by Sarah Makela
The vampire hissed back at him, then nodded at Derek. “See you around, friend.”
“You as well. Stay safe.” Derek swept his gaze over me one last time; then a cool breeze caressed my cheek. I looked around, but they were gone, as if they’d never been there at all.
The front door opened, and a middle-aged woman with blonde hair and light blue eyes stared at us. She pressed a hand over her mouth.
“Who is it, Beatrice?” a concerned male voice asked behind her. A tall, ruddy man hovered behind the petite woman. His eyebrows drew together. “Son? What’s going on?”
Brendan cast a glance in my direction, brushing a hand through his blond hair. “Meet Carmela, my future mate. On the way back to her place, hunters attacked us. I didn’t think it’d be safe to drop her off at home, so I brought her here.” He struggled to a standing position and leaned heavily against the railing before reaching for me.
I accepted his hand, and he pulled me into the warmth of his arms.
Beatrice nudged her husband aside and waved us in. “Let’s get you two comfortable and call the good doctor.” She led the way, but she kept her gaze on us. “Do you want your father’s help, Brendan? Your leg doesn’t look good at all. The scent of blood is so strong, dear.”
Brendan hobbled inside, barely keeping himself upright. I tightened my grip on his waist, and he smiled at me, giving me a little more of his weight. We could do this together. “I’m fine, Mother.”
The den was down a long hallway, and I limped along, trying to help him even though my own balance wasn’t the greatest. The home was very nice, but unlike Derek’s, which looked more like a museum, Brendan’s was obviously somewhere lived-in—albeit in rich abundance. We collapsed on a plump leather couch together; he kept his arm around my shoulders, but was careful not to hurt me.
I couldn’t help feeling awkward, wondering what he was thinking of right now. Did he realize my moment of weakness with Derek for what it was? When his gaze met mine, I saw fear, and my heart leapt into my throat. What was he afraid of? Did he know? Had I given my feelings for Derek away? I didn’t want to hurt Brendan, especially since my life would be with him. Was he afraid I didn’t return his feelings?
I shoved my building emotions down and rested my head against his shoulder. Brendan’s father sat in a chair on the other side of him and placed his hands on his knees. He leaned forward, his slightly wrinkled face intense and his gaze probing. “Now, what happened exactly?”
In the corner of the room, Beatrice dialed the elegant old phone. I couldn’t help listening in to the conversation. “Greetings to you, Dr. Matthews. Our son Brendan and his soon-to-be mate, Carmela—yes, Carmela Santiago—need your assistance. They were injured tonight.” Dr. Matthews replied, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying. “Oh, really?” Brendan’s mom glanced over at me.
A chill slid down my spine, and I diverted my gaze back to Brendan and his father.
Brendan scratched the back of his neck. Tension tightened in his body, and I couldn’t imagine how he must be feeling right now. Although I suspected I’d be in much the same state when I reached my own home.
“We were eating dessert when the Cazador chased a vampire through the restaurant. We made it out and started walking back to her house. After they finished off the vampire, they came after us. We ran, but Carmela stepped in glass, and after I scooped her up, I wasn’t fast enough to escape their bullets. I considered fighting them, but Carmela was my priority. I wanted to make sure she got to safety. Once we were out of harm’s way, we tended each other’s wounds.”
He kept his word; he didn’t mention Derek and Elliot, even though he very easily could’ve told the truth. The way he spoke, his words sounded like truth. Maybe he had more practice at keeping secrets than I would’ve thought.
I wanted to scoot away from him, but the warmth of his skin and his steady heartbeat lulled me into a cozy state. Besides, it was better to present a united front than pull away after he’d lied.
“Wise choice, Brendan. I wish the two of you hadn’t been harmed, but you’ll be in good hands soon enough.” His father turned leveled his gaze at me, then he held out a hand. “I’m Neal. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. I only wish we could’ve formally introduced ourselves under happier circumstances.”
Smiling, I accepted his hand with my good arm. If only I could remember where I’d met him before...it had to have been at the Pack meetings my father used to parade me around at, but I was drawing a blank.
“Carmela. It’s a pleasure to meet you too, sir.” I wished I didn’t look so unkempt. Meeting Brendan’s parents was a special event. I dipped my head, showing the appropriate submission.
“Carmela, that’s such a lovely name.” Brendan’s mother sat next to me. I nearly jumped off the couch. I’d been so focused that I’d lost track of Beatrice. She took my hand in both of hers. “Just relax for a while. You’re safe, sweetheart. Dr. Matthews will be here soon. He’s calling your parents as well. They called him earlier this evening and were worried about you. How sweet is that? I’m sure they’ll be over as well.”
My pulse raced. The smile I wore faded at the corners and wasn’t genuine anymore.
Brendan dipped his weighty gaze to meet mine, and I caught the unease in his eyes. He sensed my emotions and I wondered if he didn’t like that my father would be coming by. However, I liked it even less. Regardless of my feelings for Derek, being with Brendan was safe, especially after what I’d been through recently. I didn’t think he would treat me poorly like Father.
“Thank you, Mrs. Kelly. I appreciate your hospitality,” I said.
“Is there anything I can get you in the meantime? Tea? Coffee?”
“No thanks, Mom.” Brendan rubbed his tired eyes and rested his head against the back of the sofa.
“I’m fine. Thank you.” I gently removed my hand from hers, placing it in my lap. I leaned into Brendan’s shoulder again to rest for a moment, hoping my parents wouldn’t arrive too soon. I didn’t want to deal with Father. Not after how he’d acted.
Neal stood and followed Beatrice out of the room. “We’ll leave you two to relax before the doctor arrives for you.” He closed the sliding doors shut and left us alone in silence.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Brendan
Carmela’s soft body molded perfectly against mine. Her breathing was steady and deep while her limbs were heavy from sleep. I stared at the ceiling and remained still, unwilling to disturb her. The sight of her arms wrapped around the vampire’s neck had bothered me. He was the same one she’d asked me not to say anything about earlier in the evening. Plus, I’d never witnessed a vampire helping werewolves. The more I thought about it, the more I had to know what was going on with Carmela.
Should I be the one to broach the subject? I hated lying to my dad. He always had a way of finding out about these things. Frankly, I was surprised that he’d bought all of what I said in the first place. Maybe the pain I was feeling and Carmela’s presence had distracted him from the white lies.
Regardless, now wasn’t the right time. I’d want to have her somewhere private where I knew no one could overhear us, not with my parents likely sitting in the other room having coffee.
Carmela hid more than she told, that much was certain. If only I had a way to penetrate her walls and get her to open up to me. Her father was another topic I needed to know about. When I’d talked with him, he came across as pompous and condescending even to me, the son of the city’s Alpha. I’d seen the hateful looks he’d given her when he thought I wasn’t watching, too.
I released a deep breath to keep calm. Soon that man would be in my home, and while I wanted to tell my father about the possible abuse, I didn’t want to disturb her as she rested her head against me. Besides, she wasn’t even willing to ask for my help.
The more time that passed, the more blood dripped from the scraps of my jeans. Guess it would give Mom another reason to go shopping if she couldn’t get it off the
rug and furniture.
A loud banging sounded on the front door. Carmela jerked her head up and glanced around the room before settling her gaze on me. I held her a little tighter and looked toward the closed door leading into the hallway. My mother answered the door, while I returned my attention to Carmela.
“You’re afraid,” I whispered quietly.
She drew in a breath to speak, but no words came from her lips. Finally, she nodded.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I saw how you reacted around him. Let me help you. Please.” I slid my knuckles over her cheek, relishing her soft skin.
Seeing her like this made my thoughts about the vampire slide away. She was mine. We would work through whatever was going on.
“You wouldn’t be able to do anything. Not with him.” She glanced back at the door and frowned. “I’m sorry about all of this. I don’t want to mess up things between us.”
I gripped her chin and forced her to look at me. The front door thumped shut, and I leaned in until our lips almost touched. “Don’t pull away from me.” The thought of kissing her nearly distracted me from what I needed to say. “I don’t want you to suffer. You’re special to me.” I clenched my teeth as the sound of footsteps echoed on the hardwood floors in the hall.
“Thank you.” Her breath caressed my lips, and I couldn’t hold back. I kissed her. Her soft moan urged me on, but harsh words outside the den made me draw back.
Her father’s voice set me on edge, and I took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm myself. But as easy as that seemed, I couldn’t. She didn’t pay them any attention; her honey-brown eyes stared up at me in wonder.
CHAPTER NINE
Carmela
While I’d heard everyone in the hall, the kiss from Brendan stole my focus. I didn’t want him to stop, but I knew we shouldn’t be doing that right now.
The den’s doors slammed open, and Father stepped into the room, staring between Brendan and me. His lips curled in a sneer. “This is how well you protect my daughter? You’re not fit to mate with her.” He jerked his gaze toward Mr. and Mrs. Kelly, shaking his head. “Your son hasn’t turned out well, unable to prevent an attack like this.”
Neal Kelly flared his nostrils. “Be careful. You know who you’re dealing with. Don’t think for one second that you can enter my home and criticize my son.” He pointed a finger at me. “She already has a broken arm. Whose fault is that? Yours. You can’t even keep track of your own daughter—never mind keeping her safe.”
My eyes widened. If I knew I wouldn’t fall over, I would’ve run away. Tears welled in my eyes. The argument between our fathers made me want to curl into a ball. Everyone glanced at me as if assessing my worth in this mess. Neal had seemed so decent moments ago; now it appeared he resented me. I hadn’t tried to get into trouble.
Brendan drew me closer to him. I loved that he wanted to help, but I couldn’t bear the closeness, not when my father doing his best to ruin my chance of being with him. I had to do something about this. He’d kept me mostly prisoner, hiding me away from the world unless it was convenient for him. I wouldn’t let him steal this from me. I pushed to my feet, fighting the pain in my foot.
“I can’t believe you, Dad. Stop mistreating Brendan’s parents. They took me into their home. They have been kind to me, unlike—” My body sailed backward. Pain burned my cheek, and I smacked into the floor on the other side of the couch. Rough hands flipped me to my back, and my father drew back his fist. Biting back a growl, I threw my arm up to ward off any blows.
Two distinct snarls rose from the room. Brendan loomed over us from the back of the couch, his eyes full of rage and hate. The other man, presumably Mr. Kelly, wasn’t in my line of sight.
“Back away from her.” Brendan’s voice came out gravely. He held himself stiffly, as if ready to intercede with my father’s abuse, regardless of the consequences. We weren’t mated yet; my father still held the most power over me. Brendan couldn’t really do much without overstepping his reach.
“My daughter shouldn’t disrespect me, especially in front of others. I have a duty to make her obey. I doubt you’d be good at handling her.” Father’s lips curled back again. He grabbed me by the upper arm and hauled me to my feet. Agony flooded through me, from my face to my shoulder and down to my hip and foot. I could barely remain standing. “We’re going home.” He jerked me toward the door, and my legs gave way, spilling me to my knees.
“Don’t treat an Alpha Queen like that. You’re not immune to punishment, even if you are a hotshot businessman.” Neal blocked the door; his large frame filled it so Father wouldn’t be able to get past unless he muscled his way through. No good would come from that. My father wasn’t stupid. He’d back off and try to save face.
Dr. Matthews spoke up from the opposite side of the room, near my mom. Her eyes were wide and her face pale white. “He’s right, William.” He sounded calm, professional. “She did speak out of turn, but as her physician, I’m concerned about her shoulder wound. You shouldn’t handle my patient like this. You hired me to treat her wounds, but it’ll do neither of us any good if you’re reinjuring her.”
Father squeezed my arm. I stayed still, not giving him the pleasure of seeing my pain. If he did anything else in this room, he’d be outnumbered. Grunting, he released me with a slight shove that knocked me off-balance.
My injured shoulder smacked the floor, and I choked on a scream. Pain sank its claws into me, and I rolled to my back. My vision closed in, fading fast.
Silent, hobbling footsteps came to me, and I blinked, doing my best to focus on Brendan. Tears I hadn’t known I was crying spilled from my eyes. He knelt on the floor, discomfort tightening his features but concern shining in his eyes. He brushed his thumb across my cheek, wiping away a tear that mixed with blood from my split cheek.
Shame washed through me. If I hadn’t provoked my father, he wouldn’t have acted out. What did Brendan think? Could he think I wasn’t worth the effort? Nonsense.
He positioned himself between my father and me, like a guardian. Funny, since my gender were supposed to be the warriors. At least until the Alpha females bore children.
Dr. Matthews knelt on my opposite side and helped align my body into a more comfortable position. His sharp features were strained with pity, something I didn’t want. I just wanted freedom from my father’s tyranny.
If only the Cazador hadn’t seen and shot me after escaping the Teatro. Winding up with Derek had made things worse. Not only had I been with my people’s foe, but my feelings for him were inappropriate, especially after the comforting moments in his arms earlier.
If I’d stayed at his place, life might’ve been better. However, I wouldn’t have met Brendan. That wasn’t something I’d want either. He was sweet, considerate and protective.
Why had I returned home? For my family and the responsibility I had to them. Unfortunately, I remained under their thumb until I mated with Brendan. There wasn’t a lot any of them could do, except expedite the ritual, but neither Brendan not I were healthy enough for that.
Glancing up, I caught sight of my mother. Sadness filled her eyes, and she had a slight bend to her stance that was uncharacteristic.
What was I going to do? I couldn’t leave her alone to suffer in silence from that monster I called ‘Dad.’ The only way she’d break free from him was death—either his or hers. Divorce didn’t happen among wolves.
I averted my gaze before I cried even more.
CHAPTER TEN
Carmela
Brendan and I lay side by side in his bed, with him on his stomach. The room was warm, inviting, and utterly masculine. His scent lingered in my nose, and I let my eyes remain half-closed. The comfort of being close and safe beside him relaxed me a little.
Dr. Matthews had said he wanted us where he could keep an eye on us both and do his job, but I think there was more to it than that. He cleaned my foot first, making sure all the glass was out, then bandaging it. Once he finished checking m
y shoulder, he switched to Brendan’s side of the bed. Stupid. Brendan needed the doctor’s help more than me, but I wouldn’t say anything. Not after how my words were received earlier. My jaw still ached and the thought of moving it made me cringe.
“This is curious.” Dr. Matthews examined Brendan’s leg, his lips pursing in confusion.
Brendan grabbed my hand almost hard enough to hurt. Pain etched lines into his face, but he didn’t make any noise as Dr. Matthews continued to poke and prod the wound.
“What is?” Neal Kelly said.
I closed my eyes to block the sight of Brendan’s father and my mother, who stood beside the doctor as his nurse. Whenever the opportunity struck for her to use her nursing skills, she jumped on it.
My father was still in the den with one of the wolves Neal had called over.
The bed moved from Brendan shifting his weight, and he groaned in pain.
“I’ll take a sample from this area of his leg to bring it to the lab. This seems like a new creation from the Cazador. I haven’t seen anything quite like it. It appears to have been a silver bullet—which explains why he’s not healing quicker—but these fragments...” He let out a breath. “Let’s just say I suspect the bullet was comprised of a lot more than just silver.” His voice held calmness and curiosity, as though he was holding in his emotions for the sake of everyone in the room.
I opened my eyes and tried to look at Brendan’s leg, but from that angle, I couldn’t see much. “Is he going to be okay?” I said, unable to hold back. In the abandoned warehouse, Derek had blocked my view. Besides, my attention hadn’t been completely on Brendan. But now the doctor’s words made me fear the worst.
Dr. Matthews cleared his throat. “I can’t say for certain. I’ll need to run some tests, but he’ll have to get plenty of rest. I’ll bring a crutch by to help him do whatever minimal movements he needs, but he should remain in bed as much as possible.”
