I shoved my hands in my pockets, forcing myself not to touch her. Ironically, it was my rage aimed at her father that helped me maintain complete control over my wolf. There was no way he could overpower me in this state. My fury fueled my power.
“Make yourself at home, Sophie,” my dad said, giving her an encouraging smile.
“Our house is your house.” I smiled, wishing I could console her somehow.
“I’ve called our pack physician. He’s on his way. He’ll make sure you heal well, and don’t suffer any more than you have to.” My dad shifted apprehensively beside me. I could tell the situation upset him more than he was letting on. As an alpha though, you had to school your features. You always had to appear ready and in control, even if you weren’t.
Chapter 21
Sophie
“I text my mom. She’s real nice, Sophie. She’s bringing you a change of clothes.” Kris offered the best smile he could muster.
A nervous chuckle escaped me. He seemed awkward. He wanted to reassure me; they all did. They were falling over themselves to help me, Sophie Carter, the weak little wolf who couldn’t even help herself. It was ironic. It was amusing and sad at once.
Seeing the confused expressions on their faces, I sobered. “Sorry. I guess I’m just, um, a little…overwhelmed.” My gaze traveled over all three men, a theory forming as I assessed them. “I’m not going to run if that’s what you’re afraid of.”
“We know. We’re sorry if we gave you that impression.” Ever the alpha, Dom’s dad crossed his arms behind his back, nodded his head once and stepped away towards an office set up in the corner of the living room. Two oversized Mac computers were setup on an L-shaped desk that hid his work and offered him a bit of privacy.
The condo was a minimalist’s paradise. High-end electronics and appliances dotted the space. Sleek black leather sofas complimented the dark color of the woods. The floor-to-ceiling windows were uncovered but tinted, allowing light to pour into the space only to an extent.
No pictures hung on the walls; there were no personal artifacts that I noticed aside from a few sculptures, but those could have come with the furniture package. There was no touch of femininity.
And that’s when it dawned on me. Dom didn’t have a mother either.
I caught his gaze. “How old were you?”
His eyes glittered with appreciation. He couldn’t hide the sadness in their depths though. He couldn’t hide from me. The same way I couldn’t hide from him. Nature had made sure of it. “Not now, sweetie.” Hesitantly, he lifted his hand and pushed my hair away from my face. A frown tugged his features down. “Do you want something to drink? Maybe something to eat?”
A knock sounded on the door, saving me from having to decline.
“It’s Kris’ mom,” Dom’s dad stated from behind his desk. He really did have the building monitored.
Kris opened the door. “Hey, mom.”
Her scent wafted through the air. I halted, my head turning towards the woman immediately. She was human. He had a human mother.
A plus sized woman with flowing blonde hair, soft cheeks and a bright smile entered the condo.
Instinctively, I shifted further into the condo and away from the crowd. Dom moved with me.
I clutched tighter to my forearm, wincing as pain shot upwards.
I knew the moment she saw me; and I knew from her reaction just how bad I must have looked.
“Oh my!” she gasped. Out the corner of my eye I saw her hand fly to cover her mouth; her eyes bugged out even as her brows collapsed inwards in anguish.
Kris lowered his voice, but had to keep it high enough for me to hear or else his mother wouldn’t be able to. “Mom, don’t freak her out.”
“Oh, dear. Yes. I’m so sorry, dear.” She cautiously approached me.
Dom slid between us. “Don’t upset her,” he rumbled.
My heart warmed. He was definitely keeping his promise. I didn’t know how I could have ever doubted him. “It’s okay, Dom.” She was human. I didn’t want him bullying her.
Apparently she didn’t need me to defend her though. She placed a hand on one of her wide hips and scowled at him. “Honey, you’re not the alpha yet. Nevertheless, you know I treat everyone like my own so don’t give me any lip.” She shoved him aside.
There was something charming and endearing about the woman. Her accent hinted that she was a Southern belle who could raise hell. I immediately liked her.
“Hi, honey. My name’s Lisa. I’m Kris’ momma.” She held up an oversized bag. “I brought you some clothes. I can help you change out of those.”
I looked down at my outfit. I startled at the blood staining my hoodie, undoubtedly having ruined my shirt beneath. No one had said anything. Not even Dom. They’d kept quiet.
I turned my attention to him. I saw the apology in his eyes. He didn’t want to upset me further. They were all more concerned about me than their images because they’d walked through a busy school with someone covered in blood. I hadn’t realized I was even bleeding. It must have happened after I got out of the shower because I’d changed into my school clothes. How had I not smelled it, sensed it, something?
Lisa’s smile fell. “Or not. We can wait until after the doctor looks at you, dear.”
I nodded my head numbly, my mind racing, my head spinning.
It was all a blur. How had I gotten here? How had I gone from an innocent little girl to a regularly abused young woman? Everything had just happened it seemed. There was no gentle transition. There was nothing gentle or easy about what brought me here.
I’d never wanted to run more than now. Tears stung my eyes. I couldn’t hide from them the way I could hide from myself. I couldn’t hide the truth from them the way I could from myself. I could manipulate what I believed based off what I hoped. I couldn’t manipulate facts though; I couldn’t deny the present.
I was abruptly all too conscious of my predicament. I was a weak wolf standing bared and broken before kind strangers who didn’t look at me with hope; they looked at me helplessly, hopelessly. They saw me for who I was, not who I convinced myself I was. I’d never felt like such an utter failure as a wolf, and especially as a woman.
I’d completely abandoned the progressive women’s rights movement. I represented women of an era past. I was a prime example of oppression.
Another knock sounded on the door.
“I’ve got it,” Dom’s dad stated, flying across the room to answer the door. Rather than welcome the person in, he slid outside.
Insecurities attacked me. Was he embarrassed by me and didn’t want to anger his son or hurt my feelings? No doubt he was talking about me…right?
Chapter 22
Dominick
“In here.” My dad led the doctor into the living room.
Sophie scrutinized the man approaching, taking a step closer to one of the sofas. “It’s okay. That’s our pack doctor,” I explained.
Lisa moved beside Kris, allowing the man to glimpse all of Sophie.
She worked her bottom lip hard. She wasn’t blinking. She was staring ahead at him. Her anxiety was palpable. I wanted to touch her, to reassure her, but couldn’t because her asshole father had beat her to pulp.
“Hello, Sophie. My name is Dr. Charles. I take care of all the wolves in the building.”
Her expression tugged down into the beginnings of a frown.
Sensing her shift, he sprung into action. “I just need to examine your arm and any other wounds.”
Hesitantly, she nodded her head.
Dr. Charles looked around the room. “Is there a room we can use to offer her a bit of privacy?”
Without thinking, I offered mine. “My room is this way.” I focused on Sophie. “Come on, sweetie.”
Her tears were staying in the basins of her eyes, but seemed ready to spill over any second. The sight of her, so bruised and broken, sent my wolf scrapping, my blood pressure soaring and had my vehemence bubbling too close to my surface.<
br />
I extended a hand towards her. I damn near cheered when she took it without reluctance.
I brought our conjoined hands to my lips. Kissing her knuckles, I smiled down at her and gave her a wink.
She blushed, and damn if my heart didn’t skitter.
I led them down the hall to my room. It was just my dad and I so we’d taken a two-bedroom unit, saving the larger ones for the bigger families in our pack.
Like the rest of the house, my room was minimally furnished: my bed, a nightstand, dresser and desk. No pictures, no paint; no fluff.
Dr. Charles shut the door and set his bag on my desk.
Sophie’s hand began to shake. She swallowed hard. Her eyes widened a bit as her brows drew inwards. She was scared of a doctor?
He was well over six foot with dark skin, dark features and a professional disposition. Glancing back at her neck, it dawned on me. Based off the handprint, her dad was obviously a large man too.
I leaned into her. “Want me to stay?” I kept my voice at a whisper.
It was the smallest of replies, a tiny nod of her head, almost imperceptible. She met my gaze, the tears having disappeared. “Please. I…” She struggled to say the words. “I trust you.”
Damn if her admittance didn’t ignite a new spark within me. I was suddenly impenetrable. No one could have gotten through me and gained access to her in that moment. She gave me all the confidence I needed to defend her to the death.
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to cut your jacket off of you. Do you have another one?” Dr. Charles moved in towards Sophie.
She avoided looking at us. “Um, no. I don’t.” Her voice was so small.
“We’ll get you a new one,” I said, squeezing her hand before releasing it.
She opened her mouth to deny me, I saw the refusal in her eyes, but the doctor swooped in and began cutting the fabric away from her, starting from the bottom and working his way up. Once he reached her neck he set the scissors aside. Gently, he worked the pull over jacket off her good arm.
I took deep breaths, neutralizing my expression, as small, jagged cuts and bruises were exposed on her arm.
“Don’t move your arm, Sophie. I’ll slide the jacket off of you as carefully as possible, okay?” Dr. Charles moved around her body, peeling the jacket away from her back and stopping when he reached her front again. He waited for her reply before proceeding.
“Okay.”
As the doctor lifted the hoodie away from her body and over her arm, I was forced to take a step back. My wolf growled, the sound erupting from me and echoing in the suddenly small room.
I heard her breath hitch as the doctor dropped the jacket onto the desk beside his bag.
Rage didn’t even begin to describe what shot through me. She was the only one keeping me there in that moment. She was the reason I didn’t unleash every ounce of wrath exploding through me, igniting a drive to kill lethally, illegally.
My vision blurred. My wolf was fighting hard, taking the battle to my surface as flickers of what could have caused the violent cuts, irate bubbling bruises and galling wounds covering her right side. Dry blood had once soaked her shirt, causing it to cling to her generous curves. Her forearm was just… FUCK!
“Dominick!” She screamed, fear vivid in her tone.
The door flew open. A hazy outline of my dad appeared before me. Shit! I was changing and didn’t even sense it. Dammit!
My muscles quaked; the snap of my bones unleashed condensed combustions of pain over my ligaments.
A harsh growl emanated from my father, suppressing my wolf. He was driving my wolf back down inside me, forcing him to recess. The alpha had spoken and he wasn’t permitted freedom right now.
Part of me wanted him to be free, because I knew we would hunt down her father and make him pay for every-
I breathed deep, the intense pressure throughout my body easing. My vision cleared; the inflammation in my gums reduced. By physical appearances, I was calm, collected. Inside spoke a different story though. I was holding tight to my ire, waiting for the moment I could harness it for the greater good of my mate.
Chapter 23
Sophie
Dominick had shredded his clothes partially shifting on the fly. His emotions had gotten the best of him. His reaction to my body was…haunting. You were only angry over your mate being hurt if…
He cared about me.
This gorgeous male specimen standing unashamedly naked cared about me. No one had cared about me since I was twelve. In two months, on my birthday, it will be five years since someone cared about me.
“Get dressed,” Dom’s dad stated before walking out of the bedroom. He closed the door behind him, never looking in my direction. I knew it was out of respect for me and nothing more. From the little I’d observed, he was a quick and efficient alpha.
Dom turned for his dresser. He glanced back at me over his shoulder. He winked, smiling charmingly. “You like what you see, baby?”
I could help but laugh. He was so confident and unashamed. And he was mine.
My smile fell at that thought. When did I become possessive? I didn’t own anything or anyone.
His smile turned wistful. “I love your laugh.”
I met his gaze, studying him closely. He was telling the truth. There was something about me that he loved.
“I need to take a look at your midsection, Sophie. Whatever happened to it was bad enough to cause significant blood loss,” Dr. Charles said.
A flash of the puddle of blood on the floor snuggling me when I awoke in the apartment hypnotized me. It hadn’t been a small amount of blood, but certainly not enough to warrant a transfusion or anything. Then again, I wasn’t aware of the blood coating my shirt and jacket until recently…
I blinked several times, processing the information.
Dom grabbed a pair of athletic shorts from his dresser and slid into them. He was at my side the second the doc began lifting my shirt.
As more of my stomach was exposed, he stiffened. He’d been angry before, but that was nothing compared to now. The stone cold expression on his face said he could kill without a second thought. His eyes darkened quickly; a dangerous glow touched the edge of his irises. His wolf was reacting in kind. They both could murder without regret.
Dom’s jaw was clamped tight as it rocked to every grind of his teeth. His nostrils flared as his lips curled in a terrifying snarl. His blackened gaze was locked on the side of my stomach, and whatever was there had killed the cheeky boy who’d teased me moments ago.
What had happened to me? This was the first time that I was regretting going to my safe space, to my quiet retreat inside myself. I wished for the first time I’d remained conscious during my father’s episode. At least then I would have faced it all; I’d be cognizant of what they were all dumbstruck by.
But I didn’t. I was a coward. I was weak. I’d tucked my tail between my legs and shut down.
“I’m…” The doctor blew out a breath. Dr. Charles appeared flush, apprehensive. It left me uneasy in turn. “I’m sorry, but I’ll need to bring Daniel in on this one. You’re a part of his pack now. They will take this as an attack on their own, but he’ll need photographic evidence in case he’s challenged by the counsel.”
Counsel? Challenged? Part of his pack? Thank God no one could hear my stupid repetitive thoughts. It was overwhelming. It was… I was… Stupid. I couldn’t even form a coherent contemplation. I was useless, just like my dad said.
Dom snapped out of his trance. He took my good hand, tensing when his gaze caught the slow to fade wounds on my arm. He swallowed hard, pursing his lips. Whatever emotions he’d embraced moments ago were hidden by the time he faced me. “Please let him take the pictures. No one unnecessary will see them, I swear.”
He’d covered his reaction with a mask, but he wasn’t as successful at keeping his voice steady. Resentment was prevalent in his voice, even as he pleaded with me.
I knew he would uphold his promise to p
rotect me no matter what I decided. But I knew the complications that could arise if others didn’t believe him or the pack’s reasons for defense. As awful as having photos of my hideously round stomach would be, bringing more trouble, a new kind of hell, upon my new pack out of self-consciousness would be the most selfish thing I could do.
I shook my head in agreement. “Okay.” I barely spoke above a whisper. I hated this. I hated what my father had done to me. I hated that strangers would be scrutinizing me. I hated that all actions had to be judged and justified these days. I hated that I could so easily justify my father’s actions.
I went to my safe place as Daniel, Dom’s dad, came in and reacted in a cross between his son and the doctor. He’d tried to control his expression, cover his true feelings, but his sharp, edgy movements revealed the truth. He hesitated at the sight of my stomach. What the hell was on my stomach?
Scoot over, sweetie. I’m joining you again. My wolf made room for me beside her. It was far easier to hide than to face their myriad of reactions, of permeable thoughts and unmistakable disgust, regardless of who it was aimed at. I felt like a science specimen. Sadly though, it was an experiment I had signed myself up for.
Chapter 24
Dominick
Maintaining my cool around Sophie had been damn near impossible. He’d bit her! He bit my mate! Twice! Never had I come across a wilder wolf. That you would bite your own daughter after beating her up… I didn’t have words. All I found myself doing was echoing the harsh growls my wolf sung.
I felt jittery. I imagined this was what it felt like to drink too many energy drinks. I was keyed up. Electricity sizzled beneath my skin, pumping my adrenaline at a rapid speed. I felt invincible. I was over-stimulated and overwhelmed. On one hand, I didn’t want to leave her. I didn’t think I could drag myself from her side. I’d be too worried; my imagination would run wild.
My beast would break free.
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