My eyes fluttered open the next morning when I felt Luke stir. I was still snuggled up to his chest and his arm was still wrapped around my body holding me close. We must not have moved all night. Stretching my arms up over my head, I yawned and immediately noticed that I felt considerably better today. The numbness had subsided, and I no longer felt drained. In fact, my energy level seemed back to normal, and although my leg still ached a bit, I knew with the help of the crutches the doctor left, I could get around just fine.
I propped myself up on my elbow to find Luke staring down at me with desire shining in his deep brown eyes. A grin spread across his lips, and I wanted nothing more than to wrap myself around him and beg him to make love to me. But I knew better. As much as he may have wanted to, Luke wouldn’t do more that kiss me until I was completely healed.
He learned over and kissed me chastely before he pulled away to ask, “How are you feeling?”
“I’m great, actually. Completely rejuvenated, and my leg barely hurts.” I reached up, placing my hand on Luke’s cheek. “I want to go with you to the meeting this morning. I need to be there.”
Before he even answered, Luke was shaking his head. “No way. You need to rest. I don’t want you involved in any of this. We still haven’t located your father, and I need you safe.”
I sat up and faced him, pleading with my eyes for a moment before I spoke. “No, what I need is to be there. I need to face your pack. Explain my actions. Explain my part in all of this, why I did what I did. If I’m going to stay here, if I’m going to be your mate, I need them to hear me out. They have every right to hate me, but I have to try to make this right. I need to be honest with them all, Luke. I don’t want to hide.”
My eyes fill with tears, so I looked away, not wanting him to see me cry. Luke swept my hair over my shoulder and gently touched his lips to my neck before he inhaled deeply. His lip grazed my shoulder as he pleaded, “I just need you safe, baby. I can’t risk losing you again. Please. I couldn’t handle it if anything happened to you.”
I reached over to cup his face in my hand and guide his lips to mine. Melting into his embrace, I parted my lips and slipped my tongue out in search of his. If I could have crawled on top of him, I would have. Instead, I had to work within my limits, so I rolled onto my good hip and ran my fingers down his bare chest and across his rippled abs. When his body shuttered against my touch, every part of me filled with need and I wanted him so badly that it hurt. My body begged to make him physically claim me as his own, and I cursed my damn leg from preventing it from happening.
His fingers threaded themselves through my hair as his lips, his mouth, his tongue ravished my own. I pressed my chest against his, needing to be even closer. Luke pulled away but only slightly and looked into my eyes. “Baby, I want you so bad. It’s literally going to kill me if we don’t stop.” The hunger in his eyes only intensified the desire coursing through me. I didn’t want him to stop. I never wanted him to stop. His lips were only a breath away, so I moved in for at least one more soft kiss; but as soon as our lips touched he entangled his fingers in my hair once more, pulled me against him and devoured me all over again.
A knock on the door broke our frenzied need, and we pulled away from each other, both breathing heavily. We straightened our clothes, and I ran my fingers through my tangled hair before I called out, “Come in.”
Gavin cracked the door open and joked, “Are you two decent?” He peeked inside and chuckled as if he knew exactly what had been going on just before he interrupted. “Sorry guys, but Luke, we need to get going if you want to be early.”
Just as Luke started to get up, I placed my hand on his arm to stop him. “I meant what I said. I want to go. I can explain better than any of you what my pack is up to.” This was my last-ditch effort to convince Luke to let me go, so I played the last card I had. “Plus, if you really want me safe, then you’ll want me with you. I’ll be safest by your side. I know you won’t let anything happen to me.”
Luke didn’t respond, but it was clear the wheels were turning in his head. I turned my attention to Gavin, and with my eyes, I tried to relay a help-me-out-here message. Without the luxury of words, I wasn’t sure he’d understand, but just as I’d hoped, he had heard me loud and clear. He nodded his head once and said, “You know, man, she’s right. She’ll be safer with the rest of us than here alone. I think she should come.”
Letting out a heavy sigh, Luke got out of bed and reached out his hand to help me up as well. “Well, I guess we better get you ready, then.” Once he’d gotten me to my feet and my crutches under my arms, he whispered, “Promise you won’t leave my side.”
After I reassured Luke that everything would be fine, I told Gavin to give us five minutes and then plastered a smile on my face that I hoped hid the anxiety building inside me. I was about to face all the people that I’d set out to deceive. But I needed to do this. That I knew, but it didn’t make me any less freaked out about the whole thing.
*****
We arrived at the house just as Cade, Alli, Teagan, and Alli’s parents showed up. A sickening feeling crept through me that I couldn’t explain. It was eerily quiet as we all acknowledged each other, but only with a few head nods and small smiles. Nobody spoke as we all followed Cade up the driveway to the front door.
Once inside, the house appeared to be empty. The lights were off, and Noel was nowhere in sight. Cade flipped on a few lights and looked around. “My mom’s probably in the bedroom with Dad. It’s early so maybe they’re still asleep. You all hang out here. I’ll be right back.”
Cade headed through the living room toward a hallway that must have led to the master bedroom, and after Luke told my brother to keep an eye on me, he hurried to catch up with Cade. Maybe he sensed something was off too.
Seconds later, there was some commotion coming from the direction they had headed, which was quickly followed by muffled voices, and then a thunderous wail erupted from the bedroom. Without a word, we all rushed down the hall.
Gavin helped me hobble hastily behind them, but before we made it, someone else let out an ear-piercing shriek. Gasps and sobs and stifled words came from the bodies filling the doorway that were blocking my view. Slowly they filed into the room. Gavin walked ahead of me, and before I could see what was going on, I heard Cade calling out to his father, repeating, No, no, no.
My brother moved to my side so that I could get into the room. I couldn’t make sense of what I was seeing at first, but when realization struck, my eyes widened in shock as I let out an anguished cry of my own. Gavin put his arm around me as I watched in horror as Luke attempted to pull Cade off of his father’s dead body.