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“Hello?” she said with a slightly scratchy voice.
“Kelly?” Tears stung my eyes and I sucked in a breath. There were so many things I wanted to say. I started with, “How are you? Where are you?”
“I’m good, thanks to you.” Relief gripped my heart and I choked on a sob. Kelly must have heard. “Ivy, I’m okay. Really. Brian told me that I almost died but somehow you healed me.”
“I’m so sorry, Kelly. I’m so sorry.” Tears dripped down my cheeks.
“It’s not your fault.”
“He attacked you because of me.”
“Maybe. Maybe I was lucky enough to be in the wrong place at the right time.”
Sniffing, I gathered my composure and took a slow deep breath. “Talk to me. Where are you? What’s it like? Do you want me to come and get you? Because I will absofuckinlutely storm that bear’s territory and rescue you from his claws.”
She laughed, and something inside me loosened.
“I know you would, Ivy. Brian’s great. He explained how I’m his mate. I was a little freaked out at first, and then I thought about how my feelings for him were so intense from the beginning, and I knew that no matter what, I couldn’t let him go either.”
“What’s it like? Being his mate, I mean.”
She laughed again, light and happy. “It’s strange. Brian treats me like a queen. Everyone else treats me with respect because I am his mate and he’s their leader. He knows what I need without me having to tell him or explain because we can feel each other’s emotions. Crazy shit, huh?”
“But what if he gets tired of you?” I was asking mostly for my benefit. I had seen how Brian acted around Kelly and didn’t really think that was a possibility.
“He won’t. Apparently, shifters have one true, or fated mate and he has tied his life to mine.”
Could it be that easy? I thought about Luca and how he said he would give me time to become comfortable. Why was it so hard to admit that someone might want me? Might like having me around? But I knew why.
“Luca says I’m his mate, Kelly, and it scares the hell out of me.”
She chuckled. “Ivy, nothing scares you. But…” she drew outbut, “you need to let go of all your doubt and abandonment issues and jump in. You might find love and acceptance from more than just me. Because you are…amazing. You help everyone, put yourself in front of danger and think nothing about getting hurt. Remember how we met?”
I gripped my phone a little too hard and practically whispered, “Yeah, I remember. It’s just hard to trust something that feels too good to be true.”
“I know it is. But, Ivy, sometimes you must let go and take a chance. Otherwise, you could miss the best thing that could happen in life.” I heard muffled voices in the background, Kelly sighed, and I heard a faintokay.“Brain says I need to let my voice rest for a while. Even though I’m healed, he still worries about me. Call if you need to talk.”
“I will. And I’m glad you’re okay, Kelly.”
We said our goodbyes, but instead of going downstairs, I thought about Kelly and Brian. She sounded so happy and for a moment, I wondered if it could be that easy and I could be that happy. Dreaming about a mate, pups, those were ideas Caroline squashed immediately. But could I really have all of that? And did I want that?
Rummaging through the garbage bag, I snatched a pair of low hip-hugging jogging pants and a belly shirt. Wearing my own clothes made me feel a hell of a lot better. I twisted my hair into another messy bun and then headed downstairs. My bare feet made no sound at all.
The downstairs was deserted, and with my raw emotions, I decided a little distraction would help me focus on something other than Lucas.
A plush suede couch looked very comfortable, so I plopped down and grabbed the remote, clicking the TV on. I flipped through channels until I found an MMA fight.
It didn’t take long for others to trickle in.
“There’s a fight on?” Some guy asked as he took a seat in the chair, eyes glued to the TV. Another guy took a seat on the floor, hugging his knees. They kept looking at me from the corner of their eyes, and I tried to ignore them. My wolf didn’t mind them being there so I shouldn’t either. At some point, I must have drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 15
Ivy
I awoke with a start, my body stiff but on high alert when cheers erupted around me. It took only seconds to analyze my surroundings. Stretched out on the couch, my head rested in Luca’s lap as he stroked my hair. My feet were in Devon’s lap. About eight or ten people were gathered in the living room with me. Luca’s smell calmed any fears that lingered. I instinctively knew that I was safe with him. That he would protect me. My shoulders relaxed and I let my eyes close again.
When the sun cut through the slit in the curtains, I blinked my eyes open. Warmth surrounded me and I inhaled the scent of Luca.
