Chapter 15

A fter leaving Milly's, the Arrowhead pack drove me to their home. I sat in the middle row, still disoriented and nonplussed as to how the violence had escalated so quickly to the point where he wanted to kill me.

At the bar, I had fought to stay conscious, but my animal kept pulling me under. When I came to the second time, Noah's heavy tiger was lying on top of me. I couldn't breathe, and I begged him to get off. His breath heated my face and put me in a state of absolute terror. All those times Noah had warned me that his tiger could rip me apart, and his fangs were just inches away.

Roars, shouts, and chaos had erupted from beyond my line of vision. My lungs constricted from the sheer weight of him, and I slipped into darkness again. In my dreams, I walked alongside my mare. This was her special hideaway, and I realized why she no longer wanted to come out. It was everything I had dreamed for her, and she felt safe here.

But I couldn't stay.

Now I was lying in a strange bed in a strange room. I'd slept some, but without windows, I had no concept of time. After staring at the night-light for much too long, I flung back the covers.

Stepping into the hallway, I faced a purple door across from my room. There were two more bedrooms to the right in the short hall, so I went left and then stood in the middle of a long corridor. It reminded me of an apartment building I'd once seen in a movie. At the far end, I located the staircase near a window. A blue sky greeted me, and it appeared to be early judging by the yellow light on the treetops.

As I tiptoed down the stairs, voices slowed my descent.

"Is that all that happened?" Tak said, his voice distinctly recognizable.

"We owe the Relic three hundred dollars," Archer replied.

Once at the bottom, I sat on a step and listened to the conversation in the living room to the right.

Someone sighed.

"If all that was going on, why didn't she get help?" That sounded like Melody talking.

"She's an introvert," Krys grumbled.

"In my day, we called girls like her demure," Joy chimed in, sounding as if someone had ruffled her feathers. "And it was a compliment. Personality doesn't affect how a person responds to fear, and anyone can find themselves trapped in a situation not of their making. Sometimes… there is no one to help. Humans have shelters and hotlines, but what do we have to protect us? Our Councils? They can't even stop illegal trades on the black market. I've seen my fair share of mistreated women and men. Only the right pack or animal group can offer protection, but not everyone lives in a group. I didn't for most of my life."

The next one who spoke sounded like Lakota. "I know a place in Colorado that offers protection."

"Sure," Joy countered. "But who knows about them? Nobody. How does that help people if they're kept a secret? Not everyone has the means to drive across town, let alone the country. A Packmaster will protect his packmates, but what about everyone else?"

"That's what happens to rogues," Lucian said matter-of-factly.

"She had no one to defend her," Hope countered. "She learned to be quiet and not fight back."

In the short time I'd known them, I could identify almost everyone's voice. They each had a distinctive tone and cadence that made them unique. But when the voices fell to mumbles, I pressed my ear to the wall as if that could improve the volume.

"What mischief is this?" someone behind me asked.

I yelped, shot to my feet, and hit the floor.

The pack rushed toward me as I sat up and stared at Virgil, who was sitting two steps up from where I had been. He pulled his robe in front of his knees, the green fabric covered with dragons.

Tak gave Virgil a thorny look. "Is that how you treat our guests?"

Virgil held up his hands defensively. "Pump the brakes. I didn't push her down the stairs."

Mercy helped me up.

"I'm fine," I said. "Sorry, I just got spooked." Deciding to admit the truth, I said, "I was eavesdropping."

Virgil sauntered down the steps. "Someday, I'll teach you how to lie better, but today is not that day."

Mercy led me toward the living room. "Y'all need to give her space. No more sneaking around. Come on, Cecilia. Let's sit on the sofa." She led me to the grey sectional by the television.

After walking around it, I sat at the far corner by the tree décor so I could face everyone. The entire pack joined.

"Thanks for letting me stay here last night. "

"You're welcome to stay here as long as you need," Tak replied, giving me an open invitation.

"I don't want to impose."

"We've already discussed it. There's room, and I don't turn people away in need of my help."

One thing I immediately noticed about our seating situation was how the women were sitting by me and the men were on the opposite section of the sofa or standing.

"Did you put the ointment on your face?" Archer asked. "The Relic said every morning."

"Not yet."

He quickly made himself scarce.

I wrung my hands, nervous about speaking to so many people at once who hadn't asked to be part of my problems. "I know you're probably wondering how long it's been going on and why I stayed."

"You don't owe us an explanation," Lakota offered while crossing his arms from his spot by the wall. "Men who abuse their power deserve a blade in their chest."

"I'm just sorry you had to get involved," I said.

Robyn leaned forward to look at me. "Abusers make you feel like everything's your fault. It's not. None of this is your fault, so you have nothing to feel sorry about."

Archer returned and handed me the ointment.

"Thanks."

He drew back and stood next to Tak, who was sitting on the chaise.

"When I first met Noah, he was sweet and always made time for me. He bought me flowers and told me I wasn't like other women. The first year was an adjustment, but we rarely fought. The second year… that's when we started arguing more." Staring at the ointment, I gathered the courage to continue. "He got upset that I wasn't doing enough to help. The kitchen wasn't im maculate, I left wrappers lying around, the dishes had spots. He was very particular about how he wanted things done, especially how I washed his car. So he gave me written instructions."

"Instructions?" Melody asked. "What a bonehead."

After a deep breath, I continued, "When he lost his job as a guard, he started drinking more. He's an angry drunk. He gets easily triggered by the littlest things. No matter what, I was always the one who instigated the fight. Noah would explain everything that led up to it and how I could have prevented it. He was under a lot of financial pressure without work, and when I suggested I get a job, he suddenly bought a house out here. A new place seemed like a fresh start. He found work, but because of the commute, he was gone all the time. I started feeling isolated. Maybe a little resentful."

Robyn lowered her head. "I feel guilty about saying he was a keeper. I shouldn't have said that. He just seemed really nice."

"He is," I admitted. "Noah's nice to everyone, and everyone loves him. So I was convinced that the reason our relationship was failing was because of me. The hitting didn't start until a couple of months ago. So it just made me try even harder to do better. I really wanted to fix things."

I rubbed my forehead, overwhelmed by the surge of emotions. Then I noticed their confused expressions. They'd trusted Noah. They had invited him into their home, and he had earned their friendship. They liked him, so maybe they were having difficulty swallowing my side of the story.

"You believe me, don't you?"

"One hundred percent," Tak answered, and everyone agreed with him.

Hearing that made me want to sob on their sofa until it was unsalvageable, but I suppressed my emotions so I could finish the story.

Joy shifted in her spot beside Mercy to face me. "I didn't have a good feeling about him. The first time he came over, I bumped into him outside. He flirted and came on to me, and I just thought he was one of Archer's friends. It put me in an awkward position since I didn't know you very well. People have all sorts of understandings in their relationships. Had he touched me, I would have made sure everyone knew."

I exchanged a glance with Joy to convey that I didn't blame her. On the times Noah and I had gone out, he flirted with women in front of me, so it didn't come as a surprise.

"Where is he?" I asked.

Tak straightened up, hands on his thighs. "Breed jail."

"For now," Archer grumbled. "What happens when they let him out? They're just keeping him there long enough to cool down."

Tak played with his braid. "Someone needs to shift with Catcher and guard the house."

Strolling onto the scene, Virgil stood behind the other couch with a cereal bowl in his hand. "Put Krys on duty. His wolf is the craziest in the bunch."

"That's up for debate," Tak said, giving Virgil the side-eye.

Virgil finished chewing his cereal. "I meant crazy as in he embraces violence like Hope embraces donuts in the morning when nobody's looking."

Tak shot an amused look at Hope, who immediately tossed a pillow at Virgil.

"I'm pregnant, you gossiping hen. You better run when I get up, because I'm going to take a switch to your backside."

Virgil strutted off, a grin widening on his handsome face. "Promises, promises."

Tak waggled his eyebrows at Hope, who blushed and stubbornly crossed her arms. "I thought we agreed that too much sugar is bad for the baby?"

"It cures my panic attacks. "

Melody barked out a laugh and then covered her mouth.

Hope slanted her eyes at Melody. "Traitor."

The break in tension relaxed me, but there was still one looming question. "Where do I go?"

"Like I said, you stay here." Tak held my gaze, and in his dark eyes, I saw compassion. "I come from a proud tribe who has always been skeptical of outsiders for good reason. Leaving home is never easy, but my pack—everyone seated at this table—weren't born of the same blood. We all came to this place as strangers, and now we're family. What kind of leader would I be if I didn't offer shelter and food to a friend in need? We have more than enough rooms until you get on your feet."

"The books—the store. Noah pays the lease on it."

"Not anymore," Tak informed me. "I bought the lease out from under him this morning. The owner is supposed to change the locks today and give us the keys. Your books are safe. Lucian is heading up there today to rip out those cameras and do his security magic."

Lucian played with a ring on his finger, not saying a word from his spot by the wall.

"How much?" I asked, stunned by the turn of events.

Tak sighed. "You don't owe me anything but the lease amount. You can open the store when you're ready, but Joy volunteered to keep the momentum going until you decide."

I looked away so they couldn't see my tears forming.

Mercy stroked my back. "We know how much those books mean to you. If you don't want to sell them, that's your decision. We can pack everything up."

I sniffed and touched my swollen eye. "I can't believe it ended like this. It sounds crazy, but I loved him, and I thought he loved me too."

Tak rose to his feet. "He may have loved you, but his love was insidious. If he shows up here, someone better stop me from putting my blade in him," Tak grumbled before stalking off.

Hope sighed. "I better go after him before he gets the notion that hunting a tiger is a good idea."

My stomach growled so loud that I hugged my middle in embarrassment. "Sorry."

Mercy chuckled. "Good Lord. It sounds like you've got a grizzly in there."

"I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday. I'm just hungry."

Archer abruptly shifted and raced out of the room. Staying with a pack was going to take getting used to.

Krys paced away. "I guess I'll patrol since we have nothing else to do."

Melody stretched and sprawled across the sofa. "I'm so glad we got the heat house finished. Who do you think will need it first?"

"Not me," Hope sang while leaning back.

An idea came to mind. "Do you think it would be all right if I stayed in the heat house?"

All eyes turned.

Melody lifted her head and grimaced. "You're not…"

"No. I went through my heat cycle recently, so it's not that. But I've never lived with anyone else, especially a pack. I'm worried that if I bump into one of your wolves in the night, I might shift in the house. And you'd have a hard time getting a horse down the stairs."

Bear gave a sonorous laugh that made me smile.

"That's probably a good idea," Lakota said, sweeping his long hair away from his face. "It would be safer for all of us. But once you go in for the night, you shouldn't come out. We run the property at all hours. None of us would attack a female, but we also don't want to spook you. "

I thought it interesting how Lakota used the word female , a term used by Chitahs.

When I heard toenails clicking on the wood floor, Lakota shot in front of me, blocking my view of whatever he was facing.

I leaned to the right and watched Archer's tripod hopping toward me with something in his mouth.

"That's close enough," Lakota warned him.

Archer growled before dropping a bag of chips on the floor.

Lakota picked up the potato chips and extended his arm. "I guess these are for you."