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I scooted over to the side of the bed that was closest to Milo, leaving the other side open for the alpha. My throat was tight with anxiety. I had never actually shared a bed with an alpha.

Emmett deliberated for a moment, his eyes narrowing, then climbed into the bed, lying down and facing me, his apple pie scent enveloping me.

“Milo will probably still wake up once or twice,” I warned him.

Emmett chuckled. “He’s a baby. That’s what they do,” he said so casually that I actually smiled back at him.

Even though it’d only been a few seconds, that tension in my chest eased, and my eyelids began to droop, the exhaustion taking over. I let it happen, not much choice in the matter, and I mumbled out, “Good night, Emmett.”

“Good night, Summer.” The strain in his voice seemed better, and just like that, we fell asleep.

The next time I woke up, we were most certainly not in the same position. Emmett’s arm was around my waist, my back pressed against his chest as we spooned. We were pressed against each other, his body warm against mine. The entire room smelled like apple pie and sweet tea, and I had to admit, I rather liked that combination.

“Sorry… we must have moved in our sleep,” Emmett muttered, going to pull his arm away.

“I don’t hate it,” I admitted.

Emmett paused and didn’t remove his hand. “I won’t lie, I rather like it.”

The bond hummed happily in my chest. It felt much better to have Emmett so close to me, the physical touch grounding me. It’d felt so odd since the bite, this feeling of being untethered, but right now, it was like a gentle anchor was keeping me safe from drifting away. The tension was gone, and in its place was a warmth and comfort that was much better than before.

But something needled at me. We’d been thrust into this situation because of the bond, and I wasn’t sure how the alpha next to me felt about being so beholden to something.

“Do you regret it?” I asked softly, my heart rate increasing.

“The snuggling? As long as you’re okay with it, no way in hell.” He chuckled quietly, squeezing me ever so slightly. “I’ll be very honest and say this is the best I’ve felt in a while.”

I was more than okay with it. Emmett seemed to be as happy to share the space as I was. We wrapped around each other perfectly.

“I don’t mind it.” I smiled to myself, snuggling into the pillow as Emmett held me. “It’s such a relief to have you close. I never really had that before.”

“Before? Like when you were on your own?” Emmett gently turned me so he could look into my eyes, and I’d somehow managed to forget how beautiful his were, that deep rich brown.

“Oh, no. My ex was never one for physical affection.” I was nervous again, my heart pattering for a different reason, and abruptly, I remembered what I was wearing.

Oh god.

“Was he not into snuggling?” I shook my head. “What an idiot. Turning down snuggles,” Emmett said, squeezing me. “I have to say, Summer, I think you’re better off. Snuggling is serious business.”

I smiled, that glowing warmth in my chest flaring. “I think you’re right. Have you always been a snuggler?” I asked with a light giggle.

“Always.” He nodded seriously. “It drove Marshall insane when we were teenagers. We would go camping, and later at night, when I would get scared by all the noises and think that Bigfoot was about to kill me, I would go sleep in his tent and have a good snuggle to feel safe. He wasn’t the biggest fan.”

“I wonder why.” I grinned. “Did you camp often?”

“Fairly. We were teenagers in a small town without much to do. More often than not, we would sneak a few beers and go out into the woods to just talk and be away from our families. That was our teenage rebellion. So wild that we would drink two beers, then repair bridges that were eroding on the woodland paths.”

“Oh my, you were out of control!”

“Did you ever camp?”

“Nope. I’m an indoor cat. I can appreciate nature from a beautiful cabin, but outside is a little too bug-infested for my liking.”

“Well, rest assured, I take snuggling very seriously… And look.” Emmett’s eyes closed for a moment, but when he gazed down at me again, they were filled with such raw honesty that my lips parted. “I know this is all new, and there’s the bond, but I want to assure you that I wanted this before we bit each other. I’m not one to beat around the bush, either. I want you to know that I was attracted to you right away. I can promise you that I’ll never turn down snuggles. Or anything else you might ask for, if I’m being honest.”

I chuckled softly, but I could tell how serious he was. I reached up instinctively, cupping his cheek as I whispered, “That’s really nice to hear. It’s…been a minute. I’m still not used to all this, but I can admit that it feels a lot nicer than struggling on my own.”

Emmett’s eyes darkened as he looked down at me, his pupils expanding, shadows crowding his face as he leaned in closer.