Page 56 of Wolves & Watercolors
The front door clicks open and Heath steps out.
“Good morning, Alpha,” I say, dipping my head.
“Cedar, do you need something?”
Keeping my eyes on the ground, I shake my head. “I’m here to see Aurora. I’m helping her with the plant magic situation.”
“Ah, of course. She’s in the kitchen. Go ahead.” He strides past me, leaving me alone in front of his cabin.
With a purposeful deep breath, I scale the steps and knock on the door. It swings open and Aurora stands there. She’s in a baggy shirt that reveals an expanse of collarbone. Bike shorts cover her lean legs leading down to bare feet.
“Cedar!” She tucks her poofy hair behind her ear with an unguarded, sleepy smile and steps back to let me inside.
“I brought you breakfast,” I say, setting the container on the kitchen counter.
Her eyes light up. “What is it?” Without waiting for my answer, she pulls the lid off and lets out a little squeal of delight. I can’t help my smile as she grabs a fork and pulls the cinnamon rolls toward her. When she sits, one knee is propped up, like she’s ready to leap up at any moment.
A soft moan escapes as she takes her first bite. Her eyes close, dark lashes against her cheeks. I stare, unable to help myself.
“Your mom made these, didn’t she? They’re still warm!” She uses the side of her fork to cut another bite. “Is the second one for you or am I super lucky?”
It takes a moment for her words to click in my brain, so she’s staring at me when I finally nod. Her amused smile is worth my mild embarrassment. She leans out of her seat, tugging a drawer open and fishing around until she produces a second fork. “Here.”
“Thanks.” My movements are sluggish as I cut my own bite of the second pastry. I’m utterly distracted by the sleep-mussed Aurora perched beside me. Her smile is lazy, face bare and glowing, icing smudged on her lip.
Without thinking, I reach out and swipe my thumb over her top lip. She freezes, her lips slightly parted. I freeze too, unsure of what to do with the icing on the pad of my thumb. Her gaze heats, her eyes lowering to my mouth and her tongue wetting her lip.
Feeling bold, I bring my thumb to my mouth and suck the icing off. Aurora watches me with blown out pupils, her irises a thin ring of amber. She looks like she might launch out of her seat onto me, and I think I would let her.
The moment stretches, hot and brittle. Finally, I clear my throat and cut myself another bite of our breakfast.
Aurora finishes her cinnamon roll and stands. “I’ll just go get dressed.” She hesitates, watching me. Unsure what to do, I nod.
Aurora chews on the insider of her lip, puckering it, before she makes up her mind and walks past my chair. The soft breeze is full of her scent and I turn my head to follow it.
Her door shuts and I can hear drawers opening and light footsteps as she gets herself ready for the day. When she reappears, she’s in jeans and a cream sweater that offsets her tawny skin and dark hair.
“Want to head to the garden?” I ask, standing.
“What’s the plan?” she asks nervously, her mouth turning down.
I give her my best reassuring smile. “I’m going to help you figure out the magic stuff.”
“Okay.” Her vivacious energy is subdued under the weight of her unpredictable abilities.
As I hold the door open for her, I place my hand on the small of her back. The sweater is soft under my fingers. She leans into my touch. The connection means our walk to the garden is slower. I admire the way the dappled morning light paints her face, highlighting her eyelashes and the curve of her cupid's bow.
She hesitates at the edge of my garden. “So what’s your grand plan exactly?”
Light pressure on her waist guides her through the archway. This time, I know I’m not imagining the way the plants reach for her.
“It seems to me the first step is to try and trigger your magic, so we can determine what causes it to happen. Then you can work backward to isolate and control that factor.”
She turns, hands on her hips. A bit of her fire has returned in her eyes. “Now why didn’t I think of that?”
A shrug. “So what were you feeling when it happened last time?”
“In the shower?” she asks, her voice going high.
