AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Shh, shh, shh,” she said soothingly. “I know, Cole. I know you told her last time, and I know that women sometimes don’t take no for an answer. You don’t have to explain yourself. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“She started to touch my body, and I couldn’t do anything. I was worried I would hurt her baby. Or hurt her…and with the committee coming soon…”
“I know,” she said. “You were so brave and strong, and you shouldn’t have had to be. It was so unfair, but you did everything you could in that situation. And she shouldn’t have ever touched you like that.”
Her final sentence, the conclusion she’d reached, was more growled out than it was said. I opened my eyes to see a quiet fire burning behind her eyes.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m really fucking pissed, and it’s taking everything I have not to go rip that bitch’s throat out. I’m trying to keep it together because making sure that you’re okay is far, far more important to me than trying to find ways I can hurt the woman who hurt you without hurting her unborn child.”
Marley’s sudden ferocity was surprising to me. Not because she couldn’t be ferocious; I’d seen that much when Ashton had almost taken her and Noah down. But she’d seemed so…so calm. It was almost admirable to see this anger burning under the surface.
“Luckily for her,” Marley said softly with another centering exhale, “she’s left the premises.”
“She has?” I asked. “Where did she go?”
“I guess she has family visiting in town,” she said a bit derisively. “Lucky timing, isn’t it? More than a little convenient?”
“Mmm,” I said. “Is it horribly shitty that I’m relieved she may be fleeing?”
“Not at all,” she said. “And I’m so sorry this happened while I was gone. I’m so sorry you’ve dealt with this all day by yourself. You shouldn’t have had to do that.”
“It’s my job as a pack alpha.”
“It’s not your job to be okay with being assaulted. It doesn’t matter how strong or how good of an alpha you are. You never have to be subjected to that. Never.”
Strangely enough, just hearing her say that was enough to be a balm for the fear and discomfort I was feeling.
“I think, deep down, I was worried this would become a problem between us,” I said. “I think I was worried about you thinking I invited it.”
She shook her head. “No, Cole,” she said, pressing kisses to my cheeks and my forehead. “I know you would never do that to me. I know you love me too much to do that.”
I nodded and heaved out a slow breath. “Thank you,” I said.
“Always,” she said. “I love you, Cole.”
“I love you,” I said.
“So, how about we get out of this almost entirely dark room, take a shower together, and wash off the disgust of the day…and I’ll tell you all about how much of a pain in my ass Lana is?” she suggested. “Somehow, she has become even more neurotic than she used to be.”
“No shit?” I said with a chuckle. “Alright, yeah. That sounds like a plan.”
She took my hand and rose to her feet, tugging me along with her down the hall.
It didn’t take long at all to feel like I was able to wash my hands of the horrible experience I’d had. Marley commended me for my strength. I didn’t quite know how to tell her that it would have been impossible if it wasn’t for her.
* * *
Lelani didn’t return the next day, or the day after that one. I wasn’t sure if I felt guilty or relieved. Or maybe it was that I felt guilty for being relieved. Whatever it was, I didn’t ask after her. Marley and I threw our all into getting the final projects done at headquarters so that when the social worker came, we would be ready.
It was a welcome distraction as well as a nice break from dealing with the gene therapy, the pack war, and, well, everything else. We even got to do some of it with Noah. I let him help me lay some of the drywall (though I was sure to go back over the work whenever he finally became bored enough to seek out one of his new little friends or a snack in the kitchen).
It all came together by the time a young guy with a winning smile came to our door, introducing himself as “Kyle the social worker with the state.” He had the same vibe as the kids on the beach during the summers—sandy brown hair, tanned skin, freckles. He looked like a youth pastor, or at least he had that vibe.
“Well, hey, man,” he said after names were exchanged and hands were shaken. “I’m sure you want me in your hair about as much as a dog wants fleas. So, let’s just get through this whole thing, yeah?”
After that, it was almost anticlimactic. I showed him the whole place, everything from the basement to the attic to the outdoor facilities. He was pleasant and engaging, asking me questions about how we did things. I got the sense as I spoke to him that he was asking out of genuine curiosity rather than trying to find something to ding us for.
He met Marley and Noah, too. We spent about an hour talking as Marley cooked dinner with some of the other pack members. Kyle gave Noah a silver dollar by pulling it out of his ear. I’d never seen a little boy more excited about a piece of defunct currency.
