A Winter Dream

Lila looked herself over in the mirror inside the closet. She chose a pair of thick jeans, a black T-shirt, and a thick, black leather jacket. She also found a pair of black combat boots in the bottom of the closet and wondered how all of these clothes had gotten here in her size. She made a mental note to ask her dad about it later.

She wasn’t sure what to do about her somewhat long brown hair. It was still damp, but she didn’t want to waste a lot of time on it. She took one last look in the mirror then headed for the bedroom door.

As promised, Ransom was standing on the other side waiting for her. He looked her over and smiled. Silently taking her hand, he led her back into the bedroom and through the bathroom door.

He reached for the second drawer down in the bathroom vanity and pulled out a strange looking comb and what looked like a hair tie.

“Hold still,” he said softly.

Lila did as he asked, and he began combing through her hair. She was staring hard at him as she was though about how he knew exactly where the hair supplies were. He also knew that she had clothing in her closet when she’d never lived here as an adult.

“Ransom?” she asked in a light voice.

His focus was on her hair as he began to split it into sections, “Yes?”

“Did you…buy all of the clothes and toiletries in this room?”

He smiled as he began to deftly braid her hair, as if he had done it many times before, “How did you guess?”

“You knew where everything was. Why did you do that, Ransom?” Lila’s voice sounded more intense than she intended.

He paused in his braiding to glance at her in the mirror briefly, then continued his work on her hair as he explained, “When I was running with Ghauth that day and we saw you out on the snow plain…I felt that you would soon be returning to us for good. I wanted to make sure you’d have everything you needed.”

“But why would you go to all that trouble for me?” Lila finally asked what she really wanted to know.

“I told you. I am yours. I’m your mate. It’s my greatest privilege to care for you,” he said as he stilled his hands and made eye contact with her in the mirror.

Lila’s expression was full of emotion as she held his gaze, “I’m humbled by your care. I have nothing to give you in return.”

Ransom moved his hands to her shoulders and gently turned her to face him, “In time, when you feel comfortable, you’ll give me your care, as well. But all I really need is to be near you. It’s enough.”

Lila searched his eyes and found only sincerity in them, “Ransom, I’m comfortable with you. I feel as if I’ve missed you for so long and I don’t ever want to leave again.”

He appeared surprised to hear this, but he also couldn’t hold back his smile. Lila smiled back at him, and it made him look even happier.

He gently turned her back to face the mirror, but his smile remained as he urged, “Now stay still I’m almost done.”

Lila watched his face in the mirror as he worked and felt a pleasant warmth in her belly at his obvious happiness. She internally vowed to be the best mate she could possibly be once her mother was safe, because she knew this man already held her heart in his hands. It had belonged to him since they were children.

He had waited fifteen long years for her with a faithful heart, without resentment, and with ever burning certainty that she would return to him. He was precious to her.

Once he was done braiding, he turned her back around and handed her a smaller mirror so she could see his finished work. He’d given her two perfectly symmetrical French braids down the back of her head. She loved it.

“I guess Daveena never stopped making you braid her hair,” Lila teased.

“She did ask a lot, but my secret is…I kept agreeing so I could practice for you,” he flirted back.

That’s when Yari entered the bathroom looking for Lila. She found them gazing into one another’s eyes like lovesick idiots. It was adorable to her, and she hated to break it up, but they really needed to meet with the others and go over the plan.

“Come, you two. Callum is waiting for us in the library. We have a plan,”Yari projected to them both.

“We’ll be there right away,” Ransom responded still looking down at Lila.

Yari huffed at him and left the room.

“You know Yari and Ghauth are mates too, right?” Ransom asked Lila with amusement.

Lila shrugged, “I kind of guessed by the way they eyeballed each other when he and Remus came running across the lawn.”

“I can just imagine all the cute little tam-cubs wandering around the place now,” Ransom winked.

“I’m sure she’s imagining the same about us and a bunch of human cubs,” Lila laughed as she walked out into the hall and toward the staircase.

Ransom’s voice took on a tinge of excitement, “A bunch? How many is a bunch?”

“Hmmm? We’ll see…” Lila teased as they descended the steps.