As Sarah was coming to realize, Alder had been right about werewolf children. There were a lot of perks to them, her favorite being how easy it was to put them to bed. They loved taking naps, and bedtime was never a hassle. By the time Sarah crawled into the furs, Snow was already sound asleep.
Sarah placed a hand on Snow’s chest for moment, making sure her breathing was okay. Once she was satisfied, she lay back in the furs, one arm hooked around Snow.
It was the first time she’d been back in the room since the day Cain had left, and his scent still lingered on the pelts. Sarah buried her nose into the fur, her eyes misting over. Each day that he was gone, she grew less angry and missed him even more.
She lay in bed for a long while, thinking about Cain, Snow, and her future—a future that didn’t entirely belong to her anymore. After several attempts to banish the thoughts, Sarah decided to take a walk and hopefully clear her mind.
Chapter 5
Sarah felt a note of disappointment when she peered into Meadow’s room. All of the wolves, Alder included, were already asleep. She sighed, about to walk away, when one blue eye cracked open. The sleek white-gold wolf raised his head to blink at Sarah.
Smiling, she beckoned him with a small wave of her hand. Alder let out a long, quiet yawn before standing. Carefully stepping over Clover, he made his way to the door, shifting to stand in front of her in all his naked, muscular glory.
“Hey,” she whispered, trying not blush. “I’m sorry to wake you.”
“It’s all right,” he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I was just was just going to take a walk outside, and I wanted to let someone know.”
Sarah hadn’t planned on running her itinerary by Alder. It wasn’t like she was a prisoner in the den. Still, she recognized that it would be irresponsible to leave without telling anyone.
“Why can’t you just take a walk in the den?” Alder asked, leaning in the doorway.
“I haven’t left the den in days. I think I’m starting to go a little bonkers.”
He raised a brow. “Bonkers?”
“Look, I just wanted to let someone know. I’m gonna head out now. I should be back in—”
Alder’s grip tightened on her shoulder. “Let me put some clothes on,” he said. He released her and headed back into the room. “Wait here.”
Hands on her hips, Sarah grumbled, “I wanted privacy. You coming sort of defeats the purpose.”
Ignoring her, Alder dressed quickly, putting on a sweater and jeans before shoving his feet into a pair of large boots. Annoyed though she was, Sarah didn’t bother trying to leave without him. From her few encounters with Alder, she’d deduced that he was a very stubborn male, and would likely catch up to her in no time.
They were outside the den a few minutes later. Sarah had also worn jeans, as well as a pair of heavy boots she’d gotten from Fern. Over the past few weeks she’d gotten used to the cold, and as a native Floridian she was proud of how quickly she’d adjusted to the Appalachian climate.
“Where would you like to go?” Alder asked, rubbing an eye with the heel of his palm.
Sarah suppressed a grin at the sight of the big, sleepy male. He shouldn’t have followed her, and she didn’t feel the least bit guilty about dragging him through the woods.
“How far is the river from here?”
He gave her a flat look. “Far.”
“Well, lead the way.”
He did so reluctantly, and she fell into step beside him. The snow was deep, but it had a soft, fluffy quality that Sarah liked. She dragged her feet a bit as she walked, playfully kicking at it.
“Is Snow still in your room?” Alder asked.
“Yeah, she’s sleeping like a rock.” She wasn’t sure why she didn’t correct Alder and tell him it was Cain’s room, not hers.
“Meadow said she spoke today.”
Sarah’s mood brightened at the reminder. “Yup. Apparently she doesn’t like turkey.”
“You’re very good for her,” he remarked.
Stuffing her hands into her pockets, she said, “I dunno. I don’t think it’s me, per se. I think she just needs someone that’s hers, you know? Caim has his father and the other girls have Grace and Jewel. Snow doesn’t have anyone. I just don’t understand why Hale doesn’t take more responsibility for her. To be honest, it kind of pisses me off.”
“Snow was born very early,” Alder said, not looking her way. “She was…very small. We didn’t think she would live.”
When he didn’t elaborate, she asked, “What does that have to do with anything?”