Kira went as silent as a mouse, her eyes downcast and frown lines wrinkling her forehead.
“If you want me to keep your secret, I deserve to know.”
Kira played with the end of her braid. “You are s-strong man. You are powerful.”
“That’s not it. I’m a Sensor. Do you know what that is?”
She flicked a glance at his hands. “Da. You feel what others feel.”
“Sorta. And I’ve felt your fear from day one. Christian’s a lot more scary-looking than I am. Hell, even Claude has a stare that will make a man piss his pants. I don’t get it. I know I’m rough-looking with all the tattoos and scars, but I’ve always been nice.”
Kira rose to leave. “I do not know what you want me to say.”
Shepherd launched to his feet and blocked her. “I just want to know what I did wrong. Is it all my scars?” He swallowed hard. Shepherd had fifty-three knife wounds on his hands, arms, and chest. It was a lot to take in.
Kira cupped her elbows as if she were cold. At this close proximity, he smelled honeysuckle. It must have been a lotion or shampoo she used.
Shepherd didn’t want to corner her or make her feel obligated to do his bidding since he had a secret on her. Breaking the ice was a start. “Just don’t be scared of me,” he finally said. “I’d never hurt you. We protect one another in this house. Got it? I do bad things, but you don’t need to be afraid of me. And… and thanks.”
She flashed her eyes up to meet his. Shepherd was six foot two, and she was about five inches shorter. “For what?”
“For offering to take care of Hunter if something happened to me. I don’t know if you meant it. If you did, I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have to raise him. He likes you, and you’re good with him.”
“Hunter is such special boy. You know this?”
She meant his abilities. Or maybe she meant the fact that he didn’t ever speak.
“Yeah, I know this.”
“Special children need protection. Give him education but do not hide him. He must know how to live in this world. Not like me—depending on kindness of strangers. I trust you will not tell Viktor my secret.”
“I want to finish this conversation. Try not to run from me next time.”
“Da, ser. Good night.”
After she left, he went over their conversation in his head. Viktor obviously felt reassured that she didn’t understand any of them and therefore would present no danger to their organization. Part of it must have been the uncertainty if she would betray them or the possibility someone could force her to reveal their secrets. It was a bad situation to put anyone in, including Switch. At least Switch knew the deal, and so he kept his distance. It was harder for Kira to do that since she did so much housework and was always lurking in the halls, picking up their papers, and serving their meals. It was inevitable she would overhear something she wasn’t supposed to, simply because the team didn’t realize she understood. Viktor might find out eventually, but Shepherd wasn’t a snitch. He’d given his word, and that had to mean something in this world.
Besides that, he had good instincts about people. He trusted her, and that made him feel protective of her.
The one thing he couldn’t stop thinking about was her advice on not sheltering Hunter—that special children needed protection, but they also needed the tools to live independently. Was she also once a special child? Why had her father’s pack rejected her mother? A Packmaster could basically mate whomever the fuck they wanted. Some of the packmates might split from the pack, but for the entire pack to break apart? Simply because she was a foreigner or different Breed?
Something didn’t sit right. Why would her father flee to a small town in the middle of nowhere instead of starting up a new pack? Wolves placed importance on packs because they offered protection. If the trouble had to do with her mother, why wouldn’t he have formed a pack after her death? Being alone made them vulnerable. Shepherd also wanted to know what had happened back at the hotel—where she had disappeared to.
So many questions.
So few answers.
CHAPTER5
Instead of returning to the taqueria, Christian and I hung out at my father’s house for the remainder of the day. Without being prompted, Christian went outside and shoveled snow from my father’s entire yard. I wasn’t sure if he was doing it to get out of my father’s hair or to get on his good side. Either way, Crush contentedly looked out the window and watched him labor. I ran a quick errand to a market I found open and bought bananas, prepackaged meals, and healthy snacks like cashews and yogurt. Though he balked about my cleaning his kitchen, I needed to keep my mind focused on anything besides Fletcher. The more I thought about him, the sicker I felt.
By the time we headed home that evening, I was ready for a stiff drink.
Unfortunately, the moment we walked in the door, Blue led us upstairs to an emergency meeting.
“I’ve never been in here before,” I said, entering what looked like a windowless boardroom.
Everyone sat at a long wooden table while Viktor and Wyatt tinkered with a laptop on the left side of the table.
