Chapter 15

**Cole**



After we eat, I take Winter’s hand and guide her upstairs to our room. I ask her if she would like to take a shower, and her face lights up. She is positively beaming with excitement. I wonder how long it has been since she has had a proper bathe.

I noticed she had cleaned herself up when I saw her earlier. She is no longer covered in the blood of her kill from yesterday. So, I know she found some way to stay clean, but I do not think she has had an actual shower in a long time.

“Do you need anything” I ask.

“No, I’ve got everything I need with my gear.”

I watch as she pulls out a bar of soap, a small pair of tweezers, a toothbrush, toothpaste, clean underwear, and a big shirt. She starts walking toward the bathroom.

“You can use one of my shirts as a nightgown if you want. Since you don’t have much.” I suggest.

With that she stuffs the shirt and underwear back in her pack. Is she going to sleep without underwear? How in the name of the Goddess am I supposed to sleep next to her, knowing she has nothing on but my shirt?!

She goes into the bathroom, leaving the door slightly open. I guess she doesn’t care about nudity. Then again, we are werewolves, and when we shift, we end up naked. The women I know, though will not shift unless they have clothes and a place of cover to dress in privacy.

As I hear the shower start, I get undressed down to my briefs. I figure I can brush my teeth once she is done. I crawl into bed, and I start to think about what is going on behind that bathroom door. I imagine her washing her body. I wish I were there running my hands all over her naked skin. The thought of her in the shower with suds covering her naked body is making me stiffen.

Suddenly I hear my phone beep. The beep pulls me out of my erotic fantasy of Winter in the show. I pick it up and look. I just got a text from Marcus. “Tomorrow morning 8 a.m. in the council office. We will make Winter a member of the pack.” Well, that’s good news. Bright and early, the sooner the better.

I see a glimpse of Winter. She is now in my shirt with her leg up on the bathroom counter. She has her toothbrush in her mouth, and well I don’t know what she is doing with her legs. I’m genuinely curious so I get up and walk into the bathroom. Standing in the doorway I ask, “what are you doing?” She holds up a finger to tell me she needs a second. She puts her leg down and finishes up with her teeth. Then she puts her leg back up. “So, what are you doing?” I ask again.

She replies with a look of determination on her face, not even looking up at me “I’m plucking my leg hair. I usually do it in the morning, but since you have such a great bathroom light, I can do it now.”

What? Doesn’t she shave? She plucks each hair individually out. That just sounds painful and time consuming. After about 15 minutes she comes out. “Sorry I took so long” she says as she crawls up on the bed snuggling into the covers.

“Winter, tomorrow at 8 a.m. will be when you join the pack. Is that okay?”

“Yep, sounds good.”

She is so to the point, very matter of fact. I can tell she is definitely out of practice when it comes to talking with people.

“Hey Winter, do you need anything, or have a morning routine you follow? Just so I can be aware.”

“Well, I don’t have any needs, but I was wondering if you can open the shades, so I can wake up with the sun. And, I do have a routine. I get up with the sun. I brush my teeth first. Then I let Athena run for a while. Then I train. Next I get breakfast. After all that is done, I am free till my next meal.”

That sounds like a really nice routine she has for herself. I wonder what she means when she says she trains. Does she train in her wolf form, or in her human form? I wonder how she has been training, considering she has been alone in the woods for a while. How does one train, with no one to train with? I am intrigued.

I think I will ask her if I can join her....” hey would you mind if I follow you on your routine in the morning? The only exception is breakfast in the kitchen, and after we eat, we can meet with the council?”

“Okay, but honestly I don’t know if you can keep up? Your more than welcome to try though.” She says it like it is a challenge. Man, she is one feisty she-wolf.

I open the heavy black shades like she asked. Then I head into the bathroom and brush my teeth. Then I crawl back into bed.

She thinks I can't keep up, really? I’m an Alpha. Of course, I can keep up. Besides that, my legs are much longer than hers, so I’m sure I can run faster. I am also a male and typically men are more powerful than the females. I’m not saying that to be sexist. It is just a fact.

I have met some really fit she wolfs who could hold their own, but they worked at it to become strong like that. Whereas wolfs are naturally born with more strength than she wolfs. Plus, I am an Alpha, so naturally I am stronger than the average wolf.

Yep, tomorrow she’ll see that her assumption that I will have trouble keeping up with her is ridiculous. She will see. I Pull her into me and start kissing her neck. I smell cinnamon and rain again. Goddess she smells so good. I keep kissing her, but she just passes out. She must have been tired. I think I will let her rest.