I sat down and reclined my head. Through the skylight, the grey clouds drifted overhead, leaving me unsettled about what might happen when the Council released Noah. “What happens if I’m in here at night and I need help?”
Melody sat up. “You’ve met Catcher. He guards the house at night, and one of us will be out there too. Lucian has cameras all over the property that are motion activated. We also have an alarm on the front gate.”
“Cecilia makes a good point.” Joy stroked the base of her throat while staring vacantly at the bookshelf. “We can buy something to reinforce the door, but maybe she’ll feel safer with a weapon.” She turned to look at me. “Do you know how to use a gun?”
“No.”
Melody twirled her hair around her finger. “A bow?”
I shook my head.
Joy sat. “She can’t use a bow in here.”
Melody leaned back on her hands. “I can.”
Joy patted my knee. “We’ll speak with the Packmaster and see what he thinks. I don’t know how he’ll feel about you being armed with a weapon you don’t know how to use, but I promise youno onecan trespass without us knowing. I tried skinny-dipping one morning, and that was a disaster.”
“Lucian got an eyeful,” Melody said with a snort.
“Yes, and he almost sent me to an early grave with the microphone. One minute, I’m sliding into the water. And the next, his voice blares out of nowhere, warning me about a snake in the water.”
Melody chuckled. “That’s why he’s forever single.”
Joy opened the bathroom door on the left side of the bed. “Shall we finish the tour?” Her blue eyes sparkled,suddenly reminding me of which classic celebrity she resembled. But it wasn’t worth mentioning, especially since Joy’s radiance exceeded hers.
“Your hair looks good down,” Melody said while crawling off the bed. “I know you’re a ponytail girl but just thought I’d tell you that you can rock the long hair.”
“Thanks.”
When I approached the bathroom, Joy dipped to the right and blocked the toilet, which had a privacy wall next to it. I blinked in surprise at the roomy standing shower on the left.
“You put a chair in here?” I gestured at the pink furniture in the right corner.
Melody strutted across the room and sat on the garden tub. “The small chaise was my idea. Weweregoing to put it in the living room to match the rug and pillows, but we had extra space in here we needed to fill. Someone might want to sit down and… paint her toenails.”
“I’m sure that’s what you had in mind for its use.” Joy grinned as she sauntered out of the room.
Melody gave an impish grin. “All I’m saying is if Lakota wants to pop in for some spicy time, this whole setup could be kind of sexy. Me taking a bath, him sitting in the chair and rubbing my feet.”
“Your heat house is smaller than my house but a thousand times nicer.” I leaned against the sink and stared at my grotesque reflection. The light accentuated the swelling and purplish color. A blood vessel had burst in my eye, and the bright-red hue made me cover it with my hand.
Melody walked up beside me, standing a couple of inches taller. She looked at my reflection before turning her gaze down to her rhinestone sneakers. “I don’t know what to say in a situation like this, except… I’m here if you need me. We all are. And we’re glad you’re safe.”
“I appreciate that. You’ve been incredibly generous.” Looking down at my wrist, I said, “I never thought I’d actually leave him. It was impossible to imagine what that would look like.”
“Someday you’ll find your other half, and you’ll be able to put this behind you. Your person will make everything worth it. Lakota’s not just my life mate, he’s my best friend. Trust me. If the fates sent a good man to a workaholic daredevil like me, I know they have someone really special waiting for you. Now you can put yourself first and work on that vision board.”
I glanced at my tousled brown hair in the mirror and ran my fingers through the ends. “Noah ripped it up.”
“That piece of toilet scum better not show his face around here, or I’ll put an arrow up his?—”
“We should leave,” Joy said from the doorway. “Cecilia, we don’t have a closet. There wasn’t enough room, and we decided a luxurious bathtub was more important. So we keep a bin underneath the bed for storage. Robyn donated a few things she thought would fit, including panties and bras.”
Melody snorted. “Those aren’t loaners. We’re not that creepy. We buy a lot of things in bulk, and Robyn had extras she’s never worn. If they don’t fit, let me know. I need an excuse to get out of the house. By the way, don’t let the snacks in the other room mislead you. You’re still invited to eat with us.”
“If you want.” Joy clutched Melody’s arm. “She might not feel like it for a little while. Sometimes a girl needs to be alone. If you want to eat here, we’ll bring you a plate at mealtimes. If you’re not hungry, just put it in the drink cooler. You can reheat it later in the microwave. No trouble at all. You do whatever makes you feel comfortable until you’re healed.”
I had little to say except “thanks”, which seemed grossly insufficient. Yet I was still in a state of disarray—shaken from last night’s attack, bruised, uncertain what the future held, and terrified that Noah would come for me.
