Mateo Santiago novel · Chapter 24 of 24

Chapter 24: First Snow

The first snow came down in the night and covered the whole ranch.

I woke in the new room with the light turned blue and soft, and the window full of white.

The room was small and smelled of pine sap and fresh paint.

The bed was a good deal too narrow for the man asleep in it.

Mateo had one arm over my waist and one boot still on.

He had carried me here at midnight, after the feast, and neither of us had made it to the second boot.

I lay there listening to the tin roof tick as flakes settled on it.

The wolf under my ribs was awake too, stretching, interested.

She wanted out, and she wanted breakfast, and I think she wanted him.

"You're thinking loud," Mateo said into my hair.

"She wants to go run in it."

"Mm," he said.

"Later."

His hand slid up my stomach, warm, slow, and then lower.

I laughed and caught his wrist.

"Nico is in the kitchen," I said.

"There's a bolt on that door," said Mateo.

He said it in a lazy, dangerous voice, and I felt the whole of my body wake up.

I got out of bed, naked and cold, crossed the little room in two steps, and slid the iron bolt home.

It made a heavy, satisfying clunk.

When I turned around he was propped on one elbow with the quilt around his hips.

He looked at me.

"You locked me in," he said.

"I locked everyone else out," I said, "and I'm the one who decides about you."

← Chapter 23 · All chapters

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend