Darius
Trying to get back to work while knowing Viv was going outside the safe house made my wolf pace with anxiety.
We needed to keep her close, keep her safe.
The world out there was dangerous for her.
I understood her need to take time and get used to this new life, but it didn’t mean I liked it.
I’d never had my world more turned upside down than when this woman showed up.
I heard the SUV’s tires as they drove off. The closest town was thirty minutes away from the safe house, so I was expecting for them to be gone for three or four hours. Much to my surprise, Tav walked back into the kitchen and sat down across from me.
“You didn’t go?” I asked, surprised. I figured as a newly mated wolf, he wouldn’t let her venture into danger without him.
“She has Rik and Koit to keep her safe. I gave Rik money for her stuff, and Koit’s going to get me some clothes. There’s not much I need, so why go into town,” he answered, shrugging.
“I know Rik is a trustworthy guy, but you left your mate’s safety up to another wolf?” I’m still not understanding.
Tav shrugged, cool as ever. “We’ve all been protecting her, why should that change now? Also, I have a feeling Rik will be joining me as a fellow mate. I’m going to have to trust him with her, so may as well start now.”
I shook my head. Even if that were true, I still didn’t think I could do it.
That was one reason I wasn’t going to contemplate more with Viv, even though I knew my wolf had already settled on Viv as our mate, regardless of my intentions.
Tav got up and went out into the garden to work, leaving me in peace.
I’d been fielding emails from The Collective about what was going on and when we were coming back.
I planned to get Dr. Faulk out of the safe house and back to them in three days’ time.
Keeping him in our basement was really setting me on edge, and getting him out of the house would make me feel less anxious about spending time here.
I knew he would be as big of a draw for Vadik as Viv was.
Even though I was away from my pack, which happened a lot with work, I had a system set up with my betas to get daily reports of anything that I needed to be aware of.
Not much was going on in the pack, which I was thankful for.
I didn’t know if I could handle that on top of everything with Viv.
Having an opinionated alpha female calling the shots was putting enough strain on my ability to cope.
A few minor issues had happened in the business, but nothing I couldn’t handle from here.
I loved that I had the ability to control everything from my laptop.
Grounding myself in this sense of control was doing me better than I realized.
The next time I looked up at the clock, they’d been gone four hours.
I checked my phone, but there was nothing from Rik or Koit.
No news was good news in this case, even though originally, I’d asked for an hourly update.
Koit laughed at me, and Rik just told me no.
Needing a break, I wandered into the kitchen and pulled out stuff to make a sandwich, looking for Tav to see if he wanted one too.
As if conjured by my thoughts, Tav burst in from the back yard and shot through the house.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, racing after him. I’d never seen Tav so worked up before.
“Something happened to Viv, I can feel it through the mate bond. I didn’t know right away with our bond being so new, but now that she’s close, I can feel it pounding through my bones,” Tav said, standing in the driveway, tense and ready for action.
The SUV came flying up the driveway and screeched to a halt.
Koit threw open the driver’s side door to run around to the passenger side.
He opened it, and Rik slid out of the car, holding Viv.
He walked silently into the house, her face buried in his neck, not looking at us.
Rik carried her into the kitchen and set her on top of the table before peeling her off him.
“I smell blood, what happened?” I growled at Koit, who was standing and watching with wide eyes.
Koit seemed to need to shake himself out of a daze before he looked at me. “She tried to save a kid’s life, just jumped right out into the street without a second thought.”
“Details, please,” I said through clenched teeth, trying to hold back my need to shake the answers out of him.
“We were done shopping and were heading back to the car when we passed a park with kids playing soccer. The ball ended up rolling into the street, and one of the little kids ran after it without looking. A car came around the corner and was headed straight for the little boy. There were cars parked on the side of the road, so the driver didn’t see the kid pop out from behind one until it was too late.
Before I knew it, Viv was right there, grabbing the kid out of the way.
Rik and I both thought she would get out of the way in time with how fast she was moving,” Koit said, taking a pause to catch his breath.
“She ended up not being fast enough and got hit by the car instead, tossing her up on the windshield, then over the rest of the car till she rolled to a stop behind it. Rik and I ran over as fast as we could, but the child didn’t survive the impact of the hit.
The only reason she did was because she’s a werewolf.
It didn’t take her long to regain consciousness, but then she immediately started working on the little boy.
” Koit looked at me, glassy-eyed. “Darius, she did everything she could short of giving the kid her own life. I’ve never seen someone so intent on saving someone.
Even when the paramedics arrived, and she was bleeding from all her cuts, she refused treatment and was barking orders to them on things she needed to try and save his life.
When they finally made her pronounce him dead, she just shut down.
We haven’t gotten her to say a word since.
After Rik promised to get her looked at, the paramedic let us leave, and she hasn’t let go of Rik till now. ”
I was stunned by this story and looked over at Viv with a new appreciation.
Rik was cleaning her cuts and putting ointment on them.
I also noticed that while he was doing this, she was pulling all the supplies that he needed out of the simple kit we had in the kitchen.
I was about to go get the big duffel full of supplies, but I couldn’t let her out of my sight.
My wolf was furious at me for not going with her because I was being petty. Now I had to watch her get banged up as punishment. When Rik was done, he carried her to the living room, where he tucked her in, stroking her hair until she slept. It was the best thing to speed the healing process.
I watched Viv asleep on the couch, covered with a blanket.
Seeing her bandages was like a slap to the face.
I hadn’t been able to protect her; I’d failed her.
These wild emotions were another reason why I needed to stick with my plan to never take a mate.
I would be happy to oblige her in any way she wanted me, but I needed to hold strong against my instincts crying out to make her my own.
I’d been amazed when my wolf felt no jealousy as I watched the others taking care of her.
It pleased me to know that they would be able to give her something I wouldn’t.
I knew I was playing a dangerous game, fighting my wolf on his plans for Viv.
He’d decided when we brought her into our den that she was his to protect.
The anger he had at being caught unaware, leading to Viv getting hurt, burned strongly.
Never again would I let danger get that close to her.
Wherever we ended up, Kursar or somewhere else, I would have it become the most protected place imaginable.
If I had to make her a princess locked away in a tower, I would do it.
Even if it made her hate me. The thought of losing her was unbearable.
“We were all caught off guard, Darius,” Tavas said, his voice low as he stood next to me.
“I should have been there to protect her,” I growled, glancing at him.
Tavas sighed and looked at me. “When are you going to share your intentions with her?”
My gaze flicked back to watch Viv’s steady breathing. “You know that I’ve never intended to have a mate.”
“Yes, I remember you telling me that. Did your wolf agree to that too? He seems to have different feelings on the matter,” Tavas said.
Damn him and his psychology. How he could read anyone like an open book, I’d never know, but I didn’t like it happening to me. “Don’t.”
“Hmm,” Tavas said, turning away from me and back to Viv.
I groaned internally, knowing what he was doing and pissed that it was working. “What? Can’t the man and wolf have different opinions? You of all people should understand not listening to your wolf’s every want and need.”
How dare he judge me when he hated being a werewolf.
“You might find this surprising, but since I mated, my wolf and I have begun to see more eye to eye,” Tavas mused. “Seeing her embrace my wolf so openly has given me a different viewpoint. I wonder if things would’ve been different if I could talk to my wolf.”
“If my wolf could talk, he would be chewing my ass out right now,” I grumbled, shuddering at the idea.
“For what exactly?” Tavas questioned.
“For failing to protect what’s ours,” I said without thinking.
“Oh? I thought you said Viv wasn’t someone you thought of as a mate?” Tavas prodded, knowing full well what he’d gotten me to admit.
“Damn you and your silver tongue. Yes, my wolf sees her as his choice for a mate. I see her the same and so much more. But Tav, I can’t allow myself that weakness. I can’t turn into a broken man like my father,” I admitted to myself as well as Tavas.
When I looked back at Viv, I was greeted with a pair of penetrating blue-green eyes swirled with gold. She trapped me, forcing me to see her, for me to know she’d heard what I said. Finally, she released me and turned her head away, snuggling into the couch.
I was so screwed. Scratch that; I was truly and thoroughly fucked when it came to that woman. I knew I had a losing battle on my hands when it came to her, I just couldn’t bring myself to give in yet.