Willow I allowed a grateful sigh to escape as I looked down at the clothes Ronnie had given me. I pulled on the yoga pants and sports bra she had given me without a second thought and then went to pull the t-shirt over my head. However, I noticed that the size of the shirt was disproportionate to the rest of the clothing I had been given, and the giant t-shirt smelled just like Jax. I guess he wanted to make his own contribution to my wardrobe I mused; that, and the fact that he wanted his scent on me no doubt. I could not find it in myself to complain though as I pulled the soft fabric over my head. I took a deep breath of the rich coffee and fresh cut grass smell that was uniquely him. Taking a moment to steady myself, and my control over my wolf, I took several deep breaths before exiting the bathroom. Jax was waiting for m

Jax I clambered out of the bunker with Asher, not quite as angry as I was before I entered but still pretty pissed, despite the release of pent up energy and aggression I had expelled below. I noticed the sun was just rising above the canopy of trees in the east. I looked down at myself and grimaced at the large blood splatter that covered the front of my shirt, not to mention the dried blood that I knew still coated my skin. I gazed over at Asher, noticing that he fared little better, but at least he did not have a mate to return to yet. I considered my options while shooting a quick but sincere thanks to Reese through our mind link for offering to stick around with the remaining male until the bunker could be cleaned. We had agreed to split the alpha’s responsibilities here in the South until a replacement could be found; however, I was thankful that Rees

Jax As I neared the door to Willow’s room, I could sense her distress bleeding through the walls, driving my wolf and I insane with the urge to ease our mate’s anguish. I burst through the door without a second thought, my wolf having taken the reins, and barreled towards the bed where I saw her panic-stricken eyes, brimmed with salty tears, unaware that I had even smashed my way into the room. The tray of food that I had stopped in the kitchen for on my way in had thankfully survived somehow, though I shoved it into Ronnie’s arms as I rushed to my mate’s side. I did the only thing it crossed my mind to do in that moment, I picked her up and sat her in my lap, wrapping my arms securely around her small frame, not even considering that she might not want me so near her this soon. However, she me

Willow Everything had started to fade, but then Jax was there, and not for the first time either. It seemed that I was destined to continue being saved by my mate, the one Luna had chosen for me alone. I knew that I had been on the edge of having a full-blown panic attack before Jax had arrived in the room and scooped me up into his arms. I had zoned everything out in that moment, except the dreadful words that Ronnie had spoken. I was a bit ashamed to admit that I did not even know Jax was there until he was depositing me gently into his lap, quietly murmuring soothing words in my ear periodically, as he rubbed small circles over my back. Any inclination I might have had to protest the intimate position immediately fled as soon as his intoxicating scent filled my nostrils. The smell of fresh cut grass and the rich, almost nutty, aroma of coffee subsumed all

Jax I stood locked in place like a lovestruck fool for a few moments while I waged a war with my wolf. He wanted to barge into the bathroom and finish what Willow had unintentionally started. I mean, I wanted that too, but I knew that would not be the right thing to do. Instead, I took a few moments to rein in the desire for now, and then I checked in with Ronnie through our mind link to make sure everything was set for the move later today while I waited on Willow. I could hear her moving around in the bathroom while I paced the small room. I could not deny the satisfaction I had felt seeing her wearing my shirt when she had first emerged from the bathroom last night, but I was troubled over her lack of personal belongings. There was a reason Ronnie was giving Willow clothes, despite their differences in size and the fact that Willow was supposed to live in