56
Everything hurts. Moving isn’t an option and I feel like I’m on fire. What Where the hell am 17 Where are my babies? How long has it been since
There’s an off feeling to my left. There’s someone here. No, that’s not right Something is here I don’t know how but in it’s not a person. I don’t ever remember breathing in this scent, but I recognize it, it’s intoxicating is kind of like spraying male model with a very expensive perfume and making him walk outside, letting the scent me
wet dirt, pine, and the air’s moist scent when rain is promised
The scent provides the calmness I feel. The sort of calmness I’ve never felt before a lot like the safety feel around Knightly. My instincts are out of wack because look at where trusting that asshole got me He’s been taking and taking from the moment we met and I say one thing and the fucker attacks me with his fucking
“She’s been in hibernation since you left. An awakening like this has a process, but like everything pack related you fucked it up and we have to wait for her to adjust,”
I think I know that voice. The first time I heard it I was afraid, but not right now Maria is a friend. At least I consider her one. She promised she would take care of the twins. Are they okay? Do they miss me? Are they worried?
“He claimed his mate, Man If you have nothing supportive to say to our son, get the fuck out another voice grows
“This is my house, you piece of shit,” she shoots back.
“Don’t rile me up, Maria,” there’s amusement in his voice. It’s clearly a threat but not one that means her any harm. The last thing you want is for me to kill him and take you back home with me,”
“What the hell are you doing here?” that voice I’d recognize in a crowd with millions of others
“I came to make sure you didn’t kill her,” the man says. “I brought her some herbs and medicine to help her get through Your mother is right. She wasn’t prepared, Nate. You need to take control of that thing”
“Tve got it,” Knight growls.
“You think that little Lycan bitch is going to help you. She couldn’t even help herself. She’s lucky she was able to tum before the wolf destroyed her. Come home, Nathan. Bring the girl and the pups-”
“You’re not going anywhere near my pups or my mate,” Knight growls.
“Or what?” his father challenges. “What do you think you can do to me in the condition you’re in?”
He doesn’t raise his voice and it’s clear he thinks his son’s threats are cute. If I could open my eyes, I’d probably see the same bemused look on his face he gave Ayrie when he first met her. I find enough strength to laugh at the condescending way he just addressed Knightly. The room goes quiet.
“She laughed at you, Maria says and I feel the imposing aura come closer.
“Can you hear me, Angel?” so, it’s Knight. No, maybe his wolf. I can tell they’re different.
“Dick,” I croak.
There are three distinctive laughs and then an explosion of warmth takes over when Knightly takes my hand. I take in a deep breath instantly feeling lighter. The warmth doesn’t completely overwhelm the burning sensation I feel everywhere. but it does make it a bit more tolerable. I open my eyes and gasp
I blink a few times looking around wondering why everything looks like I’m seeing it in 4K. The colors and contrasts are heightened. There’s a mural along the ceiling. A pack of wolves chasing a rabbit in an open field.
-Food- a voice echoes in my head. With the fear now easily rising, I sit up looking around to see if I had missed someone in here with us. Knightly and his parents are both here but no one else. -Hungry-
“What the fuck is that?” I blurt out. Knight looks over at his father.
The man steps forward and pushes him away. The connection between us breaks and something inside me stirs at the loss
“Shhhhh,” Mr. Knightly places his hand on my head. “You’re okay,” he says gently and for whatever reason, I believe him and I sit back. The fear settles and I give him my attention. “I am so sorry about all of this, dear Phoebe. My beloved Mania and her oaf of a mate raised a fucking bitch and I have to fix his fuck up yet again,”
“You could have done more I say unsure why it came out with the confidence it did.
“Yes, well, not without killing his parents,” he s to help you out of this bed and back to my grai “Where are they?” I ask turning to Maria
“School,” she says apologetically
are me no details. I need all of it if we’re going
Successfully unlocked!
I groan laying back to put my arm over my eyes needing fewer colors in my vision.
“I am never going to forgive you for making me miss their first day of school I say knowing that he’s listening “Did you at least take them yourself?”
“I did Ayrie didn’t want to leave my side,” he says quietly. The voice in my head growls equally upset with him I open my eyes to look over at Mr. Knightly
“What is that? The voice. It’s demanding and growling. It feels like me but it’s more,” my eyes fill with tears. He sits beside me and takes my hand with a smile on his face.
“Be still” he warns me: “Eyes on me,”
I keep my eyes on his and watch as his eyes glow bright red. The thing inside of me seems to respond to it. His smile turns into a grin. If I had to put a name to the expression on his face, I’d say it was pride
“That, my dear Phoebe, is your wall. The alpha dormant inside of you,”
“The alpha?” I snort. “Me?”
“You haven’t told her,” he pulls away to face Knightly.
“The time hasn’t presented itself, Knightly sighs. The anger I felt as I almost bled to death before, returns with a vengeance.
“I think the time is pretty fucking present now,” I glare at him. “What are you hiding from me?”
“You should take it from here, Nathan I’ll be outside pretending I don’t want my hands all over your mother, he stands up and turns his attention back to me. “Go easy on him, Phoebs. He’s an idiot. Gets it from her
“Fucking ass, Maria growls at him.
“I’d like to be. Yours to be exact, he lets out a low rumbling sound and by the way she reacts, it’s safe to say that he’s not supposed to be doing that.
“Get the fuck out of my house, Arnold,” she shouts and shoves him out. He lets out a throaty chuckle and waves goodbye.
at me.
I want to be mad but Mr. Knightly has a way of making me laugh while simultaneously being an asshole. I laugh shaking my head and then turn to face Knightly. He lets out a heavy sigh and takes a seat on the blue recliner next to me.
“Phoebe-
“If another apology comes out of you I’m not sure what I’m going to throw at your fat head but reach for something.” I scoff.
“I’m not going to apologize,” he sits up to lean closer. “You’re my mate and I’m not the only one who gets a say in how things happen. I’m not just a man. I’m a fucking wolf and maybe I’ve forgotten what that’s like, but the fact is that I am what I am. There’s no way back now.
“That’s not how I wanted things to happen. I admit that I lost control. I haven’t had control of myself since you came back into my life and if this is going to work, we both need a little more stability,”
“I am a completely stable person. Up until you showed up, I was perfectly okay”
“You’re perfectly okay now, he shrugs.
“I’ve been in bed for three days without explaining to my kids why. I am far from okay” I sneer. “We’ll round back to that. What are you hiding?”
I
“If we spent the week alone and I tried to explain everything I hide from everyone to you, it wouldn’t be enough time, Angel” he stares back at me.
I
“What the fuck am I supposed to do with that, Nathan?” I all but shout. He licks his lips and sits back with a grin on his face. It only serves to piss me off further.
“Nothing. Learn, I guess. Calm down,”
“Tell me to calm down again and I will strangle you with this fucking I.V. tube coming out of my arm,” I say calmly. He presses his lips together and nods.
“You’re kind of hot when you’re mad,” he smirks. “I didn’t think you had it in you.”
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