. The house seemed empty at that moment, but it wouldn’t last. She savored it while she had it, puttering around her kitchen, making a large pot of coffee, and thinking about what to cook. When the coffee was finished, she poured herself a half cup, added sugar and cream, then leaned against the counter sipping it, mentally counting how many males she would have to feed—nine or ten, probably. She decided to start with sausage and peppers, plus pot roast and potatoes. She pulled two large crockpots out of the pantry and placed them side by side on the counter, then she pulled several packs of meat out of the fridge and put them on another counter.

Trevor pulled open the front door, saying, “Ella!” Then he stopped short, listening to something, someone calling inruhiprobably. He locked eyes with her and held up a finger—he’d be right back—then he went back out onto the porch. Ella smiled at him and continued with her food prep.

After a moment, Trevor came in, bringing the smell of cold air with him. She smiled at him again and he smiled back at her. “We can go back to bed,” he said.

“Not me,” she said. “I have breakfast going.”

He came into the kitchen and pinned her against the counter, murmuring, “I’m not hungry, are you hungry?”

She kissed his cheek and said, “Not for us. Trent says the team outside can’t get any food delivered, so we’ve got to feed them.”

Trevor relaxed his hold on her and leaned against the counter near her, looking sideways in that way he did when he was thinking.

“Okay,” he said. “But can you make a big pot of something that will feed them all day, so you don’t have to cook again?”

“I’m way ahead of you,” she said, but then she looked at her crockpots, thinking. She’d been wanting to try something new she thought Trevor and the others would like for a while, and maybe now was the time. She’d pre-cooked and wrapped several dozen pounds of meat to freeze at the beginning of the month because they went through a lot of meat. She’d have to dip into that stash, but that was cool.

“Yeah,” she said, “I can do that. Get me some packages out of the freezer?”

“Of course.”

“Get me one package each of #1, #2, #4, and two of #5.”

Trevor nodded, repeating it to himself. “Be right back.”

He left, heading for the garage, and Troy came inside through the doggy door set in the living room wall. She knew it was him and not Trent because of the way he snorted as he came in. Trent was always silent, like a cat, but Troy never was quiet.

He came into the kitchen, a shockingly big black wolf with a bit of white on his left shoulder, eyeballing the meat on the counter, but then he saw her fuzzy slippers. He dropped down like a puppy and chewed on one, then shook it violently, half pulling it off Ella’s foot.

“Troy!” she said, kicking at him.

He laughed in her head and chuffed out loud.

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