He thought about the scars and stitches on her stomach and growled. Her smooth skin had been sliced through and marked. She could have been killed. He might never have met her.
That was enough to give him nightmares.
She was here with him now and that was all that mattered. He’d take care of her and make sure whomever that full-blooded bastard was, that he’d never hurt Hannah again.
Her stocking feet made a slight swoosh against the floorboards as she came down the hall. He turned and the welcoming smile on his face died.
She was wearing one of his sweaters. It was one his Aunt Sue had given him last Christmas. He’d worn it over the holidays to please her and then folded it and put it in his closet. It was too nice for work and too fancy for casual wear, but it looked just right on Hannah.
“What?” She tugged self-consciously on one of the cuffs. “You said I could borrow anything.”
“That sweater never looked half as good on me as it does on you.”
She looked away, but he could see a telltale pink color rise on her cheeks. Hannah didn’t know how to accept a compliment. It was like she’d never heard one before, and in fact, distrusted them.
“Thanks. It’s comfortable.”
He knew the fabric was soft and unlikely to hurt her healing wounds. “Why don’t you sit down and I’ll get the steaks on?” He’d already heated the grill so it was ready to go.
She slid onto one of the two barstools that sat on the opposite side of the counter that separated the dining area from the kitchen. “Can I do anything to help?”
He shook his head. She’d already done too much just by getting a shower, but he’d known better than to even suggest that. “No, I’ve got this.” He took the steaks off the plate and laid them gently on the heated electric grill pan. The delicious aroma of searing meat quickly followed the loud sizzle. It mixed with the smell of mushrooms and onions and made his stomach growl. He could only imagine how hungry Hannah was.
After talking with Sean earlier, he hadn’t been able to resist going back into his bedroom. She’d looked so peaceful, so damn innocent lying there, he’d climbed into bed with her and wrapped himself around her. The need to protect her overrode everything else.
He flipped the steaks and stirred the mushrooms and onions. The microwave beeped, alerting him that the potatoes were done. He put them in a bowl and set it on the counter in front of her. Then he gathered plates, cutlery, and even scrounged up a couple of paper napkins left over from the last time his family had visited.
His brother would laugh himself silly if he could see Reece trying to set a fancy table. Or maybe not. Sage would probably do the same thing for Rina.
“Are you sure I can’t do anything to help?”
She was uncomfortable. He’d been so intent on getting everything ready, he’d all but ignored her, and that was after seeing her naked in the shower. Shit, no wonder she was uncomfortable. “Yeah, sure. You can get the butter and sour cream out of the refrigerator.”
She slid off the stool and retrieved the requested items. By the time she settled back on the stool, he had the mushrooms and onions in a bowl. He set it next to the potatoes. Then he grabbed her plate and set one of the thick steaks on it. Then he paused. “Medium okay?” He’d forgotten to ask her how she wanted her meat cooked. “I can put it back on if we want it done more.”
She shook her head. “No, that’s okay. Medium is fine.”
He set the plate in front of her and then got the other steak for himself. He’d thought about setting the table for dinner but figured Hannah would react better to more casual dining at the counter.
“You want wine or a beer or something? I’ve got water too.”
“Water, please.”
He snagged two bottles from the fridge and sat next to her. Their thighs touched, and she startled slightly but didn’t pull away.
He had so many questions he wanted to ask her but swallowed his curiosity. It could wait until after she’d eaten.
Reece offered the potato bowl to her and followed it up with the fried vegetables. He didn’t take anything until Hannah’s plate was full. He got up once and went back to the refrigerator for steak sauce. He liked it but not everyone did.
He smiled to himself when she put a dollop of it on the side of her plate and dipped a piece of her steak in it. She ate several potatoes smothered in butter but no sour cream. She used pepper but not salt on her food. He tried not to be too obvious about watching her as he devoured his own meal.
When her plate was empty, Hannah pushed it away and sighed. “That’s the best meal I’ve had in a long time.”
The compliment pleased him even as it made him wonder about her eating. Was she going hungry? That wasn’t going to happen any longer. Not as long as he was around to feed her.
He suddenly understood one of his packmates so much better. Gator Rollins was a badass, tattooed werewolf who loved to cook. He spent hours in the kitchen and made the most mouthwatering meals, saying that cooking relaxed him. Even during holidays, all the women of the pack deferred to Gator in the kitchen. And it certainly wasn’t because they were afraid of him. It was because the man was a genius in the kitchen. He could take a whole lot of nothing and turn it into something amazingly tasty. Hell, he even took bacon and eggs to whole other level.
The rest of them teased him good-naturedly about it, but Reece could see the appeal. Feeding someone you cared about was strangely fulfilling. He liked the idea of feeding Hannah, seeing to her needs for years to come.
“Have enough?” he asked.
She rubbed her stomach. “Oh yeah. That was so good. Thank you.” She swiveled on her stool and faced him. Reece could tell their quiet interlude was over.
“So what’s happened while I was asleep?”
Reece pushed aside his own plate and took her hands in his. “Why don’t you go into the living room? I’ll get the coffee, and then we’ll talk.”
Chapter Eight
Hannah wanted to demand he answer her question but knew Reece wasn’t being unreasonable. And she could use a cup of coffee. The meal, while mouth-watering delicious, had made her sleepy again. All she wanted to do was put her head down on a pillow and close her eyes.
Reece seemed to be waiting for some kind of reaction from her so she nodded. “Sounds good.” She didn’t think it was her imagination that he seemed relieved. She pushed away from her stool and wandered into the living room area while Reece cleared away their plates. It wasn’t an overly large space but it was open. The living room took up the largest chunk of the square footage. He had a small dining table that looked unused. There was nothing on it but a thin layer of dust. Hannah figured he ate most of his meals at the counter or on the sofa watching television.
She eased down onto one end of the comfortable couch and leaned back. She must have dozed because it seemed like she’d just closed her eyes and Reece was right in front of her handing her a coffee.
“We can talk tomorrow morning if you’d like?”
She shook her head and took the mug from him. “I want to know what’s going on.” She needed to know what was happening before she made any decisions.
“I talked to my partner earlier.” She nodded and Reece continued. “They’re waiting on the lab reports, but you and I both know they won’t get any viable leads on your killer.”
“How did he find me?” That was the biggest thing that had been bothering her. “I keep a low profile. I work in a coffee shop full time and have a small photography business on the side.”
“You’re a photographer?”
She waved away his question, even though she was secretly pleased by the keen interest reflected in his eyes. It would be too easy to get sidetracked. Once she started talking about her passion, she didn’t always know when to stop.
Reece looked like he was going to continue his li
ne of questioning but managed to stop himself. The look he shot her told her that this subject wasn’t finished.
“We’re still canvassing the area, but Sean and the other officers have pretty much spoken to everyone who saw anything. All the footage from security cameras in the area has been examined, but there’s not much in a way of a clear shot. It’s pretty blurry.”
Yeah, not many folks in her neighborhood went for high-tech cameras. They spent most of their money on alarm systems.
“As for how he found you…” He stopped and huffed out a breath. “I have no idea. I was hoping you did.”
Hannah curled her legs up onto the sofa and pulled the mug closer to her chest. She needed the warmth. The thought of some guy out there watching her, stalking her, was going to give her nightmares.
“I thought I felt someone watching me two mornings before the attack happened. Yesterday was fine.” She thought about what she’d done lately, where she’d been. “I’ve got nothing.”
Reece angled his body so he was facing her. He rested one arm on the back of the sofa and had one knee bent and resting on the seat cushions. “There was a fire a few nights back. It was set to cover up a murder. Problem was, there was hardly anything left of the body, and it disintegrated when the coroner’s people tried to move it.”
“Werewolf.” Her father had continually warned her about fire. A werewolf’s fast metabolism also meant they burned faster and their bodies would actually disintegrate after death in a matter of days if left alone.
Reece nodded. “That’s what I suspected. I admit I was hoping it was a random pack problem. Nothing I could do for the dead guy. It’s not like his murderer is ever going to be brought to justice. I figured the killer was already long gone.”
“You were wrong,” she pointed out.
He sipped his coffee, and she watched as his throat rippled when he swallowed. He even looked sexy drinking coffee. It wasn’t fair. Hannah curled tighter into herself, ignoring the ache from her wounds. Reece set his mug on the coffee table and then reached out and snagged a throw that was tossed across the arm of the chair.
“Here.” He shook out the small blanket and spread it over her. She kept a tight hold on her mug and used her free hand to pull the cover to her chin. The fabric was soft and the color was a vibrant burnt orange.
“Somehow I can’t see you buying this.” She knew she was deflecting from the serious problem at hand, but she needed a moment to process everything.
He shook his head and a small smile played over his lips. “I didn’t. My aunt did. Sue figured I could use something to make the space a little less stark.”
Hannah looked around the room at the bare walls, plain furniture, and big screen television. “Didn’t work.”
That startled a laugh from him. Ridiculous as it was, it gave her a warm feeling inside. “That’s what she said.”
He’d told her he had a twin brother, but she didn’t know anything about the rest of his family or pack. She wanted to know everything about him, but she had a big problem that wasn’t going away. “The killer?” she prompted.
His good humor disappeared as though it had never been. Hannah briefly mourned the loss. She had the feeling he didn’t have much levity in his life. She could relate.
“Honestly?” he asked.
Hannah nodded. “Of course.”
“I think it was a case of wrong place, wrong time. I can’t see that it could be anything else. This guy, this werewolf, comes to the city to kill a certain person. The first murder was deliberately planned and executed. No one reported anyone missing and no one heard or saw much of anything. The killer picked a house that had been deserted for a long time, one with a basement. There were no occupied homes around the one he used. And he used fire to destroy any evidence.”
“Go on,” she urged when he stopped.
“I think you crossed his path by accident while he was planning the first murder. Think about it. You’re out walking somewhere and he catches a glimpse or a vague scent and follows you home. He could hang back and trail you to work. Then he knows where you work and where you live. It wouldn’t be too hard for him to loiter around outside the coffee shop and hear someone call you by name. If he’s smart, it wouldn’t take him long to look into your life and discover you’re a loner without any real ties.”
That short summation of her life made her chest ache. She was a loner. Never really able to tell anyone who she really was. She had no family and no pack. No permanent home.
“The only thing I can’t figure out is why the killer didn’t plan better. Going after you like that in daylight was risky, even if it was early morning.”
Hannah was suddenly freezing, her coffee like ice. She set the mug down and burrowed under the throw.
“Hey.” Reece slid down the sofa and placed his hand on her leg. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been quite so blunt.”
She shook her head, trying to ignore the heat from his hand, and the sudden urge she had to move closer to him. “No, that’s okay. I need to know. I need to figure out what to do next.” And she really only had one option. “I have to get out of Chicago.”
Reece stilled. It was the quiet of a predator just before he pounced on his prey. “No.”
She nodded. “Yes. I can’t stay here. The police can’t protect me from someone like that. He can elude them forever. You know he can.”
Reece didn’t like the turn the conversation had taken. As much as he hated to admit it, Hannah was right. “The police can’t protect you,” he agreed, “but I can.”
Her eyes widened and she looked at him as though he suddenly had two heads. “You can’t do that.”
A hot surge of anger ripped through him. “You think I can’t protect you?” It was a direct hit to his ego.
She shook her head. “I’m not sure why you’d want to. You have a pack and a family. I’m nobody to you. You also have a job.”
Slightly mollified, Reece knew his reactions were way out of proportion to the situation. Didn’t seem to matter that they barely knew one another. Hannah had already taken ownership of his heart.
She was sitting on the end of the sofa, looking lost and way too alone. Reece couldn’t take it any longer. He reached out and lifted her onto his lap. With the throw covering her arms and legs, he had her settled before she could put up much of a struggle.
He cupped her face in his hands and she stilled. Her blue eyes were filled with confusion and fear, but always with a determination to do whatever she had to do in order to survive. His wolf howled inside him, prodding him to take the next step. Not that he needed any encouragement other than the woman nestled in his lap.
Reece leaned down and kissed her. Her lips were soft and supple. She made a small sound, not quite fear and not capitulation either. He started to pull back, but she slipped one hand out from beneath the cover and slid it around the back of his neck. Her gentle touch chained him in place.
He trailed his tongue over the seam of her mouth, dipping inward when they parted. She tasted warm and welcoming. Like coffee and, yes, steak. The thought made him smile. He probably tasted much the same to her.
He rubbed his thumb over her cheek. Her skin was so soft and smooth. It was odd to see a redhead with no freckles. It made her appear all the more ethereal. His cock sprang to life but he ignored his erection. As much as he wanted her, he didn’t dare push for more. Kissing her was pushing him close to the limits of his control. He was getting drunk on the taste of Hannah.
He wanted to roll her beneath him, strip them both naked, and love her until she called his name as pleasure crashed over them both. He growled and she stilled. He felt like kicking himself for spoiling the moment but it was just as well. It was too soon.
His wolf whined, not liking his decision at all. Reece knew what his next step was. “You need to come home with me.”
Hannah fro
wned and looked around the room. “I thought this was your home.”
He shook his head. “This is where I live in Chicago, but this isn’t home. It’s never been home.”
“Then why are you here?”
Reece could tell he was confusing her. “I had a dream years ago. I mentioned it to you.”
She nodded. “I remember, but it still doesn’t make any sense.”
“It doesn’t have to. I came here because I knew the woman in the dream needed me, and I knew they took place in Chicago. When you walked away from me in the hospital, I realized I’d dreamed that moment many times.”
Reece pressed his forehead against hers and willed her to understand. “I don’t know how much your father told you about our culture.” He hesitated briefly before going with his gut. “About mating.”
Hannah reared back. “He told me to stay away from werewolves. That was pretty much it.”
She tried to scoot out of his arms. He didn’t want to let her go, but he didn’t want her to feel trapped either. With great reluctance, he released her. She tossed aside the throw, surged to her feet and backed away from him.
“A true mating is one where the couple knows each other.” He pressed a hand against his heart. “Here.”
She was up against the wall now. A fine tremor shook her entire body. He wanted to go to her but was afraid of sending her into a full panic. She’d already been forced to deal with so much today, and here he was throwing yet another major thing at her.
“My uncle is a full-blooded werewolf and he found his true mate. My Aunt Sue is full human.”
Hannah stopped trying to meld with the wall. She was fully focused on him now, and some of her fear drained away, replaced by obvious curiosity. “Human?”
“Yeah. My mother was a half-breed and my father fully werewolf. My brother and I are half-breeds. Well, three-quarter breeds.”
“But I can smell your wolf.” She was frowning now, almost accusing him of lying.
Reece shrugged. “We don’t know why or how it happened, but I can shift while Sage can’t. He’s like you. He has all the enhanced senses of a wolf but is unable to shift.”
Wolf in her Soul: Salvation Pack, Book 8 Page 9
