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Killian and I arrived at the main square five minutes late. The wolves were already working, without me needing to tell them what was next on the agenda. That was a relief.
Some cleaned up the school so the kids could have classes there instead of in the library. Others painted the houses different colors and fixed broken porch steps or windows. It wasn’t just inside my house that we wanted to forget the demons were ever here.
It was everywhere.
Without a word, I picked up a paintbrush and joined them.
Lucille worked on the flowerbed lining the streets, planting new flowers and shrubs. Tyren and Hugh helped her, and from the way they kept looking at her and grinning, I knew they couldn’t care less about the flowers.
At least now she was busy with them and wasn’t paying attention to me. Since she had been freed, Lucille had been incessant. She'd come to the prison to visit me more than Raika. When I moved back to my house, she came over often to check on me and my siblings, and brought homemade meals for the three of us. Sometimes during the day, she came to my office and brought me coffee. And every time, she touched my arms and stood closer than necessary.
I appreciated the help and the goodies, but I knew she wasn’t doing that out of the goodness of her heart. She did it because she was interested in me, always had been, and she wanted my attention.
Many times during these past few days, I had thought about talking to her, telling her the truth, letting her down nicely, but I was afraid of her reaction. Right now, she treated Raika nicely, as if the two of them could be friends in the future—which was surprising. I never thought Lucille could be kind to Raika. But there it was and I was so afraid that if she found out the truth, she would turn against Raika and bully her again. Worse, Lucille had great influence over the females in the pack. She could turn all of them against Raika.
Like a coward, I didn’t do anything about it. I let her come on to me as if she had a chance, though I didn’t encourage her. I hoped that when she found out, it didn’t hurt her too much.
I shook my head and turned my attention back to my task, but it didn’t last a minute. Roman, who had been fixing a broken fence, ran past me, toward the main square.
No, not the main square. The library. Just as Raika stepped out carrying two heavy bags around her shoulders and more books in her arms. My gut clenched as I watched her, so pretty and radiant with her rebel style. Today she wore ripped jeans shorts, a cropped top with her short leather jacket, and combat boots. Her long, black hair was loose behind her back, the waves full and reaching down to her waist. Even from here I could see the shine of her bright blue eyes and the smile she offered Roman when he took one of the bags and books from her.
The bastard …
“Hey.” Killian put a hand in front of my chest. “Wake up.”
I looked down at myself. My fists were clenched, the paintbrush held like a weapon, and I had taken two steps toward Raika and Roman.
Shit. “Thanks,” I muttered, but I couldn’t relax. I couldn’t not look as Roman walked my mate across the main square, smiling and talking to her like an idiot.
I had always known he liked her. He had been trying to get in her pants for a while now. If only he knew she was my mate. Soon. Soon, when things calmed down, when we solved a few problems, then everyone would know what Raika was to me, and Roman wouldn’t dare smile at her anymore. Not like this.
They entered the school, and with a grunt, I turned back to the wall that wasn’t going to paint itself.
“You trust her, don’t you?” Killian asked, his voice low so the two of us could hear it. I dipped my chin once. “Then relax. Nothing will happen.”
I did trust her. I didn’t trust other males. Raika was pretty, sweet, and she didn’t impose herself as she once did when others backed her to a corner, because she was afraid of disrupting the pack’s peace.
I exhaled, reminding myself once more that that would change soon too.
4
RAIKA
Shane thoughtI didn’t notice his reaction, but I did. Even with several yards between us, I saw the way he tensed and turned the moment Roman reached me as I left the library with some of the school’s supplies.
I had to admit that when I pushed aside all that stupid male dominance thing, I liked seeing him jealous and protective. I never had that before, and coming from him, if felt special.
I also had to admit that when it was the opposite, when Lucille was all over him, I hated it. So I behaved myself. I treated Roman as I always did—kind and friendly—but I made sure I didn’t cross any lines so he wouldn’t misunderstand things.
I glanced at Shane once while crossing the square with Roman, but at that moment, he was looking at Killian, talking to him.
Several thoughts flooded my mind.
About Killian and Lavinia and their vampires staying and helping us, even though they didn’t have any obligation to do so.
About how much work Shane had ahead of him, and how I would do anything I could to help him too.
About how it had been painful to leave him last night when all I wanted was to have fallen in his bed with him and spent the night there.
