Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
CHASE
As Lizzy folds herself into my chest, my focus narrows to every point where our bodies are touching. I can still sense my beast raging beneath the surface, but the feel of her body pressed against me calms my wolf in a way that I don’t fully understand.
Lizzy’s heart races. Her body quakes with the force of her sobs, and the acrid tang of her fear seeps into my airways. The scent of it nearly undoes the calming effect of her touch, and I’m hit with a renewed urge to rip that fucker Bryce limb from limb.
I saw his name on her phone, of course, but I didn’t know who it was at the time.
I would recognize his putrid stench anywhere. He’s a lone wolf the Golden Gate Canyon pack was having issues with earlier this year. Volatile. Undisciplined. Violent. He’s so problematic that none of the packs east of here will have him.
Terror coats the back of my tongue when I realize that my tiny human is being hunted by a dangerous shifter. One who already hurt her.
Does she know what he is?
I have no idea how long he and Lizzy were together, but I doubt a wolf as bad-tempered as Bryce would be able to keep his animal caged for long.
The damp heat of Lizzy’s tears soaking through my shirt pulls me out of my swirl of rage. She’s terrified — and for good reason. Bryce is a big guy, and even without his shifter strength, Lizzy wouldn’t have stood a chance. But a human against a shifter . . .
The image of her clutching that lamp like a bat flashes through my mind, and I pull her closer with a shudder.
I don’t even want to think what might have happened if I hadn’t returned home when I did.
As it turned out, Riley wasn’t far enough along to be admitted to the hospital. She was only two centimeters dilated, and the doctors sent her home and told her to come back when her contractions were more regular.
It’s the only reason I was able to return tonight.
When Lizzy finally pulls away, her face is red and streaked with tears. Her bottom lip wobbles as she looks up at me with those big green eyes, and I can’t stop myself from tucking a strand of golden hair behind her ear.
She shivers at my touch, but I don’t think it’s in revulsion. It brings her back to herself, though, and she hurriedly disentangles her arms from my waist and scrubs her cheeks with a loud sniff. “I-I’m sorry,” she stammers.
“What could you possibly have to be sorry for?” I ask.
Lizzy shakes her head, looking angry with herself. “I’m sorry for crying all over you. I didn’t mean for you to see that. But if you hadn’t shown up —”
She breaks off, biting down on her lower lip as fresh tears spring to her eyes. My sweet girl chokes on another sob, covering her mouth with her hand.
I can tell she’s still processing what just happened. I can only imagine how terrifying it must’ve been for her to feel so helplessly cornered by that fucking bastard.
“Shh. It’s all right,” I soothe, carefully drawing her back into my arms.
Lizzy collapses against me, her whole body shaking, and a fresh surge of rage flares through me, even as my chest aches.
I let her cry as long as she needs to. Once her tremors stop and she pulls back again, she seems calmer. More in control.
“Bryce is my ex-boyfriend,” she explains. “I swear he wasn’t always like that. But these last few weeks . . .” She sniffs. “I thought he was just going through some stuff. That he’d get over it, but . . .”
“But he got violent.”
Lizzy nods, swallowing as she looks away. “You know him.”
It isn’t a question, and I don’t know how to answer her without revealing that I know him because he’s a shifter. “I know of him.”
“Did you know he was . . .”
“No. But I’ve known men who beat women, and I know they are very good at making their partners think it’s somehow their fault.” I stare at her until she meets my eyes again. “Nothing about this is your fault.”
“I know that,” she says quietly. “I probably should’ve seen the signs earlier, but —”
“No, you shouldn’t have. People like Bryce are good at manipulating those around them.”
“I just can’t believe he found me here,” she whispers, her shoulders caving in.
Suddenly, it all makes sense. Why she jumped when I came up behind her yesterday. Why she acted so strangely when she thought I’d seen those texts. Why she moved to this falling-down cabin in the first place.
She was just trying to get away from him.
“How did he find you?” I ask, my mind already working on how I can increase security around here and make Lizzy feel safer.
“These,” she says with a sigh, brandishing a pair of wireless earbuds.
My mouth falls open in surprise. I’m honestly shocked that Bryce thought of using the earbuds to track her. He didn’t even have to leave his house.
“Now that he knows where I am, I can’t stay. But I signed a lease and I can’t —” She shudders, pinching the skin between her brows as more tears threaten to make an appearance.
“Lizzy,” I say, trying to keep my voice soft and reassuring despite the mounting fury bubbling up inside me. “You don’t have to move. Not unless you want to.”
“He’ll come back,” she says in a shaky voice. “And the next time . . .”
“You don’t have to move,” I repeat. “I’m going to keep you safe, Lizzy. I promise. You don’t have to worry about Bryce or anyone else.”
Even as the words leave my mouth, I’m not entirely sure how I’m going to keep my vow without taking Bryce out of the picture.
A few days from now, I’ll be gone. Deployed to who knows where.
My wolf snarls at the thought. He doesn’t like the idea of leaving Lizzy, psychotic ex or no.
He wants me to stay here. With her.
“You don’t even know me,” says Lizzy in a shaky voice. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
I stare at her for a moment, not sure what answer I can give her that won’t send her running in the opposite direction. So I just say, “No one should have to go through this alone.”
Lizzy sucks in a breath, but my answer seems to satisfy her, because she doesn’t push the issue.
“You can stay at my place tonight. Tomorrow, I can install a security system and a better lock for the front door.”
There’s no lock in the world that would keep out an angry shifter, but I don’t tell her that. My first priority is to make sure Lizzy feels safe. Actually keeping her safe is up to me.
She hesitates for a moment longer, and I’m certain she’s going to refuse my offer. But then she glances toward the door still hanging off its hinges, nods once, and follows me back to my cabin.