Chapter 4 Breakfast #2
“And you don’t have anywhere to go. Once you’re healthy and clean, we can help you get a new home, but you can’t go running out the door right now.”
“What if I don’t want to stop having venom?” I asked, my voice tiny and ashamed.
Luca’s brows rose, lines forming around his eyes.
More pity.
Voices drifted through the wide, open room. The blond man I vaguely remembered strode in with several people flanking him. He was broader with a short-trimmed beard over his jaw and upper lip. Longer blond hair fell in waves over his ears.
Luca was a beautiful man, but this stranger before me was stunning. I couldn’t look away. The muscles over his shoulders and torso tightened, highlighted by a snug gray t-shirt.
His eyes narrowed on me, lips pursing, and I felt such a wave of suspicion from him that I took a step backward. Luca’s arm caught me, and his hand settled on my lower back. I gasped, jumping sideways, away from Luca’s touch.
“That’s our Alpha, Cade,” he said quietly, leaning closer but keeping his hands to himself.
The blond Alpha paused, standing a few yards away from us. The people around him continued on, filing in the space around us.
A younger man with dark skin smiled, offering his hand. “Hey, I’m Finn.” Anxious, I drew back, tightening my hold on my plate. Finn dropped his extended hand. “No worries. I’ll see you later.”
With a nod to Luca, Finn left the room.
Luca leaned closer. “Finn is our resident geek. He hacked the systems that led us to you.”
My attention slid back to the golden Alpha. He stood with his hands behind his back, watching intently. A beat o silence stretched awkwardly.
Luca sighed. “I’m going to go talk to him. Just relax, you’re safe here.”
I nodded roughly, my throat working as I swallowed.
Luca’s tattoos flexed as he approached Cade. Luca’s hand went to his arm, and the two stood with their bodies touching. If they weren’t a couple, they were very, very close. Cade still looked as if he wanted to murder me, but he softened under Luca’s touch.
Seeing the two of them together, I remembered seeing something. Had they kissed?
It was all a blur, but I was fairly sure of what I saw.
“So, what are you doing here?” a female voice asked. Twisting, I eyed a tall, lean woman with blazing red hair and freckled skin. “Not sure why we brought back one of the vamp’s pets.”
Her friend laughed, tilting her head to rest against the redhead’s shoulder. She was darker, with delicate features and an upturned nose.
“I wasn’t–” I started to say.
The woman didn’t give me a chance. “Really, you shouldn’t be in the pack house. Wolves eat timid little things like you. Especially after the vamps chewed you up and spit you out.”
Her companion smirked and mouthed “Blood whore.”
“Harper, Rae,” Luca said, returning to my side. He brought Cade with him. “Why don’t you show some respect to our guest?”
The redhead, Harper, curled her lip, revealing a single blunted fang. Her words echoed back in my mind.
Wolves.
Pack house.
“You are werewolves,” I whispered.
Luca’s hand went to my back, resting there gently. “Yes.”
Panic choked me. Werewolves were dangerous, far more so than vampires. Even without turning, they could have claws and teeth that could rip flesh from bone. They were unpredictable animals.
“Hey, it’s okay. I said you were safe.” Luca said softly.
My vision blurred and it felt like my racing heart was shoved up into my throat, making it hard to take a full breath.
Harper raised an eyebrow.
“It’s time to question her,” Cade said. “Before she goes into withdrawals and is useless for days if not weeks.”
“No, I don’t want that,” I argued, pulling back. I didn’t want the werewolves to touch me.
“Summer, we just need some information. No one is going to hurt you. But we want to help others. They have other hostages.”
Luca’s soothing words did little to calm my spiking pulse. I had to get out of here. “No, no,” I whimpered. “No.” The edges of my vision darkened and I gripped my chest, trying to get more air.
“Hey, Summer, breathe!”
My chest seized, lungs expanding in tiny pants that did nothing to curb the dizziness overtaking me.
Luca grabbed my plate before it fell from my shaking hands. He set it on the counter with a clink and then gripped both of my shoulders, anchoring me. Gently, he turned me and pressed me into his chest.
I went stiff, terrified of the contact. The sounds of the room dulled, everything starting to feel numb.
His t-shirt was soft and warm, smelling of pine trees and something sweeter like vanilla. His skin radiated so much heat. Just like the warm shower, I felt myself softening, my breathing evening out and my pulse slowing.
“Defective,” someone muttered, and Luca began growling. The sound vibrated through my chest, calming my panic further. Slowly, I came back to myself.
The panic drained my energy, leaving me weaker than when Evrin drank from me. My knees wobbled.
Luca’s hold tightened on me. “Easy there. We’re gonna go sit down somewhere quiet,” he murmured.
Through my lashes, I spied the Alpha jerking his head in silent command. The arms around me urged me forward, supporting me as I wobbled out of the kitchen and into the hall.
The light dimmed as we entered another room. Luca’s thumb rubbed circles against my muscles.
“Here, we are gonna sit on this couch, okay?”
Mumbling my agreement, I let him pull me down until I rested on the sofa, my arms wrapped around my legs and Luca held me tight against his chest.
I should push him away and try to escape, but the feel of his heated hands on my skin was drugging in its own way.
I was hardly ever touched in the den, and never by anyone but Evrin.
In the last hour, Luca had touched me more than Evrin would in an entire week.
I was ashamed to realize that I was starving for the contact.
Honestly, I would have climbed entirely into his lap and burrowed into his chest, that was, if I could have trusted him.
I couldn’t. I didn’t trust him.
And yet I couldn’t pull away.