“Just back off, Dominic!” she exclaimed, jabbing at the man opposite her. “I’ve said no.”
With a sinking heart, Dan recognized the man she was talking to as the ‘muscles everywhere' guy he'd bumped into - literally - outside the bar. "Now's no time to be a wimp," he muttered to himself, still watching them.
“Where are you going to go?” Dominic’s voice came roaring towards Dan’s ears. “You’ve got nothing and no-one, Lucy, except me. You’re not leaving me.”
“Yes, I am,” Lucy shouted back, not backing down an inch. “You don’t get to tell me what to do, Dominic. I’m not going to be a part of this.”
The moment Dan saw Dominic’s hand shoot out and grab Lucy’s arm, he moved forward. Trying to remain casual, he sauntered towards them, putting his bag of takeout on the sidewalk. “Everything okay?”
“Stay out of this,” Dominic growled, already squaring up to Dan. “This is between me and her.”
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Dan replied, ignoring the wave of panic that flooded him as the image of one of Dominic’s meaty fists punching him hard in the stomach floated in front of his eyes. Turning to the woman he now knew to be Lucy, he tried to smile. “Is everything okay?”
She was the picture of anxiety. Her hands were on her hips, as she shifted her weight from one foot to the next. “Fine,” she replied, flashing him a brief - and false - smile.
"You sure about that?" Dan asked, trying to ignore the way that a low muttering was coming from the big guy next to him. He clearly wasn't happy with the way Dan was interfering. "I mean, this guy seemed to be harassing you."
Dan threw a cautious glance at the big guy to his left - Dominic - seeing the way his lip was curling. Obviously, this wasn't a good place for anyone to be and he should probably just get out of here but Dan wasn’t about to leave this girl alone. Dominic looked like the kind of guy to hit out first and ask questions afterward.
"Like I said," the girl repeated, breaking into his thoughts. "Everything's fine. We know each other."
"Doesn't mean he can't be an idiot," Dan muttered, quietly. He didn't see the fist coming towards him, but he certainly felt it. It was like a tire iron being hit against the side of his head. It hit him with such force that he fell backward, hitting the back of his head off the sidewalk. Stars exploded in front of his eyes, and he groaned aloud. His bear roared in pain, but Dan couldn't let it rip from his body. Rolling to one side, he groaned again and pushed himself onto all fours. Breathing hard, he struggled not to let his bear explode from his skin and rip into Dominic. That’s what he would have done if he was still part of the Northern Wind pack, but not now. Reminding himself that he was part of the Alliance, he shook his head to clear it, trying to get to his feet and hoping desperately that Dominic would not hit him again.
***
“Dominic!” Lucy screamed, shoving him hard. “What the hell are you doing?” She couldn’t believe he’d hit out at some random stranger, who was just trying to help. The guy looked strong enough, but he was no match for Dominic. It wouldn’t be a fair fight and Lucy wasn’t about to let Dominic even think about starting one.
“Leave him,” Dominic growled, grabbing her arm. “Let’s go, Lucy.”
His grip was tight, but a wave of fury raced through her as she shook him off. “For the last time, Dom,” Lucy retorted, stepping back. “I’m not coming with you. Get lost!”
Thankfully for her, Dominic actually did what she'd been telling him to do since the start of their conversation. Shoving himself away from her, he spat hard, on the ground at her feet and began to walk away into the night, leaving her alone with the stranger on the ground who was currently groaning in pain.
“I’m so sorry,” Lucy cried, bending down to the man who was trying to get to his feet. “I can’t believe he did that. Are you okay?” She tried to help him up but had no idea what she was doing.
“Fine, fine,” Dan muttered, with a shake of his head. “Don’t worry. I just wish I could somehow be the kind of strong, superhero type who just jumped to his feet after a huge blow to the head.” His chuckle came out as a groan, making Lucy wince.
“He's such a goon," she replied, grasping his arm and helping him stand up. "I swear, I don't know what came over him. You were just trying to help. “It was definitely stupid, but she appreciated what he’d done. It had been a long time since anyone had cared about her, mostly because of what Dominic would do to them if they did step in. This guy had a good look at Dominic and decided to come to help her anyway. A wave of appreciation flooded her, as she looked up into his face.
“Yeah, I was,” Dan groaned, managing to stand up without swaying.
Lucy grimaced as she looked at the damage. “How are you feeling?”
“The side of my head is throbbing pretty bad and I’m having trouble opening one of my eyes,” Dan replied.
Lucy shook her head, even more frustrated with Dominic. He’d always been brash like that, but there was no reason to punch another man to the ground! Most likely, he was just angry that she wasn't going to with him like he'd expected. That was the problem with Dominic. He just expected everyone around him to do what he asked when he asked. For years, she'd gone along with it, but not anymore. She was tired of being dragged along behind him, making excuses for him and cleaning up afterward. It was time to let their lives go in separate directions.
“What did you say your name was again?” she asked, her hand still on his arm.
“Dan,” he replied, lifting one tentative hand to press gently against the side of his head. “I work in the mechanics up the road.”
“Lucy,” she smiled, relieved that he looked to be okay. She didn’t think there was a concussion or anything. “That guy was Dominic, not that you’ll need to remember his name.”
Dan winced as his fingers gently probed the area around his eye. “No, I don’t. Why are you with him anyway? He’s an idiot.”
Heat rushed into her cheeks and Lucy became quite grateful for the gloom hiding her red face. "He's not my boyfriend if that's what you're asking," she murmured, her eyes still on the mark on the side of his head. "That looks like you're going to have a pretty bad black eye."
"He's not your boyfriend?" Dan repeated, looking at her with his one good eye. "Who is he then?"
“Unfortunately,” Lucy replied, with a heavy sigh. “He’s my brother.”
“Oh.”
Lucy ignored the spark of hope that had shot into his face, knowing that now wasn’t exactly a good time to start falling for someone. Not that he wasn’t handsome, of course, and certainly was strong and well built, even if he was a lot smaller than Dominic. Giving herself a quick talking to, Lucy stepped back, letting her fingers drop from Dan’s face.
“I suppose I’d better head home,” Dan said, as she stepped away. “Maybe get a compress on this or something.” He tried to laugh but Lucy didn’t smile.
Anxiety was building in her chest, as she thought about being left here alone in the dark, with absolutely no idea what to do. Spotting the bag of takeout Dan had left to the side, she walked over to pick it up, before handing it to Dan. Her heart was slowly sinking in her chest as she realized her predicament. Without Dominic, she had nothing. No house, no food and only a little bit of cash. He'd taken everything else like he always did. Wanted to control her, all the way down to her finances. "I hope that gets better," she said, stepping back from him. "And again, I'm sorry Dominic did that to you. I - I really appreciate what you tried to do."
“Don’t be sorry,” Dan grinned. “It was worth it to get to talk to you again.”
Lucy couldn’t help her smile at the compliment. The guy sure knew how to flatter a girl.
“Where’s home for you?” Dan asked.
“I - ” Lucy didn’t quite know what to say. They’d left the only home she’d known, and come here. “I’m not sure. To be honest, I don’t actually know what to do.” The words left her mouth before she’d even had a chance to think. She didn’t k
now what had made her say that, especially to someone she’d just met, but, for whatever reason, she trusted him. Maybe it was because he was another shifter, or because he’d stood up for her. Whatever the reason, it was too late to take back now.
“You don’t have anywhere to go?”
Seeing the concern on his face, she shook her head. "Dominic wanted me to go with him - to meet a cousin of ours, but I've decided not to go. I'm not having anything to do with that life any longer."
She watched his face, seeing the way he fought against asking her any more questions. Apparently, he decided that now wasn't the time.
“Listen,” Dan replied. “The takeout is getting cold and my friends are waiting for me. Why don’t you just come with me?”
“Where?” she asked, biting her lip.
“I’m heading up to the cabin to deliver this to my friends. In fact, we can get you some food too if you like. Means we can all eat together and get to know each other a bit better.”
Lucy didn’t know how to respond. Was it crazy to go off with some guy into the forest, under the guise of going to meet his friends? She sighed inwardly. There was a warning in her mind that wasn’t quite making its way to her heart. Honesty was practically shining from Dan’s grinning face as he held out his hand to her. “Do you think they’ll mind?” she asked, reaching for his hand. Her heart began to slam into her chest as their fingers touched, heat sizzling up her arm.
“No, of course they won’t,” Dan promised. “So, how about takeout?” He grinned again. “Up this way, we practically live on the stuff and I can guarantee it’s good!”
“Sure,” Lucy agreed, glad she’d taken his hand. It was both reassuring and comforting, with a quiet strength in his grip that didn’t overwhelm her. “And thanks, Dan.”
Chapter Six
“Is something burning?”
Dan glanced down at Lucy, surprised. “You must have a good sense of smell,” he laughed, as they approached the cabin.
Lucy gave him a slightly confused look. “Of course I do,” she replied. “Don’t you?”
Dan shrugged, not quite sure what she meant but not wanting to come across as even more of an idiot. “Yeah, I guess. Anyway, that’s the reason I got takeout. Nick was cooking. From what Jo said, it didn’t go well…” He was so distracted by her beauty that he was barely thinking straight, having to double check that everything he said made sense. He felt like some kind of hero, walking back home with the rescued girl beside him. Except he had a black eye and he hadn’t really done anything. Lucy had been able to hold her own against her brother.
“Here we are,” he smiled, walking up to the cabin and knocking on the door. “They’ll be friendly, don’t worry.”
Lucy tried to smile back, but Dan noticed the anxiety in her eyes. He could understand that, considering she’d just put her trust in a random stranger who was taking her to meet more strangers, all in the hope that they’d be able to help her out for a while.
“Take a deep breath,” he said, softly “They won’t bite.” The door opened and Jo stood, framed in the doorway. “Dan,” she exclaimed, her eyes on the bag of takeout he held in his hand. “Thank you, I’m so hungry!” Taking the bag from him, she walked over to the kitchen table, leaving Dan to follow after.
"Uh, Jo," Dan began, looking around for Nick. "This is Lucy." He didn't even think that Jo had noticed Lucy since she was so busy getting the takeout organized.
Jo stopped what she was doing, turning around slowly to look at Dan and Lucy. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she apologized. "I didn't even see you there!" Throwing Dan an enquiring glance, she walked over and shook Lucy's hand. "Are you a friend of Dan's?"
“Not really,” Lucy replied, honestly. “We’ve only just met.”
Dan rubbed the back of his head with one hand, a little self-conscious as Jo gave him another curious look. “I need to talk to Nick,” he mumbled, knowing that Jo could take care of Lucy. “Where is he?”
“Out with the other two,” Jo replied. “They’ll be back soon.”
As though they'd known Jo was talking about them, the front door flew open and Nick, Tom and Savannah walked in, all talking at once.
“Nick?” Jo interrupted, drawing his attention. “This is Lucy.”
Their chatter died at once. Three pairs of eyes settled on Lucy, who gave a slightly self-conscious smile. "Hi," she murmured, glancing at them all. "I'm Lucy."
Dan caught the helpless look she threw at him. “Her brother’s just gone and left her,” Dan clarified, trying to give some kind of explanation so that they’d stop staring at Lucy. “Actually, he was the one to leave and Lucy decided not to go with him.” He waved a hand, trying to be as casual as possible. “Regardless, I said she was welcome to come and meet you guys.”
“I’m sorry if I’ve caused any trouble,” Lucy muttered, as Dan walked over to stand beside her.
“You’ve not caused any trouble at all,” he reassured her. Letting his hand slip around her shoulders, he gave her a light squeeze.
There was silence in the cabin. A few seconds ticked by, forcing Dan to give Nick a pleading look. The last thing he wanted was for Lucy to feel unwelcome.
After taking a deep breath, a smile appeared on Nick’s face. “Like Dan said, it’s no trouble at all,” he said, just as Tom put his head in his hands and groaned loudly.
“Not again,” Tom mumbled. “Why does this keep happening to us?”
“Tom!” Savannah exclaimed, prodding him in the side. “Don’t be rude.”
“Why does what keep happening?” Dan asked, completely confused.
“Hi,” Savannah said, ignoring Dan completely. “I’m Savannah. It’s nice to meet you, Lucy.”
Lucy shook Savannah's hand, although her eyes stayed on Tom who was still muttering darkly to Nick. It was obvious to everyone that he wasn't exactly pleased with her being here.
“Don’t mind him,” Savannah continued, noticing Lucy concern. “Tom’s always a bit wary, especially when there’s a new shifter in town.”
Dan stared at Savannah, his mouth falling open. Heat rippled through his cheeks as embarrassment hit him full force. Lucy was a shifter? Why had he not noticed? Running a hand through his hair, he closed his eyes in frustration and humiliation.
“You didn’t know?” Savannah asked, a wide smile spreading across her face. “Come on, Dan! What about those bear senses of yours?”
"Wasn't using them," Dan muttered, feeling even more foolish. "Or, not as well as I should have been." He wasn't like Tom and Nick, who used the full strength of their senses all the time. Since Lucas had never let them be in human form for long, Dan was still getting used to being that way again. Obviously, his lack of practice had made him miss quite a lot.
Lucy's giggle met his ears, even though she turned away slightly in an attempt to hide her laughter from him. "You mean, you didn't know she was a shifter?" Nick interrupted, apparently overhearing their conversation. Dan groaned, wishing Savannah hadn't said a word
"What?" Tom exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "You're supposed to be a shifter, Dan."
Dan opened his mouth to try and explain, but Jo interrupted them all. "The food's getting cold," she said, in a firm voice. "Why don't we sit down to eat before this goes any further? Savannah and Tom, there's coffee and some snacks in the fridge if you guys are hungry."
"Good idea," Dan muttered, walking to the table to pick up his food. He needed a few minutes to collect himself and to push away the sheer humiliation he was experiencing. Now he'd managed to knock Lucy over, get punched in the face by her brother and not work out that she was a shifter. Could he have made a worse first impression?
While Jo, Savannah, and Lucy were busy getting everything ready, Nick and Tom rounded on Dan. It seemed he wasn’t going to have the lucky escape he’d been hoping for.
“So, do you want to explain how you managed to end up meeting a random shifter and bringing her back here?” Tom exclaimed, his brow furrowing.
; "And how you managed not to recognize she was a shifter in the first place?" Nick replied, although, thankfully, he was at least smiling.
“I’m sorry,” Dan muttered. “I don’t know how I missed that.” There wasn’t really another excuse he could give.
Nick snorted. “I do.”
Frowning, Dan looked at Nick, scratching his head in confusion. “How?”
“A beautiful girl practically falls in your lap and you don’t notice she’s a shifter….only means one thing. You’ve got it bad.”
Dan let out a long breath, knowing that Nick was probably right but not wanting to admit it right away. Dan had expected Nick to be frustrated - angry even, but Dan was grateful that he’d mellowed recently. Tom had once muttered something about how it was to do with Jo’s easy going attitude influencing him.
“You’re not going to deny it, then?” Nick grinned, slapping a hand on Dan’s shoulder. “Listen, I don’t mind that she’s here, but we have to know the full story before we can make a decision as to whether or not she can stay.” His face grew serious, but Dan understood straight away. There couldn’t be too careful, especially now that Lucas was on the hunt for revenge.
Tom let out a snort. “You’re far too trusting, Nick. She’ll just tell you some sob story and you’ll let her stay, no matter what! This could potentially be a very dangerous situation.”
Beginning to grow worried, Dan watched the exchange between the two brothers. He didn't want Lucy to go, but Tom would have some sway over his brother. He wanted to jump in and defend her but instead decided to stay quiet and let Nick talk.
Nick nodded but remained resolute. "I'm aware of that, Tom. For what it's worth, I think you need to start being a little more trusting. Not every shifter that turns up has been sent by Lucas."
Tom’s eyes narrowed, as a low grumble came from his chest. “Savannah turned her back on Lucas and the Northern Wind pack.”
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