Chapter 6
SIX
Daisy
I can’t stop thinking about what Knox said about me being a free woman soon. Could it really be true? The police could arrest me. I could go to jail. Or if I stay, I could be trapped here forever. Knox has already made it clear he’s not letting me go.
Have I traded one stalker for another?
No. Knox is different. He would never hurt me. I’m sure of that. He wants the best for me. He’s the opposite of Joe in every way.
In my heart, I know that’s true, but in my head, I wonder if this is just infatuation. I mean, I always hated feeling Joe’s eyes on me, but with Knox, I love it.
I need to get it together. I’ve always prided myself on being able to judge people correctly, but this mess with Joe has shaken that confidence.
Sometimes, when I was with Joe, I would get a bad feeling about him, but I was so desperate for a friend, for someone to be nice to me, that I pushed those feelings aside.
I convinced myself I was being paranoid.
I wish I hadn’t now, but it’s too late for that.
What if that’s what I’m doing here? What if I’m wrong about Knox too?
My stomach twists uncomfortably at the thought. I don’t want to believe it. I like Knox. A lot. I want him to be a good guy. I want him to be my soulmate.
A knock sounds on the front door. I whip around in my chair, my heart beating out of control in my chest. I freeze in place as fear threatens to choke me.
Is it the police? Has Joe found me?
I’m breathing fast, tears stinging my eyes, as I sit there uselessly.
What do I do? What will Knox think when he comes home and I’m missing?
“Daisy?” a woman’s voice calls out.
I blink.
Sliding off my stool, I creep closer to the front door.
“It is Daisy, right?” another woman asks.
“That’s what Christian said.”
I peek out the front window and see four women standing on the front porch. I don’t see any police cars or signs of danger.
Taking a deep breath, I get myself under control, then go to open the front door.
“Uh, hi,” I say shyly as they all turn and smile at me.
“Hey!” one of the women says. “I’m Fern, and this is Roxie, Quinn, and Vivian.”
“Hi.”
“Our mates work with Knox. They heard he’d found his fated mate, and we wanted to stop by and welcome you to the pack,” Vivian says.
“Oh, thanks,” I reply. “Does that mean you’re shifters too?”
“Nope, we’re human like you,” Roxie says with a wide smile.
“Which means we also know how confusing all this is to outsiders,” Quinn adds. “So, we’re here to welcome you to town and see how you’re holding up.”
“Uh, it’s been… a lot.”
I’m not sure what Knox has said about me. Do they know I’m a fugitive?
“I bet! It can be overwhelming and confusing learning about all of this,” Fern says.
Quinn laughs. “You haven’t run screaming from his place, so you’re already handling it better than I did.”
“You ran?” I ask.
She nods. “Yeah! I mean, I was shot, and when I woke up in the hospital, a stranger was sitting beside me. He told me he was a shifter, and I was his fated mate. It was a lot.”
“Wow.”
Fern clears her throat.
I blink. “Oh, sorry. Do you guys want to come in? Can I get you anything? Sorry, I don’t usually have visitors.”
“No worries. We don’t want to overwhelm you,” Roxie says gently.
“No, it’s fine. It would be good to have company.” I open the door wider.
They all smile as they walk inside and sit down in the living room.
“Can I get you anything?” I ask
“We’re good,” Vivian says with a soft smile.
Sitting in the armchair, I clear my throat nervously and wonder what now? I’m not great at small talk. I’ve never had to do it much. I wish I were good at this, at making friends, because I desperately want these girls to like me.
“What brings you to Night Grove Falls?” Fern asks.
“You weren’t kidnapped by the cult, were you?” Roxie asks anxiously.
“Uh, what?” I ask in alarm.
“The cult north of us has been causing trouble for a while,” Quinn explains.
“Yeah. My dad sold me to their leader. Roxie was kidnapped when I escaped, Quinn was shot by one of their members, and Vivian escaped after they took her too,” Fern says.
I gasp. “Oh, shit!”
“Yeah. Scary stuff,” Roxie says quietly.
“I’m glad you’re all okay.” I shake my head. “I can’t even imagine.”
“Enough about us,” Vivian says. “Tell us about you.”
“Well, I used to live in Denver, but I left recently. My car broke down near here, and Knox found me. He’s been helping me out.”
Quinn nods. “Knox is a good guy.”
I smile. “Yeah, he’s the best.”
“Have you two talked about being together?” Roxie asks.
“Kind of. He told me about shifters and mates and everything this morning, but then he had to go to work.”
“Do you have any questions?” Fern asks.
“I don’t know what to expect, I guess. I mean, I’ve never dated or anything, so when he explains things like the mating heat or how he can feel this connection, I’m not sure if that’s what I’m feeling.”
“The mating heat. You’ll feel it,” Roxie states, and the other women exchange knowing grins.
“Yeah, tomorrow morning when you wake up, it will be there. You’ll feel it all day. It will be stronger as it gets closer to the full moon rising,” Fern adds.
“What will it feel like?” I ask.
“Pure lust,” Vivian says.
“Yeah, this intense need. All you’ll want is your mate. All you’ll think about is sex.”
“Oh,” I whisper.
“It’s full on, but it’s good,” Quinn promises me.
“And the connection thing?” I ask.
“That’s harder. For shifters, they only ever fall for their fated mate. They don’t think about dating or falling in love or any of that. They understand that when they find their mate, they’ll know. For them, it’s a complete certainty. For us, it’s not quite like that,” Quinn explains.
“For me, it was an attraction at first. I was never interested in anyone, but when I met Jameson, I wanted him instantly,” Fern says. “The more I learned about him and the more he proved how he would love and care for me… well, it was impossible to resist, and I fell for him hard.”
“Same,” Vivian murmurs with a faraway look. “Being the center of someone’s whole world is an incredible thing. Knowing that they’ll never cheat or leave you also made me feel safer and helped me to trust Logan.”
I nod. What they’re saying makes sense and is exactly how I feel.
“So resisting is futile?” I ask with a laugh.
“You can, but it’s hard. Why would anyone give up being treated like a princess by their partner for a chance to be loved half as much by anyone else?” Quinn asks.
The door opens, and my eyes lock with Knox as he walks in.
“Hey,” he says, making a beeline for me. He kneels next to my chair and smiles at me. “All good?”
I nod, feeling the pull between us more now. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m falling for Knox, or if I’m more in tune with my body after hearing from these women.
“We’ll get out of your hair,” Fern says, pushing to her feet. “I’m sure our mates are looking for us.”
“But we’ll be around! Call if you need anything or if you want to hang out,” Vivian adds.
“Thanks. I will,” I promise.
I turn to Knox once they’ve left. “So, how was your day?”
He leans back on his heels. “I found something on Joe.”