DORIAN #2
"Gerri vouches for her completely. Apparently, she has experience working with shifter clients and understands the need for discretion.
" Evelyn stepped closer, her expression softening slightly.
"Dorian, I know you want to protect Lila from anything that might cause her more pain. But sometimes healing requires risk."
His wolf paced restlessly, caught between the need to shield his sister from potential harm and a strange pull toward this unknown woman.
The reaction disturbed him more than he wanted to admit.
He'd spent years maintaining emotional distance from anything that might compromise his judgment or distract him from his responsibilities.
Casual physical encounters when his wolf demanded release, but nothing deeper.
Nothing that could be used against him or his pack.
"If she comes here and proves unsuitable, I'll send her away immediately," Dorian said, the words coming out harder than he'd intended.
Evelyn's smile was knowing and slightly smug, as if she'd expected exactly this response. "Fair enough. But I have a feeling Harper Lane will exceed your expectations."
The way she said it—with careful emphasis and watching his reaction—made Dorian's wolf stir with renewed interest. His grandmother had always been perceptive, had always seemed to know things before anyone else figured them out. The look in her eyes suggested she was seeing something he wasn't.
"When does she arrive?" he asked, already mentally reviewing security protocols and guest accommodations.
"Tomorrow morning at 11 AM. Gerri is escorting her personally."
Tomorrow morning. Less than twenty-four hours to prepare for this disruption that his instincts warned him would be far more significant than it should be.
It's just been too long since I've had company in my home, he told himself. Nothing more complicated than basic concern.
"I'll make the necessary arrangements," he said, turning back to his work with perhaps more focus than the task required. "But if she can't help Lila, or if she poses any kind of security risk, she leaves."
Evelyn's smile widened, as if his resistance only confirmed whatever suspicions she was harboring. "Of course, dear. I'm sure you'll handle the situation with your usual... diplomacy."
She turned and walked away, leaving Dorian staring after her with a mixture of frustration and unease. His wolf was still restless, still focused on tomorrow's arrival with an intensity that defied explanation.
Marty cleared his throat, drawing Dorian's attention back to the present. "So. A human therapist coming to help Lila. That's... unexpected."
"It's necessary," Dorian said, though he wasn't sure if he was trying to convince Marty or himself.
"Of course." Marty picked up his own hammer, but his grin suggested something else entirely.
Dorian turned his attention back to fixing the house and blocked out any thoughts of human therapists for the rest of the afternoon. He needed to focus entirely on his pack and rebuilding this place that had suffered for far too long.
Hours later, the dining room felt cavernous, shadows pooling in the corners where the chandelier's warm light couldn't reach.
Dorian studied his sister across the mahogany table that had hosted three generations of Holt family meals, watching the way Lila moved her food around her plate without actually eating any of it.
She'd grown thinner since the attack three months ago, her cheekbones sharper beneath skin that seemed almost translucent in the evening light.
The scar along her collarbone—partially hidden by the oversized sweater she favored now—served as a constant reminder of how completely he'd failed to protect her.
"How are your classes coming along?" Dorian kept his voice carefully neutral. "Senior year's supposed to be the fun one."
Lila's fork paused mid-push through her mashed potatoes. "They're fine."
The response held all the warmth of mountain air, and Dorian felt his wolf stir restlessly. Before the attack, Lila would have launched into detailed complaints or excited chatter about her art. Now she rationed words like they cost her something precious.
"The town dance is next weekend," he tried again, forcing casualness he didn't feel. "You've been looking forward to it since last year. Remember? You made me promise to let you stay out late for once."
Her blue-gray eyes—so much like their mother's—flicked up to meet his briefly before returning to her untouched dinner. "I'm not going."
"Lila—"
"I said I'm not going." Her voice carried an edge that made his alpha instincts flare protectively. "I'm staying home."
Dorian leaned forward slightly, his hands flat against the table's polished surface. "I'll be there the entire time. Marty, half the pack—everyone will be watching out for you. You'll be completely safe."
The laugh that escaped her held no humor whatsoever. "Safe? Like I was safe three months ago when that man came through my bedroom window?"
The words hit him like physical blows, each one landing precisely where they'd cause maximum damage. His wolf snarled, frustrated by a wound it couldn't heal with teeth and claws.
"That won't happen again." The promise came out rougher than he'd intended, weighted with all the sleepless nights he'd spent patrolling their territory, and all the additional security measures he'd implemented. "I won't let it."
"You can't promise that." Lila finally looked at him directly, and the hollow exhaustion in her eyes made his chest tighten painfully. "You can't be everywhere, Dorian. You can't protect everyone all the time, no matter how hard you try."
But I have to. The thought blazed through his mind with desperate intensity. It's what I was made for.
"Well, there's something else." He pushed forward despite the tension crackling between them. "Grandmother arranged for someone to come help you. A counselor who specializes in—"