Her eyes went wide at the sight of the new, massive woodpile, but her gaze immediately found Grey. She hurried over. Unlike what Grey expected, her mother-in-law didn't scold her but wrapped the girl in a firm, motherly hug.

"Oh, my dear girl," Melissa said, her voice full of relief. "I was so worried when I saw how much you'd gathered. I'm so glad you didn't push yourself too far."

Pressed against Melissa's warm, soft body, feeling the genuine care in her embrace, Grey trembled. A complex wave of emotion washed over her. She'd felt a similar feeling with Adrian, but this time it was different. She never thought she'd ever experience the same feeling from another besides him.

Her eyes moistened, and she opened her mouth, wanting to confess that she had pushed herself too far, that Adrian had to rescue her.

But Adrian, seeing the moment, caught her eye over his mother's shoulder. He brought a finger to his lips in a gentle, teasing shushing gesture, his eyes filled with their usual kindness. He gave a slight, almost imperceptible shake of his head.

"It will be our little secret," he whispered, yet he was aware she could easily hear him with her sharp hearing.

Melissa enjoyed the hug for a moment longer before releasing Grey. She then turned her attention to her son, her expression shifting from relief to maternal scrutiny.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're up to something…" She stepped closer to him, then suddenly stiffened. She leaned in, sniffing the air around him once, then quickly took a step back, pulling Grey with her as if shielding her from a foul odour.

"Adrian!" she chided, her nose wrinkled. "You smell like a barn that's been left in the sun! Why are you sweating so much in this freezing cold?"

Adrian, startled, lifted his arm and sniffed his own clothes. The combined scent of his panic from Elara's, the strain of carrying the wood, and the general grime of the day hit him all at once.

He winced, his face flushing with awkward embarrassment. "I, uh… well, Mom, let's just say it's been a long day?"

"It's been a ripe day!" Melissa interjected, her hands on her hips. "You are not stepping one foot inside my clean house smelling like that. You will take a bath. Right now. I won't have you offending my daughters-in-law with that stench."

Adrian winced again but managed a bitter smile. Arguing with his mother on this was a battle he would never win. "Yes, Ma'am."

Melissa gave a satisfied "Hmph!" before turning and gently guiding Grey toward the back door. "Come along, dear. Let's get you inside. Why don't you lie down for a bit? You've more than earned a rest."

Grey allowed herself to be led, but as she reached the door, she paused and glanced back. She saw Adrian, looking resigned, already dragging the large wooden washtub to a clear spot in the yard and beginning to fill it with buckets of cold water from the rain barrel.

******

A little while later, Adrian stood in the kitchen, watching the large iron kettle as it began to steam over the fire. When it reached a rolling boil, he muttered, "Finally," and, using thick cloths to protect his hands, carefully carried it out into the backyard. He poured the steaming water into the tub, the hot liquid melting the little bits of snow at its base and sending up a great cloud of vapour into the frigid air. He tested the temperature with his hand, added one more bucket of cold water to make it tolerable, and smiled. It was a rustic bath, but it would do the job.

He quickly stripped out of his smelly clothes, leaving them in a heap on the snow, and stepped into the tub with a sharp hiss as the hot water enveloped his cold skin. He grabbed the rough washing cloth and a bar of strong, herbal soap and began scrubbing the day's exertions from his skin, the steam rising around him in the quiet, twilight yard.

He reached for the wooden scupper to pour water over his head, but his hand froze mid-air. The dipper slipped from his fingers, clattering against the side of the tub before falling into the snow.

The back door had creaked open and then shut.

Standing there, completely naked and silhouetted against the warm light from the kitchen, was Grey. Her grey hair was loose around her shoulders, and her pale skin seemed to almost glow in the dim light.

Adrian stared, utterly frozen, his mind blank. He was completely exposed, and so was she.

"G-Grey?" he finally stammered, his voice a strained whisper. "What… what are you doing out here…"

'Without any clothes…' Adrian's gaze trembled.

The wolf shifter said nothing; she simply pointed a finger at the tub, her expression one of simple, straightforward desire.

Adrian's brain, slowly thawing from its shock, finally understood. She wanted to join him. "Why didn't you wait for me to finish?" he asked, his voice still low, a mix of panic and confusion.

Grey didn't answer with words. Instead, she simply began to walk towards him, her bare feet making no sound in the snow. She didn't show a hint of shyness or hesitation. With a brazenness that left him speechless, she stepped into the tub right in front of him. The water sloshed over the sides as she settled herself, turning so her back was to his chest, her body slotting neatly between his legs in the cramped space.

Adrian's eye twitched. He was hyper-aware of every point where her skin touched his—her back against his chest, her legs alongside his. The steam seemed suddenly much hotter.

Then, she turned her head to look at him over her shoulder, a small, serene smile on her face. "Wash me," she said, her voice a soft command.

'What on earth are you playing at!' Adrian unconsciously gulped due to the close proximity and the feeling of her fine, supple skin pressing strongly against his. Against his better judgement, his little brother was starting to gain a mind of its own.

'No, no, no, stop!'

'Why on earth am I getting turned on now?' Adrian bit his lower lip, trying his best to calm himself. 'Grey didn't mean anything when she said wash her; she's not that type of girl. I shouldn't take advantage of her cluelessness like this.'

He kept on trying to talk himself out of it. 'Yes, that's right, she's just probably tired. It's not surprising since I'm sure there were no rules on bathing back in the forest. She might've even bathed with a few animals at the same time. It'd be wrong for me to try anything now,' he said, while grabbing the wash cloth and soap with his two hands.

'I'll just give her a clean wash so that we can hurry on back inside. Just a nice, simple wash.' Even in this cold weather, Adrian's forehead was covered in beads of sweat as he brought the cloth towards her skin.

'Just a simple wash…' he said, his hands trembling while reaching for her front.

"Nnngh~" Grey let out an unconscious moan the next moment.

"...?!" Adrian stiffened; he suddenly felt as if his mouth was dry. His right hand had actually pressed down on her chest.

'Wait… is this?' While surprised by the superb, plump sensation within his grasp, his finger brushed against something hard. Adrian blinked, using his fingers to press down on it.

"Mmm…" Grey covered her mouth, an incredulous look in her eyes.

"Darling… what are you doing?" She struggled to say as Adrian's fingers gently played with her nipple.

"I… I… I… I…"

Adrian froze in his tracks, his hands retracting back, face burning red.

"I-I just wanted to wash you like you asked."

'Crap! What on earth was I doing…' Adrian didn't know what to say, staring at Grey whose head had turned to stare at his. Her face looked startled. The both of them stared at each other silly; the longer it went on, the more Adrian felt a guilty pressure pressing against his neck.

"...Heh." Grey suddenly chuckled, her eyes closed slightly in a teasing look, her lips curved upwards with a gentle, coy smile.

"Darling, do you want to mate with Grey?" she asked. Adrian was surprised when she got up and turned to face him before sitting back down.

She reached out and held his hands. Adrian, who was trying to process what was happening, had already dropped the washing cloth and soap.

He gulped when she brought his hands to her cheek, enjoying the warmth of his touch, a look of tenderness on her face. Her eyes closed, giving her a quiet look of contentment.

"If Darling really wants to mate with Grey, Grey would be happy to help," she said softly. Her cheeky grin returned to her face.

Adrian didn't know what to say. But staring at her beautiful face, which looked earnest to help, his lips pressed against each other.

'What am I even doing?' Adrian thought to himself. Seeing that look on her face filled his heart with even more guilt.

"It's okay, Grey; it was just an accident…" Adrian's lips curled upwards into a small, forced smile. A hint of self-deprecation on his face.

"Oh…" Grey blinked before nodding with a smile.

"Then can Darling wash me then?"

"Of course." Adrian let out a breath, a helpless smile on his face.

*******

The back door creaked open, letting out a breeze of cold air into the chilly kitchen. Adrian stepped through first, his skin scrubbed pink and his hair damp and messy. His face was flushed a deep, embarrassed red that had nothing to do with the temperature of his bath. Even though he'd tried his best to stay calm, it was all to no avail since he couldn't possibly do so when bathing with Grey in the nude.

Close behind him, Grey followed, her own face glowing with a rosy, cheerful contentment, her grey hair clinging to her like damp tendrils sticking to her neck and shoulders. She walked with a spring in her step as if she was the happiest she'd been in a while.

They saw Adrian's mother the moment they came in. Melissa was at the dining table, placing a steaming bowl of what looked like root vegetable stew—or as Adrian personally called it, potato stew—which was placed in the centre of the dining table.

She looked up as they entered, her eyes taking in the scene: her son's flustered expression coupled with the girl's serene happiness, along with their partially damp selves.

A slow, knowing smile spread across her face, but she was wise enough not to comment directly.

"Well, you certainly smell better," she said to Adrian, her tone light and matter-of-fact. "Now that you're presentable, why don't you go and wake the other two? Dinner is ready."

She then turned her attention to Grey, her smile softening. "Grey, dear, come here and help me with the bread, would you?"

As Grey moved to her side, Melissa leaned in slightly. "My, your skin is just glowing," she murmured, genuinely impressed. She took in a whiff of her aroma, feeling amazed. "And you smell wonderful."

"I must say, I'm quite jealous." She chuckled.

Grey's cheerful expression turned into a hint of a smirk, a cheeky light in her pale eyes. She accepted the compliments with a confident little nod, as if to say,

*Of course I do.*

No matter what, Grey was still as childish as always.

Adrian, who had been heading for the door to his room, smiled lightly, momentarily forgetting his earlier flustered expression.

******

Later, the small house was filled with the comfortable silence that followed a good meal. The stew pot was nearly empty, and the loaf of bread was reduced to crumbs. Adrian pushed his wooden bowl away and leaned back in his chair with a contented sigh.

"Thanks for dinner, Mom. It was great."

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