lip and it came away stained with her blood.
The iron taste filled her mouth and she realised she’d been biting her lip so hard she’d broken skin.
‘I’m not sure what happened. I ah…’
He lifted his thumb and sucked the blood off, like he was licking ice-cream off a spoon, without conscious thought. It was like tasting her blood was second nature—like he was her mate.
She knew the minute he realised what he’d done. His eyes changed to his beast, the colour flashing from blue to cat yellow. He sucked in a breath and the moment ended.
‘I’m fine.’ She was so far from fine it wasn’t funny. ‘Thanks.’
She wasn’t sure what she was thanking him for. She was finding it hard to think right then.
He frowned down at her. ‘Where’d you go just now?’
She forced a smile. ‘Sorry, just wool-gathering.’
He didn’t believe her, not one bit. He didn’t take his eyes off her, waited for her to say more. When she just stood there like an idiot, he pressed his phone into her hand. ‘Okay, well it’s up to you. Your mother knows you’re safe, she can wait another day if you’re not ready.’
The male could read her mind.
Besides her call for help, Tressa had given up trying to get through to her. Her father had all but exiled her and her mother had stood meekly by and allowed it to happen. From a cub, Tressa had known no one would protect her from her father’s rages. She’d kill for her son, do whatever it took to protect him from harm, and had turned Dan’s anger on herself the few times it looked like he might go after Sawyer.
Her mother had always looked the other way.
She carried the phone out to the small balcony and dialled the number for home.
The phone barely rang twice.
‘Hello.’ Her mother’s voice was soft, cautious and she almost felt guilty for her earlier thoughts.
‘Hey, Mom. It’s me.’
‘Oh Tressa, I’m so glad to hear your voice. I’ve been worried sick about you.’
And just like that, the old resentment reared up.
Really? You’ve actually given me a second thought?
She pushed it aside, hurting her mother would solve nothing, would change nothing.
‘We’re fine, thanks to Gabe.’
She dropped his name on purpose. She didn’t want to hurt her, but she needed to know that even after everything, he was the one who would bring her home.
‘Right. Yes, Fletcher dropped by to see me.’ She made a snuffling sound, followed by a muted sob.
‘I’m glad…I’m glad Gabe was able to get you to safety, sweetheart.’
She didn’t know what she expected her mother to say, but her easy acceptance of the man they’d forced her to abandon cut to the quick. She’d been sent away, her unborn child threatened because Gabe was the one who had gotten her pregnant. And now everything was all peachy keen?
Her temper flared.
‘Really?’ It came out a snarl and her mother’s indrawn breath was a sucker punch to the chest. Her mother was finally free from her father. She didn’t need someone else making her feel worthless.
Tressa knew first-hand how that felt, had her whole life.
‘I—I’m sorry, Tressa, for everything. I wish…I wish, I’d stood up for you more. I…’ Then her mother dissolved into tears and she felt like a bigger asshole than her father.
She dropped into one of the chairs on the small balcony. Her eyes stung and she tried to blink it away, but it didn’t work. The tears began to flow.
‘It’s okay, mom. We’re going to be okay.’
Chapter 6
Gabe couldn’t just sit there as wave after wave of pain flowed from Tressa. She clutched his phone so tight her knuckles had turned white.
‘It’s okay, Mom. We’re going to be okay.’
Her words were loaded with so much anguish and hurt.
All the time he’d known her, the McCrays had always seemed like a tight-knit family unit. So much so, he’d found himself envying what Tressa had. He’d craved what she seemed to take for granted. Now he knew better, he remembered what had
The iron taste filled her mouth and she realised she’d been biting her lip so hard she’d broken skin.
‘I’m not sure what happened. I ah…’
He lifted his thumb and sucked the blood off, like he was licking ice-cream off a spoon, without conscious thought. It was like tasting her blood was second nature—like he was her mate.
She knew the minute he realised what he’d done. His eyes changed to his beast, the colour flashing from blue to cat yellow. He sucked in a breath and the moment ended.
‘I’m fine.’ She was so far from fine it wasn’t funny. ‘Thanks.’
She wasn’t sure what she was thanking him for. She was finding it hard to think right then.
He frowned down at her. ‘Where’d you go just now?’
She forced a smile. ‘Sorry, just wool-gathering.’
He didn’t believe her, not one bit. He didn’t take his eyes off her, waited for her to say more. When she just stood there like an idiot, he pressed his phone into her hand. ‘Okay, well it’s up to you. Your mother knows you’re safe, she can wait another day if you’re not ready.’
The male could read her mind.
Besides her call for help, Tressa had given up trying to get through to her. Her father had all but exiled her and her mother had stood meekly by and allowed it to happen. From a cub, Tressa had known no one would protect her from her father’s rages. She’d kill for her son, do whatever it took to protect him from harm, and had turned Dan’s anger on herself the few times it looked like he might go after Sawyer.
Her mother had always looked the other way.
She carried the phone out to the small balcony and dialled the number for home.
The phone barely rang twice.
‘Hello.’ Her mother’s voice was soft, cautious and she almost felt guilty for her earlier thoughts.
‘Hey, Mom. It’s me.’
‘Oh Tressa, I’m so glad to hear your voice. I’ve been worried sick about you.’
And just like that, the old resentment reared up.
Really? You’ve actually given me a second thought?
She pushed it aside, hurting her mother would solve nothing, would change nothing.
‘We’re fine, thanks to Gabe.’
She dropped his name on purpose. She didn’t want to hurt her, but she needed to know that even after everything, he was the one who would bring her home.
‘Right. Yes, Fletcher dropped by to see me.’ She made a snuffling sound, followed by a muted sob.
‘I’m glad…I’m glad Gabe was able to get you to safety, sweetheart.’
She didn’t know what she expected her mother to say, but her easy acceptance of the man they’d forced her to abandon cut to the quick. She’d been sent away, her unborn child threatened because Gabe was the one who had gotten her pregnant. And now everything was all peachy keen?
Her temper flared.
‘Really?’ It came out a snarl and her mother’s indrawn breath was a sucker punch to the chest. Her mother was finally free from her father. She didn’t need someone else making her feel worthless.
Tressa knew first-hand how that felt, had her whole life.
‘I—I’m sorry, Tressa, for everything. I wish…I wish, I’d stood up for you more. I…’ Then her mother dissolved into tears and she felt like a bigger asshole than her father.
She dropped into one of the chairs on the small balcony. Her eyes stung and she tried to blink it away, but it didn’t work. The tears began to flow.
‘It’s okay, mom. We’re going to be okay.’
Chapter 6
Gabe couldn’t just sit there as wave after wave of pain flowed from Tressa. She clutched his phone so tight her knuckles had turned white.
‘It’s okay, Mom. We’re going to be okay.’
Her words were loaded with so much anguish and hurt.
All the time he’d known her, the McCrays had always seemed like a tight-knit family unit. So much so, he’d found himself envying what Tressa had. He’d craved what she seemed to take for granted. Now he knew better, he remembered what had
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