Page 14 of Haven

“Eric, why don’t you and Kile go help Alex and Lily,” Gemma said as she held Sadie even tighter. “I’ll see Sadie settled.”

Sadie didn’t open her eyes, but she heard the men leave. Slowly, she started to pull away from Gemma to wipe her eyes. “I’m sorry,” Sadie whispered, embarrassed as she used her shirt to wipe her eyes. “For someone who doesn’t cry, I seem to be having breakdowns left and right.”

Gemma reached across the table for a napkin, handing it to Sadie. “We are all due for a breakdown or two,” Gemma said, smiling. “I’ve had more than my share.”

Gemma’s understanding stare had more tears spilling from her eyes, but she fought them back. “Really?” was the only thing Sadie could think of saying. This woman seemed so solid and sure of herself. All Sadie could do was second-guess every decision she made concerning her sister since their parents had died.

“Oh, yeah.” Gemma snorted, leading her away from the trailer. “There wasn’t a night I didn’t crawl into bed exhausted and cry myself to sleep. And then Eric showed up. Now, I’m not saying a man fixed all my problems, but it sure felt good having a partner who understood me and what I was doing. Someone who cared just as much as I did about the Sanctuary and what it represented.”

Reaching a tent, they stopped. Sadie couldn’t help but feel a little jealous, which was silly. But then again, it wasn’t silly at all. What she wouldn’t give to have someone to lean on, just once.

“You brought Lily to the right place, Sadie,” Gemma said, and she believed her. For the first time in a long time, she fully trusted someone. “You did good, so give yourself some grace. Breathe.”

“I don’t know if I remember how,” Sadie said seriously until they both laughed.

Gemma patted her arm. “It will come.” She said, turning to walk away. “Get some rest, Sadie. You deserve it.”

Sadie smiled, watching her go, then looked over the Sanctuary property. Her eyes spotted an enclosure next to their tent. A wolf sat staring at her. The full moon shining down hit the wolf's eyes, making them glow. Slowly, she approached and then kneeled so she was almost at eye level. They stared at each other for a long time.

“Are you happy here?” She whispered, searching its beautiful eyes as if she could get the answer. The wolf tilted its head slightly, not breaking eye contact. Slowly, its head fell back as a soulful howl broke the silence of the night. A wave of homesickness hit her at the sound, which was strange since she didn’t have a home anymore. The wolf quieted as it once again looked at her. “I’m going to take that as a yes.”

CHAPTER 9

Kile walked the property, making sure that everything was running smoothly before heading back to his tent for the night. His mind kept returning to the raven-haired woman and her sister—okay, more to Sadie than Lily. A woman’s safety had always been a priority for himself and his brothers, but knowing this woman, if she left, would be putting herself in danger was driving him insane.

Seeing her cry tonight tore at his heart. He wanted so much to pull her out of Gemma’s arms and take her into his own. To walk away from her with Eric was one of the hardest things he had ever done.

His eyes went toward the tent she was sharing with her sister. Seeing movement, he spotted Sadie standing there looking over the Sanctuary. He could sense the loneliness radiating off her even from this distance. Actually, it was his wolf that sensed her emotions, but he was one with his wolf and felt everything. She was beautiful.

As if his feet had a mind of their own, they started toward her, but he stopped wondering what in the fuck was wrong withhim. He snorted to himself. That was a lie, and he knew exactly what the hell was wrong with him. The intense emotions he was feeling told him one thing. He had found his mate. Never had he developed these kinds of feelings for any other female, whether Shifter or human. He had thought Eric was full of shit when he told them he had found his mate after knowing Gemma for a single day. Yeah, well guess his brother wasn’t that full of shit because Kile knew as he watched the moonlight play off her features that this woman was his. It really did happen that fast.

“Damn,” He sighed rubbing his forehead with a frown. Seeing her kneel, he became alert. He heard her soft voice and moved closer to listen to what she was saying. “Don’t put your hand in there.”

Sadie jumped up so fast she stumbled, but he was close enough to catch her. “You scared me.”

“I’m sorry.” Kile let go of her arm, missing the softness of her skin. Shaking those thoughts and feelings away, he frowned. “Nadia is usually pretty tame but mischievous with strangers. I didn’t want her to bite you.”

“I wasn’t going to touch her,” Sadie said as if she was afraid of getting in trouble. She bit her lip, which drove him insane. “Though her fur looks so soft.”

“Do you want to touch her?” Kile cocked his eyebrow, staring down at her. “I can ask her permission.”

“I do.” Sadie nodded with a smile, searching his eyes before looking back at Nadia. “You can talk to her?”

“I can,” Kile replied, then knelt, looking into Nadia’s eyes. A half smile curved his lips when Sadie knelt beside him, watching him and Nadia staring at each other. He could smell her unique scentof strawberries and something else he couldn’t grasp. Never again would he be able to look at a strawberry without thinking of her and wondered briefly if she would taste as good. His cock stirred at the thought, making him shift his weight.

“What is she saying?” Sadie whispered engrossed in what she thought he was doing, but if she really knew what he was thinking she would probably smack him across the face.

Instead of telling her Kile stood helping her to her feet. Taking her hand, he walked her toward the enclosure entrance and opened the door. Together, they stepped inside. “Just take it slow and don’t show fear. I promise you she will not hurt you.”

Kile trusted Nadia, and he had, in fact, asked the wolf for permission. Shifters could communicate with wolves. It wasn’t a clear-cut conversation, but close enough for mutual respect and understanding. Letting go of her hand, he grasped her wrist and slowly placed her hand on Nadia’s neck.

“It’s so soft,” Sadie sighed, looking over her shoulder at Kile with a huge smile. “Is she a wolf or wolf-dog?”

Nadia shook her head almost violently, scaring Sadie right into Kile’s arms. “I think you offended her.” He chuckled, loving the feel of her body against his.

“I didn’t mean to.” She whispered, looking up at Kile with a huge frown. “Wait a minute. She understood me?” Sadie gave him a narrowed stare, but her lip started to curve into a smile.

“Actually, yes, she did,” Kile nodded. “Nadia is a wolf, and they are very intelligent.”