Page 70 of A Snowy Escape

Bryant made the dogs get up to give him the chance to toss down Shadow’s fur-catching blanket—which is not the same throw that rests on the back of the couch.

I almost laughed.

Those two had already left evidence of themselves behind, but it made him feel better, so I kept my mouth shut.

Abby chose to lie with me, possibly because the dogs were taking up my side of the couch. She’s warming to all three of us, but she and I spent two days together during the last storm. She’ll get there with Luka and Bryant. I just think she’s naturally more at ease with me for the time being. After this storm, she’ll probably treat the three of us equally.

It’s actually rather peaceful watching a holiday movie while the tree twinkles in the background. The fire has died to almost nothing, and I didn’t bother rebuilding it, since I’m guessing we’ll be heading to bed after this.

Abby ends up sitting between me and the side of the chair, but her legs aren’t quite long enough to rest on the ottoman, so they hang toward the floor.

“Do you want me to move the footstool closer?” I offer as she rearranges her blanket.

“Nah, I don’t want your feet to hang off,” she says, rolling onto her side. It puts her nose close to my ribs, as I’m quite a bit thicker than she is. She tosses her knee over my leg and wraps her arm around my stomach. It’s a full-blown cuddle hug, and I almost don’t know what to do with myself.

I finally settle for resting my palm on her hip, but my damn hands are so big that my fingers are on her ass.

Abby is on the opposite side from the TV, so it becomes obvious that I’m staring at her rather than the movie…

I still can’t force my gaze away from her.

She’s so damn pretty.

Seeing how content she is practically in my armpit is crazy, but omegas love potent pheromones from compatible alphas.

* * *

Abby passes out during the movie. I quietly call the dogs out for a quick last-chance bathroom break and make my way back into the living room.

It’s a careful process to lift Abby and carry her upstairs without waking her.

I get her under the blanket in the pack bedroom, and Echo’s collar jingles as she jumps up, circling around the foot of the mattress until she finds a spot she likes.

Shadow tries to follow her, and I give him the look, whispering, “No.” He stops, sitting on the floor.

“We aren’t sleeping in here,” I say softly, so he won’t hold a grudge. Leaning over, I brush Abby’s hair back from her face. “Rest well, sweetheart. You know where to find me if you need me.”

She grunts, nuzzling deeper into the pillows.

I take that as my sign that it’s time to leave. Giving my thigh a soft pat to call Shadow, I exit the room, pulling the door to the frame without letting it click closed.

Echo is pretty good about going long stretches, but if she has to have an accident, I’d rather it be in Shadow’s playroom. She won’t be able to get down there if she’s trapped in the pack bedroom. While I can’t leave the doggy door open with the amount of ice and snow that will pile up overnight, I’ll shovel out the space in front of it in the morning.

* * *

I’m not expecting to be woken up in the middle of the night by Shadow low growling. The unmistakable sound of scratching comes from the door, followed by Echo’s whining.

I shove my hair back from my face and toss off the blanket. Shadow hits the floor at the same time I do, and I cross the room in purposeful strides.

I pull the door open, and Echo barks, bouncing around with her front legs moving from side to side. She follows it up with a whining that makes my head tilt.

“All right, come on.” I slide past her, making my way toward the stairs. I keep my spare boots and a backup jacket near the door to the porch for a reason. Shadow follows me to the stairs, but Echo stays behind me, whine-barking.

I spin to face her.

“I’m trying to take you out.” I pause and remind my sleepy mind that she’s not as used to the way I talk to my dogs. “Want to go out?” I ask. “Need to go pee?”

Echo vocalizes something in that mouthy way that shepherds do and takes off down the hallway toward Abby’s room.