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He was convincedshe was human…
Witnessing her on top of the Tanner girl was enough to challenge that belief. So much for being a mouse. With barely any provocation, the prey sprouted claws on the spot. Growled. Got its first taste of battle-worn blood.
Andlikedit too—he recognized that hungry look in her eyes. Instinct had awoken, transforming her from hunted to hunter.It was a good thing that he stopped her—otherwise, who knew what she would have done?
Though, if he were honest with himself...heshouldn’thave stopped her at all. It wasn’t their way. Were they in the pack, protocol would dictate she assert herself and scratch out her place in the pecking order.
If only that asshole Connors had taken her to the pack when he had the chance. Their laws would have forbidden them from refusing her. Lukka, that arrogant prick, would have had to listen.
However, as long as there was any doubt, they could ignore her existence entirely.
In retrospect, Bill figured he should have taken her his damn self. His only comfort was purely selfish—Fred Connors couldn’t possibly be her father. That low-level bastard couldn’t sire a lycan.
But therein lay the drama. Which one of those pricks in the pack had fathered the girl and then abandoned her without a second thought?
Ironically, there wasn’t a law for punishing that action. To be fair, there was no need. Children ensured a legacy, and most men acknowledged their bastards, if only to guarantee their bloodline lived on. It was primal instinct rather than honor. Loren’s sire either didn’t know of her existence, or he was as much of an anomaly as she was. Though, for now…
No other family mattered. She washis.
From now, until he released her, she could never go anywhere he didn’t allow, or do anything he didn’t give explicit permission for. A part of her would always be connected to him. Like in this very moment, when he sensed she was awake.
A possessive urge to protect her flooded his veins, strengthening by the second.Mine.It went beyond logic. Emotions. Morals.
Still, disgust mingled with the newfound bond. As much as he tried to rationalize it to Sonia, he didn’twantthis. Not since Emma—though this time it was different. So different, the contrasts blew his damn mind.
Emma had wanted him. They had shared their thoughts and emotions through their link, almost greedily. With Loren, the connection to her was completely sealed off—for her own good,he told himself. The only parts of her he allowed himself to access were her emotions. Her pain. Her fear. Those damn dark memories—he prevented her from feeling any of it. It was the least he could do.
Until Lukka…
Damn, he just hoped the bastard came soon.
He couldn’tkeep her here—even though her scent already seemed like a permanent part of the atmosphere…
11
“Have a seat,” Sonia told Loren, gesturingto an empty stool. “Would you like anything to eat?”
There seemed to be plenty. Loren sniffed, sensing eggs, bacon, and pancakes. All things she hadn’t eaten in years. Cautiously, she crept over to the stool, holding the blanket to her body so tightly that her hands shook.
The food wasn’t the only aroma flooding the house. That familiar scent of pine lingered in the air…on herskin.It was everywhere.
“Something wrong?” Sonia asked, noticing her uneasy expression.
“T-This is Officer McGoven’s house,” Loren croaked while attempting to mount the barstool without losing her grip over her covering. “How did I... How did I get here?”
Sonia’s warm smile remained frozen in place. “I’m a friend of Bill’s,” she began, ignoring the question.“I want you to know that you are safe here. Don’t worry about anything else. Did you sleep okay?”
She paused as if waiting for a reply.
Loren couldn’t think of one.
“I’m here visiting for a few days,” Sonia went on, still smiling. “So, how do you feel?”
Loren thought it over. “Strange,” she whispered after a long minute.
Something wasn’t…right.
Much like Sonia insisted, she felt safe—when she shouldn’thave. She’d woken up in a stranger’s bed, for one. A stranger who just so happened to be an officer of the law. Now, here she was, talking to an even stranger woman in said officer’s kitchen over an offer of breakfast.
