looked at him before he said, “I’m not trying to get rid of you. I know you’ve been through hell tonight. I’m just trying to figure out how to help you.”
“You’ve been wonderful. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t agreed to help me.” She eased her hand out of his and slid off the stool. “I’ll see you in the morning, or later in the morning.”
“Rest well.” He gathered the dishes and headed for the sink.
She hurried out of the kitchen and picked up the overnight bag before heading upstairs. It was probably overkill, but she felt safer on the second floor. It was too easy to smash in a window and drag someone out on the ground floor.
A hallway branched off to the right, a railed gallery to the left. She paused.
“First bedroom on your left has its own bathroom. That’s probably your best bet.” Jake stood in the living room, looking up at her. He had a dishtowel draped over his shoulder and still managed to look like the proverbial bad-boy fantasy.
“Thanks.” She ran her fingers along the polished railing, struck again by the mansion’s elegance. One wall in the living room was dominated by the largest flat-screen TV she’d ever seen and another contained floor-to-ceiling windows. Everything was orderly and immaculate, as if it were never touched. She was rapidly getting the impression that Jake didn’t spend a lot of time here.
She walked into the bedroom he’d indicated and shut the door. Moonlight spilled in through a gap in the curtains so she didn’t bother locating the light switch. She dropped the bag to the floor and sat on the edge of the bed, feeling empty and numb.
The first few hours after her shift had been consumed by instinct. She thought of nothing but escape, cared only about survival. But once she lost the hunters and found herself literally surrounded by shit, headed in an unknown direction, her emotions surfaced again. Rage, frustration and loss had twisted through her like tentacles. Even trapped in her wolf form, she’d ached with the need to release the pent-up feelings. She’d whimpered and moaned, expressing her sorrow the only way possible.
Now she was capable of crying but the tears wouldn’t come.
It didn’t matter. Crying never solved anything anyway.
She kicked off her borrowed shoes and was about to crawl into bed when someone knocked on the door. Padding to the door, she eased it open and found Jake holding a black t-shirt.
“Thought this would be more comfortable than trying to sleep in what you’re wearing.”
She took the t-shirt and smiled. “I appreciate it.”
“Then I’ll see you in the morning, or later in the morning.” He loitered in the hallway, as if he were as reluctant to leave her as she’d been to leave him.
Ignoring the tantalizing impulse to grab his hand and pull him into her room, she offered him a halfhearted wave and firmly closed the door.
Chapter Three
Lexxie leaned against the tree trunk, hoping Nate had forgotten she was there. He’d ordered her not to leave almost an hour ago but hadn’t so much as looked at her since. The clearing was basically deserted. The bonfire had been reduced to smoldering embers and only four vehicles remained along the tree line.
Nate stood near the fire pit, arms crossed over his chest. Two of the hunters had just returned and Nate wasn’t pleased to see them. She didn’t know the blond, but Braden Montego’s long dark hair and piercing green eyes were unmistakable. She could hear the rumble of Nate’s voice but couldn’t make out his words. Unlike some Therians who could augment their human senses, she wasn’t able to control a partial shift. She was either all wolf or all human. There was nothing in between.
“You’re a useless coward!”
Nate raised his hand to strike the blond but Braden caught his forearm.
“We didn’t give up.” Braden faced her, so his voice carried better than Nate’s. “We lost her. It happens. We’ll regroup and
“You’ve been wonderful. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t agreed to help me.” She eased her hand out of his and slid off the stool. “I’ll see you in the morning, or later in the morning.”
“Rest well.” He gathered the dishes and headed for the sink.
She hurried out of the kitchen and picked up the overnight bag before heading upstairs. It was probably overkill, but she felt safer on the second floor. It was too easy to smash in a window and drag someone out on the ground floor.
A hallway branched off to the right, a railed gallery to the left. She paused.
“First bedroom on your left has its own bathroom. That’s probably your best bet.” Jake stood in the living room, looking up at her. He had a dishtowel draped over his shoulder and still managed to look like the proverbial bad-boy fantasy.
“Thanks.” She ran her fingers along the polished railing, struck again by the mansion’s elegance. One wall in the living room was dominated by the largest flat-screen TV she’d ever seen and another contained floor-to-ceiling windows. Everything was orderly and immaculate, as if it were never touched. She was rapidly getting the impression that Jake didn’t spend a lot of time here.
She walked into the bedroom he’d indicated and shut the door. Moonlight spilled in through a gap in the curtains so she didn’t bother locating the light switch. She dropped the bag to the floor and sat on the edge of the bed, feeling empty and numb.
The first few hours after her shift had been consumed by instinct. She thought of nothing but escape, cared only about survival. But once she lost the hunters and found herself literally surrounded by shit, headed in an unknown direction, her emotions surfaced again. Rage, frustration and loss had twisted through her like tentacles. Even trapped in her wolf form, she’d ached with the need to release the pent-up feelings. She’d whimpered and moaned, expressing her sorrow the only way possible.
Now she was capable of crying but the tears wouldn’t come.
It didn’t matter. Crying never solved anything anyway.
She kicked off her borrowed shoes and was about to crawl into bed when someone knocked on the door. Padding to the door, she eased it open and found Jake holding a black t-shirt.
“Thought this would be more comfortable than trying to sleep in what you’re wearing.”
She took the t-shirt and smiled. “I appreciate it.”
“Then I’ll see you in the morning, or later in the morning.” He loitered in the hallway, as if he were as reluctant to leave her as she’d been to leave him.
Ignoring the tantalizing impulse to grab his hand and pull him into her room, she offered him a halfhearted wave and firmly closed the door.
Chapter Three
Lexxie leaned against the tree trunk, hoping Nate had forgotten she was there. He’d ordered her not to leave almost an hour ago but hadn’t so much as looked at her since. The clearing was basically deserted. The bonfire had been reduced to smoldering embers and only four vehicles remained along the tree line.
Nate stood near the fire pit, arms crossed over his chest. Two of the hunters had just returned and Nate wasn’t pleased to see them. She didn’t know the blond, but Braden Montego’s long dark hair and piercing green eyes were unmistakable. She could hear the rumble of Nate’s voice but couldn’t make out his words. Unlike some Therians who could augment their human senses, she wasn’t able to control a partial shift. She was either all wolf or all human. There was nothing in between.
“You’re a useless coward!”
Nate raised his hand to strike the blond but Braden caught his forearm.
“We didn’t give up.” Braden faced her, so his voice carried better than Nate’s. “We lost her. It happens. We’ll regroup and
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