Chapter 13
Daisy
“Explain it to me again.”
I still didn’t understand what was going on or how it was supposed to keep me safe. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Cruz, because I did. I trusted him more than I’d ever trusted anyone, and that scared the shit out of me.
“Westin Force is a sort of paramilitary group. All shifters as far as I know. They were organized by Kyle Westin, Alpha of Westin Pack, the largest Pack of wolf shifters in the world. He also happens to be Lily’s brother.”
“Okay . . . They’re going to help me how?”
“They are very good at what they do, Daisy. The best in the world. Their tech team was able to redirect our location. If Ronnie tries to track my phone, it will look as if we are in San Marco, California and not here. You said Ronnie’s a shifter, too.
He should recognize the name and would be an idiot if he tried to find you there. ”
“But there’s no way to know for sure if it works to throw him off my trail?”
“Oh, we’ll know. I gave them his number, and they are keeping a close eye on his phone. Basically, we have a team monitoring his location that will alert us should he get close.”
I couldn’t believe he was able to put all this together so quickly.
“That’s good. Really good, right?”
“Right. Now, just in case he somehow follows your band out here, they are sending over a team from Westin Force to run security for this concert of yours. I’m told the guys drew straws to see who gets to come because they all wanted to, including their mates.
You know, I saw how Lily and Sydney acted meeting you, but they’re also crazy and easily excited with sparkly new things.
But when Thomas told me that Kyle negotiated a personal meeting with you for his mate, it really hit me just how important you are to people. ”
I wasn’t surprised to hear it, but I was also terrified of how he’d react to it.
“Are you okay with that?” I asked him, bracing for the answer.
Cruz wasn’t part of my world, and I still didn’t know how I was supposed to merge the two.
Right now, I was just trying not to think about it.
I’d be leaving to go back on tour in just a few days, starting with the concert as a thank you to Collier.
But then I was expected in Cheyenne and from there it was on to the next city.
I was committed to four more shows after that, and I knew Ronnie was already lining up my next tour.
At most I’d have a couple of months in Nashville before being back on the road.
How was I supposed to fit a mate into the picture? Especially one who wanted nothing more than to work and live an honest, quiet life in this small town?
I couldn’t even imagine how this was supposed to work. And I was shocked to discover how much it hurt physically every time I thought about it.
“Daisy?”
“What?”
“You sort of spaced out for a moment.”
“Sorry. What were we talking about?”
“You asked if I was okay with Kyle and Kelsey coming for this concert and all of that.”
“Right. So are you?”
He shrugged. “Is there any reason I shouldn’t be okay with it?”
I considered that a moment and then shook my head. “No.”
“Then it’s fine. And Westin Force will be running security for this concert. Apparently, they volunteered to do it for Cheyenne too.”
He laughed. But I just smiled uncomfortably.
I’d always been told I was na?ve when it came to business, but I wasn’t an idiot. I may have been made to feel like one and kept on a short leash, but I understood my life wasn’t normal. There was no way for Cruz to grasp what that would look like for him . . . for us.
Could there really even be an us?
Would it be better if I just stayed missing and never returned to music?
No, I would always resent him for that because music was my life.
My head hurt just thinking about it, but worse, it hurt my heart.
“Hey, whatever you’re thinking, stop. We’ll figure it out.”
He pulled me in close to him and held me, calming all my worries immediately. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from crying.
“It’s going to work out. Everything’s fine. You’ll see.”
I breathed in his scent and it brought an additional calm to my soul. But then I realized that I was letting him hug me. Crazier, I was seeking comfort from him instead of freaking out and pushing him away.
Comfort. That’s what Cruz gave me.
I’d never had much experience with guys before. The band didn’t count. They were family, like four overprotective big brothers. But this was very different.
I looked up at him in awe. How had this happened in such a short time? How could I be so comfortable with a man I still barely knew?
Lies.
I knew him in ways that truly matter. He’d showed me his true colors in how he’d handled everything today.
He hadn’t gotten mad that I’d kept him in the dark about who I am.
He had been a constant, stable presence throughout the day.
When I started to get uncomfortable, he sensed it and stepped in.
His touch grounded me, kept my nerves in check, and gave me a clear head to think.
And when I’d started to freak out, he’d listened without judgement.
More than that, he’d stepped in to fix it.
I’d never really thought about what my one true mate would be like. Honestly, I never dreamed I’d ever find him. My dreams had always been solo ones with me creating and performing my music. There had never been anything more that I wanted in life.
Looking at my mate, I realized there just might be more to life, though I had no idea how I could possibly have both.
I started to pull away from him. It would be best if I kept my distance. I’d been doing a good job of that until today. But I’d let my guard down with him and wasn’t sure how to go back now.
Even knowing I shouldn’t, when he looked down at me and his hand caressed my face, I pulled him closer instead of pushing him away. My mind said to run, but my heart said stay. And this time, when his head dipped down to mine, I didn’t pull away or try to change the mood.
His lips were gentle as they touched mine.
My body warmed and butterflies invaded my stomach.
Mine, my wolf growled.
I leaned closer into him and the pressure of the kiss increased.
His tongue trailed along the seam of my lips. I softly gasped and as my lips parted, his tongue swept into my mouth.
I was timid at first, and then I let nature guide me as I explored his mouth and savored the taste of him.
My first kiss.
I couldn’t have imagined anything better. And after all the romcoms and romance novels I’ve consumed over the years, nothing prepared me for the feelings he invoked in one kiss.
It felt like a hundred butterflies took flight in my stomach and my head spun like I was twirling under the stars. It was magical, everything a first kiss should be and more.
Even though I had no idea what to do from there, something inside was urging me to rip his clothes off and climb him like a spider monkey while praying to God he knew what to do after that. And the way he kissed me, I was certain he knew exactly what to do next.
My heart was racing with excitement. I was ready to give myself to this man right there in this moment and figure the rest out later.
He listened to me like no one ever had. He comforted me.
He was protecting me when he didn’t even know what he was up against. And he was my one true mate. What more did I need?
Right then, at that moment, I was ready to commit myself to him. I just had no clue how to tell him that without risking making a fool of myself.
He pulled back and looked at me, smiling, before kissing me again.
This is it, I thought.
A knock on the door startled us both.
I nearly jumped across the couch as if we’d been doing something wrong. We hadn’t. So why did it feel like we had?
He went to answer the door while I tried to pull myself together.
It was Luke and Sydney.
“Hope we aren’t interrupting anything,” Syd said as she pushed by Cruz, looking for me.
“Over here,” I told her.
She grinned and came to sit next to me.
I was curious about why she was so excited. She seemed about ready to burst.
“So, we’re a go for the concert, and Lily and I want to help.
But honestly, every time Lily tries to do something big for the Pack it becomes too big, if you know what I mean.
She has a bad habit of that. So I thought maybe it’d be best if you and I sit and talk for a bit so I could grasp what you have in mind.
And then I can probably keep her under control. ”
“Um, okay. If you think that’s best. But honestly, I’m not really used to doing things like this. I’m not the planner. Other people do that for me.”
“Always?”
“Always.”
“Wow. I guess I didn’t think about it like that. So are you interested in helping at all, or would you prefer to just show up and sing?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, I guess I can help some. I don’t really know what goes on behind the scenes though. Even when I was little, other people organized events for me. I’ve only ever been expected to sing. No one has ever asked my opinion on something like this.
“Really? But it’s your stage, your concert. Why shouldn’t you have a say in it?”
“You’re right. Where do we start?”
“Since it’s here in Collier and for the Pack, it will be small compared to what you’re used to.
We don’t really have a Pack building for things like this.
Most of the time when we have Pack meetings, Thomas just holds it at the golf club.
It’s big enough to house all of us. But we don’t do stuff like that often.
If you want to do it outdoors, I know Oliver can whip up a stage in no time.
That man could build anything you want.”
“That’s Peyton’s mate?” I asked, but I wasn’t really sure I had that right.
“Yup, you got it.” She looked around the room and frowned. “Cruz is very much a bachelor. If you need help furnishing this place, just say the word. Lily and I will be happy to help and we can have Oliver design you absolutely anything you want. He’s amazing with wood.”