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His fingers were warm as he gently lifted the dressing. With him so close to me, I could smell him. Whereas Silas was citrus and pepper, Cole was pine with a touch of bergamot. It was delicious.
“All good, but I’ll leave a dressing on for now, so it stays clean.”
“Is the road closed?” I asked. I couldn’t stay here. If it was possible for me to leave, I had to go. Not that I had any clue how to make that happen. It was more that I was worried about the prospect of Brent turning up with a loaded shotgun.
“Not sure, Silas went out to check on your car and the road. He should be back soon. Why don’t you relax on the sofa? There are some books if you get bored.”
I cringed with shame. Of course, he must have wanted me out from under his feet. Why didn’t I see that? I’m such an idiot.
Before he could say another word, I scurried out of the kitchen. Maybe if I was stuck here, I could do some cleaning or something. I needed to pay my way somehow. I couldn’t expect the guys to look after me for free, and it’s not like I had anything else to offer.
Cole
The minute I suggested she sit in the living room, Eva shut down. A light went off in her eyes and she floated away, refusing to look at me. I thought back over what I’d said as I tidied up the kitchen, but there was nothing. At least nothing that made any sense.
I got the impression she was extremely uncomfortable with us, which was understandable given we were strangers and she hadn’t chosen to be here. But there was more going on. I knew it.
She jumped at the slightest sound, and she struggled to make eye contact with us. Someone had beaten Eva; I’d put money on it. Who, I wasn’t sure, but if I ever met the asshole, he was a dead man.
When I peeked through into the living room, Eva was sitting on the sofa staring into space, ignoring the small pile of books on the coffee table. It was as if she was trying to make herself small and inconspicuous to avoid drawing any unwanted attention.
Was this how she kept herself safe?
She’d scraped her long blond hair back into a ponytail with a hair elastic. Her face was pale, with dark shadows beneath her stunning blue eyes. I didn’t think her exhaustion was a loss of sleep because of the accident. This woman clearly hadn’t slept well in a long time. Maybe months.
I was so busy staring at her that a pan slipped through my fingers, falling to the stone floor with a loud clatter. Eva yelped and froze, her whole body locked in fight-or-flight mode.
The way she tried to curl up and hide made my wolf growl in my head. Did she associate loud noises with pain? As I watched, she shuffled back against the cushions and curled up, hugging her knees and rocking her body in what I suspected was a self-soothing mechanism.
The more I watched her, the more I felt certain she had been in an abusive relationship. Maybe this was why she was out on a mountain pass with a storm rolling in, when by rights she should be tucked up safely at home.
This woman needed protecting.
She needed to feel safe.
She needed us.
My wolf agreed.
Maybe she’d feel more relaxed if I put some music on. I found a classical music playlist that I liked on my phone and directed it to the speakers. Soft music filled the cabin, and after a few moments, Eva’s shoulders relaxed.
I watched her while I wiped down the counters and started chopping vegetables for tonight’s dinner. Eventually, she settled against the sofa cushions and closed her eyes.
Good. I wanted her to feel comfortable enough to relax here.
Maybe once Silas got back, he could coax her into telling us what happened. He was always good at getting people to talk. Like Tanner, but in a non-violent way.
Speaking of whom…
Silas said he messaged him. I wondered if he’d replied. I hoped he didn’t come back for a couple of days. Eva needed to settle before she had to face his bad-tempered ass.
I loved my brother, but he had issues, and he wasn’t great with females. At least, the ones who weren’t there to fuck.
Fucking unattached females from the local packs was the only time he bothered to interact with women.
I got it. I really did. Human women were more fragile, but what happened to Jessie-Lynn was just a horrible accident. It wasn’t Tanner’s fault. Unfortunately, he still blamed himself.
Like Silas, I waited for the Full Moon parties or hit up a bar in one of the local towns when I wanted to get laid. Most women hated it this far out in the sticks, so relationships never lasted long.
