Page 68 of Corey
As Storm licked his master profusely, Corey looked up at Sera. Because of her, his furry, soulful, best friend was still alive. He’d never be able to repay her for protecting the wolf. “Thank you.”
She gave a small nod, watching their interaction. “He means so much to you. I never would’ve let them hurt him.”
He placed a big kiss on the wolf’s head. She was right—Storm meant the world to him. Their bond was unlike anything he’d ever experienced with an animal. Or person, for that matter. Well, until Sera.
Ruffling the wolf’s coat, he stood up and was about to feed Storm some steak when the wolf walked over to Sera and gently licked her hand.
“He wants you to pet him,” Corey murmured. “And I think he’s saying thank you.”
She reached down and gingerly stroked a hand over Storm’s shiny coat. It was the first time Storm had shown trust in another human other than Corey.
“He’s so soft,” she murmured.
“He likes getting scratched behind the ear.”
She reached behind his closest ear and began scratching. When his hind leg started thumping against the floor, she and Corey chuckled.
“Do you think he and Loki would get along?”
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “As domesticated as he is, he still has a fierce prey drive.”
Sera nodded. “I’m going to run up, check on him and change.”
“I have to change, too. Then feed Storm and get a fire going. Would you like some hot chocolate?”
“That sounds good, thanks.”
He watched her turn and head up the stairs to the guest room. Pulling his attention off her ass, he considered what came next. He had every intention of convincing her to sleep downstairs with him. Though not much sleep would be involved. All he knew was he needed her in his arms. Sera didn’t just chase away the demons—she fucking slayed them. Only she was able to fill his heart and soul with a beautiful peace, and he wanted her to know exactly how much she meant to him.
Whether she knew it or not, she’d saved him in every sense of the word. Emotion bubbled up within him, and he did his best not to dwell on what happened with Xander. If he allowed himself to go down that dark road…
Not tonight.For now, they had no definitive answers, and he planned to cling to the small thread of hope that Xander had somehow escaped. Until Mitch received a full report from the team he’d sent, no one could be sure what happened. Because if anyone could’ve made it out of there, it would’ve been Xander fucking Hawke.
After throwing on flannel pajama bottoms and a long-sleeved T-shirt, Corey started a fire and fed Storm. Then he whipped up two mugs of hot chocolate. He added a shot of butterscotch schnapps to each one, a dollop of homemade whipped cream and a sprinkle of sea salt.
When Sera appeared in a sweatshirt and leggings, he handed her a mug. “Careful, it’s hot,” he warned her.
“This smells delicious,” she murmured.
“It’s kind of like a Werthers candy.”
“Oh, I love those.”
They wandered over to the couch and sat down, side by side, their legs brushing. She blew lightly on the drink then took a sip.
“Oh, wow. This is so good.”
Studying her profile, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Everything about her captivated him, and she radiated a light that reached his darkest corners. Although he knew he had feelings for her, the truth suddenly hit him hard.
I’m in love with her.
“Sera—”
“Corey—”
They both spoke at the same time then let out nervous laughs.
“You first,” he encouraged her.
