I woke up with a start as I heard a loud crack of thunder pierced through the night followed immediately by everything in the apartment instantly shutting off.

I sat up knowing that if I had been pulled from my sleep, Auggie would've heard the same thing and the last thing I needed was for him to rush in here trying to be the hero, not in here...not my mate in the same room as my bed.

My wolf immediately awoke to the tempting thoughts.

A string of intimate thoughts ran through my head before I shook them away and got up.

Without so much as grabbing my phone I made my way down the hall but realized that the whole apartment was silent.

Curious I lightly knocked on the door for the guest bedroom, "Auggie?" I sounded softly knowing he's a fully shifted Were and he'd hear me if the storm had awoken him as well.

But when I got no response I began to freak out a little, what if he took off after I went to sleep?

In a panic I opened the door and even in the pitch black I could clearly see Auggie laying on his side, fully uncovered, his arm draped easily just above his hip while the other lay tucked beneath his head...fast asleep.

"You've got to be kidding me." I sounded in awe, "how could anybody sleep through this?"

'Mate is comfortable at home with us.'

I ignored her, and another sound of thunder ripped through the sky and caused the windows to rumble...and Auggie didn't even budge.

As fir me, fully shifted Were or not, I couldn't hide the fact that my heart was now racing from the thunder and lightning. I didn't know what to do? Clearly Auggie was alright, sleeping soundly even...but I knew I didn't want to be awake alone, not with the storm.

As he was laying to the far side of the bed facing the door I knew I didn't want to scare him so I wouldn't go behind him...instead I'd have to be where he could see me, so I walked over to the untouched side of the bed and called out to him.

"Auggie." I said softly so as not to startle him.

Nothing...not even the slightest budge.

'If thunder can't wake him, you think that will?' My wolf asked sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes and knew she was right, I tried once again, this time using my normal tone of voice, "Auggie."

Still nothing.

'Mate will wake for our touch.'

I could feel her enthusiasm now, and suffice it to say...I somewhat expected that I'd have to physically wake him.

I let out a nervous sigh, while my wolf may be all amped and ready to go with Auggie, in the forefront of my mind I knew that while he's my mate, he belongs to someone else. And until we can get him out of his contract I can't exactly be with him in the way mates would normally be together.

'So you do want to be with mate.'

"It doesn't matter right now." I growled.

I sighed once again and composed myself as I knew I'd have to get onto the bed to reach him. I carefully got onto the bed, trying to make as little movement as possible so as not to wake him, which was redundant as I was actually trying to wake him up in the first place.

I shook my head at how weird as I was being and just crawled over to him.

I looked at his sleeping face, He somehow even more handsome in his sleep I couldn't help but smile.

I had noticed that since meeting him there had been a tightness to Auggie, something was bothering him and tensing him up...I know now that it was his marriage contract and then a mate who ran away from him. It hurt knowing I had been a part of his unhappiness, and looking into his face now, I knew from here on out I wanted to do what I could to always see this same peace on his face constantly...no stress, worries, or sadness...just this calm and peaceful serene Auggie.

'Mate.' My wolf sounded contently.

And I couldn't help but smile and nod, "Yeah...mate" I acknowledged.

But as I was marveling at my good looking mate and coming to terms with the fact that with every passing seconds spent with him, I was becoming more and more infatuated with him...I bright bolt of lightning flashed and illuminated the entire room while the sounds of thunder doubled down as two came in back to back, I was so shaken by it that I unknowingly reached out to steady myself, of course this caused Augustine to wake up and at the sound of the second roar of thunder he sat up with a quickness.

A quickness so fast mind you that because I was still hovering over him he hit my forehead with his.

"Ow, shit...oh shit Gracie?!" He sounded unsure of what was happening and I reached up and touched my head. "Are you okay...what were you doing in here?"

I removed my hand from my aching spot and looked at him, "I was checking on you and your huge head nearly knocked me out." I replied.

"I'm Sorry Gracie, are you alright?" He asked as he reached out and touched the exact same spot that I was previously touching, His palm cradled my head while his thumb gently caressed the tender area, and despite it still being sore from our heads colliding, My heart was now pounding from his soothing touch.

I was grateful for the darkness as I knew I'd be flushed with excitement.

"I'm okay...sorry if I scared you." I said more than a little embarrassed now.

"You didn't...surprised me for sure though." He chuckled a little before his smile fell and with it he removed his hand from my head now. "How about we get some ice for your head."

I got off of the bed and followed him out of the room.

"It's really quiet when the thunder isn't crashing down around us." He remarked as we entered the kitchen. He went to turn on the light but obviously it didn't turn on.

"The power got knocked out, it's what made me go into your room and check on you." I admitted.

"Oh..." He said, "Well it's a good thing our clothes was already drying."

I suddenly realized that should have been the first thing I check on and I sighed, "It probably didn't fully dry, I'll go and grab it really quick so it can air dry if it isn't fully dried yet."

"Well I'll get you some ice while you do that."

"It's cool, I don't think I need it anymore." I said as I could no longer feel much of anything from our head-butt. "Actually you can just go back to sleep...I'm going to get the clothes sorted."

"And then you'll stay up?" He asked.

I shrugged knowing that despite being here in the dark he could still see me fully well due to our heightened senses, "I mean I'm going to try and go to sleep, but I'm a pretty light sleeper so I'm not exactly banking on getting back to sleep anytime too soon."

"A light sleeper...and afraid of thunderstorms." He smirked.

I rolled my eyes, "I'm not afraid of thunderstorms, I...I just don't like being ripped from my sleep so suddenly or unpredictability...like crashing thunder and lightning."

His smirk remained.

"Whatever, I'm getting the clothes and then probably coming back to the living room."

He didn't say anything else as he followed me back down the hall, he entered the guest room and I went on to the laundry room. To be honest I was a little bummed that he decided to go back to sleep, a part of me (a bigger part of me than I'd care to admit) was hoping he'd offer to stay up with me.

I reached into the dryer and felt the damp clothes.

I sighed and pulled them out before making my way to my restroom. I found his slacks and draped them across the curtain rod of my shower as well as my bra, for my dress, his undershirt and button-up top I used hangers and hung them alongside the slacks on the curtain rod, and our underwear, well I just laid them along the lip of the tub and then went back into the room and grabbed my pillow and blanket before making my way back to the living room.

I couldn't help but smile as I saw Auggie already laying on the floor with his own pillow and blanket, "Thought I'd chill out in here with you for the night."

I laid my pillow right next to his. He was laying Vertically to the sofa and I was now positioned horizontially (alongside the sofa)...we looked like 2 conjoining sides of a square...or rectangle since he's quite a bit taller than me.

We instantly fell into an easy conversation as the heavy rain drops beat against the window panes well into the night.