《The Code Of The Alpha》


 CHAPTER 1

    ¡°Would you hush?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    ¡°Well, stop thinking so loud.¡±


    I heard Mady huff from somewhere in the room behind me, but my eyes were glued in front of me.


    With stiff and aching fingers, I lifted the small detailing brush from the palette and leaned forward, ignoring the pain in my lower back.


    Holding my breath, I gently swept the brush along the canvas, letting the beige acrylic paint cover the markings of where I had outlined with a graphite pencil.


    I let out a long, exasperated sigh of relief as I finished thest upward stroke of the brush. ¡°Are you done? Can I see?¡±


    I felt Mady¡¯s presence invade the space behind me as she leaned forward to get a better look at the canvas propped against the wall that I sat in front of.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Carrie, that looks great.¡±


    ¡°I hate painting hands,¡± I admitted, feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion pass over me.


    ¡°No, it looks really good.¡±


    I nced over the canvas that was partially painted and partially outlined with a graphite pencil. An old dusty picture was clipped up at the top of the canvas, serving as my guide to what the painting itself would look like when it was finished.


    ¡°I¡¯m exhausted.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why you felt the need to stay up all night doing this,¡± Mady said. ¡°You could just paint little bits and pieces at


    the time and you would be able to finish it gradually instead of only working on it in bursts of sporadic energy.


    ¡°That¡¯s when I paint best,¡± I argued, throwing my brush into the stic cup filled with water.


    I slowly began to get off the stool I had been sitting on for hours, wringing out my hands. Stretching my arms out behind me and in front of me, I felt my spine pop in several different ces. Letting out a deep breath, I bent down to grab the back of my calves as I stretched out my back even more.


    ¡°Besides,¡± I continued, ¡°I have to have that done by their anniversary at the end of next month.


    I stood up slowly to take onest look at the iplete painting that would soon be a gift. It was a portrait of my parents as they walked down the aisle, the two of them newly married.


    She was in her long, flowy wedding dress; her veil billowing behind her and a beaming, youthful smile on her face. He was in a simple ck tux as he marched forward confidently, holding my mother¡¯s hand. A simr smile was stered across his face.


    I reached above me to turn off the light that hung over the canvas.


    ¡°What time is it?¡± I asked, rubbing my tired eyes.


    Mady looked down at her watch. ¡°Almost three.¡±


    I groaned. ¡°I¡¯m going to bed,¡± she said, yawning. I felt terribly guilty. Her and I were supposed to be finishing up thest season of the show we¡¯d been binging for the past few weeks, but l¡¯d gotten side-tracked with the painting.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mady,¡± I said earnestly. ¡± I didn¡¯t mean to get caught up.¡±


    ¡°No worries. I was able to finish my reading for civil procedure so it¡¯s all good.¡±


    I grimaced at the thought of assigned reading.


    Mady was in her first year ofw school. She was studying to get her juris doctorate so she could be an attorney and one day, a judge like her dad.


    I, on the other hand, was happy with my bachelor¡¯s degree in English. It allowed me to live as a professional starving artist, even though I technically never starved since I worked as a part-time librarian and a part-time art teacher at the elementary school.


    ¡°What time are we leaving tomorrow morning?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°I¡¯m nning on being over there by ten.¡±


    I nodded as she turned to leave the room.


    ¡°See you in the morning,¡± she said. ¡°Night.¡±


    Once she had left and I heard the door to her bedroom open and close, I groaned and fell back onto my bed.


    Ten in the morning was way too early given that it was nearly three and I was just then about to go to sleep.


    To make matters worse, I hadn¡¯t packed yet either, meaning I would be waking up around nine so that we could still leave on time. I always ended up making uste wherever we went and I was determined that it wouldn¡¯t be the case tomorrow


    morning.


    Mady and I were meeting our parents at her family¡¯s house to go with our dads to a conference. Her father was the Alpha of our pack in southern Oregon and


    my father was his Beta. The two of them also happened to be leaders that represented Oregon on amittee of Werewolf affairs in the western United States.


    Every so often, the two of them traveled to Las Vegas for meetings with othermittee members.


    Normally, these meetings were biannual but they happened as often as needed. With it only being May and they were traveling to their fourth meeting so far this year, I was under the impression that something was going on in the world of Werewolves and pack business that was not routine.


    However, this meeting fell on a holiday weekend. Because Mady and I had made an executive decision that we needed a break from school and work, we decided to tag along with our fathers for a three-day vacation in Vegas.


    As I reached over to turn mymp off, I noticed the dried acrylic paint that stained my hands. Exhausted, I resigned to the fact that I would just have to wash sheets in the morning. I didn¡¯t even have the energy to get under theforter before I fell asleep.


    It felt like only seconds had gone by before Mady was opening mt  bedroom door, telling me to get up.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost nine forty-five,¡± she said. ¡°We need to leave in fifteen minutes.¡±


    I sat up quickly, my hair falling in my face.


    ¡°Oh shit.¡± I groaned, seeing the mid-morning rays of suning through the window. I threw my legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She disappeared down the hallway as I quickly made my way over to my closet and pulled my duffle bag from the top shelf in a drowsy daze.


    I haphazardly pulled clothes from their hangers and shoved them into the bag before also taking a handful of underwear out of my drawer and stuffing those into the bag as well.


    I barely had enough time to brush my hair, pull it back into a ponytail and change out of my pajamas before Mady was yelling that it was time to go.


    ¡°Just a second!¡± I yelled back, putting on my shoes.


    I grabbed my phone from off the bed, sighing as I realized I had forgotten to charge it overnight. I threw it into my purse along with the charger, my sketchbook and a pencil bag.


    Taking onest look around the room to make sure I hadn¡¯t forgotten anything, it urred to me that I hadn¡¯t washed sheets that morning like I¡¯d nned.


    I shrugged before turning to run down the hallway.


    ¡°Your shirt¡¯s on backwards,¡± Mady told me as she watched me walk towards the front door.


    I looked down to see that she was right and I pulled my arms back through the sleeves to turn it around.


    ¡°Did you pack a toothbrush?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes, mother.¡±


    ¡°Toothpaste?¡±


    I stopped short and Madyughed as she followed me out of our shared townhouse.


    ¡°I packed some,¡± she told me, locking the front door behind us. I sighed, thankful that at least one of us had turned out to be a responsible adult.


    It was a quick, five-minute drive from our townhouse to the neighborhood where our parents lived. Mady¡¯s mom and dad lived across the street from mine, as they had our whole lives.


    I could still vividly remember being scolded by both mothers because I never looked both ways before crossing the street whenever I went over to y. I also remembered the times during high school that the two of us would meet under the cover of night to sneak off to our friends¡¯ houses.

 CHAPTER 2

    The childhood memories made me smile as we pulled into her parents¡¯ driveway. Both of our dads were outside already, her father and mine loading their luggage into the back of my dad¡¯s truck.


    ¡°Well look who it is,¡± her dad said, ncing down at his watch.


    ¡°We were about to leave you two.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have left us, Mr. Reid,¡± I said confidently as we got our own luggage from the back of my car. ¡°You threaten us with that every time but you never have.¡±


    He raised an eyebrow. ¡°There¡¯s a first time for everything, Miss ir.¡±


    I walked over to my dad and he took my duffle bag to pack it away.


    ¡°Ready to go?¡± he asked.


    Mady and I nodded. We waved to our mothers, who were watching us from the kitchen window.


    Mady¡¯s mother, Shannon, raised the window.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Drive safe! Be sure to text us when you get there!¡± she yelled. ¡°And don¡¯t spend all your money in Vegas!¡± my mom added. Giving them a thumbs up, Mady¡¯s dad and mine got into the truck. She and I followed suit, blowing kisses and waving to our


    respective mothers.


    We hadn¡¯t gotten very far down the road before my father¡¯s phone went off


    ¡°Hello? Yes, this is Dr. David ir.¡±


    I looked down at my watch before showing it to Mady. ¡°Only took two minutes for that thing to ring,¡± I said to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m betting his will go off in the next five minutes,¡± she whispered, pointing to her own dad.


    ¡°I can hear you,¡± he whispered loudly from the passenger seat.


    The both of usughed quietly, trying not to disturb my father, who was discussing a patient¡¯s prescription with a nurse. When my dad wasn¡¯t being a Beta for one of thergest packs in Oregon, he was a family medicine doctor in a clinic that he ran with my mother, who was also a doctor.


    As their only child, I struggled with the fact that I knew they had nned on me going to medical school and taking over the clinic one day. But I could barely pass my college-level biology ss, much less make it through medical school sessfully.


    My passions and talents didn¡¯t involve science or medicine, but that didn¡¯t stop me from wishing they did As predicted, Mr. Reid¡¯s phone rang not long after my dad had bended his own call.


    The back and forth of phone tag between our fathers and their courthouses and clinicssted the remainder of our day-long drive.


    When we finally arrived in Vegas that night, we checked into our hotel and all went our separate ways.


    ¡°So,¡± I said, nudging Mady as we passed the casino entrance on our way to the elevators


    She shook her head.


    ¡°Absolutely not, I¡¯m exhausted. We were up until three and I woke up early this morning.


    ¡°Oh. c¡¯mon.¡± I said. ¡°We haven¡¯t done anything exciting all day.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± she said, hitting the elevator call button. ¡°I loved staring out the window at the miles of dirt and cacti for nine hours.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hrious,¡± I said, my unamused tone matching her sarcastic one.


    We rode the elevator up to our room on the eighth floor.


    ¡®¡±Let¡¯s at least go and find something to eat for dinner¡± I argued stepping off the elevator. ¡°We haven¡¯t eaten anything since we pulled through the drive-thru for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Carrie, you¡¯re a grown woman. If you¡¯re so hungry, go and find something to eat.¡±


    ¡°By myself? While we¡¯re on vacation?¡± I scowled. ¡°That¡¯s not fun.¡± We found our room and Mady scanned the key card to open the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for fun right now,¡± she said, entering the room and sitting down on her bed.


    I threw my duffle bag onto the bed.


    ¡°When are you ever in the mood for fun, Miss Party Pooper?¡±


    She narrowed her eyes at me before drawing in a deep breath.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go and get something to eat with you but then we¡¯reing back here so I can go to bed.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    When we left the hotel, I could hardly tell that the sun had begun to set. All of the neon lights that shed around us were as bright as daylight. After wandering around for a few minutes, we found a


    restaurant and went inside to eat.


    As we were being led to our table, I was so focused on the lights and memorabilia stered to the walls around us that I ran into someone that was trying to walk past me.


    He grabbed my shoulders to keep me from falling into the people sitting around us.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I said quickly, regaining my footing.


    ¡°Hey, not a problem.¡± he assured me with a chill tone. He had brown eyes, a deep tan, and light brown hair that was peeking out from under a backwards-facing trucker¡¯s hat.


    He shed a disarming smile before letting go of me.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I found myself repeating.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Have a good one,¡± he said, walking around US. I nodded and waved, somewhat enchanted by the friendly stranger.


    I turned to Mady, who watched the spectacle with an amused look on her face.


    ¡°So embarrassing,¡± I said, feeling my cheeks flush.


    Mady just shrugged.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t seem to mind.¡±


    I shook my head as I followed her and the hostess to our table. We ordered our food, which came out quickly. This left us plenty of time to walk around and sightsee before it got toote.


    Turns out all Mady needed was some food in her system and she was out of a bad mood and into a touristy one. We wandered around the city for quite a while before the both of us were ready to call it a night.


    As we headed back to our hotel, we noticed the security detail that stood outside the building and in the lobby.


    ¡°Who do you think is here?¡± I asked her. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a celebrity?¡±


    ¡®¡±I honestly don¡¯t care,¡± she yawned, hitting the button to call for an elevator.


    Deciding that Mady had already put up with enough of my curiosity for the night, I let it go and followed her into the elevator.


    ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll see whoever it is tomorrow,¡± I said.


    She just shrugged. While Mady was exhausted, I was nearly giddy at the thought of what the next two days would hold. It had been too long since I¡¯d had a vacation.


    After all, what happened in Vegas, stayed in Vegas.


    Or so I thought.

 CHAPTER 3

    I looked over at the rm clock, noticing that it was around six in the morning, too early for vacation. Iid there for a while longer and begged my brain to turn off so I could go back to sleep but it never did.


    Sighing in annoyance, I rolled out of the bed.


    I showered before brushing my hair and my teeth, hoping all the while that Mady would wake up. When I exited the bathroom and saw that she was still sound asleep in her bed, I was slightly jealous that she had yet to be woken up by the sunlight that was peeking through the curtains.


    I was in desperate need of caffeine and I decided that I couldn¡¯t wait on her to wake up. I grabbed my sketchbook and pencil bag and walked towards the door.


    Quietly, I left our room and wandered into the elevator. Riding ball the way down to the lobby, I found the hotel¡¯s coffee shop and grabbed a seat.


    I don¡¯t know how long I was there, but I drank almost two cups of tea and nearly finished a sketch of the Vegas skyline before I began to get jittery.


    I walked around the hotel for a while and found myself wondering into the casino. The neon lights and greedy machines had yet to turn on for the day and the room was nearly empty except for a cleaning crew and a man who stood behind the bar cleaning drinking sses.


    He looked up and caught sight of me, immediately waving me off.


    ¡°We¡¯re closed!¡± he yelled.


    I mumbled out an apology before turning to leave. I walked back to the elevators, deciding it was time to go back to the room.


    Just as I hit the button to call for an elevator, I looked up to see Mady walking off one quickly, looking panicked.


    She sighed when she saw me.


    ¡°What the hell¡¯s the matter with you?¡± she asked, her tone furious.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t let me know you were leaving or where you were going and you left your phone in the room. What if something had happened to you?¡±


    Iughed as I looked at her wild expression.


    ¡°Good morning to you, too,¡± I said. ¡°Remind me though, what was that you saidst night about me being a grown woman?¡±


    She rolled her eyes and turned to get back on the elevator. When we got back to the room, I waited for her to change and get ready before the two of us went back out to explore for the rest of the day.


    ¡°Dad said he wants us to meet them in the lobby around six after their meetings are over so we can all go to dinner together,¡± Mady said, reading the text her father sent her.


    I nodded. ¡°Sounds good to me.¡±


    We left the hotel and walked out onto the sidewalk. The charm and appeal of shing lights had long since escaped the city now that the sun was shining directly above us. However, the streets were just as crowded as they had been the night before.


    Since we were only a few minutes away from the Strip, we decided to head that way and decide what to do when we got there.


    ¡°There¡¯s an aquarium in Mandy Bay,¡± I said as we walked up the sidewalk next to the resort.


    ¡°We could do that?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Mady agreed.


    We walked inside and got lost in the maze of people for a few minutes. Once we had finally gathered our bearings, we found the aquarium and paid for our tickets.


    Even though I was happy to be there, I couldn¡¯t help an unsettling feeling that I had as we walked under the tunnel of fish.


    Mady didn¡¯t seem to notice, going on about the different species of rays and sharks that were swimming above us. I began to look through my purse, wondering if I had forgotten something.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± She asked me, stopping in the middle of a sentence about bull sharks being able to survive in freshwater.


    ¡°I have a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach.¡±


    Her eyebrows furrowed as she pulled me out of the way of thetour group that was passing by.


    ¡°What do you mean? Do you feel sick?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Not exactly, more like I¡¯ve forgotten something.¡±


    Mady thought hard for a moment before she spoke.


    ¡°I mean, you did forget your toothpaste at home.¡± I shook my head again.


    ¡°Did you get your card back from the guy who we bought the tickets from?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Did you make sure that you didn¡¯t leave your phone in the hotel room?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, nodding.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already thought of all of that.¡± She hummed.


    ¡°Did you leave your keycard at the hotel?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t remember.


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s it,¡± I said, sighing.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal,¡± Mady said. ¡°I brought mine so we aren¡¯t locked out.¡±


    As we continued our stroll through the aquarium, I came to the conclusion that the feeling in my stomach wasn¡¯t there because I left my keycard in the hotel room. The feeling slowly came to hover over me like a rain cloud and I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling


    that something was about to happen.


    We finished our tour of the aquarium and walked back out into the main lobby.


    ¡°Want to grab some lunch while we¡¯re here?¡± Mady asked.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re just hungry?¡±


    I nodded, still trying to shake the unexinable feeling. ¡°Oh look,¡± Mady said, nodding over my shoulder. ¡°We should walk through the casino.¡±


    I turned to see the casino¡¯s shing lights that loomed over the entrance.


    ¡°Sure.¡± I said, turning to walk in that direction.


    As we walked in, I noticed the number of people walking in was far greater than the number of those who were leaving.


    Once inside, the music and lights were enough to distract anyone from their problems. The sensory overload I experienced was almost enough to make


    me forget about the weird feeling I had walking in.


    Maybe that was the appeal.


    As we walked around, I noticed all the girls in short, shimmery dresses and men in cheap, ill-fitting suits. Scattered around were also people who were clearly tourists withnyards hanging around their necks and ¡®I heart Vegas¡¯ t-shirts.


    Mady and I stopped at the end of a long row of slot machines that were dinging and shing lights in their user¡¯s faces.


    ¡°Wanna y?¡± Mady asked me.


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough money to be feeding it so freely into those machines.


    Madyughed, nodding her head in agreement.


    ¡°Well,¡± she said. ¡°We came, we saw and we conquered. Wanna go get lunch?¡±


    I nodded as I turned to follow her out.


    As I did so, a loud crash echoed throughout the room followed by the sound of screaming.


    Mady and I both turned around to see a crowd of people rushing towards us. Her and I both exchanged a look of surprise before we turned to make a dash for the exit.


    As we got closer, I noticed the men who stood at the entrance, blocking anyone froming in or going out.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± I heard Mady mutter under her breath.


    Repetitive sounds of crashing and mechanical failure began to echo around the room, although I couldn¡¯t determine which direction it wasing from. Over the sound of the machines whirring and people screaming, I noticed that the music, which had been ying when we walked in, had stopped.


    People were now piling forward, trying their hardest to leave and escape.


    ¡°There has to be more than one way out,¡± I said to Mady. ¡°Start looking for a fire escape.¡±


    Her and I pushed our way back through the crowd, our eyes straining to find a red-glowing exit sign along the walls around us.


    As we passed those who were still running up to the entrance, I caught parts of their frenzied conversations:


    ¡°They¡¯re looking for someone¡­¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s the feds.¡±


    ¡°Did you see that guy? He threw the roulette wheel into the ckjack table!¡±


    Mady and I exchanged looks as we both heard what thest woman saidHad Bruce Banner lost his bets and turned into the Hulk?


    Mady and I stood out from the crowds because of the direction that we were walking. If we were trying to be inconspicuous, we were failing miserably.


    ¡°Look!¡± she said, pointing to an exit near the back of the room.


    ¡°There¡¯s a door.¡±


    I nodded and began to follow her as she ran towards it.


    ¡°Wait, Mady!¡±Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    I grabbed her by the back of her shirt and yanked her


    backwards so that she was standing next to me, behind a slot machine.


    At the moment we were hidden, a group of three men walked past.


    ¡°He said the scent wasing from here,¡± one of them said. ¡°No one leaves until we find her.¡±


    I looked at Mady only to see she was already looking at me.


    ¡°He said ¡®scent¡¯,¡± she noted quietly. ¡°They aren¡¯t feds.¡±


    I shook my head, still trying to make sense of it.


    ¡°He also said ¡®she¡¯.¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Who on earth could they be looking for?¡± I just shrugged, feeling uneasy about it all.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    Mady nodded in agreement as we came out of our hiding ce.


    Ducking down so no one could see us, we quickly ran between slot machines and card tables, trying our hardest to make it to the exit door before someone saw us. Just as we were a few feet away, Mady¡¯s phone began to ring I felt my heart stop as I turned to see she was frantically searching for it in her purse.


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Who keeps their ringer on?!¡± I asked incredulously.


    I looked over her shoulder to see that a few heads had turned. We had been spotted. ¡°Forget about it,¡± I said quickly.


    I turned around and ran as hard as I could towards the exit door, a fire rm ring as I pushed it open.


    Nearly blinded by the sunlight as I realized we were outside, it took me a few moments to figure out where I was going next.


    Mady was close behind me as I took off running into the street. I could hear the men yelling behind us, telling us to stop.


    ¡°We need to lose them!¡± Mady yelled.


    Well, duh, I thought.


    ¡°Find a pool or a fountain.¡± I told her as we rounded a corner. I thought that maybe the water would help cover our scent for long enough to throw the men off our trail.


    ¡°We need to get to the front of the hotel.¡± I said, remembering the fountain that I saw there earlier that morning. Hoping the crowd of people was an adequate temporary cover for us, I began to start to run in the direction I thought would lead us to the front as Mady followed.


    She had finally fished her phone out of her purse and she groaned.


    ¡°It was my dad,¡± she said, holding the phone up to her ear to call him back.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Now is not the time to return missed calls.¡±


    Once we were in front of the hotel. I turned to see that the men who were following us couldn¡¯t find where we had gone.


    Likely, our scent had been slightly covered by the crowd of people around us. They were looking around quickly and I knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before they caught it again.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Mady yelled into the phone. ¡°We need you toe and get us.¡±


    Her breathing was short and panicked as she argued with him, telling him that she had no time to exin. She looked around as she tried to figure out where we were exactly.


    ¡°Mady! Over here.¡±


    I waved her over to the bushes, palm trees and other foliage that surrounded therge fountain. We ducked under the cover of the leaves, receiving weird looks from everyone around us. Thankfully, we seemed to be hidden from the sight of the men


    who had been following us.


    I tugged her along, pulling her over to the fountain.


    ¡°We¡¯re at the fountain in front of Mandy Bay,¡± she said.


    ¡°Pick us up here.¡±I pointed to the fountain as a confused look crossed her face.


    ¡°Wait, what happened?¡± she asked, putting her finger to her other ear so she could hear her father better.


    I frantically pointed to the fountain as she tried to figure out exactly what she was hearing.


    ¡°Your scent,¡± I told her. ¡°They¡¯re going to find us.¡±


    She swatted my hand away as I tried to pull her forward. I looked behind us to see that our pursuers were standing right in front of us, the only thing separating us was the bushes.


    Turning around, I gave Mady a quick shove and watched as she toppled over into the fountain.


    I quickly followed, making sure topletely submerse myself under the water.


    Thankfully, Mady was smart enough not to scream at me as she resurfaced. She only red and began to shake the water from her phone. I motioned for her to get down as I watched the shadows that still lingered in front of the nts that acted as our cover.


    Several agonizing moments went by as we waited for the men to leave. When they finally did, I let out a long sigh of relief.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t done talking before you decided to send me swimming,¡± she said. ¡°But something happened in their meeting this morning.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear what it was?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m hoping that he heard where I told him we were,¡± she said.


    ¡°I have a feeling that we should be more scared of hotel security than we should those men who were following us.¡± I nodded, realizing that the two of us were going to jail if we were caught in the fountain.


    We climbed out and cautiously made our way out of the bushes, the both of us soaking wet with our clothes clinging to us.


    I tried to ignore the judgmental gazes that we received as I looked around for my father¡¯s truck.


    A few minutes went by before the truck rolled around the corner, pulling into the firene. My father had barely put the car into park before Mady and I were climbing into the back seat.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± both fathers asked simultaneously.


    Mady and I nodded.


    As we began to drive away, I looked for the right words to say. My nerves were shot.


    ¡°We got chased out of the casino,¡± Mady said, still breathing heavy. ¡°I think I need an inhaler.


    ¡°Who were you chased by?¡± her father asked with a serious expression.


    She just shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know who they were. I thought they were security guards at first


    My eyebrows furrowed as I heard her say the words ¡®security guards¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I recognized one of them.¡± I said.


    ¡°He was standing outside our hotelst night when we got back from dinner. I thought he was part of a security detail.¡±


    ¡°He likely was,¡± Mr. Reid said. ¡°He was probably with another Alpha that we were supposed to be meeting with.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Mady asked.


    My father sighed. ¡°Luca Ronan.¡±


    I felt my evebrows furrow. ¡°Who is that? I¡¯ve never heard of him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an Alpha of a few packs up north in Montana.¡±


    ¡°A few packs? He has more than one?¡± Mady asked.


    ¡°Well, technically just one now¡± her dad replied. ¡°He has continually garnered more territory the longer he¡¯s been Alpha.


    ¡°More territory?¡± I asked. ¡°I thought there were guidelines that the Alphas followed that only allowed a certain poption of each pack.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what our meetings have been about this year,¡± my dad replied. ¡°He¡¯s not very cooperative and doesn¡¯t seem to understand that he¡¯s in vition of so many codes by continually taking over more and more territory.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s not to mention the number of Alphas, Betas and their families he¡¯s killed to get to where he is today,¡± Mady¡¯s dad added.


    ¡°Killed?¡± Mady asked, eyebrows raised.


    ¡°ughtered,¡± my father replied.


    ¡°In their own homes.¡±


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t shown up to thest few meetings,¡± Mady¡¯s dad said.


    ¡°We finally convinced him to attend this one. We didn¡¯t realize he was even here until this morning.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Mady said. ¡°Who was he looking for? Why would his security guards be chasing us?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t like it,¡± my dad said. ¡°We¡¯re leaving and going home. I¡¯m not staying here any longer.¡±


    ¡°Well we have to go back to the hotel, right?¡± I asked nervously.


    ¡°All of our things are there.¡±


    My dad shook his head. ¡°No, we¡¯re leaving everything. The less he has to track the two of you, the better.¡±


    ¡°But, Dad, my sketchbook¡­¡±


    ¡°Is just a hundred pages of bound paper,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you another one if that¡¯s what it takes.¡±


    I looked at Mady who frowned. She was the only one who understood what that sketchbook meant to me. I¡¯d had it since high school. I didn¡¯t say anything else as I leaned my wet head against the window and watched as the city whirled past us.


    Although I was happy to be safe, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that I had left something far more valuable than luggage in Las Vegas.

 CHAPTER 4

    Several silent hourster, we arrived back home in the dead of night. Neither of our fathers feltfortable with Mady and I going back to our townhouse, especially while it was unclear as to why we had caught the attention of a rival Alpha.


    Not wishing to cause any more trouble than necessary, we both agreed to stay with our parents until things smoothed over.


    We both returned to our townhouse to pack a bag, taking time to gather a few things. I made sure to cover my painting before carrying it out to the car where my father was waiting.


    Along with paint supplies, I grabbed an extra set of pajamas and clothes for a few days. I could only hope there was a spare toothbrush at my parents¡¯ house because mine was still in Las Vegas.


    I said goodbye to Mady as the two of us went our separate ways, promising to meet for coffee the next morning. When we got home, I said goodnight to my parents and went upstairs to my old bedroom.


    After what felt like an eternity ofying in the bed staring at the ceiling, I came to the conclusion that I wouldn¡¯t be sleeping that night. Especially since my mind was still reying the day on a continuous loop.


    I went downstairs to a dark house, not unusual since I presumed my parents had likely been sleeping for several hours at that point. After making myself a cup of tea, I went out onto the back patio to get some fresh air.


    Our back patio had a screened-in porch with afortable seating area where I found myself lounging on the couch that night, listening to the sound of rain falling against the roof and thunder rumbling off in the distance.


    A few minutes went by while I drank my tea and listened to the storm as it gathered over my head. I could hear crickets singing and frogs bellowing as rainwater puddled in the yard, gently sshing against the grass my father had cut only a few days


    earlier.


    I watched the sky above the trees off in the distance as lightning shed against the dark, puffy clouds.


    As the rain picked up and wind began to blow harder, I noticed that I could no longer hear the crickets and frogs. I finished drinking my tea and stood up from the couch to go back inside


    the house.


    Just before I could turn to open the backdoor, I watched a sharp sh of lightning stretch out across the sky. In the brief moment that it illuminated my backyard, I saw a man standing on the edge of the trees¡­ watching me.


    My heart stopped.


    Darkness surrounded me once again as the lightning drew back into the clouds. An eerie chill ran up my spine, sending goosebumps across my body.


    Turn around! Open the door and go inside!


    Despite my hand already being on the door, I couldn¡¯t muster up the strength to make my quivering fingers clench the handle and turn it. With the adrenaline coursing through me, I felt as though I had been struck by the lightning that shed overhead.


    As the backyard was illuminated yet again, my eye was drawn to the trees once more-only to see that the figure I¡¯d seen was no longer there. I felt a tinge of relief before I heard the sound of puddles and mud being squished under feet.


    He was walking closer towards the house.


    Open the door, you idiot!


    Holding my breath, I listened to the sound of footfallsing up the wooden steps of the deck. They were slow and calcted. I tried to determine if I had enough time to make it into the house before they reached the patio door.


    By now, I had taken a few steps forward to look out into the yard. I was several feet from the backdoor.


    Do I risk the loss of time by running inside the house or do I take what time I have to lock the patio door? Do I hide or fight?


    Before I could make a decision, time was up.


    In bother sh of lightning, I saw the towering shape of a man standing in the patio doorway and I found myself frozen in ce, paralyzed by fear.


    Neither of us moved.


    He was close enough that I could see his shadowy outline even after the sh of light was gone.


    Suddenly, almost quicker than I could register his movements, he stepped towards me and I did the only thing I could think to do in that moment: throw the mug.


    He side-stepped the throw and the ceramic cup shattered against the wooden support beam behind him. Seizing this moment of distraction, I turned and ran.


    My hand had barely touched the door handle before an arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back.


    Panicking, I jumped up and back against the rain-soaked body of the man behind me-forcefully pushing myself backwards, leveraging my feet against the side of the house.


    Clearly such force had not been anticipated by my attacker and he stumbled backwards,nding on the couch I had just been sitting on.


    I wrestled my way out of his arms andnded on the hard patio floor next to the couch. Trying as fast as I could to get away, stumbled only a few feet before I felt his hand on my ankle pulling me back to the ground.


    A sudden shockwave sent me rigid as Inded hard on the floor.


    What was that?


    He crawled over me as I tried to wrestle my way out of his grip again, this time to no avail.


    Pinning me to the ground, he sat on my lower torso and held my wrists in one hand and stifled my scream with the other.


    I realized quickly that he wasn¡¯t trying to crush me with the full weight of his body, instead he was merely holding me down by constricting my movements. He was hardly trying and I was giving it everything I had.


    I¡¯m sure I looked as pathetic as I felt.


    It wasn¡¯t until I stopped struggling that I felt the sparks crawling over my body, originating from his grip on my wrists and hand over my mouth. I felt like I was being electrocuted.


    It was as if every neuron in my body was firing off violently; I couldn¡¯t tell if I enjoyed the sensation or if I despised it


    ¡°I know you feel that,¡± he said with a deep voice, ¡°and I know that you know what it means.¡±


    When he spoke those words, I realized that I had been so blinded by fear that I ignored the telling symptoms of a life-long illness I was destined to suffer from¡­


    The heightened senses.


    The palpitating heart rhythm.


    The shortness of breath.


    The tingles that danced across my skin when he touched me. They all added up to one thing.


    ¡°If I take my hand off your mouth, promise me you won¡¯t scream.¡±


    When I did nothing to acknowledge him, he sighed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think your father would enjoy knowing another Alpha was on hisnd, much less one like me. You screaming will draw his attention and create many more problems than it would solve. I don¡¯t think you want that, so it¡¯s in your best interest to


    keep quiet.¡±


    Alpha?


    He slowly took his hand off of my mouth.


    I stared up at him as lightning shed across the room, barely catching a glimpse of his face.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked, my voice shaking.


    ¡°Yours.¡±


    Mine.


    The man hovering over me was my mate. Thunder echoed outside the patio. Despite the situation, I found myself rxing under him He let go of my wrists and sighed as he pulled himself off of me.


    I watched him kneel on the ground next to where Iy, keeping a hand on the other side of my body as if he were still unsure of whether I would try to flee.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You first,¡± I said, sitting up. I was still breathing heavy from both the encounter and the exertion.


    ¡°Luca,¡± he answered. ¡°Luca Ronan.¡±


    He must have noticed my expression as I registered his name and what it meant.


    Immediately, I remembered the things my father had said of him the day before.


    I stood up and Luca did as well.


    ¡°You know who I am,¡± he presumed.


    I nodded slowly, my eyes darting to the backdoor.


    ¡°Your reputation precedes you.¡±


    He reached out, his fingers barely touching my face before I flinched away from his raised hand.


    His jaw clenched.


    To my surprise, he reached out with both hands and held my face, gently turning my attention to him.


    ¡°My hands are for your protection and your pleasure only,¡± he said sincerely. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare believe that I would use them to harm you.¡±


    You did just tackle me to the ground, I wanted to say.


    ¡°You should go,¡± I told him, backing away. ¡°You¡¯re right about my father, he wouldn¡¯t want you here.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Luca asked.


    I didn¡¯t answer him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll only leave under one condition,¡± he told me.


    Another bolt of lightning stretched across the sky, illuminating his sharp facial features. After the apanying rumble of thunder had passed, Luca spoke again.


    ¡°Come with me, amore mio.¡±


    I wanted to cringe at the pet name, but there was a part of me that desperately needed to hear him call me that again.


    My reply was quick.


    ¡°No,¡± I said firmly.


    ¡± I have two jobs that I work, I can¡¯t just leave. Besides, my family would disown me if I left our pack for another-especially yours.¡±


    ¡°You misunderstood me,¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask a question. I told you toe with me.¡±


    I scoffed.


    ¡°Forgive me for acting upon my rights of autonomy,¡± I told him, sarcasmcing every word.


    My eyes drifted over his shoulder again,nding on the backdoor. Luca followed my gaze and stepped back away from me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t have a choice here,¡± he said.


    ¡°You pick the door you walk through.¡±


    I began to walk towards the backdoor.


    ¡°Okay, I guess this is goodbye then,¡± I told him.


    Opening it, I walked through and turned to close and lock itbbehind me, leaving him to stand out on the patio. As I turned the corner to walk up the staircase, I leaned against the wall and ced my hand over my chest, feeling my heart race.


    Breathing deeply, I opened and clenched my fists to try and stop their nervous shaking.


    I turned around slowly to peer around the corner towards the backdoor.


    Luca had left the patio.


    My eyebrows furrowed.


    There was no way it was that easy.


    Not knowing what else to do, I felt an obligation to go and wake my father. He and Alpha Reid needed to know that Luca was on ournd.


    I slowly tiptoed up the staircase and walked down the hallway towards my parents¡¯ room. As I passed my bedroom, I noticed my curtains blowing violently


    in therge gusts of wind that blew through the room from the open window. Seeing the rain pour in, soaking my chair and bookcase that sat under the window, I hurried into the room to close it.


    I tugged and pulled at the top of the windowpane, tryingbdesperately to pull it down but it was jammed. The window shut suddenly, sending me off bnce as I had put all of my weight into closing it.


    I felt a hand grab my waist to steady me and I immediately turned around.


    Luca stood behind me, his rain-drenched body close to mine. I gulped.


    ¡°Wrong choice.¡±


    Before I could reply, I looked down at his feet and noticed his  muddy shoes.


    ¡°Oh my God!¡± I whispered harshly. ¡°You¡¯re getting footprints all over my carpet!¡±


    I reached over to turn on themp that sat next to my bed, gasping as it illuminated the mud that was trailed across my room where Luca had walkedAll content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What the hell is the matter with you¡ª¡±


    I looked up to see an incredulous look stered on Luca¡¯s face, stopping short in the middle of my sentence as I took in his features that were now fully visible in the glow of mymp.


    Luca¡¯s disheveled and damp obsidian-ck hair fell in his face, falling just short of slightly arched eyebrows that gave him a stern and focused expression. His eyes were a pale green that reminded me of sea ss; a sharp and piercing gaze made me


    lean away, feeling as though I would melt under its intensity.


    High cheekbones and an angr jaw that was perfectly framed by darkened stubble made for striking facial features that added to his steely demeanor. His golden, honey-toned skin gleamed


    with rainwater that rolled down his toned arms and off his tingertips.


    A gray, rain-drenched t-shirt clung tight to his broad shoulders and lean, muscr torso.


    Damn, girl. Breathe.


    I hadpletely lost my train of thought.


    ¡°You can ogle meter, amore,¡± Luca said, his voice deep and toneced with amusement.


    ¡°Right now, we need to leave.¡± There it was again.


    If he kept calling me that, I knew that I wouldn¡¯t be able to put up much more of a fight. I closed my eyes and shook my head, a desperate attempt to rid


    myself of the perverse thoughts that were running through my mind.


    ¡°I, um¡­ I can¡¯t leave,¡± I said, finally opening my eyes.


    ¡°I already told you that.¡±


    Drawing in a deep breath, Luca reached out and pulled back my curtain.


    ¡°Do you see that truck out there?¡± he asked, gesturing to thebbrand-new ck pickup truck that sat in the road at the end of my driveway.


    I nodded slowly, anticipating his next words.


    ¡°You have five minutes to decide whether you getting in that truck is a voluntary or involuntary decision on your part.¡±


    Luca turned back to me.


    ¡°I suggest you use those five minutes to pack a bag.¡±


    Before I could say another word of protest, I heard the creak of an opening door. Luca and I both turned to see my father walk down the hallway, stopping just as he passed my room.


    Seeing Luca and I, his expression morphed from one of shock to one of anger.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing here, Ronan?¡±


    He looked at me, making sure I wasn¡¯t hurt.


    I nodded slowly, letting him know I was okay.


    ¡°Get away from my daughter and out of my house,¡± he growled, bstepping into the room.


    ¡°She¡¯s my mate,¡± Luca said.


    A bolt of lightning shed through my window and was immediately followed by a crack of thunder that made the floor beneath my feet quake.


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving this room without her.¡±


    My father looked back to me and I let my gaze fall to the ground, unable to stand the disappointment on his face.


    ¡°Over my dead body.¡±


    Luca turned to my father, his jaw clenched.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what it takes.¡±


    The two men squared their shoulders, eyes narrowing in on one another. I saw a momentary sh of fear in my father¡¯s eyes and I realized then that he knew he was about to get his ass handed to him.


    While my father was a Beta, Luca was an Alpha.


    Their titles alone determined the winner of the fight.


    Luca would kill him and my father knew it. When Luca took a step forward, I felt my heart drop to my feet.


    ¡°Stop. let out the breath I had been holding.


    ¡°Stop,¡± I repeated.


    I turned to look at my father.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving with him,¡± I said, feeling a knot form in the back of my throat. ¡°Please, just let us go so no one has to get hurt.¡±


    My father looked at me with eyebrows knit together in confusion. Even Luca seemed surprised


    ¡°Just let us go,¡± I said again, this time my voice barely above a whisper.


    When neither of them made another move, I leaned down and pulled out my suitcase that I had packed with clothes from my apartment and ced it on my bed.


    Quickly, I grabbed my backpack and threw in my paint supplies and went into the bathroom to toss in my toiletries as well.


    Sighing, I realized I still didn¡¯t have a damn toothbrush. I walked back into the room, the tension between Luca and my father still heavy.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± I said, throwing the backpack over one shoulder. Luca grabbed my suitcase from the bed and walked over. Noticing how I eyed the sheet-covered painting that was leaning


    against the wall, he grabbed that too.


    I turned to my father and stood on my tiptoes to hug him.


    ¡°Love you.¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon, okay?¡±


    He said nothing as I pulled away, still ring at Luca.


    I moved past him into the hallway to see my mother standing in her bedroom doorway, clutching her robe around her.


    Seeing her, I felt the tears that I had been so diligently holding back begin to fill my eyes.


    She looked over my shoulder and saw Luca leaving my bedroom and I saw the realization hit her. Whether she recognized Luca or pieced everything together, I didn¡¯t know.


    Reaching forward, she grabbed me and pulled me into a hug so tight that I felt the air leave my lungs.


    ¡°Please be careful.¡± she whispered into my ear.


    I gulped, nodding as she pulled away.


    ¡°I love you,¡± she said. ¡°Promise me that you¡¯ll call whenever you get where you¡¯re going so I know you¡¯re safe.¡±


    I nodded again, wiping the tears from my cheeks. ¡°I will.¡±


    I turned away from her and went down the staircase, trying to keep frompletely falling apart.


    Luca followed me into the foyer, watching as I opened the front door to the sheets of rain that were falling outside.


    Looking over my shoulder, I saw my parents standing at the bottom of the staircase, my mother trembling as tears fell and my father shaking with rage.


    Turning to Luca, I saw the determined expression he wore.


    ¡°Go,¡± he said, nudging me gently out the door. Letting out the breath I was holding, I stepped out into the rain. Luca followed me closely. I could hear his feet sshing on the sidewalk as we ran out onto the end of the driveway where his truck was waiting.


    He ran out in front of me and quickly opened the back door and put my painting and suitcase into the backseat. Running around the truck, he opened the passenger door for me.


    Just as I was about to climb in, I heard my father¡¯s voice calling out from the front porch.


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret this, Ronan!¡±


    I turned to look at Luca, whose attention was still on me. I could still hear my father¡¯s taunting as Luca nodded at me to get into the truck. He ced his hands on my waist to hoist me up into the seat.


    ¡°You won¡¯t get away with this!¡±


    Luca closed the door as I sat down, running around the truck to get in.


    He pressed the ignition and the truck roared to life. I pulled my backpack off of my shoulders and ced it at my bare feet.


    As we drove away, I looked out my window to see Mady¡¯s house as we drove past it. I wished then, more than anything else, that we had never gone to Las Vegas.


    Why did Luca Ronan have to be my mate?

 CHAPTER 5

    An eerie, early morning glow settled over the fog that fell on the acres of rolling farnds outside my window.


    We made it over the Oregon border into Washington after a few hours had passed and neither Luca nor myself had spoken a word.


    I kept my head turned towards the window for most of the ride so he couldn¡¯t see the slow, silent tears rolling down my cheeks. I already missed my family and Mady.


    There was also the issue of the fact that I was exceedingly ufortable-not just because I was somewhere I didn¡¯t want to be and alone with someone who I only knew to be a murderous tyrant, but also because my hair was still damp from the rain that had also soaked through my shirt and pajama pants.


    My bare feet were freezing, despite the heat being on in the truck. When Luca noticed me fidgeting ufortably in my seat, he sighed.


    ¡°We¡¯ll stop when we get to Spokane,¡± he said. ¡°You can change there.¡±


    I turned to look at him with eyes that were red and swollen from crying.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    He nced at me for a moment, his features softening, before turning back to look at the road in front of us.


    ¡°Montana,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Northern Montana. That¡¯s where my pack is. It¡¯s only about three hours from Spokane. We should get


    there sometime after lunch.¡±


    Luca drew in a deep breath before speaking again.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me your name, amore.¡± I let out a shaky sigh.


    ¡°Caroline ir. Evervone calls me Carrie.¡±


    I saw the corners of his mouth draw upwards in a slight smile.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, eyebrows furrowing.


    ¡°I like that.¡± he said.


    ¡°My name?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It suits you.¡±


    Well, here¡¯s hoping. I couldn¡¯t very well change it if it didn¡¯t. We were quiet for a few moments before Luca spoke again.


    ¡°Are you an artist?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to think so,¡± I mumbled, trying my hardest not to fall into the trap of conversation that he was setting.


    Luca startled me by reaching out in front of where I sat to open the glovepartment, pulling out a notebook. ¡°I¡¯m assuming this is yours, then?¡±


    I immediately recognized my sketchbook, gasping as I reached out and took it from his hands.


    ¡°I never thought I would see it again after I left it in Vegas.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you did,¡± he said.


    ¡°That¡¯s how I found you.¡±


    Luca reached over and flipped open the cover to reveal the ¡®if lost, please return to¡¯ box where my old address was written. ¡°Oh,¡± was all I could say.


    ¡°I picked up your scent back up at your hotel and I followed your address from there. The rest of your things are in the back as well.¡±


    I turned around to look into the backseat and see that mine and Mady¡¯s things we had taken to Vegas were sitting next to my suitcase.


    Thank God, I finally have my toothbrush.


    ¡°How did you find me in the first ce?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It was my Beta, actually,¡± he said.


    ¡°When he came back from dinner the night beforest, I could smell your scent on him. I asked him where he¡¯d been and we retraced his footsteps until


    wended back at the hotel. I thought it was just stuck to him at that point. But when we were leaving our hotel the next morning to go to the meetings, I picked up the scent again and we followed it to the Mandy Bay.¡±


    ¡°You were in the casino?¡±


    Luca shook his head. ¡°No, I was in the aquarium when they called to tell me that they had given chase to you and your friend, only to lose you soon after.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help the smirk that rose to my lips.


    ¡°I should congratte you on that,¡± he continued.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never known anyone to be able to sessfully evade my men like you and your friend did.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should tell them to block all exits before they start a keg-tossing contest with the slot machines next time,¡± I remarked.


    ¡°Noted.¡±


    We were silent for a few moments before I realized something. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I pick up on your scent?¡± I asked.


    I should have been able to if we had truly been that close in the Mandy Bay.


    ¡°Cedarwood and pine,¡± he answered simply. ¡°My men and I use it to help disguise our scents. I didn¡¯t want any of the other Alphas to know that we were in Vegas.¡±


    I sat in my seat quietly after that, digesting what Luca had said but also realizing that I failed at keeping my mouth shut and had fallen into his conversational trap.


    ¡°Are you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Look,¡± I said sharply, cutting him off, ¡°I appreciate that you¡¯re trying to be friendly now, but I shouldn¡¯t be talking to you.¡±


    I saw Luca¡¯s jaw clench.


    ¡°Amore, I am just trying¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop calling me that,¡± I interrupted again. ¡°I told you my name.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like my name for you?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say no. That would have been a downright lie. Instead, I leaned forward and turned on the radio. The sound of Steven Tyler¡¯s voice floating through the speakers interrupted whatever Luca had nned on saying next.


    We didn¡¯t speak for the rest of the drive.


    Once we had arrived in Spokane, I fished out a pair of tennis shoes from the bag I packed for Vegas and went inside the gas station, finding a bathroom to change in while Luca was filling his truck¡¯s tank.


    It felt great to get out of my damp pajamas and into clean, dry clothes.


    I brushed my hair and pulled it back out of my face into a ponytail.


    Luca was browsing the aisles looking for snack food whenever he looked up and saw me emerging from the bathroom. ¡°Hungry?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    I passed him and returned to the truck, ignoring my growling stomach as I did so.


    A few minutester, Luca walked out of the gas station with a stic bag that was full of food and drinks.


    As he got into the truck, he put the bag on the floor at my feet.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what you liked so I got an assortment.¡±


    ¡°I told you that I wasn¡¯t hungry.¡±


    ¡°No, you lied and said you weren¡¯t hungry. You¡¯ve been awake for hours and haven¡¯t eaten anything. I¡¯m not an idiot.¡±


    When I didn¡¯t say anything, Luca sighed and leaned forward to hit ignition button.


    ¡°We can stop somewhere if you don¡¯t want what¡¯s in the bag,¡± he offered as the truck¡¯s engine started.


    Stop trying to be nice, I thought. You¡¯re making this so much harder.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, ¡°but I¡¯m okay.¡±


    Luca didn¡¯t press any further as he drove away from the gas station and got back on the highway.


    ¡°How long am I going to have to deal with the cold shoulder?¡± he asked, ncing at me.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a little early in the rtionship for the silent treatment.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s also a little early in the rtionship for me to be living with you,¡± I countered.


    ¡°We¡¯re mates,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°This ispletely normal.¡±


    ¡°You just stole me away from my family, my job and my home against my will,¡± I said, counting his sins on my fingers.


    ¡°That¡¯s not normal.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound like I kidnapped you. You told your father you wereing with me and you packed your bags and got into the car yourself. I didn¡¯t force you to do any of that.¡±


    ¡°You were going to kill my dad if I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t have much of a choice,¡± I said.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    He sighed. ¡°I have over five-thousand people in my pack, amore. I can¡¯t just abandon my duties as an Alpha to stay in Oregon with you.¡±


    ¡°No one said you had to stay with me.¡±


    ¡°You expect me to have met you and then left?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Suddenly, Luca veered off the road and pulled over to the side of the highway, stopping in the gravel that lined the shoulder. He turned to me, putting a hand behind the headrest of my seat.


    ¡°You and I both know that I couldn¡¯t have left you there, not even if I had wanted to,¡± he argued. ¡°So, I¡¯d appreciate it if you would stop pretending that what I did waspletely uncalled for and unexpected.¡±


    ¡°You act like you need me to survive.¡± I said. ¡°You don¡¯t even know me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my mate,¡± he argued.


    ¡°I do need you.¡±


    ¡°I apologize, but the feeling isn¡¯t mutual.¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re treating me like this,¡± he said honestly.


    ¡°I thought everyone looked forward to meeting their mate.¡±


    ¡°I looked forward to getting swept off my feet by Prince Charming, not getting my legs knocked out from under me by a man who murders women and children.¡±


    ¡°Murders women and children?¡± Luca repeated incredulously.


    ¡°I¡¯ve neverid a hand on a woman, much less a child. Who the hell told you that?¡±


    ¡°But you have killed people,¡± I said pointedly, ignoring hisst question.


    ¡°Only men who would have killed me and those in my pack if given the chance.¡±


    We were quiet for a few moments before Luca spoke again.


    ¡°Is that what this is about? You¡¯re afraid of me?¡±


    When I didn¡¯t answer him, Luca¡¯s hand moved from behind me to gently grab my jaw. Turning me to face him, he looked so deeply into my eyes I wondered for a moment if he could read my thoughts.


    ¡°I promise to you that I would never hurt you, amore.¡±


    I had never been so simultaneously turned on and also ready to cry as I was in that moment. He let go of my face just as I thought I was going to puke from all


    the butterflies that I felt in my stomach.


    When Luca turned away from me, I finally found the breath that had escaped my lungs. My heart rate, however, was still erratic. His attention returned to the empty highway in front of us and we were soon back on our way to Montana.


    As the trees and forests around us grew thicker, the tension between the Luca and I seemed to dissipate with the silence. I eventually caved in and grabbed a water bottle and Snickers bar from the bag of junk food Luca had purchased from the gas station.


    A few hours went by before Luca reached down to grab his phone from the cup holder where it sat. Picking it up, he dialed a number before holding the phone to his ear.


    ¡°Lincoln, I¡¯m about thirty minutes away. I¡¯m going to drop a cell phone off at the watchtower for you to connect to a VPN.¡±


    Luca looked at me briefly as he listened to the voice on the other side of the call.


    ¡°Will do.¡± With that said, he hung up.


    ¡°You need to turn off your phone,¡± he said, cing his back into the cupholder.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, despite already reaching into my backpack to pull my phone out.


    As soon as the power had been turned off, Luca reached out and I warily handed him my phone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone to be able to track you here,¡± he said, cing my phone next to his.


    ¡°I¡¯ll order you a new phone tonight, but for now I¡¯m getting one of my men to connect your phone to a VPN so it¡¯s untraceable.¡±


    My eyebrows furrowed. ¡°I had to show my dad how to download a pdf from his emailsst week; I very much doubt that he knows how to trace my phone.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just precautionary.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t long after this that Luca got off the highway and began to drive on a private, unmarked road towards a dense forest.


    When we drove a little way into the tree line, we came across arge, ck gate. It was every bit of twenty feet tall and a matching ck steel fence stretched out from its corners and disappeared into the trees that lined the road.


    ¡°Wee to Pack Possente Lupo,¡± Luca said, a tinge of relief in his voice.


    Before I could say anything, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and turned to see a man walk around the other side of the fence. He was dressed in all ck with a ker vest buckled over his shoulders and chest.


    I pretended not to notice the knife strapped to his outer thigh and the gun that was holstered at his belt.


    Immediately recognizing Luca, the man pulled back the gate so that we could drive through. As we drove past, I noticed a woman who stood on the other side


    of the road that was simrly dressed. She watched us as we drove by. Her grip was tight on the assault rifle she held close to her chest.


    ¡°Are you running a prison camp?¡± I asked incredulously.


    ¡°They¡¯re only there to keep people out,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°Pack members are free toe and go as they please outside curfew hours.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows.


    ¡°You ced a curfew on your pack?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s from dusk until dawn and it only applies to those that live within the borders,¡± he defended. ¡°Car inspections and identification checks are executed more effectively in the daylight.¡±


    Definitely running a prison camp, I thought.


    We drove down an unmarked road for a few miles, passing several regr-looking suburban homes as we did so. Everything looked so normal, like a regr neighborhood. It wasn¡¯t the barbed wire fences and concrete buildings I had expected.


    I looked over to Luca.


    Maybe not all of my preconceived notions about the man sitting next to me were true.

 CHAPTER 6

    After driving around for a few minutes, we stopped next to a water tower that was so tall it peaked over the tops of the trees around us.


    A man was standing under a tree at the base of the tower, waiting for us. He was tall and of an athletic build. His skin, a rich shade of brown, was a stark contrast to the white t-shirt he wore. His shirt was tucked into cargo pants, which were held at the waist by a thick belt that holstered a gun. Hair shaved to his scalp, I could immediately tell he was of the no-nonsense types.


    Luca drove up next to him and rolled down his window to hand him my phone.


    ¡°Carrie, this is Lincoln,¡± Luca introduced.


    I smiled and he nodded curtly.


    Never saying a word, Lincoln took the phone from Luca and turned to walk back towards the tower. He opened a door at the base of it and went inside.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°He works inside a water tower?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a water tower, it¡¯s an office. He¡¯s my chief officer of information and technology. He runs a team out of IT guys out of the tower in addition to the pack¡¯s main security crew. Lincoln¡¯s one of the smartest men I know,¡± hemented.


    I looked up to see a few men walking along an observation ramp that sat on top of the tower. They looked to be surveilling everything that fell beneath and around the tower.


    ¡°Not everything is what it seems here,¡± Luca said.


    I looked at him warily, trying to decipher the ominous meaning of his words.


    After we left the water tower, Luca turned onto a narrow road and drove down a hill to another gated entrance.


    He rolled down his window once more to reach out and type a PIN number in against a small ss panel that was jutting out from a tree next to the road.


    The panel turned green and the gate in front of us slid backward, allowing us to continue down the narrow road.


    He drove up to a clearing where arge cabin sat on the edge of a stunning blueke. It overlooked the expanse of water and the range of mountains in the distance.


    He circled the driveway to the four-car garage that was attached to the house by a breezeway. Luca pressed a button on a remote that was clipped to his car visor and one of the garage doors opened.


    Once parked inside, Luca unbuckled and got out of the truck. I followed, not knowing what else to do.


    As I got out and grabbed my backpack, I noticed the two other cars in the garage.


    One was a charcoal gray Jeep with a canvas roof and tires bigger than I was. The other was seemingly some kind of sports car. I couldn¡¯t make out what it was because it was concealed by a fitted car cover.


    On the other side of the garage were a pair of four-wheelers, a dirt bike, and a four-seater go-cart that looked like it was made for off-roading.


    I couldn¡¯t help but be somewhat impressed by Luca¡¯s collection of vehicles. However, I did wonder what was under the dust cover.


    Walking out of the garage, I came to stand in front of the grand mountain home that I assumed belonged to Luca.


    ¡°Wee to my humble abode,¡± Luca said dryly, walking up behind me with my duffle bag and suitcase in his hands.


    There was nothing humble about the three-story lodge that sat in front of us. I nervously adjusted the backpack that was slung over my right shoulder, following Luca as we walked towards the house.


    Built from white sto and stone, it had thick wooden beams running along the exterior and supporting the front porch. Board and batten shutters framed the manyrge windows that were


    stered along the front of the house. Despite its cozy cabin feel, the grandiose size of the home made it seem much more intimidating than a simpleke house.


    As we walked along a stone path to the open breezeway that led to a side entrance, I couldn¡¯t help but notice how quiet it was.


    There were no neighboring homes in sight, not even the road was visible.


    His home was definitely in an isted part of the packnd.

 CHAPTER 7

    Luca used a PIN pad that was attached to his door handle to unlock the door before opening it and letting me walk past him. I noted it was the same four numbers that were used to open the gate.


    When I walked in, argeundry room was to my right with windows that overlooked the driveway. To my left was the entrance into a kitchen that was bigger than my old apartment.


    White cabs sat along the lower and upper part of the walls with a wide window along one wall where the sink was, letting in ample amounts of daylight. Arge soapstone-capped ind was sitting in the middle of the kitchen and was lined by six


    countertop chairs on one side.


    I had never been in a kitchen that big.


    Natural hardwood floors ran the length of the kitchen and into the dining area that it opened up to where a long wooden dining table was ced under a simple iron chandelier. To the right of the dining area was a circr staircase that led up to the second floor and down into the basement.


    Further on was the living room that boasted a fifty-foot cathedral ceiling and arge stone firece.


    I took off my backpack and ced it on the ground next to therge, leather sectional sofa.


    Walking around slowly, I stepped over to the right side of the room where several ss doors lined up against the wall to lead out onto a balcony that ran the length of the back of the house.


    From where I stood, I could see a bed swing and several other pieces of outdoor furniture that had been ced out on the covered deck.


    Luca brushed past me to carry my bags into a hallway past the firece. Out of curiosity, I followed him to a set of double doors that he opened to reveal a master suite.


    The first thing that caught my attention was the windows that made up the far wall behind the bed, showing off the view of theke and the mountains in the distance.


    ¡°This is your room,¡± I said presumptively.


    ¡°It¡¯s our room now, amore.¡±


    I gave Luca a side-eyed re as he said this, making himugh.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping in here with you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, you are.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    Luca crossed his arms. ¡°This isn¡¯t up for discussion.¡±


    ¡°No one said it had to be,¡± I argued.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be discussed. I¡¯ll sleep in a guest room.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a guest room,¡± he told me.


    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re telling me you only have one bedroom in a house this big?¡±


    When Luca faltered, I smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯Il sleep in a guest room,¡± I repeated.


    Before he could protest further, a doorbell rang.


    Luca and I walked back out into the living room where the front door was.


    Standing on the other side of the door was a familiar stranger. Luca opened the door to let him in and I immediately recognized his messy brown hair and tannedplexion.


    When we both saw each other, we froze.


    ¡°I know you!¡± we both blurted at the same time.


    ¡°You¡¯re the guy I ran into at the restaurant in Vegas,¡± I recalled aloud, shocked to see him again.


    He reached out to shake my hand.  ¡°I¡¯m Bates, Bates Thompson,¡± he said, introducing himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m Luca¡¯s Beta.¡±


    ¡°Carrie ir,¡± I said, shaking his hand.


    We both stood there somewhat stunned.


    ¡°I guess that exins it then,¡± Bates said, looking at Luca. My eyebrows furrowed and Bates hurried to rify.


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t figure out how l¡¯d gotten your scent on me that night,¡± Bates said.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ¡°Especially since I hadn¡¯t entertained thepany of any females, if you know what I mean.¡±


    He gave me an exaggerated wink, causing me to smile. Bates walked over to Luca and ced a hand on his shoulder.


    Looking around the room, he sighed.


    ¡°The day has finallye, dude,¡± he said.


    ¡°We have to say goodbye to the bachelor pad.¡±


    Luca shrugged off his hand, ring at Bates as he did so. I saw Bates¡¯ eyes widen before he turned to me.


    ¡°Not that we ever did anything bad as bachelors,¡± he said quickly. ¡°There were never strippers here or anything, we just yed video games and watched hockey.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow and Luca let out a long sigh.


    ¡°I think you should probably go,¡± he said to Bates.


    Bates looked at him with a confused expression.


    ¡°I just got here.¡±


    When Luca¡¯s hard stare persisted, Bates held his hands up in surrender.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll leave. I just came over to let you know that ine needed to push back tomorrow¡¯s meeting until Tuesday.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± Luca said in disbelief.


    ¡°ine already called to tell me that. You came over here because you¡¯re nosey.¡±


    Bates shrugged, shing me a yful wink.


    ¡°See you guyster!¡± he yelled out behind him as he walked out the front door. ¡°Oh! You should also probably wait until she¡¯s met the pack to start the baby-making, yeah?¡±


    Luca mmed the door shut before Bates could say anything else. I heard himughing to himself as he left the porch and walked out to the driveway where a red, door-less Jeep was parked.


    Luca turned to look at me, sighing as he did so.


    ¡°As you can tell, I¡¯m not really used to the silent treatment.¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Evident in more ways than one.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Luca asked.


    Instead of answering, I turned and walked over to one of the balcony doors and opened it to walk outside. I noticed then that the house was on a hill. While we were technically on the first floor, the backyard was a level below us.


    In the backyard was arge underground pool with an attached hot tub and waterfall. Below me, I could see a concrete patio where a fire pit was cemented into the ground, surrounded by more outdoor seating.


    ¡°Pool ess is downstairs in the game room,¡± Luca said, walking out behind me.


    ¡± Just in case you¡¯re interested in a swim.¡±


    I turned to look at him.


    ¡°Do you live by yourself?¡±


    He nodded, leaning against the railing beside me.


    ¡°Why do you have such a big house if it¡¯s only you?¡± I asked.


    Luca shrugged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess the size isn¡¯t really necessary now. I was just nning for the future when I built it.¡±


    ¡°You built this house?¡± I asked, my eyebrows raised.


    He nodded.


    ¡°Not by myself, of course.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± I admitted.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡±


    I nced over at Luca to see him looking at me intently.

 CHAPTER 8

    ¡°So what else do you do besides build houses and run a pack of over five thousand people?¡± I asked, backing away from both his gaze and the awkward tension.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for much else, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    We were both quiet for a moment before Luca cleared his throat awkwardly.


    ¡°Speaking of the pack, I have a few things I need to see to. You¡¯re more than wee to look around. If you need me, I¡¯ll be in the apartment that¡¯s over the garage. I typically utilize that space as an office.¡±


    I nodded quickly, d that I would get some time to myself.


    Luca walked back into the house and disappeared.


    Immediately, I felt like I could breathe normally again. I slumped into the couch that was beside me, trying to figure out what to do next.


    It wasn¡¯t long before I felt my eyelids begin to get heavy. As I tried to wake myself up, it urred to me that I had been awake for over twenty-four hours. I hadn¡¯t slept since our only night in Vegas.


    As soon as I came to this realization, I felt a wave of drowsiness rush over me. I managed to drag myself off the couch and back inside the house. Searching for a few minutes, I finally found a guest bedroom that was attached to the third-floor loft.


    I took my shoes off and pulled my hair out of a ponytail beforeying my head against the pillow.


    Only a few minutes had passed before I fell asleep.


    When I finally woke up, I felt even worse than I had before I slept. The sun had begun to set, leaving very little light toe through the bedroom windows.


    I sat up on the bed, unable to remember getting under the nket that I was now covered by. A headache pounded behind my eyes, leaving me to regret the nap I had taken. I couldn¡¯t tell if this had been the reason I¡¯d woken up, or if it was because of the hunger that rumbled in my stomach.


    I pushed back the nket to swing my legs over the side of the bed. I walked over to the door to walk downstairs, running into Luca on the staircase.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± he said, seeming surprised.


    ¡°I was justing to wake you. I went and picked up dinner.¡±


    My stomach rumbled again as he said this.


    ¡°I¡¯m starving,¡± I admitted, beginning to follow him back down the staircase.


    He led me into the kitchen where a white bag was sitting on the countertop.


    ¡°I hope you like barbecue.¡±


    Nodding, I took a seat behind the counter as Luca pulled out two styrofoam trays and a white paper bag.


    He ced one tray in front of me and the other tray in front of the chair next to me. ¡°I hope you¡¯re okay with potatoes and green beans,¡± he said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what sides you would like so I let the woman at the restaurant make your te.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine,¡± I assured him quickly.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Luca opened the drawer behind him and pulled out two forks. cing them down beside me, he walked to the refrigerator.


    ¡°Drink?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Water is fine.¡±


    Luca reached in the cab next to the refrigerator and pulled out two sses. He filled them each with ice and water from the refrigerator before walking back over to the counter.


    I thanked him for the drink as he handed me my ss and took a seat next to me.


    What began as a small sip of water turned into a gulp and then, before I realized it, I had finished the entire ss in one go.


    Luca looked at me warily as I ced the empty ss on the counter.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize how thirsty I was,¡± I said sheepishly, getting out of my chair to refill the cup. Once I had done so, I drank the entire ss again and refilled it


    before returning to my seat.


    ¡°Did you sleep well upstairs?¡± He asked me.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I lied, shoveling a forkful of green beans in my mouth.


    When Luca didn¡¯t say anything, I wondered if he saw right through it.


    I hadn¡¯t slept well.


    I was sure I looked like garbage with my dark


    under-eye circles and messy hair. My voice was groggy and shallow. I was terribly sleep-deprived and there was no denying it.


    I could feel myself getting sick from it, too.


    My body was overly warm and shaky. The back of my throat was so dry that I knew it would take several more sses of water to aid the scratchiness.


    With the added stress of the past two days, I knew I was getting sick. I nced down at the food in front of me. I desperately wanted to eat it. It looked delicious and smelt divine.


    But I suddenly felt like I was going to throw up.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Luca asked.


    I shook my head slowly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel very good,¡± I said honestly.


    ¡°I think I need to go back to bed.¡±


    I got out of my chair slowly and closed the styrofoam te. cing it in the refrigerator, I thanked Luca for getting it before heading back towards the staircase.


    ¡°Let me know if you need anything,¡± he said, watching me with concern.


    I nodded before walking upstairs, back to bed


    Falling asleep the second time wasn¡¯t nearly as easy as it had been the first time. I found myself sweating. I got out of the bed to turn on the ceiling fan. When that didn¡¯t help, I resorted to sleeping on top of


    the nkets.


    After what felt like hours of tossing and turning, I finally fell asleep.


    When I woke up a few hourster, I could have sworn I was on fire. My throat and stomach burned like I had swallowed hot coals.


    I was drenched in sweat. My clothes were stuck to my body. I felt my stomach lurch and I jumped off the bed, rushing to make it to the toilet in time. Once in the bathroom, I fell to my knees and puked.


    cing my hand over my forehead, I winced. I was burning up. Something wasn¡¯t right. When I was sure I wouldn¡¯t throw up again, I crawled from the


    bathroom-unable to find the strength to stand up.


    I was gasping for air as I pulled myself up to my feet, using the staircase railing to lean on.


    ¡°Luca.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I knew there was no way he heard my whisper from his bedroom, but I couldn¡¯t find the breath in my lungs to yell.


    ¡°Luca.¡±


    I was slightly louder that time.


    A few moments passed and I shook my head, feeling tearsing to my eyes. If I needed help, I was going to have to find a way down the stairs to get it.


    My body was shaking from the pain as I gingerly took a step down the staircase. I was so weak. I knew my knees would buckle under at any given second.


    Just as I was building up the strength to take another step, I heard a door open.


    ¡°Luca?¡±


    Footsteps bounded towards the staircase.


    I could have cried when I saw him making his way up the stairs. Concern etched on his face, he immediately reached out to hold me. I felt my whole body gopletely weak and I fell into his arms.


    ¡°Jesus, you¡¯re burning up,¡± he said, cing a hand on the side of my face.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m dying,¡± I whispered.


    Iid my head against his chest, unable to hold it up any longer.


    ¡°C¡¯mon,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯Il run you a cold bath, that will help.¡±


    I mourned his body when it pulled away. He tried to usher me forward on the staircase but I just shook my head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take another step.¡±


    Without any hesitation, Luca reached back out and lifted me off the stairs and into his arms. I immediately felt better as his strong arms wrapped around me. I closed my eyes, resting my head against his shoulder and lingering in the feeling of being held.


    He carried me into his bedroom and then through his bathroom door. Setting me down on the countertop of one of the two vanities, he walked over to start running the water in therge wfoot tub that sat between them.


    Luca helped me down off the counter and walked me over to the tub.


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking my clothes off if that¡¯s what you¡¯re waiting for,¡± I said.


    He let out a quietugh before picking me up and lifting me over the side of the tub to ce me in the water. I gasped and pulled myself back into his arms as he tried to lower me into the cold water.


    ¡°It¡¯s freezing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll help,¡± he assured, lowering me back down into the water.


    I gulped and gently let go, feeling the water rushing over my feet.


    After a moment, I began to feel a little better but not as good as I did while Luca held me.


    ¡°And?¡± He asked, gauging my reaction carefully.


    I nodded slowly, sshing the cold water on my legs and face. Another hot sh rolled over me and I whimpered, feeling all satisfaction of the cold water disappear.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Luca said, standing from beside me and leaving the bathroom.


    When he came back a few momentster, he carried arge cup filled with ice water. Luca handed me the cup and I drank the water quickly.


    He took the empty cup from my hands and began to pour the bathwater over my head, soaking my hair.


    With the next hot sh came a twist of my stomach and I doubled over.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to puke,¡± I warned.


    Luca stood up, grabbed me from the tub, and carried me over to the toilet where I threw up again, a puddle of bathwater pooling under my knees.


    He held my hair back out of my face as I puked.


    A few minutes went by and with them, came more hot shes. Each one made me feel progressively worse.


    I was on fire but chill bumps erupted across my skin and caused shivers. Luca carried me back over to the bath andid me down in the water. Wordlessly, he sat next to me for what felt like forever.


    Finally the sensations passed and I felt a little better.


    When I went to stand from the tub, Luca stood as well.


    He grabbed a towel and began to dry me off.


    I wanted to tell him that I was more than capable of doing this myself, but I couldn¡¯t find the energy to.


    ¡°Turn around,¡± I told him, taking the towel from his hands.


    Luca did as I told him and I stripped out of my clothes and wrapped myself in the towel.


    ¡°Do you want something to change into?¡± He asked me, turning back around.


    I nodded and followed him out to his room.


    When he went inside his closet, Iid down on his bed. I had already fallen asleep by the time he came out of the closet with something for me to wear.

 CHAPTER 9

    I woke up the next morning to the sound of birds singing. My eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the bright sunshine that seeped into the room from the windows behind the bed.


    A gentle breeze created by the ceiling fan softly brushed my hair into my face, causing a chill to sweep over me. I pulled theforter over my shoulders and sighed in contentment. My eyes opened again as I remembered what had happened.


    I had been in Heat.


    I hadn¡¯t realized it in the moment, likely because I was blinded by the sudden onset of pain. But I knew almost instinctively that¡¯s what had happened.


    Heat was rare-it urred only after twenty-four hours had gone by of mates meeting each other and not consummating their bond. Most people didn¡¯t make it to this point. The fact that Luca and I did, however, was probably due to our unfortunate and


    unusual introduction. I couldn¡¯t imagine sleeping with the guy right after he¡¯d kidnapped me, no matter how much I wanted to.


    I sat up in the bed.


    Feeling a cold breeze, I looked down to see that I waspletely naked. The towel I fell asleep in had fallen off at some point during my tossing and turning.


    Gulping, I pulled theforter back up to cover myself. As I did so, I noticed something on the floor beside the bed. I leaned over to see that Luca was sleeping on his back, partially covered by a nket with his head resting on a pillow.


    He looked so much more peaceful when he slept.


    Luca¡¯s sharp features were more rxed-lips parted slightly and a jaw that was free of tension. It took me a few moments to get over just how beautiful of a human being he was.


    Then it dawned on me that Luca hadn¡¯t gone into Heat. Heat wasn¡¯t gender discriminant. It happened to males and females alike, but only if you were sexually inexperienced I swallowed a knot in the back of my throat, realizing what this meant.


    There was a folded gray t-shirt on the nightstand next to the bed that I grabbed and threw over my head. I got out of the bed quietly and grabbed the towel that had be entangled in the sheets.


    I went into the bathroom and hung the towel up on a hook next to the shower, grabbing my dirty clothes from where theyy next to the bathtub.


    As I was leaving his room, I heard Luca stir. It was only a few moments after I shut his bedroom door that I heard it open again.


    He said my name and I froze, feeling a tug in my stomach hearing it tumble from his lips. I turned around and looked at him.


    Luca rubbed his eyes and ran a hand through his messy bed hair, still trying to wake up.


    ¡°Feel better?¡±


    I nodded.


    When I said nothing else, Luca¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he stared at me intently.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You didn¡¯t sleep well?¡±


    ¡°I only slept for three hours,¡± I said.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to wake up so early,¡± he told me.


    ¡°You could have slept longer.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything else as I turned to make my way up to my room to change out of his t-shirt,


    ¡°Do you want breakfast?¡±


    I stopped and turned around quickly to face him.


    ¡°Luca, I appreciate that you¡¯re trying to be nice and considerate now that I¡¯m here with you,¡± I said.


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that you forced me to be here. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like a little bit of space.¡±


    ¡°Space?¡± He repeated.


    ¡°I feel like that¡¯s all that I¡¯ve given you. I can¡¯t help that I needed you here.¡±


    ¡°But you could have helped it,¡± I interjected. ¡°You could have left me in Oregon. Instead, you were selfish and you¡¯ve dragged me here where I know absolutely no one.¡±


    I drew in a deep breath.


    ¡°I serve no purpose here.¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be a Luna,¡± he said defensively.


    ¡°That¡¯s a hell of a purpose.¡±


    ¡°Lunas are ornamental at best. It looks like you¡¯ve got on just fine here without one.¡±


    ¡°Does it not mean anything to you that you¡¯re my mate?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like you needed me in that regard either,¡± I said pointedly.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but notice you didn¡¯t go into Heatst


    night.¡±


    Luca¡¯s face fell, his expression turning somber.


    ¡°Well?¡± I asked after a few moments of silence.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have anything to add to that?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to have this conversation so soon after meeting you,¡± he admitted.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I shook my head before heading up the staircase.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Luca said, stopping me.


    As he came to stand at the bottom of the staircase, I could tell he was debating on whether or not to continue.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made a few mistakes,¡± he said slowly.


    ¡°A few?¡±


    Luca¡¯s jaw clenched.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be thirty in two years,¡± he defended.


    ¡°Most people meet their mate anytime after their eighteenth birthday or before their twenty-fifth birthday. I genuinely had begun to think that I didn¡¯t


    have a mate.¡±


    ¡°Everyone has a mate,¡± I told him.


    When he didn¡¯t say anything else, I sighed.


    ¡°I waited for you,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°How would you feel if I hadn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t like it.¡±


    Feeling as though I had proved my point, I continued up the staircase, went into the guest room and shut the door behind me.

 CHAPTER 10

    I sat down on the bed, my dirtyundry still in my hands. Thest time I¡¯d been on that bed, I had gotten off it to throw up. There was a simr feeling in my stomach at that moment.


    This rtionship is doomed, I thought.


    While there was a part of me that was extremely jealous that Luca hadn¡¯t waited for me to have sex for the first time, there was another part of me that sympathized with his reasoning.


    It was true that most people waited for their mate to have sex. It was rare toe across someone who didn¡¯t. But those people who I knew that didn¡¯t wait were those, like Luca, who didn¡¯t meet their mate until they were much older.


    My mother was one of them. She would always tell me that there was a nagging feeling in the back of her head that told her she would never meet her mate. I could imagine Luca probably heard the same voice.


    That was something to sympathize with.


    The more reasonable parts of me, however, understood why people waited for their mate


    After being around your mate¡¯s scent for twenty-four hours and not indulging the sexual desires that were elicited by the pheromones their scent produced, your body takes matters into its own hands and sends you into Heat.


    This is to physically urge you to be close to your mate and pull you into a more vulnerable state that will help lower inhibitions and lead you into sex with your mate. If it doesn¡¯t work the first time you go into Heat, your body will send you into Heat every full moon after that until you have sex with your mate.


    I had heard of people who met their mate shortly before their mate was killed that suffered through Heat for the rest of their lives because they were unable to consummate their bond. It was a miserable life that I couldn¡¯t imagine living, especially since Heat got worse and worse with each full moon.


    Heat doesn¡¯t ur in people who have already had sex because the body is unable to detect the difference in the hormones produced by sex with a mate and sex with someone else.


    In other words, you¡¯re immune to the pheromones released by your mate¡¯s scent because you¡¯ve experienced them before. The only problem with this is that those pheromones are necessary to build a strong bond between you and your mate.


    ording to my mother, my parents had a rough first few years together because of this. They had to work to build their affection for one another because they didn¡¯t have their mate bond to help.


    I didn¡¯t want to go through this with my mate, which is why I waited. Unfortunately, my mate hadn¡¯t shared the same sentiments.


    Instead of allowing myself to sit on the bed and wallow in self-pity, I made myself get up and change out of Luca¡¯s t-shirt. I brushed my teeth and hair, made the bed and straightened up the room before going back downstairs to get my canvas from Luca¡¯s truck.


    I needed time to think and painting was the best way to do that. When I came down the stairs, I saw Luca standing at his kitchen counter drinking coffee.


    ¡°I half expected you toe down with your bags packed,¡± he said honestly.


    ¡°Hitch-hiking back to Oregon isn¡¯t exactly safe,¡± I said.


    ¡°Besides, going into Heat every full moon for the rest of my life doesn¡¯t sound fun.¡±


    He turned to look at me, cing his coffee cup down on the countertop as he did so.


    ¡°Well, we could fuck on the kitchen table and I¡¯ll give you the keys to my truck when we¡¯re done. You¡¯ll be home before dark.¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It took me a moment to realize I had stopped breathing. ¡°Are you being serious?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Dead serious.¡±


    I thought about it for a moment, still trying to decipher the look on his face to see if he was simply flirting or actually being that blunt.


    ¡°As enticing as that sounds, I think l¡¯Il pass,¡± I said slowly.


    Luca shrugged, picking his coffee cup back up.


    ¡°Let me know if you change your mind.¡±


    It would have been hot if it weren¡¯t for the stone-cold look on his face when he¡¯d said it. Clearly, I¡¯d struck a nerve in our exchange on the staircase.


    Luca walked past me, his arm brushing mine as he did. I watched as he walked down the staircase into the basement, still drinking his coffee.


    As soon as he was out of sight, I left the kitchen and walked outside to the garage with my mind still spinning. My painting was still in the backseat of his truck, covered by the sheet.


    I grabbed it and started to shut the car door.


    As I was doing so, I caught a glimpse of the keys that wereying in the dashboard and I froze. Standing there for a few moments, I fought the urge to jump in


    the truck and flee.


    But there was something that stopped me.


    I felt as though I was tethered to that ce by an imaginary rope that would stop me from ever getting too far away from Luca again.


    As much as I hated to admit it, Luca was right: being separated would never be possible. I couldn¡¯t leave him in Montana any more than he could leave me in Oregon.


    Taking a deep breath, I shut the car door and carried the painting inside. Just outside my bedroom on the third floor was an open loft that overlooked the living room.


    It was an empty space with bare built-in bookshelves. I knew it would be a perfect ce to paint because of the ample natural lighting that flooded in through therge windows on either side


    of the room. I set up my canvas against the wall and went into my room to grab my paint supplies from my suitcase and a pillow to sit on.


    After getting a cup of water and a towel, I sat down to get to work.


    A few hours passed before my hands started to shake, making me realize just how hungry I was. I stopped painting and went downstairs to get my te of barbecue out of the fridge.


    The house was quiet, as it had been all day.


    There had been no sign of Luca since he¡¯d descended down into the basement that morning. I ate the leftovers quickly after warming them in the microwave.


    The problem was: I was still starving when I finished.


    Walking across the kitchen, I opened the butler¡¯s pantry to see mostly empty shelves. The only items in the pantry were a half-eaten bag of potato chips, two boxes of Pop-Tarts, and a cereal box.


    Is there a famine in Montana that I don¡¯t know about?


    I went to the refrigerator and the freezer to see simr remnants of junk food and bare shelves.


    What the hell does he eat?


    Deciding I couldn¡¯t live in a house with no food, I went upstairs to grab my wallet out of my backpack.


    There was still no sign of Luca as I put my shoes on, left the house and walked over to the garage where his truck was still parked. I got into the driver¡¯s seat and slid the seat forward almost the entire way before I could reach the pedals with my feet. Opening the garage door, I started the truck and put it in


    reverse.


    It had begun to rain as I pulled the truck out of the garage and drove down his driveway. The gate opened automatically and I turned out onto the empty street.


    Once I was able to remember my way back to the entrance, the guards let me out without question and I was out on the highway in no time, using the truck¡¯s GPS to find the nearest grocery store.


    Nearly three hourster, I returned to the pack with hundreds of dors in groceries that were all crammed into the back and passenger seat.


    Once again, the guards let me pass through the border gate without question.


    I somehow remembered my way back to Luca¡¯s house, even though it was dark out and the rain, which was falling heavier now, hindered the visibility out of the front windshield.


    I pulled into Luca¡¯s driveway and stopped next to the PIN pad. After I punched in the same number that I saw Luca use the day before, the gate opened


    The house was dark as I pulled up to it, the headlights of the truck illuminating the outside of the garage as I parked there and pressed a button on the remote to open the garage door.


    Nothing happened.


    I groaned as I pressed the button rapidly a few more times. The garage door still didn¡¯t move.


    Perfect.

 CHAPTER 11

    I nced around me at the grocery bags that I would have to carry inside in the pouring rain. Looping as many bags as I could around my arms, I took a deep breath before opening the car door and making a run towards the house.


    Thankfully, the door wasn¡¯t locked and I made my way inside to the kitchen with rtive ease. cing the bags on the countertop, I made another trip to the truck, running through sheets of rain that fell from the sky. After a few trips, the truck had beenpletely unloaded and I was soaked to the skin.


    As I wiped the rainwater from my face, the lights in the kitchen flickered off.


    ¡°Wonderful.¡± I mumbled.


    I looked out the kitchen window to see the trees outside swaying in the heavy wind. I could hear the pounding of rain against the side of the house as I stood there and listened to the storm.


    Beginning to take the groceries out of the bags, I blindly stocked the fridge and the pantry. As I emerged from the pantry, I saw the shadowy outline of Luca standing at the kitchen counter, looking at everything I¡¯d bought.


    ¡°How convenient that you decided to emerge from a dark corner after l¡¯d managed to get all the groceries inside by myself,¡± I said.


    ¡°I came upstairs to see why the power went out.¡±


    I hummed, walking past him to grab more items to put away.


    ¡°Why did you go get groceries?¡± He asked, his eyebrows furrowing as he eyed the box of strawberries in my hand.


    ¡°Believe it or not, most people don¡¯t live off of Hot Pockets, cereal, and Gatorade,¡± I said.


    Luca reached forward and grabbed the carton of milk from the countertop.


    ¡°You drink almond milk?¡± He asked, his nose scrunched in disgust.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t taste bad,¡± I said, taking it from him to put it into the fridge.


    ¡°Besides, it¡¯s good for you.¡±


    ¡°I wish you¡¯d told me you were going,¡± Luca said, walking over to a drawer that was in the ind.


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely fond of you leaving the packnd without me, much less without my knowledge.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an adult,¡± I said pointedly.


    Luca pulled an envelope out of the drawer and reached in to grab a folded stack of bills. When he reached out to hand it to me, I shook my head.


    ¡°Keep it,¡± I said.


    ¡°I have a feeling you won¡¯t eat most of this anyways.¡±


    I picked up a bagged head of lettuce and showed it to Luca, fighting the urge tough at the scowl he gave me. He put the cash back in the envelope and closed the drawer.


    ¡°Still,¡± he said, ¡°I would have liked to have known you were leaving. Something could have happened and I wouldn¡¯t have known. Especially with this weather.¡±


    The wind howled loudly outside as if it were trying to emphasize his point. The trees danced in the gusts of wind against the moonlight, casting eerie shadows along the kitchen floor. Rain pattered against the window, the sound echoing throughout the house.


    ¡°I think you would have missed your truck more than you missed me,¡± I countered.


    Luca walked slowly towards me, stepping into the filtered moonlight. I found myself taking a step backward, running into the countertop.


    Luca came to stand in front of me, cing his hands on the countertop behind me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t really think that, do you, amore?¡±


    There was something behind his eyes that rendered me speechless. Glowing green in the moonlight, I felt as if they could read every thought. As I began to squirm under the intensity of his gaze, my eyes dropped to his lips.


    Luca moved in closer and I found myself leaning into him. Short of breath and heart pounding in my chest, I tore my stare from his face. He lifted a hand and ced it on the side of my face to turn my gaze back to him; Luca¡¯s thumb trailing along my bottom lip as


    he did so.


    ¡°Tell me not to and I won¡¯t,¡± he whispered, his face dropping closer.


    Luca¡¯s nose brushed against mine and my eyes fluttered shut. He ced soft and feathery kisses on my cheek, along my jaw and down my neck. His lips were barely touching my skin, his warm breath fanning across the side of my face.


    I could almost feel his lips touching mine as they came to hover over my mouth, stopping there. I found myself on my tiptoes with my body pressed flush against his.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± Luca whispered.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    My eyes opened to see him studying my face.


    ¡°Say no,¡± he told me.


    ¡°If I do it, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to stop.¡± I fumbled to say anything, my breath still caught in the back of


    my throat.


    My gaze fell back to his lips longingly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± I admitted.


    Luca grabbed my jaw gently and leaned in to kiss me.


    My eyes had closed again before his lips even touched mine. When they did, my heart stopped.


    A few moments went by of our lips being pressed together before they parted, allowing the taste of his kiss to invade my mouth.


    Luca tried to pull away slowly but I caught his bottom lip between my teeth and tugged slightly, pulling him back. His hands dropped from my face as my arms wrapped around his neck and he lifted me onto the counter.


    Breaking away from my lips, Luca began to nt wet kisses along my jaw and neck. His hands found the bottom of my shirt before sliding underneath, his hands pressed against the rain-soaked skin.


    I grabbed his wrists as his hands moved up further, causing him to pause and pull away.


    ¡°You¡¯re sleeping in my bed tonight,¡± Luca said, breathing deeply.


    Seeing the look of apprehension on my face, he shed a smirk andughed softly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he assured me.


    ¡°I still have my spot on the floor.¡±

 CHAPTER 12

    I don¡¯t remember putting the rest of the groceries away. But, somehow, when I returned to my senses, I was standing alone in the kitchen with empty grocery bags in my hands and the power hade back on.


    I don¡¯t remember what else Luca had said to me before he walked away. I just remember watching his lips as they moved and recalling the way they felt pressed against mine.


    Even after the several minutes it had been since he¡¯d left the kitchen, the taste of Luca¡¯s mouth lingered on my tongue, leaving me longing for more.


    I found myself reminiscing about the feeling of his hands on my face, wishing he hadn¡¯t pulled away from me. The racing thoughts added weight behind the pull I felt towards Luca.


    The imaginary rope I felt tethered to earlier that day had just be shorter and now tugged me backward, forcing me into a test of strength and self-control. I wanted nothing more than to leap into his arms and let him kiss me for the entire rest of my existence.


    I knew that it was nothing more than the initial infatuation that came with a mate bond, but I couldn¡¯t have anticipated that it would be as strong as it was; especially given the previous choices Luca had made in his personal life that hindered our


    ability to bond significantly.


    Losing my first battle of willpower happened without me even realizing it: I didn¡¯t argue with Luca when he insisted that I would sleep in his bed that night.


    I didn¡¯t know why he insisted-although it wouldn¡¯t take a psychic to figure out-and I certainly didn¡¯t know why I willfully agreed so quickly. Almost robotically, I grabbed my things from upstairs and moved myself down to his bedroom, settling infortably on his bed while he showered.


    My fingers ran along the smooth, soft surface of the sheets. The cushion of the mattress beneath me cradled my body in a way that made me sleepy almost instantly.


    I had even pushed my own pillow to the side in favor of sleeping on one of the many feather pillows stacked on Luca¡¯s bed I was enveloped in his scent.


    You¡¯re not doing anything to help your self-control issue, I reminded myself.


    The bathroom door opened and I sat up to see Luca emerge, adorned in nothing but ck boxer briefs.


    Luca¡¯s damp hair hung over his eyes, barely covering the glint of mischief that lingered there as he watched mey eyes on his nearly naked body.


    His oliveplected, muscr build was nothing short of Herculean. An impressive set of pectoral muscles flexed across his chest as he closed the bathroom door. Even more impressive were the


    carved abs that stretched over his stomach and the taut Adonis belt that curved down his torso, disappearing into his boxers.


    I had to force my eyes back upward, refusing to be caught gawking any further down his body.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I admitted, looking him in the eyes.


    His eyebrows drew together in confusion, despite the knowing smile on his lips.


    ¡°You eat nothing but Pop-Tarts and cereal.¡±


    Luca let out a shortugh. ¡°Fast metabolism?¡± he offered.


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°You disgust me.¡±


    Luca feigned offense. ¡°No,¡± he said softly, walking closer. ¡°I don¡¯t think I disgust you.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I nodded, leaning away from his approach.


    ¡°No,¡± Luca repeated.


    He grabbed my ankle and pulled me back towards where he stood at the side of the bed, my legs on either side of his hips.


    ¡°I think I turn you on.¡±


    I scowled at his musing as he tugged at my t-shirt, my body pressing against his.


    ¡°Think again,¡± I told him, pressing my hands against his chest.


    As Luca¡¯s face drew closer to mine, I could feel his hand against my lower back, pressing my hips against his waist. His head dipped down and his nose brushed against mine. Before I knew what was happening, my eyes were closed and lips slightly parted as I waited for the oing kiss.


    When it never came, my eyes fluttered open to see Luca peering back at me with a smirk stered across his face. Luca bit his bottom lip as he looked down at my chest where his thumbs skimmed over my nipples, the stiffened peaks evident through my t-shirt.


    ¡°Disgusted?¡± he asked again.


    I swatted his hands away from my breasts.


    ¡°It¡¯s cold in here,¡± I said, getting under the duvet.


    ¡°Feels pretty warm to me..


    I huffed,ying my head down on a pillow.


    ¡°Goodnight, Luca.¡±


    He hummed in response.


    Luca reached over my body to grab a pillow from behind the spot where Iy. Throwing it to the ground, he pulled a nket off the back of the


    chair that sat beside the bed andid it on the ground as well.


    Lucaid down on his back, lifting and dropping his shoulders a few times to getfortable. As he looked over and saw me watching him, he winked.


    I immediately rolled over to face the other side of the room.


    ¡°Dream of me, amore.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­¡±


    My voice trailed off.


    I couldn¡¯t promise him that I wouldn¡¯t.

 CHAPTER 13

    I woke at the break of dawn the next morning feeling more rested than l¡¯d felt in a long time. Getting out of bed quietly so as not to wake Luca, who was still


    sleeping soundly on the floor, I left the bedroom and went into the kitchen to make a cup of tea.


    I sat out on the back deck drinking it, watching the purple sky slowly fade to pink and then orange. I tried not to spend those solitary, peaceful moments thinking solely of Luca.


    But I failed.


    He was all I could think of.


    His perfect tan skin.


    Obsidian-ck hair that curled just so.


    Gorgeous green eyes that almost glowed in their intensity. Supple pink lips that were always stered in a sexy half-smile. Not to mention a body that would have inspired Bernini himself.


    And that damned pet name.


    Every time the word ¡®amore¡¯ slipped off his tongue I felt a year added to my life. I only snapped out of my perverse thoughts when I absentmindedly took a sip from my mug and singed my tongue on the tea that was still too hot to drink.


    In truth, I had never been as intimidated by someone as I was by Luca.  Here was this physically optimal man that Fate had handed me on a tter and I couldn¡¯t stop drooling over him enough to formte proper sentences, much less develop a meaningful


    rtionship.


    In addition to my insecurities, Luca¡¯s aggressive reputation stood between the two of us. Although Luca swore that he would never do anything to cause


    me harm, I couldn¡¯t help but think of all the people who had died to get him where he was.


    He was the leader of thergest pack I knew of, he wasn¡¯t used to being told ¡®no¡¯.


    What would happen when he heard it from me?


    Once the sun had risen above the trees on the other side of theke, I finished my tea and went back inside. My stomach growled as I rinsed the mug out in the sink. Turning around, I eyed the stove and decided to make myself breakfast.


    After finding a frying pan, I went to the fridge to pull out the eggs and bacon. I also decided at thest minute that I would cut up a few pieces of fruit as well.


    As the bacon was frying, I turned to the countertop to cut the strawberries and apples. Soon, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of breakfast.


    As I finished frying my egg, I looked up to see Luca walking out of his bedroom into the living room.  Still shirtless, he had been gracious enough to put on a pair of sweatpants.


    Luca ran a hand through his messy hair and our gazes met. I dropped my attention back down to the spat in my hand. I could feel him walking closer, my heart rate spiking as he did.


    ¡°Good morning, amore,¡± he said.


    I gave him a tightlipped smile, still keeping my focus on the eggs.


    ¡°What would one of those cost me?¡± he asked, looking over my shoulder.


    I said nothing as I reached over and grabbed him an egg from the carton that sat on the countertop next to the stove.


    Could you keep the drool from your mouth long enough to speak to him?! Say something! I scolded myself.


    ¡°How do you want it?¡±


    I could think of another context that I would have liked to repeat that question.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take it however you make it.¡±


    Luca¡¯s presence behind me lingered for a moment before he walked over to the coffee maker. I felt myself let out a breath, the first one I¡¯d taken sinceying eyes on him a few moments earlier.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    I watched from my peripheral vision as Luca opened a drawer to pull out a single-use coffee pod, the muscles in his back flexing with the simple movement. Look away, I could hear the rational voice in me pleading.


    ¡°Coffee?¡± he asked, turning to me and catching my stare.


    ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    I searched the cabs and found two tes. I ced the eggs and a few pieces of bacon on each te, telling myself that it was just a coincidence I had made enough bacon for two people.


    As Luca¡¯s coffee was being poured, I grabbed a ss of water and sat down at the countertop with Luca joining me shortly after.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, pulling the te of eggs towards him.


    I nodded, taking my fork in my hand.


    Except for the sound of our forks touching the ceramic tes and sses being picked up and ced back down, we ate in silence.


    Luca took a long sip from his coffee mug before leaning back in his chair, slinging an arm around my chair as he did so.


    I pretended not to notice the soft tugging I felt from my head as Luca took a lock of hair and twirled it between two of his fingers.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to head over to the other side of the pack this morning to meet with someone. Want to ride along?¡± Luca asked, watching the hand that yed with my hair.


    I nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Luca stood from his chair, taking a fistful of my hair in his hand as he did so, and gently tugged my head back and to the side. He leaned down and kissed my neck, just below my ear.


    ¡°Thank you for breakfast,¡± he whispered, his hot breath blowing against the skin he¡¯d just kissed.


    Luca let go of my hair and reached around me to grab both of our tes. ¡°I¡¯Il clean this up,¡± he said, walking around me casually like nothing had just happened.


    ¡°You can go do whatever until we leave in an hour.¡±


    With my heart still pounding in my chest, I nodded, unable to find words to speak. I got up from my chair as quickly as I could and left the kitchen, walking towards his bedroom.


    Once there, I grabbed my clothes and toiletries before locking myself in the bathroom. I turned on the shower and stood there, staring at myself in the


    mirror for several minutes, trying to recover my breath. My heart was still racing as if Luca were standing right there. I ran a hand through my hair and let out a long, deep breath.


    That self control issue I had wouldn¡¯t be resolving itself anytime soon.

 CHAPTER 14

    ¡°Luca?¡±


    I stepped into the garage through the open door to see the back of his shoulders and head as he removed the canvas top from his Jeep.


    ¡°I¡¯m over here, amore,¡± he said.


    Luca kept his attention on the straps he was pulling off the interior crossbar as I walked over to where he stood.


    ¡°I figured we could take the Jeep,¡± he said.


    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be done raining for a few days so why not take your top off.¡±


    My eyebrows furrowed.


    Luca stopped what he was doing andughed at himself.


    ¡°I meant to say why not take the top off¡± he said, gesturing to the Jeep as he shook his head.


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    I walked over to the car parked beside the Jeep that was still under a dust cover. I couldn¡¯t help but try and deduce what kind of sports car it was by studying the curves and angles that were hugged by the canvas.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked.


    Luca put a hand up on the side of the Jeep and propped himself against it.


    ¡°Used to be my favorite thing in the world,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Used to be?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my second favorite now.¡±


    We made prolonged eye contact as he said this and I couldn¡¯t help but turn away. Luca folded the Jeep¡¯s top and put it on a utility shelf at the other side of the garage. As I hopped into the Jeep, I noticed the


    sunsses that sat in the passenger seat.


    ¡°Whose are these?¡± I asked picking them up, noticing the feminine craft of the sses.


    ¡°My sister¡¯s, probably,¡± Luca answered, getting into the car.


    ¡°She was thest one who drove it.¡±


    I hummed and ced them into the cup holder. Luca was quiet the whole time we pulled out of his driveway and onto the street. He turned in a different direction than that which would have taken us to the gate to leave the pack. Instead, he followed the unmarked road down a hill and beside ake that I realized was the one behind his house.


    We drove for several minutes before he pulled into a gravel parking lot where several other cars were parked along a split-log fence.


    The parking lot sat on the edge of the tree line that opened to a clearing. There were a few wooden storage sheds scattered along the tree line. They were settled behind wooden tforms of varying heights and sizes.


    One of the tforms, on which stood two fighters, looked like a boxing ring. There were several people standing around them, watching the altercation and coaching the fighters through it.


    On another tform were a handful of people who sat on yoga bolsters, appearing to be meditating. I found this odd given themotion going on around them, which I thought would make it difficult to concentrate on anything.


    There was a small gravel path extending off of the parking lot that looked like it would be suitable for runners or mountain bikes, not cars. This circled the clearing and disappeared into the trees on the other side of the parking lot.


    As we got out of the car, I noticed a tall climbing wall that had been built up against a handful of trees. Extending from it were ropes that were connected by small wooden handlebars.


    ¡°Are those monkey bars?¡± I asked Luca, pointing in that direction.


    He nodded. ¡°They¡¯re part of the initiation course,¡± he exined.


    ¡°When people apply for our pack defense team they have to be within a certain fitness range to qualify for training. If theyplete the course, run three miles unshifted and nine miles shifted in under


    fifty minutes, we admit them into our training program.¡±


    ¡°Are you training Navy SEALS?¡± I asked sarcastically.


    This earned augh from Luca.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as hard as you think,¡± he assured me. ¡°I can do it in thirty.¡±


    I scoffed.


    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± I said in disbelief.


    As we walked across the open field, I stopped to watch the fight that was still going on. One of the fighters was a girl, maybe my height but definitely a


    slimmer build. I could see the outline of her biceps under the long-sleevedpression shirt she wore.


    Her quads, exposed by running shorts, rippled with every step forward and backward that she took.


    She could squash me like dog poo under a tennis shoe and not be nearly as inconvenienced. A bell sounded and she backed away from her opponent,


    dropping her glove-wrapped hands.


    She turned towards me, tossing her blonde braided hair over her shoulder and wiping the sweat from her forehead. We made eye contact briefly and she stopped mid-stride to stare at me.


    I smiled, earning a nod of respect from her before she turned to the woman who was training her from the sidelines. It was then that I looked around and noticed Luca had continued walking and was several yards away. I awkwardly jogged to catch up with him.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± I asked, gesturing to the girl.


    Luca didn¡¯t even turn around to see who I was referring to before answering: ¡°Fallon Richardson.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s her time doing the course?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Forty-seven minutes.¡±


    ¡°Damn. So she¡¯s a badass?¡±


    He turned to look at me, a slightly amused smile on his face.


    ¡°I can do it faster than that and you don¡¯t think I¡¯m a badass,¡± he said presumptively.


    I ignored him as we walked towards the other side of the clearing which happened to be the edge of theke. There were a few canoes and kayaks that were flipped over,ying on the stones that lined the shoreline. Beside them sat arge barrel that oars


    and paddles were jutting out of, along with a handful of lifejackets that were haphazardly thrown over the canoes and boats.


    7


    As we got closer, I saw a group of around twelve people jogging on the path towards us.


    They were led by a man who looked to be around Luca¡¯s age and was also in extraordinary shape.


    I suddenly felt like I was on the Biggest Loser ranch.


    Sweat drenched the cor of the gray t-shirt he wore yet, somehow, he looked much moreposed than the group of joggers behind him.


    He had dark brown hair that was cut short on the sides in a military-style crew cut. Blue eyes sat just under bushy, brown eyebrows. While not quite as tall as Luca, he was broad-shouldered and just as muscr.


    As soon as the man saw us, Luca stopped walking and stood patiently, waiting.


    ¡°Take five everybody,¡± the man said.


    ¡°Get some water.¡±


    Exasperated sighs of relief could be heard from the group as they scrambled for the bright orange ten-gallon water dispenser that was propped beside the fence, eagerly grabbing at the cups stacked on top of it.


    ¡°You must be Caroline,¡± the man said to me as he approached us.


    ¡°I¡¯m ine. I¡¯d shake your hand, but I¡¯m a disgusting sweaty mess right now.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your consideration,¡± Iughed.


    ¡°You can call me Carrie.¡±


    ine nodded, before turning to Luca.


    Luca nodded in the direction of the men and women behind ine-who were now gulping water as if they had been wandering through the wilderness for forty years.


    ¡°How far have you gone?¡± Luca asked.


    ine checked his watch.


    ¡°Twenty-two,¡± he said.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a little more than four to go.¡± I grimaced.


    Mady and I had tried to train for a marathon before. Neither of us got more than eight miles at a time.


    ¡°Give us a minute,¡± Luca said to me.


    I looked between him and ine before turning to walk away. My ears strained to hear their conversation as I walked along the path, down towards the water.


    ¡°Have you spoken to Lincoln?¡± I heard Luca ask in a hushed tone.


    ine must have nodded.


    ¡°He said that he connected the VPN to her phone, but someone had been actively tracing it before you had her turn it off.¡±


    Luca inhaled deeply.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it.¡± ine said.


    ¡°You were almost fifteen miles outside the pack when the signal died. That¡¯s a lot of ground to cover if they were toe looking for her.¡±


    My ears strained to hear what Luca said next.


    ¡°Still, I want the security doubled for the next few weeks. Make sure all the clearance checks at the gate are performed thoroughly. I don¡¯t want anyone inside the fence that doesn¡¯t belong here¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    I froze in my tracks. When looked up to see who had yelled, I saw the blonde fighter approaching me.


    ¡°Do I know you?¡± She asked,ing to stand in front of me, hands crossing over her chest.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± I said, trying to figure out if her tone was threatening or if she was just intensely curious.


    ¡°I just got here two days ago.¡±


    Her eyes shed over my shoulder to look at where Luca and ine were still talking. I saw her re dissipate.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡± her voice trailed off as she looked back at me.


    ¡°Carrie,¡± I said, extending a hand to shake hers.


    ¡°I¡¯m Fallon,¡± she said, uncrossing her arms and shaking my hand.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean toe off harsh. I¡¯m just not used to new faces around here, especially girls. There are only a few who are able to pass the defense team test.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem,¡± I assured her.


    ¡°So¡­ do you fight?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I saw you watching us.¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°No, I wish I did,¡± Iughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not coordinated enough for martial arts.¡±


    Fallon suddenly looked very intrigued.


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard to learn,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to train you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She nodded eagerly.


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m here every morning. You should stop by.¡±


    I shrugged.


    It¡¯s not like I have anything better to do and it would be nice to know someone here other than Luca, I thought.


    ¡°That sounds great.¡±


    Fallon began to say something else but stopped herself as she looked over my shoulder. I turned to see what she was staring at and noticed that Luca


    was watching us.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯ve got to get back to the mat. I¡¯Il see you tomorrow, then?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°See you then.¡±


    Fallon jogged off of the path, back towards the boxing ring. I continued to walk along the path, now out of earshot of Luca and ine¡¯s conversation.


    Wondering who had been tracking my phone, I tried to think of anyone I knew that was tech savvy enough to be able to do something like that.


    I couldn¡¯t think of anyone.


    The path led me around the edge of the clearing and back towards the parking lot, just in time to see a bright red Jeep without a top or doors pull in next to Luca¡¯s.


    Bates hopped out and pushed his sunsses on top of his head, watching me suspiciously.


    ¡°Are you lost?¡± He asked.


    My eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Lincoln stepped out of Bates¡¯ Jeep on the passenger side. I immediately noticed my phone in his hands.


    Bates hummed, grabbing my attention again as he walked around the Jeep to where I stood.


    ¡°Odd¡± hemented.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Bates shrugged.


    ¡°I thought you were somewhat normal,¡± he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know very many normal people that intentionally end up here at Satan¡¯s yground.¡±


    ¡°Satan¡¯s yground?¡± I repeated.


    ¡°That¡¯s what we call it,¡± he said, gesturing around us


    ¡°Interesting.¡± I noted.


    ¡°I¡¯ve yet to hear anyone say that.¡±


    ¡°Just take my word for it,¡± Bates said.


    He looked around us for a moment before turning back to me. ¡°Where is Luca?¡±


    ¡°Talking to ine,¡± I answered, pointing over here the two men still stood talking.


    Bates began to walk that way with Lincoln and I following.


    ¡°So, you met Beefcake, huh?¡± Bates asked me.


    ¡°ine?¡± I askedughing.


    He nodded.


    ¡°The dude hasn¡¯t skipped a shoulder day since second grade and his idea of dessert is a chocte-vored protein shake.¡±


    Iughed.


    ¡°d to know someone else thinks he¡¯s in abnormally great shape,¡± Imented.


    As we walked past the climbing wall, I pointed that way.


    ¡°So how long does it take you toplete the course?¡±


    Bates responded by throwing his head back and letting out a bellowingugh


    ¡°Jesus,¡± he said, stillughing.


    ¡°I¡¯m offended you think I¡¯m dumb enough to do that stupid course.¡±


    I turned to Lincoln in an effort to include him in the


    conversation.


    ¡°Have you ever tried it?¡±


    His eyebrows furrowed between his thick-rimmed sses as he scowled. I could already tell Lincoln was a man of few spoken words, but he certainly knew how to get his message across.


    ¡°Thankfully, the two of us have more cerebral jobs,¡± Bates said. gesturing between himself and Lincoln.


    ¡°What does ine do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He is Luca¡¯s Gamma.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Gamma?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, third inmand,¡± Bates said, looking at me.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of a Gamma?¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have one in my pack.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well, he basically helps Lincoln run the entire security team They report to him directly. He also acts as Luca¡¯s right-hand man when ites to more¡­ how should I say it? Aggressive negotiations.¡±


    I wondered if he was referring to the territory Luca¡¯s pack had forcefully acquired in the past few months.


    We were quiet as we walked over to where Luca and ine were standing, still talking in muffled tones.


    ¡°I found your mate,¡± Bates said, interrupting their


    conversation,¡±¡­again.¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t lost the second time,¡± Luca remarked.


    ¡°Or the first time,¡± I added under my breath.


    Luca shot me a wink before noticing Lincoln.


    ¡°You have her phone?¡± He asked.


    Lincoln reached out and tried to hand it to Luca, but I caught it before Luca could grab it.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to Lincoln, turning the phone over in my hands.


    As I turned it on, I noticed all the missed calls and texts. My heart dropped to my feet as a scrolled through all the missed calls and texts from teachers I worked with, my boss, Mady and my mom.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I whispered.


    I had forgotten to call my mom when we arrived.


    Backing away as I tapped the screen to call her back, Luca grabbed my arm.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he said quickly.


    I shot him a sharp re before he let go of my arm.


    ¡°Calls shouldn¡¯tst longer than about a minute and a half,¡± Lincoln told me.


    ¡°It¡¯s my mom,¡± I defended.


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°Keep it short.¡±


    I turned on my heel, feeling my feet stomp against the gravel path as I walked away from the group of men and down towards the water.


    Finding a spot where I knew I was out of Luca¡¯s earshot, I sat down on the bottom of a flipped canoe and held my phone to my ear as it rang.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Mom, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m so sorry I didn¡¯t call you,¡± I apologized quickly.


    ¡°Things got kind of crazy here.¡±


    I heard her sigh.


    ¡°Mom?¡± I asked after a few moments of silence passed.


    ¡°I¡¯m still here,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear from you.¡±


    Something about the dull tone of her voice made me think otherwise.


    ¡°Everything okay?¡± I asked, eyebrows furrowing.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine,¡± she said quickly.


    ¡°Okay, well.


    I awkwardly tried to think of something else to say.


    ¡°Is Dad around?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s busy right now.¡±


    Too busy to speak to the daughter he was ready to die for two nights ago?


    ¡°Oh, okay. Well¡­ could you tell him I called?¡±


    ¡°I will¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Love you, Mom. I¡¯ll talk to you soon, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    With that, the line went dead before I could even say goodbye. I stared at my phone as I pulled it away from my ear. Trying not to think about the weird conversation that I¡¯d just had with my mother, I dialed Mady¡¯s number.


    It rang a few times before I was sent to voicemail.


    I then made another dreaded call: to the school.


    The conversation between myself and the vice principal onlysted a few minutes.


    She very politely informed me that I had would be removed from my position both as the assistant elementary librarian and art teacher due to my sudden change of address and inability to carry out the duties of my employment contract.


    When I hung up, I dropped my phone on the ground in front of me, wishing Lincoln had never given it back.


    I stared at the phone until a pair of ck boots came into my peripheral vision.


    Looking up, I saw Luca standing close, watching me.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± I asked him.


    He seemed taken back by the attitude before his surprise was hidden by a cold expression.


    ¡°Time to go home.¡± I stood up, grabbing my phone off of the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯m five hundred miles from home,¡± I told him.


    I brushed past him, my shoulder knocking his arm as I walked back to the car.

 CHAPTER 15

    I stared at the half-finished canvas in front of me; trying-as I had been for the past two hours-to gather the motivation to paint. I had nothing else to do and Luca had disappeared into his office above the garage.


    I fought the urge to p the paint on my brush in arge ¡®X¡¯ across the canvas and trash it. All I had done for the past few hours had been stare at the imperfections and ws that I saw and it infuriated me.


    Would I be able to finish the painting in a month? If I was, who knew if I would even see my parents on their anniversary¡­Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    When would I give them the painting?


    I couldn¡¯t imagine just mailing them something that had taken me months to finish. All of my work up to that point felt useless. Taking a deep breath, I stood up from the floor and stretched my legs out.


    As I was walking downstairs to make myself ate lunch, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out to see Mady¡¯s name and photo shing across the screen.


    I eagerly answered the call.


    ¡°Bitch, you are not going to believe what I¡¯m about to tell you,¡± I said as soon as I answered.


    ¡°Oh, let me guess,¡± sheughed.


    I stopped on the staircase.


    ¡°Wait, you know about Luca?¡±


    ¡°The whole town knows about you and Luca,¡± she mumbled through the phone.


    ¡°Why? Did my dad say something?¡±


    ¡°Your dad flipped his shit,¡± Mady answered honestly.


    ¡°He came over at the crack-ass of dawn a few days ago and met with my dad for over three hours. I could hear them yelling at each other in the garage.¡±


    ¡°They were arguing about Luca and I?¡± I asked, continuing down the stairs.


    ¡°More so about Luca,¡± she answered.


    ¡°Neither of them were happy he was on our packnd. Obviously they weren¡¯t happy you had gone with him either.¡±


    I sighed as I sat down at the kitchen countertop.


    ¡°Do you know what they¡¯re going to do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much they can do. Luca Ronan isn¡¯t exactly known for his respecting the pack codes and ordinances.¡±


    ¡°You can say that again,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about things here,¡± she said, trying to cheer me up.


    ¡°Tell me how things are there¡­ Tell me about Luca. What is he like?¡±


    I took a deep breath, wondering where to start.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit it hasn¡¯t been as terrible as I thought it would be,¡± I said slowly.


    ¡°Luca is certainly not what I expected after hearing my dad talk about him in Vegas.¡±


    ¡°Is he scary?¡±


    ¡°A little intimidating,¡± I said honestly.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not frightened by him.¡±


    ¡°What does he look like?¡±


    Iughed hearing her question.


    ¡°Like a figment of some horny ser mom¡¯s imagination.¡±


    Now it was her turn tough.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding?¡± She said.


    ¡°That good-looking?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°You need to send me a picture.¡±


    I hummed.


    ¡°I¡¯Il work on it, but for now you¡¯ll have to take my word for it.¡±


    ¡°Does he have a brother you would want to set me up with?¡± She askedughing.


    My eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°Carrie?¡± She asked when I didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said slowly.


    ¡°I just¡­ I don¡¯t know if he does or not. To bepletely honest, I don¡¯t know a lot about him other than he knows how to run a pack and workout like he¡¯s training for Mr. Universe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say you might need to work on that,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of weird to be living with someone you don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. I feel like Persephone trapped in the Underworld.¡±


    ¡°Except you don¡¯t want to escape,¡± she guessed I


    didn¡¯t answer her.


    ¡°Have you fucked?¡±


    ¡°Mady!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She asked defensively.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been dying to ask since you answered the phone.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I answered shortly.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The circumstances haven¡¯t exactly allowed for that.¡± I said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t really choose to be here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, whatever,¡± she said.


    I knew she was rolling her eyes just by hearing her tone of voice.


    ¡°Mady, he literally kidnapped me in the dead of night from my own home.¡±


    ¡°From what I heard, it sounds like you agreed to go with him she argued.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice not to!¡±


    ¡°Listen, maybe give the guy a chance. It doesn¡¯t sound like he¡¯s as terrible as you thought he would be. And he is your mate, right?¡±


    I sighed.


    ¡°In other news, I got fired today,¡± I said, changing the subject.


    ¡°Yeah, Kate, one of my friends from the school, called to ask where you were yesterday. I figured it was gunna happen.¡±


    ¡°It sucks,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Maybe you can find a teaching job there,¡± she said, offering a little hope.


    ¡°Yeah, maybe.¡±


    We talked for a few more minutes about the final she had taken for her civil procedure ss that morning and the internship she was lining up for the summer in the courthouse to clerk with her dad before she had to hang up.


    After hanging up, I sat at the kitchen countertop for a few more minutes, thinking about my dad. I tried to call his cell phone, but my call was sent straight to


    voicemail.


    Taking a deep breath, I stood up and grabbed a bag of apple slices from the fridge before walking outside. I walked out under the breezeway to see that the garage doors were open and the Jeep and truck were both sitting on the driveway. I could hear


    old rock music ring from inside.


    Taking a bite of an apple slice, I walked around the truck to see Luca standing behind a gorgeous, sleek te-gray sports car with the back of the car popped open.


    I walked up slowly, admiring the car.


    As soon as Luca saw me, he pulled his phone from his pocket and turned the music down.


    ¡°Is this a McLaren?¡± I asked him, gesturing towards the car.


    He nodded.


    ¡°720S,¡± he said.


    ¡°It¡¯s about a year old.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pretty car¡± I said.


    Luca just smiled to himself.


    ¡°Pretty,¡± he repeated under his breath, almost sarcastically.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    He just shook his head, still smiling.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked, trying to seem interested.


    ¡°I like to check the oil the old-fashioned way,¡± he said, pulling off a cap and tapping it to the corner of the hole it covered.


    ¡°Typically, if there¡¯s an echo, you need to add more oil.¡±


    He must not have heard one, because he put the cap back on.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a very scientific method of checking your oil,¡± I said skeptically.


    ¡°It works.¡±


    Luca closed the engine cover and looked at me. Noticing the apples in my hand, he reached out and grabbed a slice from the bag.


    ¡°Wanna go for a ride?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Can I drive?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He answered so quickly that I couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡°Maybe another time then. You like M?tley Cr¨¹e?¡± I asked, hearing the music that still yed faintly in the background.


    He nodded.


    ¡°It makes for a great distraction.¡±


    My eyebrows furrowed and he gestured behind me to the open kitchen windows.


    ¡°I heard the part about me being the figment of a horny ser mom¡¯s imagination and I began to feel intrusive,¡± Lucaughed.


    My eyes widened and cheeks flushed.


    ¡°A rather creativepliment,¡± he said, walking around the McLaren to stand in front of me.


    ¡°d you thought so,¡± I mumbled, reaching for


    another apple slice.


    Luca looked as if he would say something else but was interrupted by his phone ringing in his pocket.


    He pulled the phone out and sighed when he saw the name on the screen.


    ¡°Sorry, I need to take this,¡± he said.


    I nodded and backed away as he answered the call. Going back inside, I put the apples away and walked back upstairs to paint.

 CHAPTER 16

    After finally making some progress on the canvas, I was robbed of my lighting by the setting sun. I went downstairs and stepped out onto the back deck to get some fresh air. As soon as I walked out, the lights in the pool came on, turning the water bright blue.


    I heard a gate open and shut and looked over to see Bates running full speed at the pool, taking his shirt off and throwing it on the concrete.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Cannonball!¡± He screamed before leaping into the air and the crashing down into the pool, soaking everything within a fifteen foot radius.


    As he surfaced, we made eye contact.


    ¡°Are you six?¡± I asked him,ughing.


    ¡°Come down here and ask me to my face,¡± he said threateningly.


    ¡°Dude, I was trying ask you what kind of pizza you wanted!¡±


    ine shouted, walking through the gate that Bates had just dashed through.


    Luca followed him, noticing me standing on the deck.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you!¡± Bates yelled.


    ¡°I want cheese with extra cheese!¡±


    ¡°Six-year-old status confirmed,¡± I said, earning a yful re.


    ¡°Seriously dude, you won¡¯t shit for a week,¡± ine said.


    ¡°So l¡¯ll buy some apple juice, big deal.¡±


    Bates looked at me and pointed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even say it.¡±


    Iughed.


    ¡°Do you like pizza?¡± Luca asked me.


    ¡°Pepperoni,¡± I answered, nodding.


    ¡°Basic bitch,¡± Bates mumbled.


    Luca didn¡¯t think it was as funny as I did.


    ¡°So order arge pepperoni for her and I. You can get anotherrge and split it; half meatlover¡¯s for you and half cheese for Bates,¡± he said.


    ¡°I wanted a cauliflower crust,¡± ine told him.


    ¡°Back the fuck up, you soggympshade. I will punch you in the nose andugh at you bleeding if you even dare get a cauliflower crust,¡± Bates said, getting out of the pool.


    ¡°Just get two separate pizzas,¡± Luca said shaking his head.


    ine shrugged and put his phone to his ear, calling to make the order.


    Luca looked up at me.


    ¡°Want toe with me to pick up the pizza? We¡¯ll probably stop and get some drinks, maybe some ice cream¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mint chocte chip,¡± Bates interjected.


    Luca just rolled his eyes and Iughed, nodding.


    ¡°Let me get my shoes.¡±


    When I walked outside to meet Luca at the car, he was standing by the truck looking down at his phone.


    ¡°Not in the mood to drive your fancy car?¡± I asked him.


    His nose scrunched.


    ¡°And get that nasty pizza smell in my three-hundred-thousand dor car? No, thank you.¡±


    I thanked him as he opened the door for me to climb in. Luca closed the door behind me and got in on the driver¡¯s side before starting the truck.


    ¡°So, what have you been doing all day?¡± He asked, pulling out of the driveway.


    ¡°Painting.


    ¡°Painting?¡± He repeated.


    I nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working on the same one for about four months now.¡±


    ¡°Four months?!¡± Luca said incredulously.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s taken a while.¡±


    ¡°Good grief,¡± he said.


    ¡°What about you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What have you done today besides pretend to check the oil in your fancy sports car?¡±


    He rolled his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working, mostly.¡±


    Working.


    When I went quiet, looking out the window at the trees flying by, Luca spoke again.


    ¡°You mentioned when we were at your house that you worked two jobs,¡± he said.


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    I noticed his use of the word did.


    ¡°I was a librarian and I taught art at the elementary school.¡±


    The bitterness thatced my tone was evident.


    ¡°Did you like it?¡± He asked.


    ¡°If you¡¯re asking whether I¡¯ll miss it, the answer is yes.¡±


    We were quiet for a few moments before Luca sighed.


    ¡°My mom wants to meet you,¡± he said.


    This caught me off guard.


    ¡°That¡¯s who called today while we were in the garage,¡± he continued.


    ¡°She¡¯s upset with me for not bringing you over to


    meet her and my step dad sooner. But, I figured, given the circumstances, that maybe it was best to wait a while.¡±


    I was quiet, trying to process what Luca had said, when he turned to look at me briefly before returning his gaze to the road.


    ¡°I am trying, amore.¡±


    I took a deep inhale before nodding slowly.


    ¡°Me too.¡±

 CHAPTER 17

    The rest of the night passed without allowing for any more time to think.


    The boys plowed through the pizza and went downstairs to the basement to watch a hockey game while I stayed upstairs and took a bath.


    Luca came upstairster that night after Bates and ine had left to find me sitting in the bed with my notepad resting on my knees as I doodled.


    He leaned over to look at the sheet of paper, seeing the dogwood flowers I had sketched out and begun shading.


    ¡°That¡¯s really good,¡± he said.


    I couldn¡¯t help but blush.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He backed away and walked into the bathroom, staying in there for a few minutes to shower and get ready for bed. I was pestered the whole time he was in there by a nagging guilt in the back of my head.


    When he came out of the bathroom, dressed again in only boxer briefs, I felt like I was experiencing d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    He grabbed the nket that was thrown over the back of the chair beside the bed and tossed it to the ground.


    As he reached over to grab a pillow, I stopped him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to sleep on the floor,¡± I said.


    Luca pulled the pillow from my grasp.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t bother me.¡±


    ¡°It bothers me, though. I feel bad that you sleep on the floor in your own room. I can go back upstairs, if you want your bed back.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, really. I¡¯d rather be on the floor with you in here than sleep in separate rooms.¡±


    ¡°But I mind,¡± I said.


    I pulled back theforter and slid over so he could get into the bed.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He asked.


    I grabbed a pillow and put it in the middle of the bed.


    ¡°Just stay on your side.¡±


    He rolled his eyes as he ced his pillow back down on the bed and climbed in next to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s kinda cute you think that pillow will keep me over here and you over there,¡± he said, pulling the duvet over his legs.


    ¡°We¡¯ll pretend.,¡± I said, stacking another pillow on top of the wall I had built between us, just in case.


    Luca rolled his eyes andid down, his face disappearing behind the mound of pillows that separated us.


    I closed my notepad and ced the pencil next to it on the nightstand.


    ¡°Goodnight, Luca,¡± I said, as I reached over to turn out the light.


    ¡°Goodnight, amore.¡±


    I woke up the next morning cuddling one of the pillows that separated Luca and I, the other pillow having disappeared under the sheets.


    When my eyes opened to see him lying next to me, I couldn¡¯t help but stare for a few moments. Hands and arms tucked under his pillow, Lucaid on his


    stomach with his head turned towards me. His olive skin was a stark contrast against the pure white color of the sheets and his dark hair stood out even more so.


    Luca¡¯s facial hair had grown out a bit since I¡¯d met him a few days prior. It added to his masculine aura and I decided that I liked it.


    Afterying there for a few moments, knowing I wouldn¡¯t fall back asleep, I sat up in the bed slowly before getting up to walk quietly across the bedroom floor. It was still early in the morning, the room cast with blue hues of the twilight.


    I closed the door behind me softly and walked into the kitchen to make tea.


    Barely catching the kettle before it began to whistle, I had nearly dozed off standing at the counter waiting for the water to warm up. After pouring the steaming water over the tea, I carried the mug outside on the deck and sat down on the bed swing.


    So far, my favorite part of Montana was the sunrise.


    It was something I didn¡¯t see much of in Oregon. I was used to getting up early, but never to take my time waking up. Rather, I would rush to get ready to be at school on time. Watching the sunrise as it came over the mountains andke in the distance was almost enough to make me forget about the tea in my hands and the man sleeping in the bed I¡¯d just left.


    Almost enough.


    There was part of me that felt guilty for letting him sleep with me the previous night. Although, I wasn¡¯t sure why.


    I was a grown woman who was certainly capable of making that decision, but for some reason I kept hearing my father¡¯s voice in the back of my head: ¡°Get away from my daughter.¡±


    The closer I let Luca get, the louder that voice got. I felt almost disobedient. And then I thought about what Mady had said. Maybe if I could just call him and let him know that I was okay he would feel :


    little better.


    Maybe I would feel a little better.


    My thoughts were interrupted by the backdoor opening. I turned to see Luca looking around, his gaze softening when he saw me.


    ¡°Why are you awake so early?¡± He grumbled, walking over to where I sat with sweatpants hanging low on his hips, the band of his boxers barely visible.


    I pulled my knees into my chest, giving him room to sit next to me on the bed swing. Lucaid down on his back and put his legs next to my body.


    He pushed a pillow under his head and looked at me with drowsy eyes.


    ¡°Good morning to you, too,¡± I said.


    I took a sip of my tea and looked back out at the sunrise.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s so pretty?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve woken up to prettier things.¡±


    I looked at him to see his gaze still on me.


    ¡°Too cheesy?¡± He asked.


    I shook my head as I blushed and took another sip of tea. After a few moments of silence, my eyes still trained on the sunrise and Luca¡¯s on me, he spoke again.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°My dad,¡± I answered honestly.


    His jaw clenched for a moment before he looked up at the roof over our heads.


    ¡°Have you talked to him?¡±


    I shook my head.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°My mom said he wasn¡¯t able to talk when I called her yesterday and he didn¡¯t answer when I tried to call his phone.¡±


    I thought back to that odd conversation.

 CHAPTER 18

    ¡°You¡¯re scared he¡¯s mad at you,¡± Luca guessed.


    ¡°My dad got mad at me after he found out I¡¯d backed into his truck when I was seventeen because I was runningte for school. I¡¯d say this is a little past that, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what he thinks,¡± Luca said, looking at me.


    ¡°We¡¯re two grown-ass adults.¡±


    ¡°While that may be true, I¡¯m still going to call him today and exin things.


    ¡°As long as you can do it in less than a minute and a half,¡± he said.


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Seriously,¡± he answered, sitting up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone to be able to trace calls to your location.¡±


    ¡°This is my dad you¡¯re taking about,¡± I reminded him.


    ¡°Who is a rival Beta that didn¡¯t like me before I took his daughter away from him,¡± he pointed out.


    ¡°My pack¡¯s security and my mate¡¯s safety are my two main priorities and I¡¯m not willing topromise them just to ease his worry.¡±


    We were quiet for a few minutes as I tried to find a way around Luca¡¯s reasoning.


    But I couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°I just want closure,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°I feel guilty.¡±


    Luca sat in closer and leaned in, cing a hand on the side of my face. Electricity danced from the tips of his fingers, traveling down my body.


    ¡°You have no reason to feel that way,¡± he assured me in a low voice, looking at me intently.


    My gaze dropped from his eyes to the mug in my hands. A few moments went by before he tilted my chin with the pad of his thumb, earning my attention.


    His green eyes trapped mine.


    ¡°Can I tell you a secret, amore?¡±


    He leaned in closer until I could feel his nose brush mine.


    My breath hitched in the back of my throat.


    ¡°The only thing I could think about this morning when I woke up was that I didn¡¯t kiss you even once yesterday,¡± he whispered.


    Luca gently tugged at my chin, pulling me closer towards him. I couldn¡¯t stop my gaze as it dropped to his lips, barely catching a glimpse of them before they were pressed to mine.


    My eyes closed as I relished in the feeling of the kiss.


    His hands moved up to tangle themselves in my hair as my lips parted, allowing the kiss to deepen. Luca pushed me back towards the pillows propped up behind me and I fell against them.


    I suddenly remembered the hot cup of tea in my hands when it spilt on me, the searing hot pain spreading as it ran down my torso and thighs.


    Jolting up from the bed swing, I swore with clenched teeth as I ced the mug down on the ground.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± we both mumbled at the same time.


    I pulled my t-shirt away from my stomach and twisted it out, watching the tea spill from between my hands onto the floor.


    ¡°You¡¯re okay?¡± Luca asked


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    My hands were stinging from the heat as I let go of my shirt.


    ¡°Did it burn you?¡± Luca asked, concerned.


    He got up off of the bed swing and stepped towards me, hands outstretched. He grabbed the bottom of my shirt and lifted it barely, looking at the patchy redness that covered stomach.


    I watched his reaction as he touched the skin gently with two fingers.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I repeated, tugging my shirt from his grip and yanking it down.


    Thest thing I needed was a man with washboard abs poking at my loose jiggle that persisted no matter how many carbs I cut.


    ¡°Do you want some more tea?¡± He offered, picking the mug up from the ground.


    I took it from his hands.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    I began to walk towards the backdoor. Once inside the house, I put the mug in the sink and grabbed a dish towel before walking back out onto the balcony to see Luca staring off at the distant rising sun.


    I began to dry the mattress where the tea had spilt. Thankfully, my t-shirt had absorbed most of it.


    ¡°Amore,¡± Luca said, earning my attention.


    He turned to face me, leaning back against the balcony railing as he did so.


    ¡°Lincoln has a way of securing calls for longer than two minutes on his phone. I can arrange for you to meet him at his office first thing this morning if it¡¯s that important to you to speak with your  father.¡±


    I was shocked by this concession.


    ¡°What time?¡± I asked.


    Luca raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°You have other ns?¡±


    ¡°I told Fallon I would meet with her this morning at the training field.¡± I said.


    ¡°Richardson?¡±


    I wanted to ask him how many other Fallons he knew but I refrained, nodding instead.


    ¡°Be careful of her,¡± he warned. ¡°I don¡¯t trust her any more than I do a stranger.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Her ambition is unbridled. She steps on whoever she has to to get where she wants to be with no regard to consequence.¡±


    ¡°Is that kettle a little too ck for you?¡± I asked.


    Luca shrugged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t make impulsive decisions. I deliberately and carefully n my every move. She rushes in at the first glimpse of opportunity and seizes it, throwing caution to the wind. It makes her a great fighter, but a terrible soldier.¡±


    When I didn¡¯t say anything else, Luca sighed.


    ¡°The reason I¡¯m telling you this is because I want you to be careful. If my gut is right, she¡¯s using you. She wants ine¡¯s position as Gamma.¡±


    I scoffed.


    ¡°Like I would be able to give her that¡­ I have no influence here.¡±


    ¡°Baby, you could have whatever you wanted and all you would have to do is ask. Fallon isn¡¯t an idiot, she knows this.¡±


    I felt my stomach lurch.


    Luca walked towards me.


    ¡°Just be cautious.¡±


    I nodded absentmindedly, still reying the mental recording I had taken of him calling me ¡®baby¡¯.


    ¡°Thanks for the heads up.¡±


    I turned quickly and walked back inside the house, leaving Luca to watch the sunrise by himself.

 CHAPTER 19

    I was regretting my decision to meet with Fallon as soon as I stepped outside in my gym shorts. Chill bumps immediately covered my body and I held my arms close to my chest as I walked towards the driveway.


    Deciding that I needed to warm up, I walked past the truck and the Jeep and continued my brisk stroll up the driveway towards the gate. The gate opened as it sensed me walking towards it, closing behind me as I stood in the street.


    Lifting my left arm, I tapped against my watch to start recording a run and began to jog down the road.


    As my feet hit the ground with each step, I was reminded how badly I needed new running shoes. A shin splint was sure to arrive the next day.


    Breathing in the cold morning air made my lungs squeeze in my chest and I found it more difficult to get air out and in. By the time I reached the bottom of the hill, I found myself hunched over and panting like I¡¯d already run a marathon.


    I looked at my watch.


    0. 63 miles.


    Kill me now.


    I was at least two more miles from the training grounds. I stood up straight and continued on my way, running and walking in intervals.


    As much as I regretted my decision to run, I couldn¡¯t help but to be thankful for the brief moments of mental relief it offered. With my heart rate over a hundred and sixty, I couldn¡¯t think of much else other than the burning in my lungs and the way my legs


    pounded against the ground with each stride.


    Worries about my father and wondering thoughts regarding Luca dissipated from my mind for those few minutes.


    As soon as my watch indicated that I hadpleted two miles, I stopped the workout and decided to walk the rest of the way. I hadn¡¯t gotten very far before a bright red car rolled up beside me.


    Turning, I saw Bates leaning out the empty space where the Jeep¡¯s door was missing.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked.


    I couldn¡¯t tell if he was being sarcastic or sincere.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering if you¡¯re being chased¡­ you look a little out of breath.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Heughed.


    ¡°Need a ride?¡±


    I nodded with enthusiasm and walked around the car to the passenger side.


    ¡°Satan¡¯s yground?¡± He asked.


    I nodded again.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re not okay?¡± He asked again.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Bates.¡±


    ¡°Just making sure.¡±


    When we pulled into the parking lot a few minutester, I saw that it was nearly empty. When I looked around as I got out of the Jeep, I saw Fallon standing next to the ring, pulling gear out of a duffel bag.


    She was the only person in sight.


    When she turned and noticed us, she began to walk towards the parking lot.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She asked Bates with a scowl.


    ¡°A great question-one to which I, myself, was just pondering the answer.¡±


    Fallon rolled her eyes and turned to me.


    ¡°Ready?¡± She asked, eyeing my t-shirt and gym shorts.


    I nodded.


    Fallon gestured for me to follow her as she turned and began to walk back towards the ring. Bates shot me a yful wink as he turned to leave before I hurried to catch up with Fallon.


    ¡°We¡¯ll start with basics this week,¡± she said, climbing onto the tform.


    ¡°Just for future reference,¡± she added, ¡°you may want to wear something a little more form fitting for MMA fighting. When limbs go flying, so does everything else if it¡¯s not secured down.¡±


    I made a mental note of this, trying not tough at the mental image her warning conjured up.


    ¡°There are threeponents of MMA fighting: striking, grappling, and submission,¡± she said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll start off with striking; this will be more stand-up fighting using hands, elbows, knees and feet. I prefer Muay Thai, but I¡¯ll also incorporate


    Karate and Taekwondo. With this, I¡¯ll also teach you how to cross-train so you can be building strength and flexibility. Once these are more developed, we¡¯ll move into grappling, which is more floor work involving Judo and Jiu-Jitsu. Got it?¡±


    I nodded, even though I was still trying to process all of the information at once.


    ¡°It will make more sense after you¡¯ve been doing it for a few weeks,¡± she exined, seeing the confusion in my expression.


    We started by her showing me how to stretch properly and from there she began to go over the basics of jabs, hooks and punches.


    Before I knew it, I was drenched in sweat.


    Fighting required much more cardio than I had anticipated and I was sufficiently warned against starting future training with a two-mile run.


    When I sat down on the edge of the ring after Fallon had called training for the day, I looked around and noticed all the people who were on the field.


    I looked at my watch.


    I¡¯d been training for two hours.


    I need a nap.


    I looked over to the parking lot to see Luca sitting on the tailgate of his truck, shirtless. Fallon made me promise to show up again the next day before


    letting me walk off towards him.


    As I drew closer to Luca, I saw the water bottle and towel in his hands and the amusement in his smile.


    ¡°How long have you been here?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Long enough to run and get it in a full forty minute lift.¡±


    I scowled.


    ¡°It was chest day in case you were wondering,¡± he said, flexing his pecs.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    I surprised him by taking the water bottle from his hands and finishing it in three gulps.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked him, wiping my lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t shared mouth germs before.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t done with that.¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there is plenty more water at home,¡± I said, walking around the truck to get into the passenger seat.


    I froze immediately after putting my hand on the car door, realizing that I had just referred to Luca¡¯s house as ¡®home¡¯.


    Looking back, I made eye contact with him as he shut the tailgate of his truck and I knew he¡¯d caught it too.

 CHAPTER 20

    The hot shower I took when I returned to Luca¡¯s house wasn¡¯t enough to soothe my aching body. My muscles and joints were screaming at me. The webbed skin in between my fingers was rubbed raw by the gloves I had worn Good luck trying to hold a paint brush for the next few days, I told myself.


    I knew that I wouldn¡¯t be able to lift my arms over my head for a week. But, despite the major soreness and difort, I felt satisfied. I had done something for myself and it felt rewarding.


    It was this feeling of aplishment that drove me to the kitchen for lunch instead of Luca¡¯s bed for a nap. I cut up strips of chicken breast and saut¨¦ed them in a frying pan, then I moved on to cutting up a head of lettuce for my sd.


    When I sat down at the countertop after pouring the dressing over the chicken and caeser sd that I had prepared, I heard a door open and turned to see Luca strolling in.


    ¡°Did you make lunch?¡± He asked, nose in the air.


    I dropped the fork in my hand back down into the bowl.


    ¡°Is that the best way to get your attention? Food?¡±


    ¡°You could walk around naked,¡± he suggested.


    I stared at him nkly.


    ¡°Too soon,¡± hemented to himself.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Luca walked around the ind to the stovetop where


    extra chicken wasying on a te.


    ¡°Can I have the rest of this?¡± He asked, although he was already pulling a fork and knife from the drawer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± I said honestly, picking my own utensils up to eat.


    Luca sat down next to me with a ss of water, his te of chicken, and arge bottle full of barbecue sauce.


    ¡°Appetizing,¡± I said sarcastically, watching Luca pour the sauce over each piece of chicken before he ate it.


    ¡°Better than your rabbit food,¡± he said, mouth full.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually quite satisfied,¡± I told him, gesturing towards my sd empty bowl.


    Luca raised an eyebrow, but I pretended not to notice. I got up from my chair and rinsed my dishes before walking towards Luca¡¯s bedroom.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± He asked.


    ¡°To take a nap.¡±


    ¡°Probably a good idea.¡±


    My eyebrows furrowed in confusion but I didn¡¯t press any further. The only thing I could think of was how exhausted I was.


    I fell asleep almost immediately after copsing into Luca¡¯s bed.


    Waking up wasn¡¯t as easy as falling asleep. Iid there for several minutes before finally sitting up, an action I regretted instantly.


    My back was so stiff. My shoulders felt like they were locked in ce and my legs were shaking as I tried to stand up from the bed.


    God, I hate Fallon, I thought.


    The stiffness subsided slightly as I walked through the house, eventually wandering outside where I could hear someone talking.


    I stood under the breezeway, watching Luca as he paced the driveway while he talked on the phone.


    As soon as he saw me, he winked.


    I smiled awkwardly before Luca ended the call and approached me.


    ¡°I was just about to go see Lincoln, if you¡¯d like toe,¡± he offered.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    After grabbing my shoes, I followed him to the truck, where he opened the passenger door for me to climb in. I tried not to wince as I lifted myself into the cab of the truck, my legs burning as I did so.


    I hate Fallon, I thought again.


    ¡°How was your nap?¡± Luca asked.


    ¡°Not long enough.¡±


    I heard him chuckle before he closed the door behind me.


    ¡°You could have slept longer,¡± he told me, getting into the truck.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you need the rest.¡±


    My eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°Why are you so concerned about my sleeping schedule?¡± I asked him, remembering that he had made a simrment earlier that day.


    He looked offended by the question.


    ¡°Am I not allowed to be?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s weird if you are,¡± I said honestly.


    ¡°It¡¯s weird that I care about how much sleep you¡¯re getting?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yeah, kinda,¡± I answered,ughing awkwardly.


    Luca didn¡¯t say anything else, although I could tell he was annoyed.


    ¡°Is it because I get up early that you think I¡¯m not getting enough sleep?¡± I pushed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why you have a problem with me caring,¡± he said after a few moments.


    I shrugged.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t see why it would matter to you.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m your mate and I¡¯m allowed to care about you.


    ¡°I get plenty of sleep; there isn¡¯t anything to care about,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to argue with you. I shouldn¡¯t have to defend myself for being concerned about your wellbeing.¡±


    I shook my head, turning to look out the window.


    We drove in silence for a few miles, going the opposite direction of the training field to a part of the packnd that had houses lining each side of the road.


    ¡°Are we not going to Lincoln¡¯s office?¡± I asked, not recognizing the area.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to the meeting house,¡± Luca answered.


    ¡°There¡¯s an elders meeting there today with our security team. Lincoln said he would bring his phone so you could call your dad.¡±


    I nodded, a pit forming in my stomach.


    I wasn¡¯t so sure anymore that I wanted to talk to my dad. I was already anticipating the earful I was going to get if he had truly lost his shit, like Mady had said.


    A few minutester we pulled into a driveway where several other cars were parked. Luca drove up to park next to therge brick house that sat far off the road. With rose bushes in the garden and petunias in the window boxes, it looked more like a residence than it did a workce.


    After Luca had parked his truck, I followed him inside the house through the empty garage. As soon as we walked inside, we were met by Bates, ine and Lincoln.


    Lincoln reached out to me, holding a phone and a small piece of equipment.


    ¡°When you dial the number, plug this into the bottom of the phone, through the charging port. It¡¯ll buy you about ten minutes but not any longer than that.¡±


    I nodded, taking the phone from him.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I turned to Luca.


    ¡°I might need to go outside for this,¡± I told him.


    He nodded, not saying a word, before turning to speak to Bates about something unrted.


    I walked back outside and pulled down the tailgate of Luca¡¯s truck to sit on. Once settled, I took a deep breath. I then followed Lincoln¡¯s instructions and waited for the call to go through.


    It rang for a few moments before sending me to voicemail. I couldn¡¯t help but be somewhat relieved.


    Next, I tried his work phone.


    No answer.

 CHAPTER 21

    Then I called the clinic directly. His receptionist told me he hadn¡¯t been into the clinic in nearly a week. He told her he was taking a few days of vacation to focus


    on pack business. She hadn¡¯t heard from him since.


    She did say that mom was still working in the clinic. She had been in that morning and was on her lunch break.


    I decided to call her.


    Again, no answer.


    ¡°What the hell¡­¡± I mumbled to myself, pulling the phone away from my ear.


    I had never had that much trouble getting in touch with my mom or dad, even while I was away at college. Making ast attempt, I called his cell phone again.


    To my surprise, he answered.


    ¡°This is Dr. ir.¡±


    ¡°Dad, hey, it¡¯s me,¡± I stuttered out.


    When he didn¡¯t respond, I spoke again.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to call for a few days. Mom said you weren¡¯t able to talk thest time I called..


    No response.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    I pulled the phone away from my ear to see that the call had been ended.


    He hung up on me.


    This was worse than being reprimanded. I felt my throat close up and my eyes begin to burn. I knew this would happen, I thought. I knew he¡¯d be mad. He


    hates me for leaving our pack. He hates me for being with Luca. Breath shaky and heart heavy, I sat on the tailgate for a few minutes with my head in my hands; watching tears as they fell, dropping to the concrete below.


    I couldn¡¯t let myself go back inside crying.


    Several minutes passed before I pushed myself off the tailgate. I walked back towards the house, using the pad of my thumb to wipe away any tears that were still welling up in my eyes.


    When I went through the garage and back inside, I was surprised to walk into an empty room. There was no one to be found. I could hear the faint sound of voices, which I followed through the house.


    It was ornately decorated in a posh, old money kind of way. I knew immediately that whoever lived there didn¡¯t have any children.


    Everything was in its proper ce, not a speck of dust or dirt to be seen. Pillows were fluffed neatly on the couch and chairs were pushed in perfectly under the dining room table, which was set with


    expensive-looking tes and silverware.


    As I wandered around, I noticed an unsettling fact: there were no pictures anywhere. Despite the extensive staging, I began to think that no real person lived there. To confirm my suspicions, I walked into the kitchen and opened the butler¡¯s pantry.


    It waspletely bare.


    Weird.


    I followed the voices out of the kitchen and towards a room that looked like it was set up as a library.


    One wall was made entirely of shelves that held books and other trinkets. The voices wereing from behind it. Maybe think about soundproofing your secret meeting room, Luca, I thought.


    I had begun to look for a knob or switch that would somehow open an ess door when one suddenly opened in the center of the wall.


    Bates peeked his head out.


    ¡°Stealthy,¡± Imented.


    I saw his expression soften when he looked at me. Clearly, he could tell I had been crying.


    Shit.


    He surprised me by smiling.


    ¡°What¡¯s the password?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Let me guess¡­ Is it ¡®Bates is awesome¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Close¡±


    ¡°¡®Bates is annoying¡¯?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting colder.¡±


    ¡°¡®Bates is a six-year-old¡¯?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re freezing.¡±


    ¡°¡®Bates is a moderately entertaining person¡¯?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re warming back up.¡±


    I sighed.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Is it ¡®Bates is amazing¡¯?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not, but I¡¯ll let you in for guessing so well,¡± he said, winking as he opened the door fully.


    ¡°Just for future reference.¡± he said, ¡°the password is ¡®Bates is perfect¡¯.¡±


    Iughed as I walked through the hidden door.


    ¡°What do Luca and ine think about that password?¡±


    ¡°They usually just push me out of the way,¡± he said honestly, closing the door behind us.


    I walked down a narrow iron staircase that was lit underneath by fluorescent lighting. The staircase turned sharply to the right where I could hear the voices of those speaking be louder.


    It didn¡¯t take long for me to realize they were arguing. When Bates and I turned the corner, I was met by a spacious room with a high ceiling and concrete walls, the room filled with at least twenty men and women.


    They were gathered around a long table that was illuminated by several hanging lights. Documents including maps, reports and pictures were scattered


    along the table. A few people walked back and forth between a map that was stered against the wall behind them, marking it with highlighters and attaching sticky notes.


    Looking at it, I could tell they were marking the borders of different pack territories. Some of the districts had sticky notes attached to them, others werepletely filled in with different shades of highlighter.


    I looked back over to the table to immediately meet Luca¡¯s gaze. He stood in the middle of the table, arms crossed. The people around him were engaged in discussion, but he just stared at me.


    I felt like he was staring right through me.


    Luca raised a questioning eyebrow and I turned away, myattention diverting to the chaos around me.


    People were talking over each other loudly, pointing at the various documents in front of them as if they were using them to prove their point.


    I overheard the conversation of the two men standing closest to uS:


    ¡°How much longer do we have to wait until we do something about it? Until the entire poption of high school girls in the area have gone missing?¡±


    ¡°We have people looking into this already,¡± the other said in exasperation.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been ¡®looking into this¡¯ for three months with no sess. We need the issue to be reassigned.¡±


    My interest piqued, I walked a little closer to see what they were referring to. Scans of driver¡¯s licenses and yearbook photos of teenage girls were clipped to folders thatid on the table in front of them.


    Dates were written on sticky notes that were attached to each picture, some going back to the beginning of the spring.


    As I got closer, one of the men turned to me, noticing my eavesdropping on their conversation.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± He asked rudely.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± I asked, pointing to the files.


    ¡°They¡¯re missing, that¡¯s what they are,¡± another man said, folding his arms.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± The rude man reiterated.


    Before I could answer, Luca answered for me. Hearing his throat clear, the whole room went silent.


    The man turned his attention to Luca, who was leveling a re in our direction from the other side of the table. Everyone else in the room followed his gaze to stare at the rude individual whose ears were now tinged pink with embarrassment.


    Luca turned to walk towards the back of the room, the man following him, not having to be told. I gulped and turned my attention back to the files on the table, not wishing to watch the chastening conversation that ensued.


    Slowly the room around us returned to its chaos.


    I reached out to shake the hand of the man who was still standing in front of me.


    ¡°I¡¯m Carrie,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Robert,¡± he replied, shaking my hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take offense by my friend, he¡¯s like that to everyone.¡±


    ¡°What were you talking about?¡± I asked, changing subjects.


    ¡°These girls,¡± he said, picking up the folders.


    ¡°They are all missing. There are five total, so far.¡±


    ¡°For how long?¡±


    ¡°The first one disappeared two months ago. Thest one was reported missing by her parentsst week.¡±


    ¡°Do they all live within the borders?¡± I asked him.


    He shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s why no one will do anything,¡± he told me.


    ¡°If these girls belonged to a leader or someone else important enough to live within the gates they would have started searching immediately.¡±


    I picked up one of the folders.


    ¡°My friend, Matt, over there is in charge of three of the girls¡¯ subdivision of the packnd,¡± Robert continued.


    ¡°The first girl belonged to my subdivision-but since Matt has more at risk, quantifiably speaking, he got the case. I just don¡¯t think he¡¯s doing enough with it.¡±


    I put the folder down.


    ¡°I can talk to Luca for you?¡± I offered.


    Robert¡¯s face immediately lit up.


    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± he said earnestly.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Let me know if can help in any other way.¡±


    He nodded quickly.


    ¡°I will, thank you,¡± he said again.


    I offered a half-hearted smile before walking over to where Bates was standing with ine and a few other men.


    Before I could get to where they stood, I felt a hand grab my arm and tug me gently. I turned to see Luca pulling me towards the stairs.


    As soon as we were out of earshot from those around us, he pulled me around to stand in front of him with his back turned to everyone, shielding me from their view.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked in a low voice.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I said quickly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been crying.¡±


    I faltered, refusing to look him in the eye.


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡±


    He ced a hand under my chin and pulled it towards him, forcing me to look at him directly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, amore.¡±


    My jaw tightened as I felt the tears return to my eyes, his face bing blurry.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± I said through clenched teeth, my bottom lip quivering.


    ¡°What did he say to you?¡± He demanded, his tone growing darker.


    I pulled my face from his grasp.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t have to say a word.¡±


    I turned and made my way back up the stairs before Luca could say anything further. Bates can give him a ride home, I thought to myself as I got into the truck and pressed the ignition. I backed out of the driveway and swerved out onto the road, narrowly missing the mailbox.


    I drove quickly back to Luca¡¯s house, feeling like I was going to shatter into a million pieces at any moment. Fortunately, I made it to his house and inside before I copsed onto the couch.


    It was then that I finally let myself cry the way I wanted to. All of my life I had tried to be the woman my parents created instead of myself.


    Now, the part of me that was truly, wholly, authentically arge part of my future-my mate-was cause for rejection from the people whose opinions I valued most.


    And I felt crushed by it.

 CHAPTER 22

    I could see the sky behind the mountains in the distance as it transitioned to darker shades, reminding me of how long I¡¯d been sitting there. I think it¡¯s time to stop wallowing in self-pity, I told myself.


    Deciding I would make dinner, I stood from the couch, catching a glimpse of the pool in the backyard as I did so.


    A swim would feel so nice right now¡­


    Forgoing dinner, I went to retrieve my bikini from my suitcase. I changed and wandered downstairs where Luca had mentioned the pool ess was.


    On the lower level were two empty bedrooms, two


    apanying bathrooms, and arge bonus room in between the two bedrooms that boasted a TV the size of a small vehicle. Surrounding the TV was arge sectional sofa and several pieces of sports memorabilia. Hockey sticks, shadow boxes full of


    jerseys and pucks, and shelves lined with trophies were hung on the wall.


    Along the far wall was arge window that had a sliding door to get outside into the backyard. I slid the door open to be met with a patio where a hammock was swinging in the gentle breeze between two posts that supported the deck overhead. I could see the adirondack chairs circling a fire pit to my left and the pool directly in front of me.


    Walking past the pool chairs, I walked up to where the hot tub was, its waterfall flowing off one edge into the pool below.


    Does he just leave this on?


    I thought, lowering myself into the warm water. The jets were running, massaging the aching muscles in my arms and back.


    This was a great idea.


    I felt the tension in my shoulders release as I continued to watch the sky grow dark around me, nightfall setting in. Deep in thought, I almost screamed when the lights came on; illuminating the pool and the hot tub with a soft blue glow and


    scaring the shit out of me in the process.


    I looked up to see Luca walking out of the sliding ss door.


    This was a bad idea.


    He walked over to where I was as I pretended not to notice him.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little chilly for that,¡± hemented, sitting down near the edge.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad.¡±


    I sunk down into the warm water a little lower.


    We were awkwardly quiet for a few moments, neither of us knowing what to say.


    ¡°You should get in,¡± I told him, finally breaking the silence.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have trunks.¡±


    Sure, you own a pool, but not a swim suit, I thought.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to have one.¡± I said.


    When I saw his reaction to my words, I immediately blushed.


    ¡°I meant that you could get in in your shorts,¡± I rified.


    Luca didn¡¯t say anything for a few moments before he sighed, kicked off his tennis shoes, removed his socks, and reached behind him to pull his shirt over his head.


    Tossing his shirt to the side, Luca lowered himself into the water to sit opposite of me. His pecs and shoulders flexed with the movement, the muscles in his arms prominent.


    I looked away, feeling myself begin to gawk and drool. However, I fought desperately to keep from making eye contact with Luca for another reason: I knew he wanted to talk about my dad and I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to think about him.


    ¡°Can I ask you a somewhat personal question?¡± I asked him, trying to find a way around the inevitable conversation.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    I thought he looked sincere enough, so I continued.


    ¡°What do you do apart from being an Alpha?¡±


    His eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    I gestured around us.


    ¡°I mean, what¡¯s your trade? How do you afford a house like this?¡±


    He nodded, understanding.


    ¡°I own all of thisnd we¡¯re on,¡± he told me.


    ¡°There¡¯s a massive oil reservoir about forty acres east of here that I lease mineral rights to an oilpany for. They drill and I get paid an eighteen percent royalty on every barrel they produce. I also own a few businesses in town and I make those who live within the gates pay a property tax for the extra protection. Paired with a decent knowledge of investing, it all adds up pretty well.¡±


    ¡°Where did you get thend from?¡± I asked, unexpectedly interested.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re not from Montana.¡±


    I didn¡¯t think it was a bold assumption given his olive


    plexion and affinity for exotic terms of endearment.


    Luca gave me a slight smile.


    ¡°Thend belonged to my stepdad¡¯s father. He left it to me after he died.¡±


    I¡¯d heard him refer to his stepdad before, something that didn¡¯t make sense to me. Luca must have seen the confused look on my face.


    ¡°My mother and I immigrated from Italy when I was about six-years-old.,¡± he said.


    ¡°She met my stepdad when she applied for a job with hispany and they were married within the year.¡±


    ¡°Are they mates?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No,¡± he said quickly.


    ¡°His mate died in a car ident a few years before he met my mom.¡±


    ¡°And your mom?¡± I asked, almost hesitantly.


    As soon as I asked, I wished I hadn¡¯t. Luca seemed to grow ufortable and I immediately tried to retract my question.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t mean to pry¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay,¡± he said, shaking his head.


    Luca drew in a deep breath and looked at me.


    ¡°My biological father is the Alpha of a pack in Italy, somewhere east of Verona. She left him.¡±


    ¡°Why? If you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­¡±


    He shrugged.


    ¡°Apparently, he was a real dick. He beat the shit out of her frequently and started to do the same to me, so she packed her bags one night and left with me while he was away.¡±


    Damn.


    No wonder Luca had taken such offense the night we met when I was scared he¡¯d hurt me.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Luca.¡±


    He gave me a halfhearted smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t remember it and my mom has moved on. She¡¯s happy and that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    I nodded, not sure of what else to say.


    ¡°Speaking of daddy issues¡­¡± Luca said, slinging an arm around the stone that lined the side of the hot tub.


    ¡°I take it your disappearing act at the meeting house means your phone call didn¡¯t go so well.¡±


    I bit the inside of my cheek and stared off at the barely visible mountain peaks off in the far distance.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t a conversation,¡± I said finally.


    ¡°He hung up as soon as I told him who was calling.¡±


    ¡°At the least you can say you tried to make amends. You can¡¯t hold responsibility for anything that happens from this point on,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s just.


    I trailed off and turned my attention back to Luca, who was watching me intently.


    ¡°Never mind.¡±


    He leaned in.


    ¡°Go on,¡± he prodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Luca¡¯s gaze never wavered and I drew in a deep breath, my will breaking.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­plicated.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got all night,¡± he assured me.


    I let out a breathyugh. No one could use Luca ofcking in persistence.


    ¡°My mom and dad are both doctors. They practice family medicine in their clinic that they started before I was born,¡± I exined.


    ¡°They weren¡¯t very subtle about making it known


    they expected me to do the same.¡±


    His eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°Did you ever want to be a doctor?¡± He asked.


    I shrugged.


    ¡°I considered it for a few years in high school, mostly just to make them happy, I think. But once I got to college and started taking the necessary courses to get into medical school, I backed out almost immediately.¡±


    ¡°And they were disappointed,¡± Luca guessed.


    ¡°Not at first,¡± I told him.


    ¡°They knew it was overwhelming and encouraged me to keep a level head. But it wasn¡¯t really the coursework that killed me. I just hated the subject matter.¡±


    ¡°Did you leave college?¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°I had to take out a few loans to stay because they stopped paying for it after they figured out I was serious about studying something different. But, I managed to get through three more years and graduate.¡±


    I scoffed.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t even attendmencement, or watch me walk across the stage to get my diploma,¡± I continued.


    ¡°I graduated with honors and an academic achievement award, so I don¡¯t know why they would have been ashamed of me. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m an idiot.¡±


    I felt my throat begin tighten with emotion and I stopped talking.


    ¡°You¡¯ve tried to stay in their good graces ever since then?¡± Luca asked, his voice a little softer.


    I nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯re civil,¡± I told him.


    ¡°It¡¯s just something we¡¯ve all swept under the rug and continue to stand on like nothing¡¯s wrong.¡±


    Neither of us said anything for a few moments before I took in a deep breath.


    ¡°And now I¡¯m here, with you, whom my father hates, and I¡¯m expected to love you like nothing¡¯s wrong and respect you, but I also have to love and respect my parents. It feels impossible to do both.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your job to make sure you learn to love and respect me, it¡¯s mine. Don¡¯t shoulder my responsibilities for me,¡± Luca said.


    He leaned back.


    ¡°But I am sorry you feel torn between loyalties. I know it¡¯s probably not easy.¡±


    I sighed.


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing,¡± I told him.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting easier but I don¡¯t understand how? I¡¯ve been with you for a handful of days and I¡¯ve known my family for my entire life.¡±


    Luca smiled slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m just so charming that you can¡¯t help it,¡± he said.


    I hid myugh with a scoff.


    ¡°You keep telling yourself that.¡±


    Lucaughed.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, standing up.


    ¡°I¡¯m starving. Wanna go grab something to eat?¡±


    I felt my own stomach growl and nodded.


    As I followed him out of the hot tub, the cool breeze blew against my wet skin and I shivered, suddenly covered in goosebumps.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I forgot a damn towel,¡± I said aloud.


    Luca turned to me andughed as he grabbed his shoes and shirt.


    ¡°I told you it was too cold for a swim.¡±

 CHAPTER 23

    He came to walk alongside me as I hugged myself, shivering.


    ¡°Your tits look great in that bikini top, by the way.¡±


    My jaw dropped in shock of his blunt statement.


    Watching himugh, I reached out and shoved him as hard as I could, clearly taking him off guard as he toppled over into the pool.


    Luca was ring at me as he surfaced and swam back to the edge.


    Now it was my turn tough.


    I didn¡¯t have enough time to run before Luca¡¯s cold, wet arm was wrapped around my torso and lifted me into the air. He chucked me into pool, but I had enough of a grip on his arm that he followed in behind me.


    The difference in the water temperature between the pool and hot tub had me gasping for air when I swam back up to the surface.


    ¡°Jackass,¡± I quipped, despite trying not tough.


    Lucaughed and ran a hand through his hair, shaking the water from it.


    ¡°All jokes aside,¡± he said.


    ¡°I was serious about your tits.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking about my tits.¡±


    ¡°Why? They¡¯re nice tits.¡±


    I swam up to him, put one hand on his shoulder and the other on his head and dunked him under the water.


    He wrapped both arms around my torso as he resurfaced, our chests pressed together.


    ¡°Can we please get out?¡± I asked him, trying to pry his hands from my waist.


    ¡°I¡¯m freezing.¡±


    ¡°I can tell,¡± he said, peering down at my cleavage.


    ¡°Oh my God,¡± I muttered, putting a hand over his eyes.


    ¡°I still see them,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken a picture with my brain.¡±


    I sighed in feigned annoyance as he finally let go of me. Luca followed close behind as I walked through the shallow end of the pool towards the stairs.


    As I made my exit, he whistled.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a nice ass too,¡± hemented.


    I turned around and sshed him with my foot. I was only able to hope he didn¡¯t notice my cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment.


    Lucaughed.


    ¡°Might have to spank thatter.¡±


    He¡¯s actually enjoying tormenting me, I thought.


    Mustering all the nerve I had, I turned to look at him.


    ¡°Is that a promise?¡±


    I turned away before I could lose myposure, wanting nothing more than to double over inughter at the look of surprise on Luca¡¯s face.


    I twisted the water from my hair as I walked under the deck, towards the sliding ss door. Luca walked behind me, over to a cab that sat next to the grill. He pulled a pool towel out and began to dry his face and hair.


    ¡°You had towels over here this whole time?¡± I asked him, pulling the cab door back wider to see a stack of them folded on a shelf.


    He winked at me as he passed me to walk towards the door. I grabbed a towel and dried myself off quickly, still cold in the early night air. I followed Luca into the house and up the stairs to his bedroom.


    ¡°I need to shower and get the chlorine out of my hair,¡± I said, scowling as I tried tob through the tangled mess with my fingers.


    ¡°Amore, you can get as naked as you want to.¡±


    I made my irritation audible with an exasperated sigh as I grabbed clothes from my suitcase.


    ¡°There¡¯s room in here if you want to hang those up,¡± Luca said walking into his closet and turning on the light.


    ¡°I need to doundry,¡± I muttered, seeing more than half of my suitcase was dirty clothes.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy to inform you that I own a washer and dryer,¡± Luca said sarcastically.


    I mocked him in a high pitched voice before turning to walk into the bathroom.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shut the door¡± he told me.


    ¡°I¡¯Il be in there in a second.¡±


    ¡°Like hell you are,¡± I said, shutting the door and locking it in such an exaggerated way I knew that he would hear the ¡®click¡¯.


    Showering, I realized that I had barely any shampoo or conditioner left in my travel-sized containers. I was running equally low on soap and face wash.


    I need to go shopping, I thought.


    As I stood there under the hot water, I realized that I had gone from crying to the point of hups and puffy eyes toughing and yful in less than an hour.


    Whether Luca realized it or not. I needed the distraction and I was grateful for it.


    After I was done in the shower, Ibed through my hair and changed into clean clothes. Luca was standing by the bed on his phone when I opened the bathroom door. I gathered all of my dirty clothes and went into theundry room to wash them.


    After starting the washer, I walked out into the kitchen and began to look for something to eat.


    Too exhausted to cook, I grabbed a bagel and peanut butter. After toasting the bagel in the oven, I sat down at the counter to eat. Just as I began to smear peanut butter on the bagel, Luca walked into the kitchen, freshly showered and changed.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t want to go out and get something?¡± He asked.


    I stopped and smiled sheepishly.


    ¡°I kinda forgot that was the n.¡±


    He shrugged.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡±


    Luca walked into the pantry and came out with a Pop-Tart in one hand and a bag of chips in the other.


    ¡°My mom wants us over for dinner with them tomorrow night,¡± he said as he sat down.


    I paused in the middle of biting into my bagel.


    ¡°Tomorrow?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Is that too soon?¡±


    I shook my head slowly.


    ¡°No, I guess not.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Luca watched me cautiously.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to,¡± he said.


    ¡°No, we should,¡± I said.


    I bit into my bagel, still trying to convince myself.


    I just met him, I thought. This is happening so soon.


    I felt so intimidated by the thought of meeting Luca¡¯s mom and stepdad.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to,¡± he reiterated.


    ¡°We can,¡± I told him.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me.¡±


    ¡°Okay.


    I hoped Luca didn¡¯t see the look of apprehension on my face when he turned away.


    You¡¯ll be fine, I told myself.


    We were quiet for the rest of dinner, each of us finishing our meals. Luca asked if I wanted to watch a hockey game with him, but I declined. As soon as my clothes were moved over from the washer to the dryer, I was on my way to Luca¡¯s room, yawning.


    Despite taking a nap that day, I was ready for bed.


    I was so tired, in fact, that I didn¡¯t wake up when Luca came to bed that night. I did, however, wake up when he left. I was startled awake at some point during the middle of the night by the sound of the bedroom door opening and closing quickly.


    Sitting up, I saw that Luca was gone.


    Feeling an unexinable sense of urgency, I got out of the bed quickly. I opened the bedroom door and walked into the dark living room.


    From where I was standing, I could see that the side door next to the kitchen was halfway open. As I walked towards the door, I saw the trail of his t-shirt, sweatpants and boxer briefs leading outside.


    What the hell?


    l opened the door and stepped outside into the chilly night air. He was nowhere to be seen. Confused and somewhat unnerved, I went back inside and closed the door, grabbing his clothes as I did so.


    When I went back into the bedroom, I saw Luca¡¯s phone was still on the nightstand.


    Maybe someone called him to an emergency?


    I pondered this exnation for a moment, wondering why his phone didn¡¯t wake me up when it rang. I got back into the bed. But, despite my best efforts, my heart was still pounding and I couldn¡¯t rx to fall back asleep.


    I guess we were both good at the disappearing act.

 CHAPTER 24

    Luca never came back to bed that night.


    Iid there, staring at the ceiling, until the glow of the early morning began to fill the bedroom. When I went into the kitchen to make my tea, I was shocked to see Luca sitting at the counter with a coffee cup to his lips.


    I never heard hime back inside.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± I asked.


    Luca¡¯s eyebrows knit together.


    ¡°Yes?¡± He answered, even though it sounded like more of a question.


    ¡°You left in the middle of the night,¡± I told him, feeling the need to exin my concern.


    ¡°Oh, I went for a run,¡± he said casually, taking another sip of coffee.


    ¡°You left the door open..


    ¡°Did I?¡± Luca asked.


    ¡°I may not have shut it well.¡±


    ¡°You left your clothes strewn all over the floor,¡± I reminded him.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m not used to living with someone who sees my mess. You didn¡¯t have to clean up behind me.¡±


    Luca¡¯s attention returned to his coffee cup.


    ¡°Are you sure everything¡¯s okay?¡± I asked him.


    He looked up from his mug and smiled slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Despite still not being satisfied with his answer, I nodded apprehensively before turning to grab the kettle off the stovetop. The kitchen was silent for a few moments, except for the sounds of me filling the kettle with water and starting the stovetop burner.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a few things to attend to today, so I won¡¯t be home until Ie to pick you up for dinner,¡± Luca said, emptying the rest of his coffee into the sink.


    ¡°I¡¯ll probably go and meet Fallon again this morning,¡± I told him, still trying to read the aura he carried.


    ¡°Sounds fun,¡± he shrugged.


    ¡°The keys are in the Jeep if you¡¯d like to drive that.¡±


    ¡°What about the keys to the McLaren? Where are those?¡±


    Luca¡¯s attention snapped from the sink where he was washing his mug.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± he said.


    Iughed.


    ¡°Whatever, I guess the Jeep isn¡¯t so bad.¡±


    I saw the relief wash over Luca as he shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯Il see youter,¡± he said, grabbing his sweatshirt and walking towards the door.


    ¡°Bye.¡±


    He stopped walking and turned around, almost hesitantly.


    Luca took a few steps in my direction and grabbed my t-shirt to pull me into his chest. Before I could ask what he was doing, Luca threw his sweatshirt onto the counter behind me, grabbed my face with one hand and wrapped the other arm around my waist, pulling me into a kiss.


    There¡¯s no telling how long we would have stood there had the kettle not begun to whistle loudly. Luca pulled away with a groan and turned off the burner.


    ¡°Goodbye, amore,¡± he said.


    I watched, speechless, as he turned and left the kitchen. It wasn¡¯t until I heard the door shut that I realized he had actually left.


    Filling my mug, I ced the teabag into the hot water and sat down at the countertop.


    That was weird, I thought.


    I drank my tea before going to theundry room to fetch my clothes from where they stayed in the dryer overnight. As I walked back into Luca¡¯s room with my clean, foldedundry, I saw my phone light up on the nightstand.


    I picked it up with one hand, bncing myundry in the other. It was a text from Mady, reading: Don¡¯t forget I need a picture of Luca! Hope you¡¯re well. Call me sometime this weekend.


    I smiled before putting the phone back down.


    Carrying my clothes into Luca¡¯s closet, I hung a few shirts up and put my shorts and pants on an empty shelf. I really need to go shopping, I thought as I stared at the minimal pieces I had to wear.


    Maybe I can get Mady to mail me my clothes.


    That¡¯s when it urred to me: what was I supposed to wear when I met Luca¡¯s parents? An


    overwhelming sense of panic overcame me as I stared at the t-shirts I had to chose from.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I muttered.


    I suddenly wished I hadn¡¯t waited until thest minute when I packed for Vegas. I went to grab my phone, wanting to tell Luca to postpone the dinner until I could go buy a suitable outfit. It wasn¡¯t until I


    picked up my phone that I realized I didn¡¯t have Luca¡¯s phone number.


    Groaning, I tossed my phone onto the bed.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    What am I supposed to do?


    Shaking my head and deciding to deal with itter, I changed into workout clothes and headed out to meet with Fallon. As I thought about shopping for new clothes while I drove down Luca¡¯s driveway, the only thing I could think was how badly I needed to get a job.


    Although I had enough in my savings to cover me for the next few months, there was no avoiding the loan payments that I would have to continue to make for the next ten years in order to pay off my student debts.


    I certainly couldn¡¯t do that with the paycheck I would get at the end of that week. After all, the check would only include the four days I had worked in the previous week, before we went to Vegas. That would barely be enough to buy a few things to wear, restock my shampoo and conditioner, and keep my phone service.


    Not to mention I was still under a lease agreement for my townhome with Mady. I would have to pay that every month until the end of the year.


    Feeling nauseous at the wave of reality that had washed over me, I drove quickly to the training fields, anxious to be distracted from it.


    Parking, I saw Fallon standing at her car as she was unloading equipment from the trunk.


    ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t expect to see you again,¡± Fallonughed as she watched me walking towards her.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sore.¡± I admitted.


    ¡°I wish I could say it got better with time,¡± she said cringing.


    After I helped her carry a few things over to the ring, we went over what we had covered the day before and got right to work. By the time we were finished-nearly two hourster-I felt like I had jabbed to the point my arms would fall out of their sockets.


    I bettere out of this with arms so muscr / could knock Rocky Balboa on his ass. I did manage to steer the Jeep back to Luca¡¯s house, despite the


    stiffness in my shoulders.


    Showering quickly, I was starving and needed to eat something. It wasn¡¯t until I had sat down with my eggs and fruit that I had a quiet moment to breathe.


    I decided I would call Mady.


    She answered almost immediately.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Hi, Mady.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± She asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I assured her.


    ¡°How are you? How was your exam?¡±


    ¡°It went well.,¡± she said slowly.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re good?¡±


    I sighed.


    ¡°It dawned on me this morning that I still have a lease to pay,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Oh, shit¡­ and you don¡¯t have a job anymore.¡±


    I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Thank you for the reminder,¡± Imented.


    ¡°What are you gunna do?¡± Mady asked.


    ¡°I should be fine until the end of the year. I have savings. I¡¯m also going to look for a job here.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to be able to?¡±


    ¡°What? Get a job?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see why I wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, you are mated to an Alpha,¡± she exined.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you have duties as a Luna?¡±


    Shit.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about that,¡± I said honestly.


    ¡°Maybe talk to Luca about it? He might be able to help.¡±


    My eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not letting him pay my rent.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s his fault you don¡¯t have any ie, he should at least be willing to help youe up with a solution.¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡±


    I changed the subject, asking her about her exam instead. I had no intentions of begging for Luca¡¯s help regarding my finances. I would figure something out on my own.


    Before we got off the phone, I asked her to mail a few of my things to me, namely some of my clothes and paint supplies. She agreed in exchange for a picture of Luca.


    When we got off the phone, I sat at the kitchen counter for nearly an hour-staring at an empty te and wondering what I was going to do for the next few months.


    ¡°I need to stop thinking about this,¡± I said aloud.


    I stood from my seat and washed my dishes before wandering upstairs to the loft. Painting had proven to be a decent distraction in the past, I was hoping the same would be true for that afternoon.


    The soreness in my arms and shoulders made it harder than normal, but I managed to get started on painting the detailedce appliqu¨¦ of my mom¡¯s wedding dress.


    Hours passed before I heard the door downstairs open and shut, knocking me from my trance.


    ¡°Amore?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m upstairs.¡± I shouted.


    I heard Luca¡¯s footsteps as he ascended the staircase before seeing him as he rounded the corner into the loft.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± He asked, despite clearly seeing that I was seated in front of a canvas with a paintbrush in my hand.


    ¡°Painting.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± he said, walking closer to inspect the canvas.


    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯m obviously not done yet. I need to get a few more colors to finish the details and shading and a little more of the cream-colored acrylic to finish her dress.¡±


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Luca asked.


    ¡°My parents.¡±


    He scowled.


    ¡°That seems like a random thing to paint..¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m giving it to them for their wedding anniversary.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Luca cleared his throat awkwardly before sitting down on the floor a few feet away.


    ¡°I postponed dinner ns,¡± he said.


    I wanted to sigh in relief until I heard what he said next: ¡°I have something I want to talk to you about.¡±


    I dropped the paintbrush into water and turned to face him. Maybe this has something to do with his disappearancest night, I thought.


    ¡°I had a few meetings today with our pack¡¯s elders,¡± he said.


    ¡°They want you to be inducted into the pack as Luna the old, traditional way.¡±


    My eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°What is the old, traditional way?¡± I asked.


    Luca rolled his eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s asinine,¡± he admitted.


    ¡°It¡¯s this weird, cultish ceremony that has to happen on a blue moon at midnight so that the moon is at


    its highest point.¡±


    I scowled.


    ¡°Why would they want to do that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t fucking know,¡± he said, clearly frustrated.


    ¡°Some shit about how a lunar blessing was good luck for a pack. That¡¯s besides the point, though. They refuse to recognize you as Luna unless we go that route.¡±


    We were quiet for a few moments before he sighed.


    ¡°The next blue moon is in four weeks.¡±


    I eyed him carefully.


    ¡°Why is it such a big deal to you that I have to wait four weeks to be inducted into the pack?¡±


    His jaw clenched as he shook his head.


    ¡°Traditionally, an Alpha isn¡¯t supposed to consummate his rtionship with his mate unless she¡¯s in his pack. If not, they¡¯re supposed to wait until she¡¯s inducted.¡±


    My jaw dropped.


    ¡°That¡¯s the stupidest thing I¡¯ve ever heard.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s bullshit,¡± Luca agreed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anyone having to follow that rule,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s an old tradition,¡± he exined.


    ¡°Of course no one follows it anymore, no one believes in that stuff.¡±


    ¡°Except your pack¡¯s elders?¡±


    ¡°Apparently.¡±


    We sat in the heavy silence for a few moments, both of us trying to process the information.


    ¡°I think, maybe, it would be best.¡± I trailed off and took a deep breath, regaining my confidence.


    ¡°I think it would be best if I left for the next month,¡± I told him.


    Luca immediately scowled.


    ¡°To go where exactly?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Home.¡±


    He rolled his eyes.


    ¡°I thought we were past this¡­¡±


    ¡°Luca. hear me out¡ª¡± I started.


    ¡°No¡±


    I was taken back by his stubbornness.


    ¡°I think it would be easier for both of us,¡± I argued.


    ¡°We both have responsibilities; mine are at home and yours are here.¡±


    ¡°What responsibilities could you possibly have waiting for you there that couldn¡¯t be dealt with here?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I had two jobs for a reason,¡± I told him, feeling my face grow hot with anger.


    ¡°I can¡¯t afford to sit in your big house all day, everyday and paint to my heart¡¯s content. Money might not be an issue for you, but it¡¯s certainly a point of concern for me. I have a lease and tens of thousands of dors in student debt to pay¡­¡±


    Luca shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how much it is, l¡¯Il pay it for you. You¡¯re not leaving here to go and work two jobs. That¡¯s not something you need to worry about anymore.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the generosity,¡± I said genuinely, ¡°but I¡¯m not letting you shoulder my responsibilities for me.¡±


    Luca clearly didn¡¯t like his own words being used against him.


    ¡°You are my responsibility,¡± he said, rising to his feet.


    I followed suit, standing in front of him.


    ¡°How exactly do you n on living together for the next month if we can¡¯t have sex?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°We¡¯ve done just fine this week.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice the slight tone of resentment he used.


    ¡°Luca¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± he said quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t patronize me. I¡¯m done engaging in this. You¡¯re not going home. You¡¯re going to stay here and we will figure something out.¡±


    He turned to walk away and I sighed, not realizing it would be thest time I saw him for four days.

 CHAPTER 25

    I could be one stubborn bitch¨Cbut, apparently, so could Luca. After packing all my things back into my suitcase and duffle bag, moved myself back upstairs to the spare bedroom next to the loft. I had decided that it was probably best to sleep separately since we now had to wait four weeks to have sex.


    During the four days after our argument, I didn¡¯t see Luca once. He was gone when I woke and when I went to sleep.


    The only evidence he¡¯d been in the house were the dishes he¡¯d leave in the sink after he drank his morning coffee or ate ate dinner. I begrudgingly washed them along with mine.


    Otherwise, my routine stayed consistent.


    I met with Fallon in the mornings, made myself lunch after showering, and painted or read during the afternoons. I was miserable andpletely bored out of my mind. All I could do was think, think, and then think some more.


    The only thing on my mind for those four days was Luca; how much his stubbornness annoyed me, how much I couldn¡¯t stand him for causing me to lose my job, and how much I missed him.


    I wanted to punch his perfect face for making me think about him so much-and with how much I was training with Fallon, knew I could make it hurt.


    I wanted-no, needed-something else do, something to get me out of my head. By the fourth afternoon, the thought of painting made me sick. I decided to clean with what supplies I could find, even going so far as to wash mine and Luca¡¯s sheets.


    On the fifth day, however, Fallon wasn¡¯t able to meet so I slept in a bit.


    I was woken up that morning by the sound of the door opening and mming shut followed by my name being called.


    ¡°Caroliiilinee¡­¡±


    Who is that?


    Dragging myself out of bed, I put on my sweatpants and began to walk down the stairs, following the high-pitched voice.


    ¡°Oh, Caaarooliiiinnnne!¡±


    I rounded the corner at the bottom of the stairs to see someone standing in the kitchen holding several boxes that covered their face.


    ¡°Bates?¡± I guessed.


    He turned to the side so I could see his face.


    ¡°The very one.¡±


    Bates ced the boxes down on the floor.


    ¡°Those came for you today,¡± he said.


    I walked closer to see they were from Mady. Pulling a knife from a kitchen drawer, I first opened the box on top. My clothes were neatly folded inside, along with a note.


    ¡°Still waiting on my picture,¡± was all it read.


    I smiled before putting the note back inside the box.


    ¡°Who is it from?¡± Bates asked.


    ¡°My roommate, Mady.¡±


    Bates hummed.


    ¡°What¡¯s inside the boxes?¡± He asked, peeking inside.


    ¡°Just a few of my clothes.¡±


    ¡°A few?¡± He asked, eyeing the handful of boxes around us.


    Bates reached inside another box that I had just cut open and pulled out a bright purple pair of panties.


    ¡°Thank God I didn¡¯t let security go through these before they handed them off to me,¡± he said as I yanked the panties from him.


    ¡°Luca will love those,¡± Batesmented.


    ¡°Well¡­ not until after you¡¯re inducted, at least.¡±


    I red at him.


    ¡°Strike a nerve?¡± He asked,ughing.


    I sighed and closed the box.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It struck one with Luca too,¡± Bates continued.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Neither did he.¡±


    I walked around him to the refrigerator, grabbing almond milk to make cereal with.


    ¡°Cereal?¡± I offered.


    ¡°With almond milk? No, thanks.¡±


    I rolled my eyes and pulled out the carton of regr milk also.


    ¡°Mini-Wheats,¡± he told me, ¡°and they better be chocte.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a child,¡± I said, walking into the pantry.


    As if Luca had them there especially for Bates, I grabbed the unopened box of chocte Mini-Wheats from the shelf, along with my cereal.


    ¡°How far you can go before it¡¯s considered consummation?¡±


    Bates pondered aloud.


    ¡°Probably not far,¡± I muttered, cing the box of Mini-Wheats on the table next to him.


    ¡°Do I not get a bowl or spoon?¡± he asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s Get-it-Yourself Day.¡±


    Bates huffed before getting off the stool and pulling open the utensil drawer.


    ¡°I see the abstinence thing has adversely affected your mood,¡± he noted.


    ¡°Your Alpha has adversely affected my mood,¡± I corrected him.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, because he¡¯s not your Alpha yet.¡±


    Bates snickered when he saw my unamused stare.


    I poured my cereal into a bowl and doused it with almond milk before taking a seat next to Bates at the counter.


    ¡°He¡¯s so moody,¡± I exined.


    ¡°We argued about this four days ago and I haven¡¯t seen him since.¡±


    Batesughed awkwardly.


    ¡°Luca¡¯s probably not mad at you, he¡¯s just a busy guy,¡± he tried to exin.


    My eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°Too busy to see his mate who is living in his house?¡± I asked.


    He shrugged.


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    An awkward silence washed over us as I chewed my cereal slowly, watching Bates stare at his bowl in thought.


    ¡°I think Luca deserves some credit,¡± he said suddenly.


    I raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°He¡¯s going through more than he¡¯ll let on,¡± Bates exined.


    I put my spoon down.


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    The side door opened suddenly, startling both Bates and myself. Luca walked through the door and closed it behind him, his attention immediately drawn to where Bates and I were sitting at the countertop.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He asked Bates.


    Bates held up his spoon.


    ¡°Eating cereal.¡±


    Luca raised an eyebrow and Bates sighed, pointing towards the boxes.


    ¡°I brought those over.¡±


    ¡°And you just thought you¡¯d stay for breakfast?¡± Luca asked sternly.


    Someone¡¯s still in a mood.


    ¡°I offered breakfast to him,¡± I interjected.


    ¡°I appreciated thepany.¡±


    Thest part was a petty jab in Luca¡¯s direction and the air grew thick with tension after I¡¯d delivered it.


    It wasn¡¯t a lie, though. Bates was the only one I¡¯d had contact with besides Fallon and I¡¯d hardly count someone screaming at you to duck and dodge as a pleasant interaction.


    ¡°What are these?¡± Luca asked, walking over to the packages.


    ¡°They¡¯re my clothes,¡± I informed him.


    ¡°They came this morning?¡± He asked Bates, ignoring me.


    Bates nodded awkwardly, sensing he was in the center of tension.


    ¡°You had them run through security before you brought them over, correct?¡± Luca asked him.


    ¡°No, I figured you wouldn¡¯t want your mate¡¯s lingerie being aired out by the guys on Lincoln¡¯s team.¡±


    Luca rolled his eyes before beginning to walk away, into the living room and towards his bedroom.


    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t have to wonder who¡¯s on the lead float in the Bitch Parade, do we?¡± Bates asked under his breath.


    I narrowly avoided spewing almond milk all over the countertop in front of me as I covered my mouth in an attempt to conceal myughter.


    ¡°You¡¯re gunna get me in more trouble,¡± Bates scolded, despite holding backughter as well.


    We both finished our cereal in silence before Bates decided it was best that he leave.


    I couldn¡¯t me him.


    The whole house was under a dark cloud. I wished I could escape it too.


    Maybe I can, I thought.


    Hopping off the stool, I walked over to a box I had previously opened. Inside were a few pairs of gym shorts and running tanks. As much as I dreaded the thought of running the steep Montana hills, it sounded more appealing than staying in the house allText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    day.


    I began to grab each box and take them upstairs, cing them all in the guest bedroom to be unpackedter.


    I quickly changed into a sports bra, tank top and nylon-spandex shorts. After pulling on my socks, I went downstairs to find my tennis shoes.


    Luca was standing in the living room, looking out the ss doors into the backyard. He turned his attention to me as he heard meing down the staircase.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Running.


    ¡°It¡¯s about to rain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m waterproof,¡± I said, picking my tennis shoes up from beside the side door.


    Before Luca could say anything else, I walked outside and put my shoes on in the breezeway. As it turns out, I had been right: there was a dark cloud. And,


    unfortunately, Luca had been right as well.


    It certainly looked like it would rain.


    Shrugging, I walked out onto the driveway and towards the gate that would lead me to the road. Remembering the roads being much tter on the other side of the packnd where the meeting house was, I decided to run in that direction.


    Hopefully I can get there and back in time before it falls a flood, I thought. I walked about half a mile before starting with a slow jog.


    Eventually, I paid less attention to the dying ache of soreness in my legs and more to the scenery around me. Houses of varying sizes were scattered in between trees, each of them resembling those I remember seeing in higher-end snobbish neighborhoods back home.


    I reminisced about the times when Mady and I would drive through those neighborhoods while we were in high school, picking out our favorites and daydreaming about what it would be like to live in houses like those.


    After I chose not to go to medical school, it was a dream I thought that I had given up.

 CHAPTER 26

    And yet there I was: jogging through a simr neighborhood, all the while knowing I would return to the biggest house of them all.


    Before I knew it, I had be lost in my daydreams and also in reality. I stopped running when I realized that I no longer recognized where I was. Feeling a little uneasy, I turned and began to run back the way I hade from.


    It wasn¡¯t long before I came to an intersection that I didn¡¯t remember.


    Did I turn the corner down this road or did I cross the street?


    As I stood there deliberating on which direction to take, I felt a raindrop fall against my cheek. I wiped it away and sighed, feeling more begin to fall on my shoulders and face. Hearing a car approach, I looked up to see a old, green pickup truck driving along the road intersecting the one I was on.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    I waved at the driver and the truck began to slow. I smiled as he rolled down his window.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I said awkwardly.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little lost. Could you tell me how to get back to the other side of the pack, where the training fields


    are? ¡±


    His eyebrows knit together in confusion.


    ¡°I just moved here,¡± I exined quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not really familiar with the neighborhoods.¡±


    He rolled his eyes and pointed at the road in front of him.


    ¡°You¡¯ll go this way for about a mile and turn left on the first street youe across. That road will lead you to the training fields.¡±


    As he was saying this, I caught sight of a young woman sitting in the passenger seat of his truck. She leaned forward slightly, eyes wide with fear.


    ¡®Help me,¡¯ she mouthed.


    I felt my heart drop to my feet.


    ¡°Hello?¡± The man¡¯s voice pulled me from my shock.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll try to keep track of directions next time,¡± I stuttered out.


    He grunted and shook his head before rolling the window back up and continuing on his way. As I oriented my body towards the road he was traveling,


    I felt myself begin to panic.


    Did I really just see that? Was that really what she was trying to say? What am I supposed to do?


    I didn¡¯t have my phone. The truck was too far away for me to read the license te.


    Almost instinctively, I began to run.


    Towards the truck.


    What the hell are you going to do? Follow him? And what will you do when you get where he is going? I asked myself.


    I tried to think of a reasonable alternative, but my mind was racing too quickly for me to contemte each thought.


    So I kept running.


    Thankfully, the road was long and the truck drove at a leisurely speed. My heart was racing in my chest.


    My legs were burning.


    I was out of breath to the point that I was growing dizzy. The rain had begun to fall heavier. I was nearly soaked and I had to blink rapidly to keep the water from falling into my eyes.


    After a few minutes, I knew I had long since passed the turn that the trucker had told me to make. I could only hope he didn¡¯t look in his rearview mirror and see my idiot self chasing him.


    Just when I was about to give up out of pure exhaustion, the truck turned into the driveway of a modest ranch-style home. I immediately stopped running and began to walk slowly, still hoping I was far enough behind that he wouldn¡¯t see me.


    Breathing deeply, trying to catch my breath, I walked towards the house cautiously.


    Yeah? Now what are you going to do? I asked myself.


    You followed him.


    You kept up. Congrattions.


    Now turn around and go home.


    Despite my best attempts to reason with myself, I kept walking towards the house-moving quicker when he pulled the truck into a garage and closed the door behind him.


    There were no houses in the nearby area, just trees. I walked off the road in favor of their cover. Trying my best to formte a n quickly, I walked slowly towards the house from the side.


    Do I knock on the door and ask him for the street name again? Do I make up another story? Do I confront him directly? All these thoughts were racing through my mind as quickly as my heart was pounding against my chest.


    Before I knew it, I was walking along the path towards the front porch. All of the curtains were drawn over the windows, so I knew he couldn¡¯t see me.


    I found myself standing on the porch, standing directly in front of the front door.


    What do I do?


    I reached out and rang the doorbell.


    You idiot, not that!


    I felt the air leave my body when the front door swung open to reveal a furious-looking man, the same one who had been driving the truck.


    ¡°What the fuck do you want?!¡± He yelled.


    ¡°I was wondering¡­ um, if maybe you could give me a ride home? It¡¯s raining kind of hard now and I didn¡¯t want to be caught out in it.¡±


    The space between his eyebrows creased as he looked at me with an incredulous expression. Before he could say anything further, I caught sight of movement behind him and made eye contact with the same girl as before.


    He followed my gaze and turned to look back at her, putting the pieces together.


    ¡°You bitch¡­¡±


    Suddenly, he turned back to me and lunged forward.


    Thankfully, my reflexes worked much quicker than my brain. With trained speed, I reached up and nailed the guy on his left cheekbone with my fist.


    I immediately felt the pain shoot up my right hand from my knuckles. It was then that I remembered Fallon¡¯s words: ¡°If you can, try not to strike with your knuckles. If you break your fist on the first bastard, you can¡¯t use it on the second one.¡±


    Thankfully, there didn¡¯t seem to be a second bastard.


    Unfortunately, the first one, although dazed, was still standing. I used his moment of weakness against him and kicked him in the groin, wrapping both hands around his neck when he doubled over and pulling his head down onto my knee I not only heard the ¡®crack¡¯ as his nose broke, I felt it.


    Stunned, I watched him hit the floor before I looked up to see the girl standing there, just as shocked as I was.


    ¡°Hurry up, we¡¯ve got to leave,¡± I said quickly.


    I looked down to where the man wasying on the porch, groaning in pain and I kicked him again, this time in the stomach


    ¡°There¡¯s more.¡± she said frantically.


    ¡°Of you or him?¡±


    ¡°There are more girls.¡±


    ¡°Here?¡± I asked.


    She nodded.


    ¡°Hurry up and go get them,¡± I told her.


    Why was she still just standing there?


    ¡°Where are they?¡± I asked her, seeing as she wasn¡¯t moving quick enough.


    She swallowed the knot in her throat and gestured out the front door.


    ¡°Outside?¡± I asked.


    ¡°In the cer¡­¡±


    I left the porch quickly and ran through the rain, around the house and back to the side where I remembered seeing the cer doors.


    They were padlocked shut.


    Groaning in annoyance, I took the shovel that was leaning against the house and began to hit the lock as hard as I could.


    My right hand was throbbing, I couldn¡¯t even grip the handle with it.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the damn key?!¡± I shouted, throwing the shovel to the side when it wasn¡¯t working.


    ¡°It¡¯s right here.¡±


    The girl came around the corner, fumbling with a small carabiner hook that had several keys attached.


    ¡°Th-they were on his jeans,¡± she stuttered out as I took them from her.


    Trying each one, I sighed in relief when one of them turned the lock. I pulled it off and opened the cer doors with as much strength as I could muster.


    The girl descended the staircase into the cer, yelling for the others. Just as I was about to follow her, I looked up to see the battered trucker stagger around the corner of the house, his hand cradling his nose.


    He bellowed in anger and picked up the shovel that I had previously tossed to the side.


    As he was swinging it in my direction, I backed away, narrowly dodging the first blow. I stumbled backwards, losing my bnce and falling on my butt.


    The man stood over me and swung the shovel over his head once more. The blow, while anticipated, never came. A figure stepped in front of me and took the brunt of the force.


    I looked up to see Luca.


    He grabbed the wooden shaft of the shovel and ripped it from the hands of my attacker. In one swift movement, Luca cranked the side of the guy¡¯s head


    with the iron grip on the other end of the shovel. My attacker fumbled backwards and Luca tossed the shovel to the side, stalking after him slowly.


    Just as Luca had pulled him from the ground by his shirt cor, almost a half-dozen young girls emerged from the cer.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Luca to realize what had happened. He snapped the man¡¯s neck without so much as second thought and let his body crumble to the ground beneath him.


    All of us stood there, staring at the now-lifeless bodyying in the mud. Luca pulled a phone from his pocket, rain rolling down his face.


    ¡°I found her exactly where you said she¡¯d be. I need a disposal team here immediately. Also, send for Robert and Matt. Let them know she found the girls they¡¯ve been looking for.¡±


    With that said, Luca hung up the phone and put it back into his pocket. He turned to me and I gulped, seeing his eyes narrow. I picked myself up off the ground, my legs shaking from equal parts exhaustion and adrenaline.


    I ignored Luca¡¯s hard stare, walking past him to attend to the six girls who stood behind him in the pouring rain.


    It wasn¡¯t long before I saw Bates¡¯ red Jeep pull into the gravel driveway, followed by a ck Yukon. ine got out of the Suv, followed by both Robert and Matt, who ran over to us quickly.


    They began to attend to each girl, giving them phones to call their parents and checking to see if anyone was injured. I backed away, not feeling needed any longer. When I ran into a hard chest, I turned to see Luca ring down at me.


    This oughta be good, I thought.


    Luca surprised me by leaning down and picking me up. As he walked away, towards his ck truck that I then realized was parked down by the trees on the side of the road, he stopped and spoke to both Bates and ine.


    ¡°Neither one of you are going home tonight until you make sure Matt and Robert have each of these girls home. Clear?¡±


    They both nodded, Bates looking at me sympathetically as I was slung over Luca¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Good luck.¡± he mouthed as I was carried away.


    Good luck, indeed.

 CHAPTER 27

    I felt like a child being buckled into a car seat the way Luca manhandled me into the passenger seat of his truck.


    Wordlessly, he reached across me and buckled me up before mming the car door shut to walk around to the driver¡¯s side. I sat quietly as he started the truck and drove off, gently cradling my right hand against my stomach and covering it with my left.


    The back of my hand was throbbing, especially around myst two knuckles. My fingers were numb and I could barely move them.


    I knew it was likely broken.


    I held back tears as the adrenaline levels in my body began to lower and allowed me to fully experience the shooting pain in my hand.


    An awkward few minutes passed by before we pulled up to the gate in front of his house and drove down his driveway. As soon as the truck was parked in Luca¡¯s garage, I reached down and unbuckled my seatbelt, getting out of the car as soon as I had


    done so.


    I could hear Luca calling after me as I walked quickly across the breezeway, through the side door and into the house. I made it into the living room, almost to the staircase when Luca mmed the side door shut behind him as he came in.


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    Hearing his low, sternmand, my feet froze in their tracks. My mouth gaped in shock at his tone as I turned to look at him.


    ¡°Do not use your Alpha tone on me ever again,¡± I warned him.


    Before he could say anything else, Luca noticed that I had tucked my injured hand under my left arm.


    As he walked towards me slowly, I gulped, knowing that I¡¯d been caught.


    ¡°Let me see your hand,¡± he said.


    I clenched my jaw, making no effort to move. Luca reached out and grabbed my elbow, gently pulling my arm towards him. Not wishing to cause anymore pain to my hand, I released my arm to fall into his grasp.


    He let out a slow breath as he saw the swollen knuckles that were tinged pink. As Luca slowly turned my hand over in his, I realized how much


    bigger his hands were than mine. I also noticed how much my hand was shaking, but I wasn¡¯t quite sure if I could narrow down the cause of that to just one thing.


    ¡°Can you bend your fingers?¡± He asked me.


    I shook my head, having already tried.


    Still holding my injured hand, Luca reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone with his other hand. He dialed a number quickly before putting the phone up to his ear.


    ¡°I need you over at my house as soon as you can get here,¡± he said.


    I heard incoherent mumbling on the other line before Luca continued: ¡°Just get here when you can.¡±


    He hung up the phone before giving the person on the other side of the call a chance to respond.


    ¡°I need to shower,¡± I said, pulling my hand from his grasp.


    He let me go and I turned to walk upstairs.


    After managing to shower the best I could with one hand, I changed into a t-shirt and sweatpants. I knew I wouldn¡¯t be going anywhere else anytime soon.


    I wasn¡¯t even sure I wanted to leave the house again.


    As I was walking down the stairs, I heard an unfamiliar voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how many times I have to tell you I don¡¯t make house calls,¡± she said.


    ¡°And yet here you are,¡± Luca replied.


    Luca was standing in the dining room with a woman who looked to be in her mid-forties, her full-figure adorned by navy scrubs.


    The hair framing her pale face was gray, the rest a dark brte Red-rimmed sses sat perched on her freckled nose.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    ¡°Carrie, this is Dr. Marianne Witt. She came over to look at your hand,¡± Luca said.


    I smiled at her briefly before she gestured for me to take a seat at the table where a tackle box with a first aid sticker stered on the side sat.


    I did so, trying not to flinch away as she reached for my arm. Inspecting my ever-so swollen knuckles and fingers, she hummed.


    ¡°Likely a boxer¡¯s fracture. Did you punch a wall or him?¡± Dr. Witt asked, nodding in Luca¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Close.¡± I told her.


    ¡°I clocked another asshole who kidnapped six girls.¡±


    She stopped and looked down at me over the rim of her sses.


    ¡°That was you?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°I take it back,¡± she said, standing upright.


    ¡°I do make house calls, for you at least.¡±


    ¡°You heard about it?¡± I asked her.


    She sighed and nodded, gently guiding me to ce my hand on the table.


    ¡°Robert brought them to my office,¡± she said.


    ¡°They were being attended to by a few of my nurses when Alpha Ronan called me.¡±


    It made me want tough the way she referred to Luca as though he wasn¡¯t standing right there, watching her.


    ¡°Are the girls okay?¡± I asked


    Dr. Witt nodded, despite her crestfallen expression.


    ¡°Back to you, though,¡± she said, pushing her sses up on top of her head.


    ¡°I¡¯Il need you toe into my office tomorrow to get an X-ray so I can confirm my suspicions and figure out exactly which metacarpal is fractured and to what extent. My rmendation until then would be to ice it and to keep usage to the bare minimum.¡±


    She wrapped my hand tightly before pulling a pill bottle out of her box.


    ¡°Take two of these every four to six hours as needed and I¡¯Il see you tomorrow.¡±


    I nodded, taking the bottle from her with my good hand.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Nodding, Dr. Witt put away her things and Luca walked her to the door.


    I lightly traced the bandage that was wrapped around my aching hand before standing up to find water so I could take the first dose of medication. As soon as I was finished swallowing the pills, I looked over to see Luca standing in the dining room with


    his arms crossed, staring at me.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± I asked before putting my cup into the sink.


    ¡°You wanna tell me what the fuck you were thinking?¡±


    I drew in a deep breath.


    Here we go.


    ¡°I suppose I wasn¡¯t thinking,¡± I retorted, turning back to look at him.


    ¡°Quite obviously,¡± he said pointedly.


    ¡°Do you realize what could have happened if I hadn¡¯te looking for you after it started to rain?¡±


    ¡°How did you find me?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°There are security cameras everywhere. I called Lincoln to see if he knew where you were and he was able to find you.¡±


    ¡°So you were able to find me with the security cameras but not those six girls?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They weren¡¯t running down the side of the road in a bright pink tank top,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Besides, those girls weren¡¯t supposed to be within the gates.¡±


    ¡°How the hell did that man get them past your not-so-guarded prison walls?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Robert told me those girls were all from parts of the pack outside the gates. He had to get them in somehow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m having Lincoln look through footage for his truck to see what we missed,¡± he assured me.


    ¡°But that isn¡¯t what I¡¯m talking about right now so stop trying to deflect.¡±


    I rolled my eyes as Luca continued.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever pull a stunt like that again,¡± he said.


    ¡°If you see something weird or suspicious,e and tell me and I will handle it.¡±


    ¡°Obviously if I had known there were cameras I wouldn¡¯t have followed him,¡± I said, growing angry.


    ¡°How was I supposed to know that?¡±


    ¡°And you just thought that you could take him on all by yourself after seeing he had already overtaken a girl your size once before?¡± Luca asked incredulously, ignoring my question.


    When I didn¡¯t answer, he shook his head.


    ¡°Has it urred to you what would have happened if I hadn¡¯t gotten there in time?¡± Luca asked, walking towards me.


    He let out a shallow breath.


    ¡°My heart is still racing,¡± he admitted.


    We were silent for a few moments.


    ¡°Thank you for showing up when you did,¡± I said finally.


    ¡°I¡¯d do it again,¡± Luca sighed, ¡°but please don¡¯t make me.¡±


    I drew in a deep breath as he turned to walk away. He had made it to the staircase, about to head down to the lower level when I spoke again.


    ¡°So are we going back to not talking to each other for a few days now?¡± I asked, not able to ignore the elephant in the room


    Luca turned back to me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t start that shit with me,¡± he said.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who moved back upstairs.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who leaves early andes backte. I wouldn¡¯t have seen you even if I wasn¡¯t upstairs,¡± I countered.


    ¡°I have things to do.¡±


    I shook my head in disbelief.


    ¡°As do I. Yet, I¡¯m forced to sit on my ass in this house all by myself, all day,¡± I countered.


    When he neglected toment further, I continued.


    ¡°Is this how it¡¯s going to be for the rest of our lives?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re just going to be housemates because you¡¯re too busy to spend time with me?¡±


    ¡°Things will be different once you¡¯re inducted,¡± Luca assured me.


    ¡°Oh!¡± I said, faking glee.


    ¡°Because then we¡¯ll be able to fuck and so you¡¯ll juste back when you¡¯re ready to getid and leave me here alone once you¡¯re satisfied. Sounds like a truly fulfilling rtionship.¡±


    I tried to storm past him, but Luca caught me by my upper arm and pinned my back against the wall, my toes barely touching the floor.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant and you know it,¡± he said defensively.


    I was at a loss for words-partially because the wind had been knocked out of me and partially because I was oddly aroused by Luca¡¯s show of frustration.


    ¡°This past week has been torture,¡± he said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be around you without thinking about you naked and¨C¡±


    Luca stopped himself, allowing my imagination to pick up where he¡¯d left off. I felt my cheeks burn, my ability to formte a coherent sentence reduced even more so.


    ¡°A month is a long fucking time to wait, considering most people don¡¯t wait a day,¡± Luca admitted, his breath fanning across my face.


    ¡°Then let me go home,¡± I argued.


    Luca¡¯s jaw clenched.


    ¡°Try to leave,¡± he challenged.


    ¡°You won¡¯t get so far as the gate.¡±


    With that said, he let go of me and my feet returned to the ground. Luca walked away and descended the staircase to the basement. A heavy footfall echoed with each step.


    A few minutes went by before I took a deep inhale, realizing I had been holding my breath. I stood there for a few moments longer, trying to clear the fog that had settled over my mind.


    My eyebrows furrowed as I tried my hardest to figure out the feeling that had ovee me.


    Was I angry? Relieved? Sad?


    Aroused?


    I couldn¡¯t tell.


    I also couldn¡¯t understand why he was being so irrational. Why couldn¡¯t he let me go home for a while?


    These thoughts tumbled in my mind likeundry in a dryer.


    They tortured me for the rest of the day.

 CHAPTER 28

    When I went to bed that night, I tossed and turned for hours. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the face of the man who had kidnapped those girls. My mind had captured the image of him standing over me, preparing to strike.


    It was all I could see.


    I tried my hardest to glue my eyes closed, to think happy thoughts-but I couldn¡¯t. I finally sat up in the bed, feeling defeated.


    Throwing back the covers, I got out of the bed and opened the bedroom door. I slowly walked downstairs, trying to stay quiet. I stood outside Luca¡¯s bedroom for a few moments, hesitating.


    Taking a deep breath, I put my hand on the door knob and turned it. Once in the bedroom, I could see the outline of Luca¡¯s body sleeping in his bed.


    I closed the door behind me and walked towards the bed quietly. Gingerly, I pulled back the covers and slid into the bed next to Luca.


    I fought against getting closer to him.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    With my head against the pillow, I took a few moments to breathe in his scent and immediately felt the anxiety melt from my mind.


    I was on the verge of sleep when Luca turned on his back. Thest thing I remembered before I fell asleep was the way he stared at the ceiling above him, wide awake.


    I slept through the night peacefully. When I woke up, I realized why.


    Luca¡¯s arms were wrapped tightly around my body, one around my waist and the other around my shoulders. His chin was resting on my head, my face nuzzled into his neck.


    I was still for a few minutes, feeling his chest rise and fall steadily. His skin was warm under my touch as I traced the curvature of his bicep with my left hand, slowly dragging my fingertips to his chest.


    ¡°That tickles.¡±


    His deep voice startled me and I pulled my hand away immediately. I whispered a quick apology, d he couldn¡¯t see the blush that burned in my cheeks.


    We were silent for a few moments before I tried to roll over in a bid to escape Luca¡¯s embrace. He hesitated for a moment before releasing me.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep upstairsst night?¡± He asked, his voice deep.


    I shook my head as I stared at the ceiling, refusing to look at him.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t get him out of my head,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Your dad?¡±


    I shook my head again, surprised that I hadn¡¯t thought of him in a few days.


    ¡°That man who took those girls,¡± I said, my voice barely above a whisper.


    Luca rolled over on his back, joining me to stare at the ceiling.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have anything to worry about now,¡± he sighed.


    I turned my head to look at him


    Luca looked almost remorseful.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to kill him,¡± I said.


    He turned to look at me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t regret it.¡±


    We maintained eye contact for a few moments before I turned my gaze away.


    ¡°Do you wish I did?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Would it make you feel better?¡±


    I took a deep breath.


    ¡°That¡¯s just it¡­ I feel bad because I¡¯m d you killed him.¡±


    I felt my throat tighten.


    ¡°He would¡¯ve killed me,¡± I whispered.


    I tried, unsessfully, to blink away the tears that burned behind my eyes. One rolled from the corner of my eye, down the side of my face, and disappeared into the pillow Iid on.


    We were silent for a moment before Luca reached out and pulled me back into him, this time pressing the entire length of his body against mine.


    He held me tightly.


    I gulped the knot in the back of my throat. I found myself holding onto him around his torso, as though my life were still in immediate danger. Luca brushed a hand through my hair, holding my head against


    his chest.


    We stayed like that for a few moments as my heart pounded in my chest. I couldn¡¯t tell if I was about to have an anxiety-induced panic attack or a proximity-rted heart attack.


    We were so close.


    I heard the front door open and close outside the bedroom door.


    ¡°If that¡¯s Bates, there will be another death that I won¡¯t be remorseful for,¡± Lucamented.


    I couldn¡¯t help butugh as Luca released me from his grip and sat up in the bed. There was a slight knock on the bedroom door, giving Luca barely enough time to cover my half-naked body with the duvet before it opened.


    ¡°Oh shit, I keep forgetting she¡¯s here,¡± Bates said stopping mid stride as he walked in.


    ¡°You act like I had an open door policy before she was,¡± Luca retorted, getting out of bed.


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    Bates looked at me and smiled awkwardly before backing out of the room.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be in the kitchen,¡± he said before disappearing back down the hallway.


    We?


    Luca walked into his closet and came out a few momentster dressed in a sweatshirt and gym shorts. He threw a pair of sweatpants onto the bed.


    ¡°Cover your ass before you walk out there.¡±


    ¡°My ass is too cute to be covered.¡± I retorted.


    ¡°Bates doesn¡¯t need to know that.¡±


    He winked before leaving the room.


    Rolling out of bed a few momentster, I stepped into the over-sized sweatpants and rolled them up at my waist several times so they¡¯d stay put.


    I used the band on my wrist to try and put my hair into a bun, but huffed as I realized I couldn¡¯t while my hand was still injured. I let my hair fall back down and sighed.


    Walking out of the room and down the hallway to the living room, I saw Bates, ine and Lincoln standing in the kitchen as Luca made his coffee.


    Wordlessly, I walked over and took the kettle off the stove and put it into the sink to be filled with water.


    The men had grown quiet since I walked into the kitchen and I turned to face them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me,¡± I said.


    I put the kettle on the stove and lit the burner.


    Proceeding to open a tea bag with my teeth, I ced it into the mug as I waited for the water to warm up.


    When they didn¡¯t continue with their conversation, I turned back around.


    ¡°I can leave if you¡¯d like¡­¡± I said slowly.


    ine wouldn¡¯t look at me. Bates kept his gaze fixed outside the kitchen window and Lincoln was staring at the countertop in deep thought.


    I turned to Luca, who was slowly drinking his coffee.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    He ced his mug onto the countertop and crossed his arms. ¡°Your dad¡¯s been reaching out,¡± he said.


    Bates let out a scoff.


    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement.¡± he muttered under his breath.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, looking between the two of them.


    Luca looked at Lincoln and nodded.


    ¡°y thest one,¡± he said.


    Lincoln pulled his phone from his back pocket and tapped at the screen for a moment beforeying his phone down on the countertop.


    I gulped as I heard my father¡¯s voice spill from the phone¡¯s speakers.


    ¡°I know she¡¯s with him. I know he¡¯s ruined her. I know he¡¯s hurt her. I know she¡¯s miserable. I¡¯m miserable. Is she still alive? I need to know she¡¯s still alive. I know he¡¯s hurt her. He¡¯s the worst thing that could happen to her. He¡¯s probably killed her already. Is she dead? She¡¯s ruined. He ruined her.¡±


    The line went somewhat silent for a few moments as his rambling stopped, but I could still hear hisbored breathing.


    ¡°He¡¯s ruined her,¡± he said again, slowly this time.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill him. I¡¯m going to kill her. She¡¯s ruined. I need to know she¡¯s still alive. I know he¡¯s beat her. Has he killed her? It¡¯s probably good if he¡¯s killed her. She¡¯s ruined. I¡¯Il kill him. He¡¯s beat her. I¡¯ll


    kill her.¡±


    The kitchen drowned in silence after I heard the beeping of the voicemail as it stopped.


    The temperature felt like it dropped twenty degrees.


    ¡°There are fifteen more,¡± Lincoln said to me.


    ¡°And that¡¯s a tame one,¡± Bates said, lifting his eyebrows.


    I felt my heart beating violently against my rib cage as I sat down in a chair, feeling like my legs would give out any second.


    I gulped as I looked up at Lincoln.


    ¡°He called you?¡± I asked.


    He shrugged.


    ¡°Kind of. We use a switchboard for everyone in the pack. We have our own area code so whenever a calles in for someone in that area code, an operator filters the call and records it. I set your phone up on this system whenever I connected you to the VPN.¡±


    ¡°So who did he call?¡±


    ¡°You.¡±


    The kettle began to whistle and I couldn¡¯t do anything but stare at it from where I sat. Luca walked over and cut out the burner. Lifting the kettle from the stovetop, he poured the steaming water into the mug before cing it down in front of me.


    ¡°Where is your phone?¡± Luca asked.


    ¡°Upstairs,¡± I answered, still staring at the mug.


    Lincoln wordlessly walked around us. I heard him begin to ascend the staircase.


    ¡°Have you called him since that day at the meeting house?¡± Luca asked.


    I shook my head.


    We were silent for a few moments before I heard Lincolning back downstairs. I looked up to see him scrolling through the phone.


    ¡°Eighty-seven missed calls and sixteen voicemails,¡± he said, handing the phone to Luca.


    ¡°Are those the same voicemails you listened to?¡± I asked him. Lincoln nodded.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t rmend listening to them, if I were you.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t have the chance to,¡± Luca said, handing the phone back to Lincoln.


    ¡°Get rid of it.¡±


    Lincoln took the phone.


    ¡°Anything you need off of here? Pictures? Passwords? Contacts?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°All of that.¡±


    He put the phone in his other pocket and nodded at Luca and I before leaving the kitchen and walking out the front door.


    ¡°I¡¯Il get him to order you a new phone,¡± Luca said.


    I nodded again, a new phone the furthest thing from my mind. Although the room had grown quiet, I still heard my father¡¯s voice ringing in my ears. His circr and incoherent rambling made my skin crawl.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably good if he¡¯s killed her. She¡¯s ruined. I¡¯ll kill him He¡¯s beat her. I¡¯ll kill her.¡±

 CHAPTER 29

    I stared at the mug in front of me. I knew if I tried to pick it up, my shaking hands would drop it.


    ¡°We¡¯ll head out,¡± ine said, pushing himself away from the counter.


    ¡°Let us know if you need anything else,¡± Bates added, following ine to the front door.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When the front door shut behind them, I looked at Luca to find him already staring at me.


    I knew what that look said. too. It was as if I knew exactly what he was thinking: You still want to go home?


    ¡°He sounded crazy,¡± I said, my voice barely above a whisper.


    Luca pursed his lips.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him scare you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why he would think I was hurt. I told my mom that I was okay and Mady knows I¡¯m okay¡ª¡±


    I stopped mid sentence.


    ¡°The packages,¡± I said suddenly.


    I bolted from the barstool and up the staircase to the loft.


    ¡°Amore, wait¡­¡±


    Running into the bedroom, I sunk to my knees and began to open each box, dumping their contents to the floor.


    ¡°Security never checked these,¡± I muttered frantically.


    ¡°There might be something in here. He¡¯s probably tracking me using these¡ª¡±


    I felt Luca¡¯s arms wrap around me, making me drop the pair of pants in my hand as he pressed my arms to my chest.


    ¡°Let me go,¡± I said, fighting against him as he pulled me away.


    ¡°You need to calm down,¡± he said sternly.


    ¡°But the boxes¡ª¡±


    ¡°I looked through them yesterday when you went running,¡± he interrupted.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing in there.¡±


    I halted my struggle against him as I felt a sharp pain travel up my right arm. In the midst of my panic, I had forgotten about my hand being broken.


    ¡°Please let me go¡­¡±


    Luca loosened his grip and moved his hands to my shoulders as he turned me around to face him.


    ¡°Get dressed. We¡¯ll go and get those x-rays,¡± he said, gesturing to the bandaged, throbbing hand I now held close to my chest.


    I looked up at him and we held each other¡¯s gaze for a few moments before I found myself leaning into him. Luca hesitated, dropping his hands from my shoulders as he backed away.


    ¡°Get dressed,¡± he said, turning to leave the bedroom.


    I added rejection to the list of things I felt in that moment. Somehow, it was more overwhelming than the rest. I found Luca waiting outside in his truck after I¡¯d changed ande back downstairs.


    I tucked my bandaged hand under my left arm in hopes that thepression would help with the pain. I was reminded in the worst way that I¡¯d forgotten to take the pain medication that morning.


    Thankfully, we weren¡¯t a far drive from Dr. Witt¡¯s clinic. After a few minutes of heavy silence, we pulled into a small parking lot where a simple, single-level white stone building sat.


    I followed Luca inside.


    It felt awkward to walk past the receptionist as though she weren¡¯t there, strolling right past the front desk into the clinic. Dr. Witt was in the hallway reading a chart when Luca approached her. She looked up, over her red-rimmed sses and nodded to the room across the hall.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky the room is avable,¡± she said.


    ¡°I was expecting a call giving me a heads up that you were on the way.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been a little preupied this morning,¡± Luca replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to know what that means.¡±


    Not what you think it does, I thought.


    Luca opened the door to a dark room and flipped on the light switch as we walked in. Dr. Witt followed us inside and pulled a chair up next to the cot that was covered by sanitary paper.


    ¡°You can sit here,¡± she said.


    I took a seat and she had me ce my hand on the cot next to me.


    After unraveling the bandages and inspecting the swelling, Dr. Witt centered a white board under my hand. She then maneuvered the machine above the cot to hover over my hand, a lighting on that shone on the board. With a few adjustments and the quick flip of a switch, the x-ray was done and she removed the board from under my hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± she said, closing the door behind her as she left the room.


    I took a deep inhale, ncing over at Luca, who stood with his back against the wall, staring off into space. I desperately wanted to know what he was thinking about. Maybe it was about all the things he had to do that day. Maybe it was about my dad. Maybe he was thinking about me.


    The door opened and Dr. Witt came back in with an iPad. ¡°Textbook boxer¡¯s fracture,¡± she confirmed with confidence.


    She showed me the x-ray on the screen and pointed to the base of my pinky finger.


    ¡°You fractured the neck of the fifth metacarpal. It¡¯s non-disced so it doesn¡¯t seem to be too bad. We should be able to splint it today and have you healed within four to six weeks. I¡¯ll give you some physical therapy exercises when youe back to work on regaining strength and range of motion.¡±


    I nodded slowly, looking apprehensively at my swollen hand.


    ¡°Do you know when I¡¯ll be able to hold a paintbrush again?¡± I asked her.


    The expression Dr. Witt made didn¡¯t seem promising.


    ¡°I would say six weeks, maybe more,¡± she said, uncertaintycing her tone.


    ¡°You may just need to work on abstract art with your left hand.¡±


    Sheughed at her joke, but I wasn¡¯t amused.


    Two months was a long time. As though Dr. Witt sensed my annoyance, she awkwardly cleared


    her throat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you buddy taped and in a splint and you guys should be good to go,¡± she said.


    Luca and I nodded, both of us ready to leave.


    As soon as she had taped my two fingers together and strapped my hand into the splint, I was on my feet.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Happy to help out anyone who punches assholes,¡± she smiled.


    I halfheartedly returned the smile.


    Luca pushed himself away from the wall and went to the door, opening it for me.


    ¡°Do I need to tell you that you can stop at the desk on the way out and make a follow up appointment or will you barge in four weeks from now and make your own?¡± Dr. Witt asked Luca.


    He gave her an unamused stare.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be in touch.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡±


    He guided me down the hall with his hand on my lower back, reaching out in front of us to open the door. The sun shone brightly against the concrete sidewalk we walked on, making me squint as my eyes adjusted to the bright daylight.


    I followed Luca to his truck and climbed inside as he opened the door for me. As he made his way around the truck to his own door, I sat patiently, staring down at the brace on my hand.


    ¡°I need to stop by the meeting house; it will only take a minute, Luca assured me.


    I nodded.


    We drove for a few minutes, pulling into the driveway of the manicured house alongside Bates¡¯ red jeep and the SUV that I assumed belonged to ine.


    Luca kept the truck running as he got out and approached the house through the garage. A few minutes passed before I saw Bates walk outside from the front door.


    He smiled and waved when he saw me.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, buttercup?¡± He asked as I rolled my window down.


    He pulled himself up to stand on the side of the truck and peer into the cab.


    Frowning, he picked up my fractured hand.


    ¡°Damn,¡± he remarked.


    ¡°I thought it was going to be a real cast. I wanted to sign it.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anyone ask to sign a cast since middle school,¡± Iughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a lost art,¡± he said solemnly.


    Bates pulled a permanent marker from his pocket and pulled the cap off with his teeth.


    ¡°You keep a Sharpie in your pants?¡±


    ¡°For emergencies,¡± he said, teeth still holding the cap of the marker.


    He pulled my hand closer to his face and began to scribble along the clean, white strap that held the brace together.


    ¡°If you draw a penis, I¡¯ll end you,¡± I threatened.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give him ideas,¡± a voice said behind Bates.


    ine popped his head into the truck window next to where Bates stood.


    ¡°Can I sign it next?¡±


    I sighed.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Bates handed the marker to ine.


    ¡°Your handwriting is shit,¡± Bates said, watching ine scribble his name.


    ¡°At least I can spell my name.¡± ine retorted.


    ¡°For thest time,¡± Bates said, pinching his nose, ¡°I was drunk and I justbined my first andst name, I didn¡¯t actually misspell it.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and exin to Carrie why you were trying to forge Luca¡¯s signature on a fake excuse note for yourself so you didn¡¯t have to go into work for Luca the next day¡­¡±


    ¡°I was drunk,¡± Bates reiterated.


    ine wasughing as he handed the marker back to Bates.


    ¡°It¡¯s framed in my office,¡± Luca said, walking up to the truck.


    Bates flipped Luca off.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see youter,¡± Luca said, climbing into the truck.


    Bates and ine both waved as Luca began to back the truck up the driveway. We were both quiet as Luca drove us home.


    He looked over at one point and we made eye contact for a brief moment. I couldn¡¯t decipher the look he gave me. When we drove up to Luca¡¯s house, the gate was already open.


    As we drove down the driveway, I saw a te gray SUV parked in front of the garage.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± I asked as he parked behind the unknown car.


    I looked over to Luca when he didn¡¯t answer, only to see him close his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose.


    ¡°Luca?¡±


    He let out an exasperated sigh before turning to me.


    ¡°My mother.¡±

 CHAPTER 30

    I followed-no, hid-behind Luca as we walked along the breezeway and through the side door.


    ¡°I look like four-day-old shit,¡± I mumbled as we walked inside.


    My ratty hair was still down in tangles. I hadn¡¯t washed my face that morning and I was adorned by the all the charm and mor of an old t-shirt and gym shorts.


    ¡°Very cute four-day-old shit,¡± Luca whispered back to me.


    I followed him closely into the kitchen. As I peeked around Luca¡¯s shoulder, I made eye contact with a


    woman who looked to be in herte-forties. With bronzed skin, dark hair and green eyes just like her son, I knew immediately who she was.


    She smiled widely and ran over.


    ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Ana, Luca¡¯s mom. It¡¯s so nice to finally meet you,¡± she said, grabbing me.


    I picked up on the slight ent entwined with


    her voice. She pulled me into a tight hug, all of the awkward tension melting away as she did so. I returned the hug and smiled as she pulled away.


    ¡°I¡¯m Carrie, it¡¯s nice to meet you too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry toe over unannounced like this,¡± she said, looking at Luca.


    ¡°I figured you were never going to let us meet her, at this point.¡±


    Luca just shrugged, walking further into the kitchen where two girls sat at the countertop and one stood at the oven.


    ¡°Carrie, these are my girls,¡± Ana introduced.


    ¡°This is Aubrey and Torrey, the twins.¡±


    The two identical girls at the countertop, who were hovered over aptop, waved and smiled.


    ¡°And this is Norah, the oldest behind Luca.¡±


    The girl who stood next to the oven smiled and came over to hug me.


    I returned the smile and hug.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you all.¡±


    ¡°Hanna¡¯s around here, somewhere,¡± Ana said, looking over into the living room.


    ¡°She¡¯s probably pouting,¡± one of the twins remarked, still looking at theptop screen.


    Ana rolled her eyes and walked out onto the deck through the open doors.


    ¡°Philip!¡± She called down.


    ¡°How much longer on the burgers?¡±


    ¡°Five minutes!¡± I heard the reply below.


    ¡°We decided to make lunch while we were here,¡± Ana told us, walking back inside.


    ¡°She¡¯s been nning this for two days,¡± Norah said, now staring into the oven to monitor whatever was cooking inside.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to out me like that,¡± Ana scolded her.


    Ana looked over the twins¡¯ shoulders at theptop.


    ¡°Can you put that away? You can look at dressester.¡±


    One of them closed theptop.


    ¡°What are you looking at dresses for?¡± Luca asked with a confused expression.


    ¡°Our birthday party,¡± one of the twins replied, in a tone that indicated it should have been obvious.


    ¡°We¡¯re turning eighteen at the end of the month,¡± the other twin rified for me.


    ¡°We¡¯re having a massive party.¡±


    ¡°The eighteenth birthday is a big one,¡± I said, sitting down at the other end of the counter.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be legal. I had a big party when I turned eighteen, too.¡±


    Luca shot me a re as both girlsughed


    ¡°How old are you?¡± I asked Norah.


    ¡°Twenty-one,¡± she replied, now pulling a sheet cake out of the oven.


    I deduced by their ages that they were Luca¡¯s half-sisters.


    ¡°You¡¯re mid-twenties?¡± One of the twins guessed.


    ¡°Twenty-three,¡± I nodded.


    Ana looked at Luca.


    ¡°You¡¯re an old man,¡± she told him.


    He scowled.


    ¡°It¡¯s a five-year age gap,¡± he said defensively.


    ¡°Want to share how much older Philip is than you?¡±


    She smiled as she yfully shot him a side-eyed re.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Eleven vears.¡± a twin answered for her.


    ¡°Momma wanted a sugar daddy,¡± the other twinughed.


    ¡°And a sugar daddy she got,¡± I heard a voice say.


    I looked over to see a man with graying brown hair walking up the staircase from the basement with a te of hamburgers piled high.


    ¡°Splenda daddy,¡± Ana corrected him, taking the te.


    He faked offense.


    Turning to me, he smiled an extended a hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m Philip, it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    I shook his outstretched hand and smiled.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, too. I¡¯m Carrie.¡±


    Philip put his hands in his pockets and let out a sigh.


    ¡°So you¡¯re stuck with Luca for the rest of your life, huh?¡± He asked.


    I couldn¡¯t help but let out a breathyugh at the exasperated tone he used.


    ¡°Sounds like it,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ll lift a prayer on your behalf.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll need more than one,¡± Norah said, poking Luca in the stomach.


    Luca swatted her hand away.


    ¡°Where is Hanna?¡± Philip asked, looking around.


    ¡°I think she¡¯s in the living room,¡± Ana said, putting cheese on a few of the hamburger patties. Philip strolled over to the living room and stopped at the edge of the couch.


    He reached down and began to tickle a pale foot that hung over the edge.


    I saw her legs il as she kicked at his hands, making himugh.


    ¡°You¡¯re being rude,¡± I heard him whisper.


    ¡°You need toe and say hi.¡±


    There was no response given as he turned and began to walk back into the kitchen.


    I quickly turned back around in the chair, pretending like I hadn¡¯t been eavesdropping.


    ¡°Cheese?¡± Ana asked me.


    I nodded, encouraging her to p a slice of Colby Jack cheese down onto a hamburger pattie.


    ¡°Okay, people!¡± She said, beginning to pull tes out of the cab.


    ¡°Time to eat.¡±


    Everyone scrambled over to the countertop and began to fill their tes; putting hamburgers between buns, squeezing out ketchup, spreading mayonnaise, and loading up on potato chips.


    Luca handed me a te.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to get it while you can with this family,¡± he told me.


    I could tell he was trying to hold back a smile, but I couldn¡¯t constrain mine as I took the te from him.


    ¡°Torrey, Dr. Pepper me,¡± Norah said, holding out a hand.


    I didn¡¯t know what this meant until one of the twins slid a can of Dr. Pepper across the countertop into Norah¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Dr. Pepper?¡± Torrey asked me.

 CHAPTER 31

    I nodded as she politely handed a can to me. I made a note to remember that she was the twin with her hair in a ponytail, while the other, Aubrey, had hers in braids.


    Everyone began to take their seat at the dining table, a chaotic moment of someone forgetting napkins and the other wanting the salt while they were up. When everyone was finally settled, saw Ana looking over into the living room.


    ¡°Hanna, get your butt in here,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± was the reply that echoed over from the couch.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care ¡± Ana said.


    ¡°You cane in here and sit with everyone.¡±


    I heard brief, muffled words before Ana interrupted.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± came the reply.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Ana said, pouring her can of ginger ale into a ss filled with ice.


    Norah, who sat beside her mother, took a slow bite from her cheeseburger with raised eyebrows. I looked over to see Hanna rise up from where sheid on the couch, walking around it to meet us at the dining room table.


    We made eye contact and I smiled, but she looked away almost immediately.


    She had brown eyes, wavy, honey brown hair and pale, freckled skin just like her dad did. Apart from her feminine features, she looked nearly nothing like her sisters who were all spitting images of their mother with dark hair and light eyes.


    She sat down next to her dad and put her head on the table to sulk.


    ¡°Hanna¡¯s fourteen, in case you couldn¡¯t tell,¡± Aubrey said sarcastically.


    Hanna lifted her head to shoot her sister a re.


    ¡°How are the burgers, everyone?¡± Philip asked, changing the subject.


    I nodded and hummed as I took a bite, joining the resounding sound of approval from the rest of the table.


    ¡°So, where are you from?¡± Ana asked me.


    ¡°Oregon,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Is that where you family is?¡± She asked.


    I nodded, feeling Luca¡¯s body go rigid beside me. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw him shake his head discretely as I pointed my focus at the potato chips on my te.


    Ana must have gotten the hint because she stopped talking to take a bite of her cheeseburger.


    ¡°How did you two meet?¡± Philip asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know Luca was doing business in Oregon.¡±


    I nced over at Luca, who began to fidget in his seat.


    ¡°Las Vegas,¡± Luca answered for me.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ana said, ¡°at your meeting?¡±


    Luca ignored her question, instead taking a long gulp of his drink. Ana turned her questioning to me.


    ¡°You were in Vegas for the meeting?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Kinda,¡± I answered. ¡°My best friend¡¯s dad is the Alpha of our pack and my dad is his Beta. We just tagged along for the ride.¡±


    ¡°So you were staying at the same hotel then?¡± Philip pressed.


    I tried to fight a smile as I turned to back to Luca.


    ¡°I think you should tell them how we met.¡± I said.


    ¡°Can you pass me a napkin?¡± He asked Torrey, avoiding the question.


    Ana¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°How did you meet?¡± She asked Luca pointedly.


    ¡°Unconventionally,¡± he answered, taking the napkin from Torrey.


    ¡°Were you at a strip club?¡± Norah asked,ughing.


    ¡°No,¡± He scowled.


    ¡°He broke into my house in the middle of the night,¡± I said finally.


    Luca turned his head and gave me a hard stare thatsted through the awkward few moments that followed as everyone silently processed what I had said.


    Norah was the first tough, putting her face in her hands as she did so.


    ¡°Luca Dante Giuseppe Ronan,¡± Ana whispered in disbelief, staring at him


    I let out a snicker.


    ¡°I said it was unconventional.¡± Luca said slowly, turning his attention from me to his mom.


    ¡°Unconventional and illegal don¡¯t mean the same thing,¡± Philip said, although I could tell he was trying not tough.


    ¡°You broke into her house?¡± Aubrey asked incredulously.


    ¡°You said you lived Oregon. I thought you met in Las Vegas?¡±


    Torrey asked, her eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°He caught my scent in Vegas. He stalked me and followed me home that night,¡± I rified.


    Norah began tough harder, Ana¡¯s jaw dropping further.


    ¡°You just woke up and he was there?¡± Philip asked me.


    ¡°No, I was awake.¡±


    ¡°So you just walked in and said ¡®Hey, we¡¯re mates¡¯?¡± Aubrey asked Luca.


    Luca nodded.


    ¡°I believe you tackled me first,¡± I reminded him, amusementcing every word.


    Ana put her hands up to her face and mumbled something in Italian.


    ¡°You are not the son I raised,¡± she said finally, looking at Luca in disappointed.


    ¡°They left Vegas as soon as I had traced her scent, I couldn¡¯t just let her go,¡± Luca said defensively.


    ¡°Oh, and you couldn¡¯t trace his scent because of that stupid cedarwood and pine concoction he wears, could you?¡± Torrey asked me.


    I shook my head.


    Norah wasughing so hard at this point that she pushed her te to the side so she could rest her head on the table.


    ¡°At least we know it works,¡± Luca mumbled, picking up his burger to take a bite.


    ¡°Let me get this straight,¡± Philip said, holding a hand up.


    ¡°He stalks you all the way to your home from Vegas, breaks into your house, tackles you, tells you that you¡¯re mates, and you just said ¡®Okay, sounds great¡¯ and came back to Montana with him?¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    My smile faltered for a moment.


    ¡°Yep,¡± I lied.


    We¡¯ll leave out the part where Luca threatened to kill my father, I thought. Philip¡¯s eyebrows furrowed for a moment before he hummed and took a sip of his drink.


    ¡°You¡¯re a lot more trusting than I would have been,¡± Norah told me, wiping tears from her eyes.


    ¡°What would you have done if Benjamin did that to you?¡± Aubrey asked her.


    ¡°Kicked him in the face and told him to get the eff away from me,¡± Norah replied.


    She turned to me.


    ¡°Ben is my mate,¡± she rified.


    ¡°We met about a year ago. He couldn¡¯te to lunch today, but you¡¯ll meet him soon.¡±


    ¡°Your introduction wasn¡¯t as eventful?¡± I asked her.


    Norah shook her head, stillughing.


    ¡°As ashamed as I am of the way you got here,¡± Ana said to me, whilst shooting a re at Luca, ¡°I am thrilled you are here.¡±


    I forced a smile.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hide the way my voice cracked when I spoke. I could only hope everyone was still so shocked by Luca¡¯s behavior that they didn¡¯t notice.


    A momentter, as I returned my attention to my food, I felt Luca grab my hand and nt a reassuring kiss on the back of it.


    I don¡¯t think he had wanted anytime to notice this quick gesture, but I knew Ana had by the way she smiled at her te. I looked around the table briefly, watching Luca¡¯srge and, for the most part,id-back family.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of jealously, wishing I had a family that loved each other like that. Quickly following it, however, was theforting feeling that, even though I hadn¡¯t been born into that family, I would certainly be part of it.

 CHAPTER 32

    As soon as we finished eating, we gathered our tes and took them back into the kitchen.


    ¡°Are you going to put icing on that or are we eating it raw?¡±


    Aubrey asked Norah, pointing at the cake that was cooling on the stovetop.


    Norah looked at Aubrey and sighed.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m putting icing on it. I had to wait until it cooled off.¡±


    Norah grabbed the container of icing and began scooping it out with a spat to spread across the top of the cake. Ana was shaking her head at their interaction when she reached out to grab my te.


    ¡°Let me help,¡± I told her, cing my te into the soapy dishwater.


    She didn¡¯t protest as the two of us worked in unison to clean the dirty dishes. Philip and the twins worked behind us to clean off the countertop, putting away the bags of potato chips into the pantry and the condiments back into the fridge.


    I noticed Hanna walking out onto the deck and taking a seat on the swinging bed that hung outside. A few minutester, Luca followed her out there.


    I watched him sit down next to her,ying his head back onto the pillows that lined the back of the swing and propping his feet up on the pouf that sat in front of them.


    They sat there quietly for a moment, both of them just watching theke off in the distance.


    ¡°He speaks hernguage,¡± Ana said to me, leaning over to watch them as well.


    ¡°She¡¯s quiet,¡± I noted.


    Ana nodded.


    ¡°She¡¯s the exact same person he was when he was her age. Quiet, moody, and withdrawn but also very intuitive and shrewd They both notice a lot more than they let on.¡±


    I hummed, still watching the two, who were now speaking quietly to each other.


    ¡°How I managed to birth two introverts, I have no idea,¡± Anaughed.


    ¡°But they¡¯ve taught me a lot about the way that people can love each other silently.¡±


    ¡°That might take a while to get used to,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°I¡¯m a talker.¡±


    Anaughed, nodding.


    ¡°I am too. But you¡¯ll start to notice the little things and, when you pay attention to them, they speak louder than words could.¡± Torrev spoke up.


    ¡°Yeah, Luca¡¯s a simp when you get to know him,¡± she said, pulling the paper dessert tes out of a shopping bag.


    ¡°He¡¯spassionate and loyal,¡± Norah corrected her.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make him a simp. You¡¯ll understand that one day, child.¡±


    Torrey shrugged.


    Norah grabbed a knife and began to cut the cake into slices.


    ¡°You¡¯ve underestimated what a serving size means,¡± Aubrey told her, watching her cut each slice.


    ¡°There¡¯s no rule against having two,¡± Ana reminded her.


    ¡°Yeah, but I have dignity to retain,¡± Aubrey countered.


    Iughed as I helped Norah put each slice on a te, passing it around to everyone. A few hours passed and everyone was full of cake andughter before Luca¡¯s family began to leave. We followed them out to the driveway and waved as they drove away.


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice the changing colors of the sky as the sun was setting. It was then that I realized howte it had be and how long they had been over.


    Luca followed me as I turned to go back inside.


    ¡°Sorry about them,¡± he said, closing the door behind us.


    I frowned.


    ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡±


    ¡°They can be a bit much sometimes. I know you had a shitty morning, I didn¡¯t know if you got a little overwhelmed.¡±


    I shook my head, smiling.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m d they came. If anything, they were a great distraction.¡±


    Luca seemed relieved by this.


    ¡°Besides,¡± I added, walking into the living room, ¡°I feel like I know you better now that I¡¯ve met them.¡±


    I noticed his scowl.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m a reflection of my family,¡± he said.


    ¡°They¡¯re good people,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t jealous you have such a close rtionship with them.


    I thought about my dad and immediately tried to suppress the thoughts and feelings that followed.


    Luca looked at me, the slightest trace of sympathy in his gaze.


    ¡°They¡¯re your family now, too,¡± he reminded me.


    ¡°I¡¯m d.¡±


    When his stare lingered, I found myself pulling back; feeling a wave of guilt wash over me.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go take a shower,¡± I stuttered, looking for an excuse to leave.


    Luca didn¡¯t say anything else as I tore myself away from the tension between us and turned to walk upstairs I found myself out of breath as I reached the top of the stairs, both hands visibly shaking.


    Why am I so awkward? I thought.


    I gathered my pajamas and toiletries and locked myself in the bathroom. As fate would have it, however, my dominant hand was immobilized and sessfully running ab through the ratty


    mess would prove impossible with my left hand.


    It¡¯s just going to get more and more tangly if you leave it, I reminded myself. I took a deep breath and swallowed my pride, leaving the bathroom and walking downstairs.


    I could hear the TV in the basement as I descended the flight of stairs, following the noise. When I rounded the corner, I saw the hockey game that yed on the wide screen, the glow of it illuminating the couch where Luca sat.


    Seeing me move out of the corner of his eye, he turned to look at me.


    I awkwardly held up theb.


    ¡°I need a little help since my hand doesn¡¯t work well,¡± I said.


    He wordlessly ced the ss in his hand down on the side table next to him, where I noticed an open bottle of Jack Daniel¡¯s sat.


    Luca gestured for me to sit on the rug in front of him and I did so, crossing my legs and leaning back against the edge of the couch. I held theb up and he took it from me before gently gathering my hair in his hands.


    Starting from the bottom strands of hair, hebed through each tangle before moving to the next. I wondered briefly if he had ever had to do this for any of his sisters. I barely felt anything as he gently worked his way through my hair with theb.


    I pretended to be invested in the game that yed on the TV in front of me, but I couldn¡¯t watch the puck longer than a few moments before being reminded of Luca¡¯s presence behind me.


    Chill bumps erupted over my body as theb slowly ran through my hair, grazing my scalp and tugging my head back against his thigh.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Luca muttered.


    He ced a hand under my neck to lift my head and brushed theb through the other side of my scalp.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    I crossed my hands over my chest, suddenly wishing I had the foresight to put on a bra under the cotton tank top I wore.


    I felt my damp hair graze my back as Luca let loose his grip. A few strands fell around my face, hiding the burning behind my cheeks.


    ¡°Done,¡± he said, his voice barely above a whisper.


    I stood up quickly, thanking him. Reaching out to grab theb from his grip, I nearly lost my bnce as he pulled it out of reach.


    I stalled for a moment.


    ¡°What are you¡ª¡±


    Luca reached out and grabbed the front of my shirt in his fist, pulling me towards him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep running from me,¡± he said, his voice husky and low.


    He pulled me down onto hisp, facing him.


    I immediately pressed my hands against his chest and leaned away.


    ¡°Are you drunk?¡± I asked, smelling the whiskey on his breath as his face neared mine.


    He hummed, but I wasn¡¯t sure if that was to confirm or deny my usation. Luca tugged the strap of my tank top from one shoulder with his fingers and leaned in, beginning to nt slow, wet kisses along


    my corbone.


    ¡°This is a bad idea,¡± I said, my heart rate climbing.


    Luca hummed again, this time with both hands sliding up and under the cropped hem of my tank top. His cold touch against my skin, which was still warm from the shower, caused a gasp to tumble from my mouth.


    I grabbed his wrists, stopping them from traveling any farther than my waist.


    ¡°You should stop,¡± I whispered, unable to steady my breathing.


    This rope between us is getting too short, I thought.


    Luca¡¯s lips left my neck as he sat up straight to stare at me, his face glowing in the light of the TV behind me.


    ¡°You torture me.¡± he admitted.


    I found myself speechless at his longing gaze and needing tone. I couldn¡¯t find the willpower to object as I watched him lean forward to kiss me. He pulled his arms from my grasp and reached up with one hand to grip my face.


    Luca¡¯s mouth covered mine before I could utter another word of protest, his other arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me against him.


    I couldn¡¯t make myself push him away. There was arge part of me that wanted him just as much. My hands moved from his chest to his shoulders, my left hand moving up the nape of his neck.


    I could taste the smokiness of whiskey when Luca¡¯s tongue slipped through my parted lips. Just before I could truly lose myself in the kiss, I felt the bulge in


    Luca¡¯s sweats against my inner thigh. I froze, noting the size, fueling a fire that burned in the pit of my stomach.


    Luca, either not realizing or not caring, continued with his passionate attack on my lips. Luca dropped his hand from my jaw, running it down my neck


    and shoulder to tug down on the right strap of my tank top.


    This time, however, he managed topletely expose my breast. He ran a finger over my nipple before beginning to knead my breast under his palm.


    He pulled his mouth from mine, moving south.


    ¡°Luca,¡± I said breathlessly.


    Hearing me say his name, he groaned.


    ¡°We can¡¯t do this,¡± I reminded him, although my shaky tone wasn¡¯t convincing.


    Luca stopped.


    He dropped his hand and pulled his face away from my neck to stare at me, mouth parted and hair tousled. He let out a breathyugh and ran his tongue across his bottom lip, as though he needed to remember what my skin tasted like.


    What he said next surprised me:


    ¡°Help me make a mistake.¡±


    Maintaining our eye contact, Luca reached up and grabbed my left wrist, pulling my hand down his chest and torso. Using my hand, Luca began to stroke his erection through his sweats.


    I watched as his eyes closed and eyebrows knit together, a moan tumbling from his lips. Applying more pressure, he encouraged my hand to massage


    him quicker before letting go to grip my waist with both hands. I surprised myself by continuing to move back and forth along his swollen length, gripping him firmly.


    Luca leaned his head against my shoulder, his hot breath fanning against the skin which was still wet from his kisses. My thumb grazed the outline of his tip and his body shook beneath my touch. I did it again, earning moan that I felt where his lips pressed against my chest.


    Luca¡¯s mouth moved up to my shoulder, leaving a trail of sloppy kisses along my vicle. I could feel his breathing go jagged as he gripped my waist


    tighter, my hand now massaging him quicker.


    He nipped at my skin with his teeth and let out a throaty moan, his body rigid beneath me. I felt the warmth beneath my hand as he came. Slowly, I pulled myself away from him. Luca nced up at me as he tried to regainposure, his breathing stillbored.


    I noticed then how dark his eyes were.


    I tugged the strap of my tank top back onto my shoulder, covering myself.


    ¡°You should go,¡± he whispered, emerging from his lustful trance.


    I nodded, silently agreeing.


    Getting off the couch, I quickly headed back upstairs, feeling the desire that had soaked my underwear.


    I¡¯m going to have to shower again, I thought to myself. I nearly tripped up the stairs to the loft. When I reached my room, I turned and closed the door behind me and locked it as though I were being chased.


    My chest still rising and falling rapidly, I put my head against the door and slid down to the floor. I put a hand over my chest, feeling my erratic heart rate.


    What the fuck just happened?

 CHAPTER 33

    I wasying on my back, staring at the ceiling, when the sun rose the next morning. My mind still reeling, I kept reying those intimate moments over and over in my mind. I couldn¡¯t sleep until I understood how everything had happened so quickly¡­


    How did we go from agreeing we didn¡¯t need to be around each other to me giving Luca a hand job twenty-four hourster?


    I was mortified.


    It took everything within me to get out of the bed that morning and venture downstairs.


    Was it going to be awkward now?


    You thought it was awkward before, I reminded myself. To my great displeasure, Luca was sitting at the kitchen counter when I went downstairs. He sat shirtless, facing away from me with a cup of coffee in one hand and an iPad in the other, scrolling through the news.


    I wanted to turn and run back up the staircase as quickly as I could. He hasn¡¯t seen me yet. Maybe he doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m standing here, I thought.


    ¡°Morning,¡± he said, still staring at the iPad.


    I wondered briefly if I had spoken my thoughts aloud before I returned the greeting.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    I walked over to the stove to find my cup of tea was already waiting for me, still steaming Awkwardly picking up the mug, I took a seat at the countertop, sitting as far from Luca as I could.


    We made eye contact briefly as he turned to watch me sit down. Luca flipped the cover over the iPad screen and ced it down on the countertop.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the training fields this morning,¡± he said, taking a final swig of his coffee.


    ¡°You¡¯re more than wee to join.¡±


    He got out of his chair and walked past me to put his coffee cup in the sink.


    ¡°Not sure Fallon¡¯s going to let me punch stuff while my hand¡¯s messed up,¡± I muttered.


    Luca walked over to me, reaching into his pocket.


    He ced myb on the counter in front of me.


    ¡°You¡¯ve still got one functional hand.¡±


    He did not just say that.


    Speechless, I stared at his bare back as he walked away.


    ¡°Leaving in twenty,¡± Luca called behind him, still walking towards his bedroom.


    I finished my tea quickly and went back up to the loft to change. Throwing on running shorts and a sports bra, I grabbed my tennis shoes before going back downstairs.


    I could do with a long run.


    Luca came out of his bedroom as I was attempting to tie my hair into a ponytail.


    I quickly dropped my hands, not wanting to appear like I needed anymore help with my hair. I had already decided that I would deal with tangles for the next four weeks.


    ¡°Ready?¡± He asked.


    I nodded and followed him out to his truck. We rode in silence all the way to the training fields. When we arrived, I saw Fallon¡¯s car in the parking lot. Can¡¯t wait to exin this to her, I thought, looking down at my splint.


    She was already standing behind Luca¡¯s truck when I got out. I smiled sheepishly.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± She asked, hands on her hips.


    I saw Luca stop on the other side of the truck to watch the exchange.


    ¡°Do you not follow advice well?¡± She asked me, pointing at the splint.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point in me teaching you if you¡¯re not going to listen?¡±


    Luca cleared his throat.


    Fallon shook her head and took a deep breath.


    ¡°I thought we discussed that you don¡¯t punch someone dead on?¡± She said as she pinched the bridge of her nose, her voice calmer now.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned my lesson,¡± I assured her.


    She sighed.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Well, did you kick his ass?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I guess?¡± I said, looking at Luca to determine whether it would be inappropriate to admit the guy was dead.


    ¡°How bad is it?¡± Fallon asked as she walked over to inspect the splint herself.


    ¡°Four to six weeks,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Is that the mandated time or just rmended?¡±


    ¡°Mandated,¡± Luca answered for me.


    She shrugged.


    ¡°We can do more cross training and legwork for the time being,¡¯ she said.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be an issue to start on kicks as long as we


    get your bnce right this week.¡±


    Wonderful.


    ¡°I just want to run today,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Everything alright?¡± She asked as she turned her back to Luca, her voice getting lower.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t sleep wellst night,¡± I answered shortly.


    Fallon hummed.


    ¡°Let me know if you need a break,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve got afortable couch if you need a night or two.¡±


    I smiled.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Sighing, I held up my hair tie.


    ¡°Could you help me pull my hair back?¡±


    Fallon nodded and took the tie.


    ¡°Do you want me to braid it so it will stay longer?¡±


    I nodded.


    As soon as she had finished yanking every strand of hair in the braid out of my scalp, I rubbed my head slowly.


    Sure it will stay longer, I thought. I won¡¯t be able to get it out of the braid.


    Fallon looked down at her watch as we walked towards the field together, Luca having disappeared a few minutes earlier.


    ¡°Three miles in less than thirty,¡± she told me, getting back to her drill sergeant tone.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. My pace per mile is ten and a half.¡± I argued.


    ¡°Might better work on that unless you want to do squat reps and lunges for an hour.¡±


    I groaned before walking away, towards the path that circled the field. Looking down at my watch, I tapped at the screen to start recording my warmup.


    ¡°You don¡¯t stretch?¡±


    I turned to see Luca walking up behind me.


    ¡°I walk to warm up my legs,¡± I said, dropping my gaze back to my watch.


    ¡°You¡¯d probably be a bit faster if you stretched.¡±


    I shot him a hard stare.


    ¡°Just saying,¡± he shrugged.


    As I turned to walk away, I heard his feet following me down the gravel path.


    I stopped and turned to him.


    ¡°Are you running too?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Could you find another path?¡±


    His eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°No. Thest time I let you go off running by yourself you ended up with broken bones and I killed someone.¡±


    I tried to protest and Luca held up his hand.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t an argument you¡¯re going to win, amore,¡± he told me. He walked over to where I stood, smirking.


    ¡°So, run along. I¡¯ll be sure to give you a good smack on the ass if your pace slows down.¡±


    I rolled my eyes and turned around, beginning to walk into the trees where the path extended out in front of me. Walking in silence for a few minutes, I started my watch and finally began my jog.


    For a while, I thought maybe Luca had turned around. I couldn¡¯t hear him running behind me.


    It wasn¡¯t until I reached a mile and a half and turned around that I saw him jogging a few hundred feet away. For a brief moment I thought that I had outrun him. But then I remembered that would likely be impossible, making me realize that Luca had intentionally given me the space, which I was


    grateful for.


    I put my head down and ran back in the opposite direction. By the time I had reached the clearing, my lungs were burning. It felt like my sports bra was a corset.


    With legs like noodles, I finished my run andid down on the grass with my hands above my head.


    I couldn¡¯t tell if my shorts were soaked with sweat or the morning dew I wasying in. Either way, it was a cool relief from the warm sunshine.


    Closing my eyes, I took a few deep breaths. When I opened them I saw Luca standing above me.


    ¡°Did you even break a sweat?¡± I asked.


    He smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a warm up, remember?¡±


    I shook my head, still trying to catch my breath.


    ¡°Maybe for you.¡±


    He sat down next to me, putting his elbows up on his knees. I had a feeling he wanted to talk, but before he could say a word, I heard Fallon.


    ¡°How long did it take you?¡± She asked, yelling across the field I looked down at my watch.


    ¡°Thirty-one,¡± I answered, groaning.


    ¡°Squat reps and static hold lunges it is,¡± she said, waving me over.


    I mocked her with a high pitched voice before standing to my feet.


    Wordlessly, I left Luca sitting on the ground.


    I felt a tinge of guilt, but left it behind as I wandered over to where Fallon stood on a mat.

 CHAPTER 34

    Taking a shower when we got home was a workout in and of itself. My legs were shaking and ached every time I leaned over to grab the soap.


    I almost fell when I reached out to grab the towel from it¡¯s hook. Groaning, I dried myself off and tucked the towel under my arms as I emerged from the bathroom into the bedroom.


    I was surprised to find Luca sitting on my bed, pulling the towel tighter around me as he stood up.


    He stumbled over his words as heid eyes on my towel-d body.


    ¡°I-um..¡± he started, rubbing the back of his neck, ¡°I have some stuff that I need to get done this afternoon. I just wanted to let you know I was leaving. I probably won¡¯t be home untilte.¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±


    Luca watched my reaction slowly and I realized I may have sounded too happy to hear he was leaving.


    Giving me a lingering gaze, Luca backed away towards the door.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll see youter, then,¡± he said.


    I nodded again, following him.


    Our eye contact didn¡¯t break until I had closed the door. Sighing, I dropped my towel and began to change. I made my bed and cleaned up the room a bit before I went downstairs to find that Luca had already left.


    Taking a seat on the couch with a book l¡¯d been reading, I groaned internally.


    This is ridiculous.


    I¡¯m sitting on my ass when I could be working,


    I thought. It was this mindset that put me in a bad mood for the rest of the afternoon. Later that evening, Norah stopped by as I was making dinner.


    She hugged me as I opened the front door for her.


    ¡°Teriyaki chicken?¡± I offered, walking back into the kitchen where the chicken was simmering in the frying pan.


    She shook her head.


    ¡°Actually, I came by to see if you wanted to go to shopping with me in Misso tomorrow?¡± She asked, taking a seat at the counter.


    ¡°It¡¯s about four hours away, but I figured we could make a day of it.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± I answered, nearly cutting her off.


    ¡°I¡¯m dying to get out of this house.¡±


    Norahughed.


    ¡°I figured that was the case,¡± she said.


    ¡°I could see it on your face yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so bored,¡± I admitted, cing the lid on the steaming rice.


    ¡°I went from working two jobs to sitting around all day.¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I was a part-time elementary school art teacher and a librarian,¡± I said.


    ¡°Not morous, but I loved it.¡±


    Norah smiled.


    ¡°What grade?¡±


    ¡°First,¡± I answered, going back to stirring the chicken in the frying pan.


    ¡°I know of someone who could use some help with kids around that age, if you¡¯d like me to check with her?¡± She offered.


    ¡°That would be perfect,¡± I said, cutting off the burner and turning to face her.


    Norah nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give her a call,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯d love an extra hand. The twins used to go over sometimes, but they¡¯re not very consistent.¡±


    ¡°Anything to get me out of here for a few hours a day,¡± Iughed.


    Norah gave me a sympathetic look.


    ¡°Do you hate it here?¡± She asked.


    Her question took me off guard. I hesitated to answer, shaking my head after a few moments.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­ just an adjustment, I guess.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She looked at me like she knew I was lying. I


    wondered briefly if Luca had put her up to asking.


    Turning back to the stove, I scooped some chicken, rice, and broli over a te.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want anything to eat?¡± I asked her.


    Norah shook her head, standing from her seat.


    ¡°No, but thank you. Ben was cooking tonight, so I have dinner waiting for me at home. I¡¯II see you tomorrow, then?¡±


    I nodded, smiling.


    ¡°Good,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up at eight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be ready.¡±


    I followed her to the door, closing it behind her.


    Letting out a long sigh, I walked back into the kitchen, Norah¡¯s question still heavy on my mind.


    I don¡¯t think I hate it here, I thought.


    It was then that I realized it didn¡¯t matter if I hated it in Montana or not. I certainly couldn¡¯t go home.


    He¡¯s ruined her.


    I¡¯ll kill him.


    I¡¯ll kill her.


    Feeling a chill run down my spine, I closed my eyes and shook my head in an attempt to try to forget those words. But they filled the dead silence around me. Picking up Luca¡¯s iPad from the countertop, I opened it up to y music.


    I ate my dinner listening to the melody of Bon Jovi, hoping that each chord and chorus would drown out the threats of my father that resounded in my mind.


    I sat at the counter for nearly an hour after I had finished eating, just staring at my empty te and the dirty pots and pans on the stovetop.


    When I finally stood up from my chair, I cleaned up and looked at the clock. It was still early in the evening, but I could feel my body begging for sleep.


    Giving in, I went upstairs to change into my pajamas and go to bed I woke up at some point in the middle of the night to the moonlight streaming in through my window, shining down on the carpet.


    Laying there for a few moments, I got up to go downstairs and get something to drink. As soon as I opened my bedroom door, I screamed.


    My father stood outside the door, walking in slowly as I tripped backwards in fear. Landing on my butt, I crawled backward, watching him stalk into the room after me.


    ¡°You¡¯re okay,¡± he told me.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be okay. Just stay away from him. It will all be okay.¡±


    My back hit the side of the bed, preventing me from backing away any further.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I whispered, staring at him in horror.


    ¡°How did you find me?¡±


    He knelt down in front of me, taking my face in his hands.


    ¡°It will be okay, I¡¯m on my way,¡± he cooed.


    My eyebrows furrowed.


    Why is he saying he¡¯s on the way?


    He¡¯s standing right in front of me¡­


    Even more confusing was what I noticed as we stared at each other: his eyes were blue, but my dad had always had brown eyes.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.


    He smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡±


    My body jolted up from the bed. I looked around the dark room from where I sat on the bed and saw that my father was nowhere to be found and the door was still securely shut. The curtains were pulled tightly over the windows, preventing the pouring in of moonlight.


    It was just a dream.


    I stood up and pulled my soaking wet tank top over my head. Drenched in sweat from the nightmare, I grabbed a t-shirt from a top one of the boxes and threw it over my head.


    I realized it was Luca¡¯s as soon as I caught the scent that lingered on the fabric. I didn¡¯t realize I had been crying until I went to the bathroom to rinse my face with cold water.


    Ignoring my puffy eyes, I left the bathroom and went downstairs. As I grabbed my ss of water from the fridge, I heard the door open and close.


    I peered around the corner cautiously to see Luca walking inside, a backpack hung over one shoulder.


    He stopped as soon as he saw me. A few moments passed before he took a step forward. And then another.


    Pulling the strap of his backpack from his shoulder, he set it down on one of the barstools. Luca watched me closely and I knew he could tell I had been crying.


    I found myself putting down the ss of water and walking over to where he stood. Wrapping my arms around his torso, I hugged him tight.


    I felt his hand press gently against my back as he pulled me into him closer and then the another hand moving to hold my head against his chest.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    I pulled back, the tears returning to my eyes.


    ¡°It was just a dream,¡± I whispered, sounding more like I was trying to convince myself than I was Luca.


    ¡°Do you want to sleep in my bed?¡± He offered.


    I hesitated, but eventually nodded. Luca wiped a tear from my cheek and lifted me into his arms. I felt like a baby as he carried me out of the kitchen and into his bedroom.


    But I had also never felt safer.

 CHAPTER 35

    The soft tracing of fingertips down my arm is what pulled me from sleep the next morning. I stirred for a moment, stopping when I realized where I was as


    my eyes opened to the high ceilings of Luca¡¯s bedroom.


    Rolling over on my side, I felt Luca¡¯s hard body fill the space behind me, spooning me. His arm wrapped around my waist and tucked itself under me.


    ¡°Buongiorno, amore,¡± he whispered, his breath fanning against the nook of my shoulder.


    I hummed in response, closing my eyes again.


    He kissed the spot just under my ear. My hand reached up to find his face, gently pushing his lips away from my neck.


    ¡°It¡¯s too early,¡± I muttered, still half-asleep.


    I heard Luca chuckle as he pulled me into him closer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mindying here until it¡¯s not,¡± he said.


    I jolted up, suddenly wide awake.


    ¡°Oh my God, what time is it?¡± I said, throwing the covers back. He groaned as he rolled over to look at his phone.


    ¡°Quarter till eight.¡±


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit,¡± I muttered running across the room.


    ¡°Do you have a hot date?¡± He asked me, watching as I opened the bedroom door.


    ¡°Your sister,¡± I exined shortly, running out of the room and through the living room, to the staircase and up to the loft.


    I changed quickly, brushing my teeth and washing my face before swiping mascara over myshes.


    Luca was opening the front door for Norah when I came back down the stairs.


    ¡°So you¡¯re the reason I got cockblocked this morning,¡± he said to her.


    Norah scowled.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sure you did that on your own,¡± she retorted


    She turned to me and smiled.


    ¡°Ready? I figured we could stop for coffee on the way.¡±


    I nodded, knowing I would desperately need the caffeine hit.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Luca asked, stopping me.


    ¡°To Misso,¡± I answered, putting my purse on my shoulder.


    ¡°We¡¯re going shopping.¡±


    His eyebrows furrowed and he turned to Norah.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m okay with that.¡±


    I let out an incredulousugh, earning his attention once more.


    ¡°Would you have preferred I asked permission?¡± I asked sarcastically.


    Luca pursed his lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± he said.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ you¡¯re not marked yet.¡±


    Norah shook her head, closing her eyes.


    ¡°Oh my God,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Not this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± Luca said defensively.


    ¡°Marked?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You mean ¡®bitten¡¯? Who still does that?¡±


    ¡°This is a traditional pack,¡± Norah told me, ¡°even if it¡¯s to our detriment.¡±


    She looked back at Luca.


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking her to Skid Row,¡± she said.


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be sure to tell the creep at Lululemon that she¡¯s taken.¡±


    His face told me he didn¡¯t appreciate her sarcasm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that that¡¯s good enough,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°So buy her a diamond ring, it will say the same thing,¡± she said through a fake smile and gritted teeth.


    Norah turned to leave and I followed her.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Luca said, using an exasperated tone.


    I stopped and turned around, expecting another argument. Luca sighed and walked over to where his backpack still sat on the barstool. He pulled out his wallet and grabbed a ck metal card.


    He tried to hand it to me.


    ¡°What am I doing with that?¡± I asked him, confusedly staring at the card in his hand.


    ¡°You said you were going shopping.¡±


    ¡°Not with your bank card,¡± I retorted.


    He pulled my purse towards him and unzipped it, putting his card in there next to mine before zipping it back up.


    ¡°You¡¯ve cost me about forty grand already this week. An extra one or two won¡¯t throw a wrench in things.¡±


    My eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°What?¡±


    He smiled.


    ¡°I paid off your student loans. Now, go shopping and celebrate.¡±


    I stood there in shock, my jaw ck.


    ¡°Luca¡­¡±


    He held up a hand, stopping the rest of my sentence.


    ¡°It¡¯s already been done. No need in arguing with me about it.¡±


    I stood there, just staring at him. I couldn¡¯t even formte a proper sentence to thank him.


    ¡°Well, look at you, Daddy Warbucks,¡± Norah said,ughing. Luca rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Thanks for ruining the moment,¡± he told her.


    ¡°Not the first time this morning I¡¯ve done that, apparently.¡±


    Luca turned me around and smacked my butt, prodding me towards the door.


    ¡°Go on, l¡¯Il see youter,¡± he told me.


    I couldn¡¯t do anything but walk slowly to the door, still stunned.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be back by dinner,¡± Norah told him, closing the door behind us.


    We walked out to her car, my head spinning with the new information.. I felt like I was going to pass out.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Norah asked me.


    I stared at her incredulously.


    ¡°Who does that? Who just drops forty thousand dors to be nice?¡±


    She shrugged.


    ¡°Luca, apparently. Like Torrey said, he¡¯s a simp when you get to know him.


    I was still dumbfounded as I got into the car and began to buckle up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± she said earnestly. ¡°He bought the McLaren on a drunken dare. I wouldn¡¯t say he¡¯s struggling financially.¡±


    I shook my head in disbelief as she started the car and began to back down the driveway.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± I said, unbuckling.


    She mmed on brakes as I threw open the car door and jogged back up the driveway to the front porch.


    Swinging open the front door, I saw Luca standing in the kitchen making his coffee.


    I ran over to him and hugged him as tight as I could. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders, pulling me into his chest.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered, my voice muffled by his t-shirt.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± he said earnestly.


    ¡°I figured if you couldn¡¯t use your degree anymore, you shouldn¡¯t be stuck paying for it.¡±


    ¡°I still n on finding a way to use it,¡± I said, lifting my head to look at him.


    Luca thought about this for a moment.


    ¡°Well, with your new position as Luna, we¡¯ll just consider student debt relief an employment benefit.¡±Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I smiled.


    ¡°You should know, however,¡± he said, ¡°that I paid for it before the hand job situation the other night.¡±


    I blushed and hid my face in his chest, feeling him chuckle.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t want you to think this was a benefits-for-favors type of rtionship,¡± he rified,ughing.


    I shook my head.


    Hearing the car honk from the driveway, where Norah was waiting impatiently, I backed away from Luca.


    ¡°Bring back something cute,¡± Luca told me as I walked towards the door.


    My eyebrows furrowed as I turned back to him.


    ¡°Have something specific in mind?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You can use your imagination.¡±


    He picked up his coffee cup and took a sip, giving me a knowing look over the top of the mug. Feeling my blush return, I walked quickly through the front door


    and back outside.


    ¡°You did not just do my brother while I was outside in the car waiting¡­¡± Norah said as I got back into the car.


    Iughed aloud as I buckled back in.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± I assured her.


    ¡°I just gave him a hug and told him ¡®thank you!¡±


    ¡°Then why are you blushing?¡± She asked me.


    ¡°I¡¯m definitely not.¡±


    She just shook her head before backing down the driveway. As soon as we were beyond the pack borders, we stopped for coffee and headed off towards Misso.


    I learned a lot about Norah on the drive there. She was a nurse in Dr. Witt¡¯s clinic. Her mate, Ben, worked on Lincoln¡¯s team as an engineer. They wanted a big family, but didn¡¯t have any intention of trying to have kids for the next few years. She also


    told me she was extremely happy Luca wasn¡¯t alone in his house anymore, she said it was too big to be empty.


    I also learned it was her and her mom who designed the home Luca built and they had picked out all of the furniture. She said Luca was a typical male in that, if he liked two things, he thought they went together. She said he wouldn¡¯t be able to match a


    pillow sham to aforter, even if they came in the same set.


    This made me smile.


    When we finally got to Misso, we stopped for lunch before we drove to the mall.


    ¡°I should probably find a few things that I can train in,¡± I said aloud as I walked around the expensive athletic store.


    I pulled a pair of leggings off of the shelf.


    ¡°Not sure I want to spend a hundred dors on leggings though, I muttered, looking at the price tag.


    ¡°Pop off, girlfriend,¡± Norah assured me.


    ¡°Luca wouldn¡¯t have offered to pay for everything if he didn¡¯t want to. Besides, these leggings will make your ass look great.¡±


    ¡°They are very ttering,¡± the sales associate assured me enthusiastically.


    ¡°So you need them in at least three different colors, then,¡± Norah said, grabbing the other leggings in my size and handing them to me.


    I looked at her apprehensively before sighing.


    ¡°Might as well check out the tank tops and shorts while you¡¯re here,¡± she added, smiling.


    I rolled my eyes before allowing myself to be guided over to the tank tops.


    After an hour of trying things on and pushing away unnecessary items like headbands and yoga mats, I had several hundreds of dors worth of merchandise in hand as I headed to the checkout line.


    ¡°I¡¯m not making Luca pay for this,¡± I told Norah.


    ¡°I can buy it for myself.¡±


    She rolled her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re being unnecessarily stubborn,¡± she told me, following me with her own purchases.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me call him.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me call him,¡± I mocked, walking up to the register.


    When we had checked out and were on our way to the door with our red, reusable bags full of new-buys in hand, Norah turned to me.


    ¡°Did you use his card?¡± She asked.


    ¡®You¡¯ll never know,¡± Imented, walking past her.


    We walked around for a few more hours. I bought a new pair of running shoes and a pair of training shoes. I also stocked up on new haircare and skincare. We both bought dresses for the twins¡¯ birthday partying up at the end of the


    month.


    As we walked out of a trendy boutique, Norah hooked her arm around mine.


    ¡°You¡¯re a lot of fun to shop with,¡± she told me.


    ¡°We should do this again.¡±


    I smiled.


    ¡°After I get a job.¡±


    She guided me towards the other end of the mall.


    ¡°Onest store to go to,¡± she said as we approached the familiar pink and ck-themed lingerie store.


    ¡°Oh my God,¡± I muttered under my breath, trying to pull my arm from her grip.


    ¡°Nope,¡± she stated, dragging me towards the entrance. ¡°I need your opinion on what is cute.¡±


    ¡°Sure you do,¡± I said sarcastically.


    We walked in and she pulled me over to the boxes of panties that sat on a countertop in the middle of the store.


    ¡°This wouldpliment your skin tone well,¡± she said, pulling out a baby pink satin thong.


    ¡°Luca is your brother,¡± I said pointedly. ¡°Is this not weird for you?¡±


    ¡°Halfbrother,¡± she corrected, handing them to me.


    ¡°And no, not really. I¡¯m just so d he finally found you. I¡¯m also really happy to finally have a friend to do things like this with¡­ A lot of people in the pack only want to be friends with me because of Luca and


    what they think he can do for them.¡±


    ¡°Ben doesn¡¯t like to do much shopping?¡± I asked her.


    She threw her head back andughed.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t even like to walk around the grocery store. We go in with a list and we¡¯re out in less than thirty. I can¡¯t imagine making him walk around an outlet mall for five hours. But, that¡¯s not to say he doesn¡¯t appreciate my shopping,¡± she said, holding up a pair of ckce, cheeky cut panties.


    I smiled.


    Sorting through the boxes, I found a few pair of panties that weren¡¯t too shy before wandering off to where the bras hung on the other wall.


    As I passed a mannequin adorned in a strappy, bright red teddy, I heard Luca¡¯s voice in my head:


    Bring back something cute.


    I scowled as my gaze on the teddy lingered.


    I would look like a ham wrapped in redting in that thing, thought.


    ¡°Something catch your eye?¡± Norah asked me, walking over.


    ¡°Certainly not that.¡± I saidughing.


    ¡°What about this?¡±


    I turned to see her pointing at a three piece set that was a deep purple satin withce details along the garter belt and shoulder straps.


    I shrugged.


    ¡°This would make your boobs look great,¡± she told me, much to the chagrin of the middle-aged woman who had been standing next to us.


    She scowled and walked away.


    ¡°Prude,¡± Norah muttered, causing me tough.


    ¡°It is really pretty¡­.¡± I said, still staring at the set.


    ¡°You should get it,¡± she urged me.


    I shook my head, causing her to groan.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, it¡¯s so sexy and Luca will love it.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if Luca loves it.¡± I told her.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t exactly¡­ ya know.¡±


    Her eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°Had sex,¡± I rified, lowering my voice.


    ¡°We can¡¯t until I¡¯ve been inducted into the pack.¡±


    Norah¡¯s jaw dropped.


    ¡°They¡¯re making you do that?!¡± She eximed, earning the attention of everyone around us.


    I grimaced.


    ¡°Why would they do that?¡± She asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a traditional pack, even if it¡¯s to it¡¯s detriment,¡± I said, repeating her earlier words.


    ¡°Damn,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t even considered they would make you guys wait. I guess it makes sense though.¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°It¡¯s makes no sense to me.¡± I said.


    ¡°How much longer do you have?¡±


    ¡°About three weeks, maybe a little less,¡± I told her.


    ¡°That¡¯s not too bad.¡±


    I gave her a hard stare.


    ¡°It still sucks though,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine having waited longer than a day with Ben.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but be jealous. I wondered briefly what Luca and I¡¯s rtionship would be like if we wouldn¡¯t have had to suffer through the strain of abstinence.


    We fell silent as a sales woman approached us.


    ¡°Can I help youdies with anything?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yeah, she wants this whole set,¡± Norah said, pointing at the mannequin.


    My eyes widened.


    ¡°Norah,¡± I said slowly.


    She looked at me and nodded.


    ¡°You do.¡± she assured me.


    The saleswoman took my measurements and went to wrap the lingerie and box it up.


    ¡°This is a bad idea.¡± I told Norah as soon as the woman had walked away.


    She shrugged.


    ¡°You can save it for a rainy day or three weeks from now.¡±


    I walked over to pay for the lingerie and the underwear l¡¯d picked up. Norah also made me buy a sheer balcte bra that matched the ck panties I found.


    We walked out with massive pink striped bags that I was embarrassed to even walk to the car with.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got to hide all of this when we get back,¡± I said, loading everything into the trunk.


    Norahughed as I tried to shove my pink bag into  other one.


    ¡°Good luck getting that past Luca.¡±

 CHAPTER 36

    When we arrived home that evening, both Bates¡¯s Jeep and ine¡¯s SUV were parked in the driveway, along with an electric blue muscle car that I didn¡¯t recognize.


    ¡°Great,¡± I said.


    ¡°Now I have to smuggle this shit in with four people watching.¡±


    ¡°Good luck,¡± Norah wished me.


    ¡°Men in theirte twenties can practically smell redce. Plus, that¡¯s Ben who drove the Charger and I can promise you he knows exactly what¡¯s in that pink bag.¡±


    I let out an exasperated groan as I unbuckled and got out of the car. Norah popped the trunk and I leaned in to gather my things.


    I put the pink bag, which was too big to be stuffed into another one, closest to my body and stacked the rest of the bags on top of it to hide it.


    ¡°Very inconspicuous,¡± Norahmented sarcastically.


    I walked towards the house quickly and opened the front door to see all four men standing in the kitchen.


    Shit, was my first thought.


    I¡¯ll never make it to the staircase without being stopped. Just as Luca saw me, I diverted and walked quickly towards his bedroom and threw my bags in there. I kicked the pink one under his bed before he walked in after me.


    ¡°How was shopping?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Shopping was good,¡± I answered quickly.


    ¡°What¡¯d you get?¡±


    ¡°You know, just¡­ some stuff,¡± I said awkwardly, scooting around him to leave the bedroom.


    Bates let out an exaggerated groan when I walked back out to the living room and made my way into the kitchen.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be home so soon,¡± he whined.


    ¡°I told Luca we¡¯d be back before dinner¡± Norah defended, hugging the man I assumed was Ben.


    He was a lot taller than her,nky with long arms and legs. A redhead, he had pale skin that was littered with freckles.


    ¡°Carrie, this is Ben,¡± Norah said, introducing us.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I smiled, reaching out to shake his hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Ben told me, throwing his arm back around Norah¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Enough with the pleasantries,¡± Bates said.


    ¡°Can you guys not go back out for another two hours so we can go get wings and watch the game?¡±


    My eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°You can still go get wings, Bates,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not stopping you.¡±


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t. Luca and Benny are going to want to stay here with you guys now that you¡¯re home.¡±


    ¡°They can juste,¡± ine sighed.


    ¡°Uh, no. Saturdays are for the boys,¡± Bates countered firmly.


    ¡°Somewhat irrelevant seeing as we¡¯re men,¡± Luca interjected, walking up behind me.


    ¡°But, speak for yourself.¡±


    Bates narrowed his eyes at Luca.


    ¡°l¡¯Il drive,¡± ine offered, grabbing his keys.


    ¡°We can all fit in my car.¡±


    Bates was pouting as we all walked out to the driveway and loaded into ine¡¯s SUV.


    ¡°Alright, I need directions,¡± ine admitted, starting the Yukon.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never driven to this ce before.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like he¡¯s talking to you, Tour Guide Barbie,¡± Ben said to Bates from the back seat.


    Iughed as I buckled my seatbelt.


    ¡°You¡¯re funny,¡± Bates replied dryly.


    It took about fifteen minutes to make it to the bar, which didn¡¯t look like much. It was in the basement of a restaurant, with the entrance down a stone staircase on the side of the building.


    As soon as we walked in, I was hit with the smell of beer and cigarette smoke. The disgust must have been evident on my face because Norahughed.


    The dim overhead lighting and glow of the TVs scattered along each wall were all we had to go by as we were led by a hostess to a booth in the back corner of the room, listening to the crunching of peanut shells under our shoes.


    ¡°This reminds me of Friday nights in college,¡± Iughed, sliding into the faded red leather seat.


    ¡°You and I remember college very differently,¡± Norah said, sitting next to me.


    ¡°I feel like all I did was sleep and study.¡±


    ¡°I never picked up a damn textbook the whole time I was in school,¡± Bates scowled, taking a seat across from us.


    ¡°That was already obvious,¡± Luca told him, gettingfortable next to me by throwing an arm around my shoulder.


    This made me want to cuddle into him, but I refrained. As everyone was seated, our waiter came over and asked for our drink order.


    ¡°Rum and coke,¡± Ben told him.


    Norah sighed.


    ¡°Vodka cranberry.¡±


    ¡°Martini.¡± was my answer.


    ¡°Water,¡± was Luca¡¯s.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a Bud,¡± ine said and Bates took the same.


    As the waiter left, Bates turned to me, smiling.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t strike me as a gin girl,¡± he said.


    ¡°Not often,¡± I assured him.


    I turned to Luca.


    ¡°Water?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t make great choices when I¡¯m intoxicated,¡± heughed.


    ¡°Whisky and impulse control don¡¯t really mix well.¡±


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t stopped you before,¡± inemented, overhearing him.


    Lucaughed, shaking his head as though he remembered something embarrassing. I thought about what happened thest time I¡¯d seen Luca


    drunk. I could still taste the whiskey on his lips.


    Stopping myself from thinking about it further, I leaned forward on the table and grabbed a peanut from the bucket in the center of the table and cracked it open.


    As soon as our drinks came out. the waiter took our order for the food.


    ¡°Large te of the mango habanero traditional wings with a side of loaded tots,¡± Bates told him.


    ¡°And a te of nachos¡­¡± He turned to ine.


    ¡°Do you want nachos?¡±


    ine shook his head.


    ¡°Two tes of nachos,¡± Bates told the waiter.


    Norahughed.


    ¡°Well it doesn¡¯t look like the rest of us need to order since Bates is eating enough for all of us,¡± Ben said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sharing,¡± Bates told him.


    The rest of us ordered, Norah and I deciding to share a te of boneless honey barbecue wings and Luca ordering a slice of pizza instead.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like wings?¡± I asked.


    He shrugged.


    ¡°Not all the time. They disagree with my stomach.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not supposed to agree with your stomach. They¡¯re supposed to agree with your tastebuds, that¡¯s all that matters,¡± Bates interjected.


    Luca rolled his eyes as he reached forward to take a drink of his water.


    I was about halfway through my martini when the food came out. The boys¡¯ hockey game started not long after this, which upied them while Norah and I talked.


    I found myself leaning into Luca before putting my head on his shoulder. He responded with a hand on my thigh.


    It made me feel giddy, like I had butterflies flying around in my stomach. As soon as the game had reached the end of its second period, Luca pulled his card from my purse and picked up the check.


    ¡°We can watch the rest of this at my ce,¡± he told ine and Bates.


    Outside, he hoisted me into the passenger seat before getting in on the driver¡¯s side of ine¡¯s car, who didn¡¯t seem to mind as he got into the backseat.


    Luca reached across me to buckle me and Iughed, pushing his arm away.


    ¡°I¡¯m not drunk,¡± I told him, earning a wink.


    We rode home listing to the radio, singing along to young Kelly rkson. I looked into the rearview mirror at one point to see Bates wince.


    I leaned forward to turn down the radio.


    ¡°I liked that song,¡± Luca muttered.


    Ignoring him, I turned to Bates.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got to use the outhouse something fierce,¡± he said, tightly gripping the handle above his head.


    Norah and Ben both began tough hysterically, even ine chuckling to himself.


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny, guys,¡± Bates defended.


    ¡°That shit went right through me.¡±


    ¡°Literally,¡± Norah mumbled.


    ¡°I told you not to order that second round of wings,¡± Luca said.


    Iughed as Bates shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, Ronan. Hurry up and get home.¡±


    As soon as we¡¯d made it through the gate and down the driveway, Bates was out of the Yukon and practically waddling up to the door like a penguin.


    ¡°You better not use my bathroom!¡± Luca called after him.


    But Bates was already through the door and inside the house. We made it inside just in time to hear the bathroom door m shut downstairs in the basement.


    ¡°Not that this party is over, but I think we¡¯re going to call it a night,¡± Ben said, his arm around Norah¡¯s shoulder.


    I reached out and gave Norah a hug.


    ¡°Thank you for letting me go with you today,¡± I said.


    She smiled as she pulled away.


    ¡°Anytime.¡±


    We waved at the two of them as they walked back outside to their respective cars.


    ¡°We¡¯re going downstairs to watch the game,¡± Luca told me.


    ¡°Want to join?¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°I¡¯m gunna get ready for bed.¡±


    He nodded before following ine downstairs. After I had showered, I changed into a t-shirt and sweatpants and went downstairs where I could hear the men yelling at the TV.


    ¡°Is Bates still in the bathroom?¡± I asked incredulously, seeing that he wasn¡¯t sitting on the couch.


    Luca just nodded, his eyes glued to the TV screen.


    ¡°You should probably check on him,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay!¡± I heard Bates yell from behind the bathroom door.


    Iughed before sitting down next to Luca.


    ¡°The game is going to be over by the time you¡¯re done passing that kidney stone!¡± ine yelled back.


    ¡°I¡¯m watching it on my phone!¡± Was the reply.


    Iughed.


    A few minutester, Bates came out of the bathroom.


    ¡°Everything flushed,¡± he assured us.


    ¡°But you may need to get a plumber out here just to make sure.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± was all Luca said.


    ine began to gag.


    ¡°Holy fuck, I can smell it from here. Close the damn door,¡± he said to Bates.


    Bates justughed before closing the bathroom door.


    Iughed, finding myselfying my head down on Luca¡¯s shoulder.


    I shocked myself by doing this.


    As soon as I had leaned in against him, I wanted to pull back out of habit. But I couldn¡¯t help the way I melted into his body, cuddling against his side. It was like wrapping up with a nket or getting into a bed with sheets that had juste out of the dryer.


    It felt foreign, but it felt like home at the same time.


    It felt normal.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn to gag,¡± Bates said, looking at Luca and I.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait until you¡¯ve gotten a mate,¡± Luca told him, slinging his arm around my thighs to pull me in closer.


    ¡°All this shit you¡¯ve been giving me wille full circle and smack you in the back of the head.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Bates countered, taking a seat on the couch.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty independent.¡±


    ine snorted.


    ¡°About as independent as an a five-month-old infant.¡±


    Iughed, making Bates scowl.


    ¡°I am so independent,¡± he argued.


    ¡°Where do you think your mate is now?¡± I asked him, changing the subject.


    He shrugged.


    ¡°Probably out getting wasted and partying hard,¡± ine said.


    ¡°Oh, hell no!¡± Bates eximed.


    ¡°She better be sitting between mommy and daddy on the couch watching Paw Patrol or Wheel of Fortune or some shit.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re into four-year-olds?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Good girls,¡± he corrected me.


    I smiled.


    ¡°No such thing as good girls.¡±


    Luca turned to look at me with a raised evebrow, but I pretended not to see it.


    ¡°Have you met your mate?¡± I asked ine.


    He shook his head.


    ¡°No, starting to get worried,¡± he admitted, nervouslyughing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± I told him. ¡°It all happens in good time.¡±


    ine smiled to himself, keeping his eyes on the TV.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± he said.


    Luca leaned over and kissed the top of my head before returning his attention to the hockey game.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    And for that brief moment, we were normal-though it wouldn¡¯tst long.

 CHAPTER 37

    As soon as the game was over, Bates was on his feet.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m gunna head home, boys and girls,¡± he said, stretching.


    ¡°I¡¯ve endured a trauma tonight that has left me needing some rest.¡±


    Luca just shook his head as he stood up, ine following suit with a wide yawn. We followed each other upstairs to the living room.


    ¡°It is way past my bedtime,¡± I said looking at the clock and noticing it was nearly midnight.


    ¡°You¡¯re an old woman,¡± Bates told me, walking towards the front door.


    ¡°I like to get up early,¡± I defended.


    I flipped on the porch light.


    As soon as I stepped out onto the front porch with Bates, I froze. There was a mangy, ash-blond wolf in Luca¡¯s front yard, staring at us with eyes that glowed in the porch light.


    Before I could say a word, Luca ripped past me and leapt from the porch, skipping all three steps down as he shifted mid-air into arge wolf with thick, ck fur. His clothesnded in strips of fabric next to me, but I hardly had time to notice before a growl that was deep enough to cause shivers down my spine echoed throughout the clearing.


    Luca and the wolf, which was puny inparison, circled each other for a moment. Luca snarled and snapped his teeth before the stranger shifted back into its human form.


    Shocked, I recognized the man who now stood naked on the frontwn.


    ¡°Johnathan?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but whisper.


    His blond hair was a bit longer now,pared to the cropped style he normally kept, but he still maintained the sharp cheekbones and blue eyes I knew him for.


    Hearing me, he turned to nce in my direction.


    That was when Luca lunged.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I screamed, running off the porch.


    I was tackled into the grass from behind as I watched Luca¡¯s teeth sink into Johnathan¡¯s shoulder, sending him to the ground as well.


    Turning, I was shocked to see that it was Bates pinning me to the ground.


    ¡°The hell¡¯s the matter with you?¡± He yelled.


    ¡°You don¡¯t jump in between two fighting wolves, especially when one is an Alpha!¡±


    I turned back over to see ine had shifted also, carefully circling the pair as though he were waiting for his turn to jump in.


    Although, it didn¡¯t seem like Luca needed the backup.


    Johnathan was screaming as Luca crouched from behind him, his teeth still embedded in Jonathan¡¯s shoulder as he yanked and ripped him backwards.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I screamed again.


    ¡°I know him!¡±


    To my surprise and relief, Luca released him and let out another low growl. Johnathanid on his back in the grass for a moment, trying to catch his breath before sitting up slightly and groaning in pain.


    Blood dripped down his shoulder and was smeared against his neck and the side of his face.


    Despite this, he stood to his feet.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± I asked him, pushing Bates off of me.


    I wasn¡¯t quite prepared for his answer: ¡°I¡¯m here for you.¡±


    Luca growled and moved his body between myself and Johnathan, his form low to the ground as though he were spring-loading himself in preparation to lunge forward at the bloodied man again.


    ¡°How did you find me?¡± I asked him, standing to my feet.


    ¡°I followed your scent.¡±


    My eyebrows furrowed.


    Across two state lines?


    I don¡¯t think so¡­ I thought.


    ¡°Yeah, and I followed a rainbow to find a pot of gold and a dancing leprechaun,¡± Bates retorted.


    ¡°How the fuck did you get within the gates?¡±


    ¡°The answer to both your questions is the same,¡± Johnathan told both of us.


    He turned his attention to me, his ocean-eyes ring into mine.


    ¡°Your father sent me. He told me I could have you if I brought you home.¡±


    Before I could utter a response, Luca let out a ferocious bark. I saw ine move behind Johnathan, shifting quickly back into his human form anding up behind Johnathan to knock him out with his fist.


    I gasped as Johnathan hit the ground, unconscious.


    As Luca began to shift back, a hand covered my eyes and turned me around.


    ¡°No, ma¡¯am,¡± Bates said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to see Luca¡¯s corn dog until after you¡¯re inducted.¡±


    He pushed me up the porch steps and back into the house, where I paced the living room anxiously.


    ¡°What the hell was he doing here?¡± I asked, aloud.


    ¡°What did he mean my dad said he could have me?


    That doesn¡¯t make any sense..


    ¡°Calm down,¡± Bates told me, gently pushing me down by the shoulders to sit on the couch.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me to calm down!¡± I shouted, standing back to my feet, watching him go into Luca¡¯s bedroom.


    Bates came back out with a pair of gym shorts in each hand, his serious expression made him look like a stranger. He opened the front door and tossed out both pair of shorts beforeing back inside.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± I asked, my head spinning.


    Luca came storming through the front door, now covered by the shorts but also covered from his nose down to his neck in blood.


    ¡°How do you know him?¡± He asked me, eyes glowing with anger.


    ¡°I know him from home,¡± I answered.


    ¡°We went to high school together.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck does he mean when he said your dad told him he could have you?¡± Luca questioned.


    I stumbled over my words, drawing my shoulders up in a shrug. ¡°I honestly have no idea,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m just shocked that he¡¯s here¡ª¡±


    ¡°Did you tell anyone besides that girl where you were?¡± He asked me.


    ¡°Mady?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s the only one I¡¯ve talked to,¡± I said defensively.


    Luca turned to Bates.


    ¡°Stay with her,¡± he told him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to Lincoln to see how that bitch got across the borders, much less into my yard.¡±


    Bates grimaced.


    ¡°You got a little something¡­¡± he said, pointing at his own face to indicate Luca was covered in blood, but Luca didn¡¯t seem to notice or care.


    He stormed off into his bedroom.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said, following him.


    ¡°What are you going to do with Johnathan?¡±


    I followed him into his bedroom where he went into his closet.


    ¡°ine is taking him to the Cer.¡± he said.


    ¡°What is the Cer?¡±


    ¡°A holding cell.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not taking him to an infirmary? You chewed his shoulder to shreds,¡± I said.


    Luca walked out of his closet, now dressed in jeans, a t-shirt in his hand.


    ¡°Here¡¯s hoping he¡¯s a quick healer,¡± he said, pulling the shirt over his head.


    ¡°He¡¯ll likely be dead before morning if he¡¯s not.¡±


    That sentence paired with the wild look in Luca¡¯s eyes and the blood smeared across the bottom half of his face made me take a few steps backwards, away from him.


    ¡°He¡¯s the only one who knows how he found me and got inside the borders,¡± I told him slowly.


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯d want to keep him alive.¡±


    Luca leveled a re.


    ¡°He won¡¯t have you,¡± he said.


    I wanted to p him.


    That¡¯s what you¡¯re focused on? I thought.


    The safety of your pack has beenpromised and that¡¯s what you¡¯re focused on?


    Luca stepped forward and pulled my body roughly against his. I tried to push him away before his lips pressed against mine.


    Biting his lower lip as hard as I could, I also pushed against him with both hands. Pain shot up my broken wrist as I did so.


    Luca jerked away, freezing when he saw Johnathan¡¯s blood that now also covered my face.


    ¡°Ah, fuck,¡± he muttered, wiping his own mouth with the back of his arm.


    I gagged as I put my hand to my lips, pulling it away to see the crimson stain on my fingers.


    Luca reached out and I swatted his hand away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± I told him, walking to the bathroom.


    I scrubbed at my face and brushed my teeth, hoping to get rid of the sight and taste of Johnathan¡¯s blood.


    When I came out, Luca was gone and Bates was standing by the front door. I walked over to stand next to him, looking out into the yard to see ine and Johnathan were also gone.


    ¡°You can go to sleep,¡± he told me.


    I looked down at my shaking hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can now,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Try,¡± he told me.


    I was taken back by his abrasive tone.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked him.


    He sighed before closing the front door and locking it, flipping off the porch light as he did so.


    ¡°Fine.¡± was his answer.


    Bates sat down on the couch and pulled out his phone, clearly not interested in a conversation.


    ¡°You sure?¡± I asked again.


    He looked up at me.


    ¡°That scared the shit out of me,¡± he said finally, putting his phone down.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I nodded, taking a seat next to him.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t just stand there like an idiot,¡± he said.


    ¡°Ipletely froze up until Luca had jumped between us.¡±


    ¡°Luca reacted almost instantly,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on yourself.¡±


    ¡°What would have happened if Luca didn¡¯t, though?¡±


    He asked.


    ¡°If he wasn¡¯t here? That wolf saw us before we saw him. He could have attacked you and I wouldn¡¯t have been quick enough to stop him.¡±


    ¡°Johnathan wouldn¡¯t have done that,¡± I said.


    ¡°Besides, Bates, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    He just shook his head.


    I knew the point he was trying to prove, but there was no reason to be so hard on himself for something that didn¡¯t happen.


    ¡°Luca was mad at me when he left.¡± Bates told me.


    ¡°I know that I¡¯m going to hear about itter.¡±


    I drew in a deep breath.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t mad at you,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°He was mad at me.¡±


    Bates snickered.


    ¡°He couldn¡¯t be mad at you,¡± he said.


    I shrugged.


    ¡°Biting his lip when he tried to kiss me and pushing him away, telling him not to touch me seems to do the trick.¡±


    Bates grimaced.


    ¡°You guys aren¡¯t doing too good?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Some days are better than others. Sometimes I feel like I¡¯m fighting a riptide. I take two steps in the right direction and then, next thing I know, I¡¯m swept back out to the deep.¡±


    His eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°I thought things were supposed to be easy for mates?¡±


    I scoffed.


    ¡°They would be if our mate bond hadn¡¯t been broken when Luca couldn¡¯t keep it in his pants.¡±


    I froze as soon as I¡¯d said it.


    ¡°Shit, I didn¡¯t know you knew about that,¡± Bates said softly.


    We were quiet for a few moments.


    ¡°I figured it out when I went into Heat and he didn¡¯t,¡± I muttered finally.


    ¡°Have you talked to him about it?¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Probably isn¡¯t the best that you guys haven¡¯t been able to mate yet, either,¡± Bates offered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that would help.¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess it would.¡±


    We were quiet for a few moments.


    ¡°I do think he¡¯s trying, if that¡¯s any constion,¡± Bates said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen him so invested in anything before besides the pack.¡±


    ¡°I know he is, we both are,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s just hard right now.¡±


    Bates smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯d give you a hug, but he¡¯d kill me. So how about aforting high-five?¡±


    Iughed and held out my hand


    ¡°Go to bed,¡± he told me.


    ¡°These things are always better in the morning.¡±


    I certainly hope so, I thought.

 CHAPTER 38

    ¡°Would you stop digging through my underwear?!¡±


    Bates withdrew his hand from the box grasping a nude thong.


    ¡°This shit looks like dental floss,¡± heughed as I snatched it away.


    We were upstairs organizing all of my clothes into boxes; underwear in one, shorts in another, tank tops separated from t-shirts, and so on.


    It had been three days since I¡¯d seen Luca or anyone else for that matter besides Bates and I was going crazy. He was like the younger brother I never had, except he was older than I was and a veryrge, grown man.


    Yet I still felt like punching him in the face half the time.


    ¡°You¡¯re so annoying,¡± I told him, as he ced one of my bras over his chest like he was trying it on.


    ¡°Are tits like dicks for girls?¡± He asked me.


    I scowled.


    ¡°What kind of a question is that?¡±


    ¡°Do girls measure bra sizes the way guys do their dick? Like, if someone has bigger boobs than someone else, does that make her more alpha?¡± He rified.


    ¡°Maybe in middle school,¡± I answered.


    He looked down and cupped the bra in his hands.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got porn star titties,¡± he said, ¡°these things are massive.¡±


    I grabbed the bra and smacked him over the head with it.


    ¡°I will tell Luca you¡¯re abusing me,¡± he threatened.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll tell Luca you¡¯re talking about my boobs and we¡¯ll see who he gets mad at.¡± Bates leveled a re.


    ¡°Touch¨¦.¡±


    He began to look through my Lululemon bag and pull out the items inside.


    ¡°Who in the hell pays this much money for leggings?¡±


    He asked, staring at the tags.


    ¡°You¡¯re wearing four-hundred dor sneakers,¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°Paying a lot for tires is not the same thing as paying a lot for a steering wheel cover.¡±


    ¡°They make your butt look nice,¡± I said defensively.


    ¡°Oh. makes sense.¡±


    I rolled my eyes as I began to take the tags off of each item and put them into their respective boxes.


    ¡°You know, you could just move this stuff downstairs to Luca¡¯s room and put them in his closet. It¡¯s going to get wrinkled in cardboard boxes,¡± Bates pointed out.


    I sighed.


    ¡°Seems kind of pointless while I¡¯m sleeping and showering upstairs.¡±


    He shrugged.


    ¡°I mean, no one says you have to do that.¡±


    I looked at him suspiciously.


    ¡°Did Luca put you up to this?¡±


    ¡°I plead the fifth.¡±


    I rolled my eyes.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡°But, seriously, are thongs not ufortable?¡± He asked again.


    ¡°Not as ufortable as I am,¡± a voice said from the doorway. We looked up from where we sat on the floor to see ine.


    ¡°Any news?¡± I asked, standing to my feet.


    He shrugged.


    ¡°Maybe.¡±


    I gave him an unamused look and he smiled.


    ¡°I told Luca I wouldn¡¯t tell you,¡± he told me.


    ¡°I just came to update Bates.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha,¡± Bates said sarcastically, standing up and following ine from the room.


    He patted me on top of the head as he passed me and I jabbed him in the side of the rib cage. Following ine out to the loft, Bates talked with him in a low


    voice for a while before turning around anding back to the bedroom.


    ¡°Johnathan wasn¡¯t the only wolf from your pack that got in the borders,¡± Bates blurted out.


    ¡°They found another wolf about a mile away.¡±


    ine looked at Bates incredulously before banging his head against the wall.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who promised Luca I wouldn¡¯t tell her,¡± Bates defended.


    ¡°Who was it?¡± I asked quickly.


    ¡°Is it a man or a woman? Do you know their name?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I forgot to ask for his driver¡¯s license,¡± ine said sarcastically.


    ¡°So it¡¯s another guy?¡± I asked.


    He nodded.


    I couldn¡¯t think of who it would be.


    ¡°Could you take me to him?¡± I asked ine.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d lose our toes,¡± Bates said.


    ¡°Plus, I¡¯ve been given strict orders not to let you leave the house. My babysitting privileges would be revoked.¡±


    ¡°Oh no,¡± I said dryly.


    ¡°What?¡± Bates asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like hanging out with me?¡±


    ¡°You have to take me to the Cer,¡± I said to ine firmly, ignoring Bates.


    ¡°No.¡± he answered again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take credit for it,¡± I offered.


    ¡°We can tell Luca it was my idea.¡±


    ¡°Credit? You mean me?¡± ine asked.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t going to go over well.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± I said again.


    ¡°I need to know who it is. I may be able to get answers.¡±


    ¡°How do you know we don¡¯t already have answers?¡± ine asked me.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re here and Luca¡¯s not.¡±


    Bates looked at ine and smiled.


    ¡°Please,¡± I begged.


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Bates said. ¡°-not,¡± ine finished, ring at him.


    ¡°We can get there in twenty minutes if we take the bug,¡± Bates said, already turning to leave the room.


    ¡°The bug?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No,¡± ine reiterated.


    Bates turned and smiled at me.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to love the bug.¡±

 CHAPTER 39

    As it turns out, ¡®the bug¡¯ was the dune buggy in Luca¡¯s garage. A golf cart on steroids, it had oversized tires, seatbelts, and the capabilities of going ¡°wicked fast¡±, ording to Bates.


    ¡°This is a terrible idea,¡± ine said for the hundredth time as Bates helped buckle me in.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a wiener,¡± Bates told him, getting into the driver¡¯s seat.


    ine sighed before getting into the backseat.


    ¡°I need a helmet,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°No, you¡¯ll be fine,¡± Bates assured him.


    ¡°I¡¯Il be gentle.¡±


    With that, he started the engine and smashed the gas pedal giving me whish as I was yanked back into the seat. I praised God for the blessing that the seatbelt was for the next five minutes. Bates whipped in between trees and across fields like he was trying to kill us, giggling like a six-year-old boy the entire time.


    Suddenly, he mmed on breaks in a spot in the middle of the forest that looked like nothing at all, sending dust flying around us.


    I looked at Bates, my hair in my face and scowled.


    ¡°Where are we?¡±


    He held a finger to his lips.


    ¡°We¡¯re so dead,¡± ine whispered.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Bates told him.


    I finally saw what they were referring to when I looked up and saw Luca stalking towards us, mad as fire itself.


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Bad idea, bad idea,¡± Batesughed nervously.


    ¡°What in the hell¡­¡± Luca said, pronouncing each syble clearly as he approached us.


    I smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°It was her idea!¡± Both Bates and ine shouted at the same time.


    I grimaced.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with youter,¡± he said, throwing a finger at me before turning to the boys.


    ¡°Sounds promising,¡± I quipped, immediately regretting it.


    You¡¯ve been around Bates for way too long, I told myself. I knew this because Batesughed at my joke.


    ¡°I told you not to leave the house,¡± Luca told Bates.


    He turned to ine.


    ¡°I told you not to include her in this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right here,¡± I reminded him.


    Neither Bates nor ine had the courage to say anything. Luca snapped and ordered both of them out of the dune buggy, each taking the order without defiance. As soon as they were standing, Luca got into the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°You can walk,¡± he told them, starting the bug and driving off.


    I sat silently as Luca drove skillfully through the rest of the forest, stopping at a small, dpidated shack on the edge of a clearing.


    ¡°Is this the Cer?¡± I asked him, unbuckling.


    ¡°This is where you tell me what the hell you¡¯re trying to prove,¡± He said, getting out of the bug.


    ¡°Trying to prove?¡± I repeated incredulously.


    ¡°Asking my men to defy strict orders,¡± he rified, walking around the front.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I could ask you,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been gone for three days.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy dealing with this shit,¡± he argued,ing to stand beside where I sat in the passenger seat.


    ¡°Well, maybe I wanted to help.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need the help,¡± he said.


    ¡°So exactly what has Johnathan told you?¡±


    When Luca didn¡¯t answer, I shook my head.


    ¡°Take the help when you can get it. Don¡¯t be so stubborn,¡± I said. moving to get out of the bug.


    Luca came to stand in front of me, cing his hands on the rails on either side of my body, preventing me from moving further.


    ¡°This is serious,¡± he reminded me in a low voice.


    ¡°They¡¯re not here to negotiate, amore, or I would have let you in on this sooner.¡±


    My eyebrows knit together.


    ¡°Then why are they here? How are they here?¡± I asked.


    He shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he answered honestly.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m not okay with this. You should really let me take you back home¡ª¡±


    ¡°I missed you,¡± I said suddenly, surprising even myself.


    Luca stopped, his eyebrows furrowing.


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to distract me,¡± he said, apprehensioncing each word.


    I found myself shaking my head, looking away.


    ¡°No.¡± I said genuinely.


    ¡°You¡¯re not still mad at me?¡± He asked, pulling my gaze back to him.


    ¡°I thought you were mad at me, to be honest,¡± I admitted I could see the scab across his lower lip where I had bit him.


    ¡°I deserved that,¡± Luca said, noticing where my stare was directed. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have kissed you.¡±


    I shrugged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind you kissing me,¡± I said honestly. ¡°But not with blood all over your face.¡±


    He grimaced.


    ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    I found myself reaching out to grab his shirt and slowly pull him closer to me.


    ¡°I might give you another chance if you ask nicely,¡± I whispered Luca leaned down, his hands now above my head on the railing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t ask for anything nicely,¡± he admitted, his face a few inches from mine.


    ¡°Sincerely, then.¡±


    His lips were so close, I could feel his nose brush against mine.


    ¡°Let me kiss you,¡± he whispered, before his lipsnded on mine.


    The kiss deepened quickly, as though we were making up for the lost time over the past three days.


    I hadn¡¯t realized just how much I¡¯d missed him until then. My fingertips gingerly traced the outline of Luca¡¯s jaw as his tongue passed between my lips.


    ¡°Is this what I just walked half a mile through the woods in designer sneakers for?!¡± Someone shouted, interrupting us.


    As Luca pulled away, we both looked over to see Bates and ine emerging from the tree line.


    ¡°I would have started making out with you several years ago if I had known it solved problems this quickly,¡± Bates said to Luca, making his way over to us.


    ¡°And you would have lost your job several years ago,¡± Luca replied.


    He dropped his hands from the handlebar above my head and held out an arm to help me out of the dune buggy. ine led the way as we walked over to the shack that didn¡¯t look like it had been used in years.


    We walked around the crumbling house to a cer door that looked just as old. ine and Bates both pulled back the doors to reveal another set of newer-looking steel doors.


    Luca pushed past them andid his hand on the scanner that was embedded in the door. I heard a ¡®click¡¯ as the doors opened automatically.


    Bates went down first, followed by ine. Luca pulled me in front of him and allowed me to go down next. He closed the doors above us before we ventured down the metal staircase into a hallway that was illuminated by luminescent lights that hung overhead.


    It was probably close to quarter of a mile long, with metal doors along each wall every ten feet or so. There were a handful of men that sat on metal chairs in the middle of the hallway. I assumed they were there to guard whoever was inside each cell.


    ¡°How many people are held here?¡± I whispered to Bates, who walked in front of me.


    He shook his head.


    ¡°Not many.¡±


    ine stopped at one of the doors, where a guard sat directly outside.


    ¡°Who do you want to see?¡± He asked me.


    It wasn¡¯t a question I was prepared to answer. In fact, I hadn¡¯t even thought I would get that far.


    ¡°The smaller wolf.¡± Luca answered for me.


    ine walked down a few more doors and had the guard that was sitting outside open the door.


    I gulped before following Bates inside.


    As Bates moved out of the way, I saw a young maleying on his back on the metal cot that was attached to the wall.


    I recognized him immediately.


    His name was Waylon. He was in my graduating ss from high school. Very quiet, but he made good grades and stayed out of trouble, as far as I knew. He was thest person I would have guessed would have been caught trespassing on someone else¡¯s


    packnd.


    Waylon stared nkly at the ceiling, hands by his side where he was clothed from the waist down in a pair of ck sweats. He refused to acknowledge us as we all walked in.


    ¡°You know him?¡± ine asked.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Waylon, what are you doing here?¡± I asked him.


    He ignored me and I sighed, walking closer.


    My eyebrows furrowed as I noticed how thin his pale skin was. could see every blue vein running up and down his arms and chest. He had dark circles around his eyes that made his blue irises pop.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked him.


    He didn¡¯t turn to me and I noticed then how still he was. No rise and fall of the chest.


    I gulped as I began to back up slowly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bates asked.


    ¡°Is he dead?¡± I asked panicked, backing away until I ran into Luca¡¯s chest. He steadied me with a hand on either side of my waist.


    Bates held up his hands.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I¡¯m not touching him.¡±


    ine stepped forward and ced two fingers to his neck.


    ¡°When was thest time you checked in?¡± Luca barked at the guard.


    ¡°Thirty minutes ago,¡± the guard answered immediately,ing to the door.


    ¡°We¡¯re on an hour rotation.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± ine confirmed.


    I couldn¡¯t do anything but stare at Waylon¡¯s body before Luca pulled me out of the room.


    ¡°How the fuck did that happen?¡± ine asked rhetorically.


    We all stood there for a moment.


    Luca was fuming.


    ¡°His eyes were blue,¡± I said finally.


    Bates turned to me with a scowl.


    ¡°That¡¯s all you can think about?¡± He asked.


    I shook my head.


    ¡°No, I remember his eyes being green in high school.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a weird thing to think about when someone dies,¡± Bates said.


    I turned to Luca.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Johnathan?¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re not seeing him.¡±


    I looked down the hallway and began to walk over to where the next guard was sitting. Before I could reach out to open the door, Luca was standing


    between me and the handle.


    ¡°No,¡± he reiterated.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I reached around him and he blocked me again.


    ¡°Luca,¡± I warned.


    ¡°Move.¡±


    We stared at each other for a few moments before he moved out of the way and put his hand on the door handle.


    ¡°You have two minutes,¡± he said sternly.


    ¡°If he moves, he dies. If he¡¯s disrespectful, he dies. If he tries to negotiate, he dies. Clear?¡±


    I nodded.


    No pressure.


    Luca typed in a six digit PIN on the handle and it opened with a ¡®click¡¯.


    He looked at Bates and ine.


    ¡°Stand by the door.¡±


    He opened the door slowly and I stepped around him to walk inside.


    Luca hooked a finger around my belt loop and tugged me back to keep me from moving forward any further. Johnathan was sitting cross-legged on the floor, staring up at me with such interest that I immediately wanted to retreat back into the hallway.


    Dried blood caked his neck, shoulder and chest. I could see the ribbons of flesh hanging off his shoulder where Luca had bitten him. The wound was still open, but didn¡¯t appear to be actively bleeding.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked him, my shaky voice revealing the sudden loss of confidence.


    ¡°I told you,¡± he said slowly and calmly.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for you.¡±


    ¡°Well you can¡¯t have me,¡± I told him, trying to sound firm.


    ¡°You need to leave!¡±


    He looked around me at Luca before returning his attention to me.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like that¡¯s an option for me.¡±


    ¡°Did my father send you?¡± I asked.


    He tilted his head to the side.


    ¡°Why would you ask that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t gaslight me,¡± I threatened, feeling a surge of anger.


    ¡°You told me he told you that you could have me if you came.¡±


    ¡°He did,¡± Johnathan said.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°He wants his daughter back,¡± he told me.


    ¡°I should think that seems innocent enough.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t hee for me himself?¡±


    ¡°Because he had someone who was willing to do it for him. My reward was worth the risk.¡±


    My eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Listen, you creep. Tell me how he knew where to send you. How did you find me?¡±


    Johnathan¡¯s jaw clenched.


    ¡°Ask your friend,¡± he growled.


    ¡°She¡¯s the one who gave your father the address.¡±


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t have given it to him,¡± I said.


    ¡°She had no reason to think I was in danger.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say she gave it to him voluntarily,¡±  Johnathan corrected me.


    My eyebrows knit together in confusion.


    ¡°Coercion is an art your father has mastered,¡± Johnathan continued.


    ¡°Threatening someone¡¯s life typically gets results.¡±


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    My voice trailed off as I remembered the voicemails.


    Would he? Johnathan shrugged, wincing as he felt the pain in his shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be home soon enough,¡± he told me.


    ¡°Your questioning can¡¯t prevent that.¡±


    He looked over my shoulder at Luca.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be out from under his murderous reign eventually.¡±


    Luca stepped around me.


    ¡°Would you like to find out how murderous I can be?¡± He asked Johnathan.


    I grabbed Luca¡¯s t-shirt and pulled him backwards.


    ¡°Waylon¡¯s dead,¡± I told Johnathan.


    Johnathan stuck out his bottom lip in an exaggerated way.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± he said, his voice t and free of emotion.


    ¡°Why did hee?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming my father didn¡¯t promise me to more than one man.¡±


    ¡°Waylon was here for my benefit,¡± Johnathan said, eyeing Luca, who was still standing next to me.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t helped you much,¡± I noticed.


    Johnathan¡¯s gaze returned to me. ¡°You know so little.¡±


    ¡°Inform me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Why should I?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m the only person within five-hundred miles of this ce that thinks you should be left alive,¡± I told him.


    I saw a fire ignite behind Johnathan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I can¡¯t die,¡± he told me.


    ¡°I¡¯m part of a much bigger organism that cannot be killed. Even if my body were to fade, I would be


    feeding the next, just as Waylon as provided for me in my injury.¡±


    I heard Bates groan.


    ¡°Can we please kill this guy so I can go to lunch?¡± He asked, breaking the tension that was left hanging in the air after Johnathan¡¯s dramatic monologue.


    I shook my head, my gaze still on Johnathan.


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Get that through your thick skull. You¡¯re going to die because you believe so desperately in a lost cause.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but notice you¡¯re not marked,¡± Johnathan said, catching me off guard.


    ¡°You don¡¯t carry Luca¡¯s scent¡­ why is that? You¡¯ve been here for over two weeks. You won¡¯t let him


    touch you?¡±


    I looked at him incredulously.


    ¡°What does that have to do with¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lecture me about lost causes when your own rtionship is one,¡± Johnathan said, interrupting me.


    I didn¡¯t even have time to respond before Luca ripped away from my grip and tackled Johnathan back against the ground. He began to pound into Johnathan¡¯s face with his fist,nding blow after blow.


    Blood was dripping off Luca¡¯s knuckles when ine and Bates both pulled him off of Johnathan, who nowy motionless.


    I couldn¡¯t help but to stand there, stunned.


    It wasn¡¯t that Johnathan didn¡¯t deserve it, but I hadn¡¯t expected him to get under Luca¡¯s skin so easily.


    ¡°Feel better?¡± Bates asked Luca sarcastically.


    ¡°I¡¯d feel better if you¡¯d tell me I killed him,¡± Luca saidN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    breathlessly, watching ine lean down to check on Johnathan.


    Bates pushed Luca and I out of the room, ine following.


    ¡°Keep an eye on him,¡± ine told the guard.


    The guard nodded before closing the cell door.


    ¡°I think we should go find Lincoln, see if he has any updates.¡± ine suggested to Luca.


    Luca nodded and turned to me, eyes wild.


    ¡°You need to call your friend.¡±

 CHAPTER 40

    Luca was still seething.


    I sat in silence, unable to wrap my mind around Johnathan¡¯s words and nearly giving myself a headache trying to decipher the riddle I felt like he¡¯d given me.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Getting out of the bug, I followed ine, Bates and Luca to the door at the base of the tower. When we walked inside, my eyes took a moment to adjust from


    the bright sunshine to the darkness.


    The entire structure was just level after level of mesh, metal flooring with desks ofputers and monitors upied by people wearing headsets and headphones. A tall spiral staircase shot up from the center of the floor.


    I followed Bates, ine and Luca all the way up to the top, passing each floor. When we reached the top, I finally caught a glimpse of daylight through the window that ran the entire circumference of the


    building, allowing me to see the men who circled the outside of the water tower and surveilled thend below.


    Lincoln was standing behind a desk, looking at a digital map when Luca walked up to him.


    ¡°Any updates?¡±


    Lincoln stood up straight.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got the thermal imaging cameras being installed now at the gates and more motion sensors being set up around the perimeter. They should all be online within the next hour.¡±


    ¡°And the trip wires?¡± Luca asked.


    ¡°Ben is working with his engineering team to make sure there weren¡¯t any glitches in the modifications we made, but those should go up tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Did you find out how they got in?¡± I asked Lincoln.


    He nodded, pointing at a red line that marked a portion of the border on the map in front of him.


    ¡°My guess is they were camped out outside the pack for a few days and watched the patrol squad to get their schedule. They climbed the fence during the twenty minute gap when no one would be there. How they got past the secondyer of security without their scent being caught? We still have no idea.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t happen again,¡± ine said gruffly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve randomized the patrol schedule now so it¡¯s no longer predictable.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve also added a wire beneath the fence that carries an electrical current. Anyone who touches the fence will be fried,¡± Lincoln added.


    ¡°Unless they figure out how to cut the power,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s on a generator,¡± a voice said behind me.


    I turned to see Bening up the staircase.


    ¡°Even if the whole pack loses power, the generator will kick on for the fence and the sensors attached to it.¡± he continued.


    He smiled at me before turning to Luca.


    ¡°We¡¯re ahead of schedule,¡± he told him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got my boys taking the trip wires out to ine¡¯s crew. They should be set up before nightfall.¡±


    Luca nodded.


    I could tell he felt a sense of relief by the way his shoulders dropped.


    ¡°Good work,¡± he told them. ¡°Make sure to monitor everything and run a few pilot tests to make sure it all functions the way it should.¡±


    Bates turned to ine.


    ¡°Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who has to touch the fence.¡± he said, holding his fist up.


    ine just rolled his eyes.


    Luca pulled me over to the side, gesturing for Lincoln to follow us.


    ¡°I need you to set her up with a call,¡± he said to Lincoln.


    Lincoln looked at me.


    ¡°Do you have the number?¡±


    ¡°It was on my old phone,¡± I said, embarrassed I didn¡¯t know Mady¡¯s number by heart.


    ¡°No worries. I put your contacts on a drive.¡±


    He looked at Luca.


    ¡°Do I need to set the call up on a duel line?¡±


    Luca looked at me before nodding.


    My eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°Duel line?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to listen in on the call,¡± Luca exined.


    ¡°I want to make sure we¡¯re getting as much information from her as possible, so I may direct you to ask her a few questions.¡±


    I nodded, suddenly feeling like Luca didn¡¯t trust me to talk to my own best friend without help. Lincoln called Luca and I over to a desk on the other side of the room where andline was attached. Several different pairs of headphones were plugged into it, so I knew they would be able to hear the whole call.


    ¡°I could just put her on speaker,¡± I offered as I watched Lincoln untangling a few of the cords.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be able to tell by the echo in the room,¡± Lincoln told me, shaking his head.


    He had me sit in the rolling desk chair as he pulled out aptop and USB drive. Lincoln pulled up my contacts that had been in my phone and I dialed Mady¡¯s number using thendline.


    Everyone gathered around me and took a headset, listening to the phone ring


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    Her voice sounded confused and it took me a moment to remember that I was calling from an unfamiliar number.


    ¡°Hey, Mady, it¡¯s me,¡± I said quickly.


    The line went silent.


    ¡°Mady?¡±


    I heard shuffling before she said casually: ¡°Yeah, no, that final was brutal. I thought Dr. Robertson would have been a little easier grading that question knowing that he didn¡¯t cover that case very well in ss.¡±


    ¡°Mady, what are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Give me a second.¡± she whispered.


    I heard more shuffling, followed by the sound of a door creaking open and shutting.


    ¡°Sorry, I had to get outside,¡± she said finally.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Your dad is at our house,¡± she told me.


    ¡°He¡¯d lose what¡¯s left of his mind if he knew I was talking to you. What happened to you? I¡¯ve been calling you all weekend.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologized.


    ¡°My dad left some weird-ass voicemails on my phone sol got rid of it. It didn¡¯t ur to me that you wouldn¡¯t have a way of calling me after that.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I understand,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I wish I could have gotten a hold of you sooner. Shit has really hit the fan here and I thought I should warn you.


    I looked up at Luca, who wore a solemn expression.


    ¡°I know,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Johnathan Whitley and Waylon Parker snuck into the pack a few nights ago.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?!¡± She eximed.


    I heard her sigh,posing herself.


    ¡°How did they find you?¡± Mady asked, her voice quieter.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I was calling,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Johnathan told us that my dad sent him. He said you gave my dad the address.¡±


    ¡°What? No. Of course I didn¡¯t do that,¡± she said defensively.


    ¡°I would never do that. Trust me. You need to stay as far away from here as possible. I wouldn¡¯t have told them where to find you.¡±


    I looked up to Luca again.


    ¡°Ask her if she could think of how he found you,¡± Luca whispered.


    ¡°Mady, is there anyway he could have found out?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Maybe he looked at your phone? Or you told your dad?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she repeated.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t told a soul. No one even knows that I¡¯ve talked to you. I¡¯ve barely spoken to your dad and I told my parents I was going to the townhouse to study for a final when I went over to pack your stuff.¡±


    My stuff.


    ¡°Do you think he could have gotten the address from the post office when you mailed me my clothes?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t think they would be freely telling people who everyone is sending their mail to,¡± she replied dryly.


    ¡°Unless, maybe he was following me and went in right after I left and asked. I do know that my dad is friends with the postmaster there. Maybe your dad is too.¡±


    I drew in a deep breath.


    ¡°That¡¯s got to be it,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Carrie,¡± she said.


    ¡°I would have driven to the next town over to send your clothes if it had urred to me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I assured her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    ine leaned over.


    ¡°Ask her if she can give us any information on what Johnathan was saying earlier,¡± He said.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± Mady asked me.


    ¡°His name is ine,¡± I told her.


    ¡°He¡¯s one of the guys listening in on our conversation.¡±


    ¡°Intrusive,¡± she said.


    ¡°Very,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Now, Johnathan was saying something weird about how he couldn¡¯t die? He also said my dad told him he


    could have me if he came to get me. Do you know anything about that?¡±


    ¡°Jesus,¡± shemented.


    ¡°What a creep. I¡¯ve never liked him since that incident when we were in high school.¡±


    I gulped, hoping Luca didn¡¯t hear that part.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know anything about that stuff, though,¡± she continued.


    ¡°But, honestly, it doesn¡¯t surprise me. Your  dad really


    has gone coo-coo. He¡¯s trying to get my dad to authorize a raid on your new pack.¡±


    My eyebrows furrowed.


    ¡°A raid?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she confirmed.


    ¡°He thinks our thirty fighters have some kind of chance against Luca¡¯s pack. My dad hasn¡¯t agreed to it, but that hasn¡¯t stopped him from persistently asking. That¡¯s why he¡¯s here now.¡±


    As Mady was talking, I saw Lincoln take a piece of paper and scribble something on it before sliding it my way. I looked down to see it was a telephone number.


    ¡°Give her this number,¡± Lincoln told me.


    ¡°Tell her to call it if she has any more updates.¡±


    I nodded and read Mady the number.


    ¡°Are you going to call me back when you don¡¯t have amittee listening to us talk?¡± Mady asked me.


    ¡°Soon,¡± I promised her.


    ¡°Please stay safe,¡± she told me.


    ¡°You do the same. Take care of yourself, Mady.¡±


    I hung up the phone, letting out a slow exhale.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡± Bates said.


    ¡°Why would Johnathan lie and tell us that she gave it to your dad?¡±


    ¡°He may not have,¡± Luca said.


    ¡°He only told us Mady gave it to him involuntarily and that there was coercion involved. Maybe he coerced the postmaster to give him the shipping address. It would be awfully bold to threaten your Alpha¡¯s daughter, even if you are the Beta.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it either way,¡± ine said.


    ¡°I think Johnathan¡¯s got more to say.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, if his jaw isn¡¯t wired shut for the next six months after He-Man shattered it with his fist.¡± Bates said.


    Luca shrugged.


    ¡°He would have just given us more riddles. Wolves like that always do because it gives them a sense of authority to know something we don¡¯t. He would never have told us.¡±


    Bates nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Are you concerned about a raid?¡± Lincoln asked Luca.


    He shook his head.


    ¡°No, but let¡¯s start taking measures to respond. I want scouts sent down to Oregon for the week, just to see what¡¯s going on. I don¡¯t think Carrie¡¯s friend knows much.¡±


    Lincoln nodded and ine pulled out his phone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get two guys down there first thing tomorrow morning,¡± he said.


    Luca looked at me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± he said.


    I could have cried hearing him say this. Luca and I made our way down the staircase and outside.


    ¡°My truck is parked over here,¡± Luca told me.


    ¡°Bates can drive the bug home since he ran out all the gas.¡±


    In a move that somehow both shocked andforted me, Luca grabbed my hand and held it as we walked over to where his truck was parked on the curb.


    I relished in the feeling as his hand molded to mine, fingers intecing. The sparks that traveled up my arm carried a wave of emotion that brought tears to my eyes.


    Luca opened the passenger door for me, but stopped me as I went to climb into the cab.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked softly.


    I leaned into his chest, feeling my knees give out.


    Luca held me tightly against him, with one arm around my waist and the other holding my head against his chest.


    ¡°I want to leave,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to deal with any of this. I don¡¯t want to think about it.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s leave,¡± he said.


    ¡°Where do you want to go?¡±


    I looked up at him with blurry eyes


    ¡°Are you being serious?¡±


    Luca nodded, using the pad of his thumb to brush a tear away from my cheek.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get away for a few days,¡± he told me.


    ¡°We can go anywhere you want.¡±


    ¡°Far from everyone,¡± I told him, making himugh.


    ¡°I know just the ce.¡±


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!