Safety Read Online Free PDF Page B

think.
    That morning, the foxes had been tasked with collecting an array of nuts, vegetables, and berries from the forest. Once the food had been stored in jars and baskets, Alder had brought them to the cave.
    For his part, Hale had gone to his room and collected the softest and warmest pelts from his bed. He’d arranged them in a depression in the corner of the cave, making a bed that Taylor would be able to rest in.
    While he’d waited, Hale had sat by a small fire, staring at the rock formation in the center of the pool. It made him think of when he’d had Taylor by the river, and he looked forward to fucking her against it.
    As afternoon faded into evening, Hale’s thoughts took a turn for the worse. What if she decided not to come? What if Alder had changed his mind and wouldn’t bring her?
    The last thought made him sit up. He couldn’t get through the night without her. There was no other option but to go and bring her back.
    As he moved to stand, sounds from above drew his attention. Footsteps and voices. A second later, he caught Taylor’s scent. The wild creature in his chest was immediately placated as he made his way to the entrance of the room.
    The firelight gave her skin a warm glow as she emerged from the darkness and Hale felt compelled to embrace her.
    Her tight smile had him stopping in his tracks.
    “Hey, Hale,” she said, her eyes moving past him. “Holy cow, is that a part of the lake?”
    She dashed over to the water’s edge, Alder following close behind her. Hale watched as his brother wrapped his arms around her midsection and kissed the back of her neck.
    “Feel it,” Alder instructed her.
    She kicked off a shoe and tentatively touched her toe to the surface. Her mouth fell open. “It’s warm.”
    “And deep,” he warned, pulling her back. “We’ll be here for a few days. You shouldn’t get in without us.”
    Tired of being excluded, Hale came over to stand next to them. “It’s not like she can’t swim.”
    Taylor averted her eyes, suddenly seeming to be fascinated by a large stalactite.
    “You can’t swim?” Hale asked dryly.
    “I’m getting the hang of it,” she said. “In fact, this will be a good chance to practice.”
    Without another word, she pulled her dress over her head, exposing her body. Her body was free of the annoying underclothes that she was usually so fond of and Hale took a few seconds to drink her in, his body tensing in preparation for what was to come.
    The wait was finally over. Tonight, Hale was going to lose himself in his mate’s body. When it was over, hopefully, he’d be able to find the man he once was.
     
     

CHAPTER SIX
     
    Alder watched as Taylor lowered herself into the pool. She kept her hands on the edge, but didn’t show any of her usual discomfort at being in deep water.
    He had shed his clothes back at the cabin, right before he’d shifted. Taylor had rode on his back the whole way and the feel of her thighs straddling him had worn at his control. He hadn’t remembered the cave being so damn far.
    The whole way there, Alder had expected Taylor to change her mind. Things had fallen into place too easily for his liking and he didn’t trust it.
    But now, she was here in the cave, naked, her beautiful breasts bobbing on the surface of the water. Confident that she was fully committed to going through with the mating thrall, Alder allowed himself to relax for the first time that day.
    He joined her in the water, but swam over to the rock in the center of the pool. Extending his hand, he beckoned her to join him.
    Without hesitating, she pushed off the rock with her hands, using the momentum to propel her body towards him. Then, she began to swim. Though her arms flailed gracelessly, she managed to make it to him. When her hand reached his, Alder pulled her into a tight embrace, his hand running the length of her back.
    “I’ve got you,” he said.
    Her scent was rich, heady, and called to him on a primal level. After tonight,