“Why didn’t he?”Wait…The fact that I even asked that question told me I was in serious need of therapy.
Warrick drove through the open gate and up the long driveway before he answered. “You’re skittish and he’s trying not to scare you off, but he’s not known for his patience. That’s my only warning. Oh, and don’t let any males touch you if you want them to keep breathing. That’s a backup to the first warning.”
I was totally screwed in a way I had no skills to fight against.
“If the alphas in Reeves Pack are scent matched, are they sexually involved with each other?” Maybe I had read their whole pack situation wrong, and they were satisfied in their current bond.
Warrick shook his head. “No. They’re brothers in the true sense of the word, and they’ve always known their fifth would be a female that they share.”
Fantastic. My vagina wept at the very thought.Just don’t ask me in what way.
We approached Warrick’s Tudor style home, which was a nice distraction from my impending doom. Despite its grand size and layout, it retained a perfectly adorable cottage facade with white walls and dark wood accents.
“This is all my mate Cora,” he said, watching me gawk over his pretty home. “Her family is English. They moved to America when she was a teenager, thank the goddess, and this was the style of her home back there. She’s my scent match, and I’d have moved England here for her if she asked me too. Thankfully, this appears to be enough to keep the homesickness away.” He parked in the circular drive, near the front door.
“How many are in your pack?”
“Five.” A perfect quintet. “But Cora is my only scent and romantic match. The other three include my brother and his two mates. We’re loyal and strong as a pack, and there’s more than enough love between us all, even though we’re technically not all bonded in the same way.”
From the little I knew, the dynamics of a pack varied with everyone. There were no hard and fast rules, and it sounded as if these five found the perfect balance. “I’m not supposed to like shifters or being in a pack city,” I grumped, unsure why I had such strong feelings of home and safety when I had literally never been less safe. “Shifters are dangerous, and you’re making it hard not to get attached.”
Warrick didn’t dispel me of myshifters are dangerousnotion, and I wondered if he was thinking about the pack of alphas waiting out there for me. “That’s tomorrow’s worry,” he finally said, opening his door. “Enjoy these few days of reprieve before the real world comes calling.”
As I jumped from the car, I took a second to consider if Warrick might turn out to be an ally when I decided to escape the country. Right now, he wasn’t going to help me, but maybe if we built real trust between us, I could reveal what happened to my mom.
I’d never had an ally. I’d never relied on anyone before, not even when Mom was alive, and it grated against every instinct I possessed to ask for help.
But there was no way I could do this alone, not now that the packs knew about me.
It was a wait-and-see plan, so I decided to take his advice and enjoy a few days insulated from the real world.
Chapter
Six
By the time Warrick opened the front door and stepped inside, a female was throwing herself into his arms.Cora.Warmth oozed from her as she murmured how much she had missed him, before she finally noticed me standing awkwardly in the doorway, trying not to look like I was soaking up all the love and happiness they exuded.
I’d never been hugged like that before.
Even when she was alive, my mom was cold and cruel, and I grew very used to a life without physical contact. My skin itched as I stared at the couple, emotions warring inside me as I was torn between annoyance and envy.
I hadn’t asked to be here, witnessing shit I couldn’t have in my life. I’d been okay with my existence before the packs dragged me off the streets. I’d been fucking okay.
This didn’t feel okay.
Cora pulled away from Warrick, and her expression remained warm when she faced me. I took in her light skin, dark hair pulled up high in a bun displaying her slender shoulders and neck, along with her claiming bite mark. She was all grace and beauty as she moved toward me. “Hello, I’m Cora, it’s so lovely to meet you.” Her accent was light and faintly British.
When she held out her hand, I fidgeted, wishing I wasn’t dressed in crappy gym shorts and a beat-up shirt. She wore an exquisite pink and purple bohemian skirt, swishing around her ankles, along with a white, ruffled midriff top that showed off her curves and flawless skin. She didn’t look as old as Warrick, but I got the feeling she was just aging well, because there was a sense of maturity around her deep blue eyes.
Taking her proffered hand, my return smile was genuine. Cora was instantly likeable. “I’m Emme, and it’s nice to meet you as well. I’m sorry Alpha Warrick brought me around without notice, and I promise not to stay more than a couple of days.”
I had no idea if he’d told her why I was here yet, but I assumed she had some idea when nothing in my ramble changed her open expression. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you need.” She released me with a gentle squeeze. “We have plenty of room, and I can’t imagine how it must feel to have your life completely upended this way. Let us help you get back on your feet.”
These shifters were completely blowing any pre-conceived notions I’d had of being part of pack life. They were weirdly lovely, which of course, only made me retreat further into myself. “Please don’t do anything extra. I don’t need it.”
Warrick took pity on me and wrapped his mate in his arms, half carrying her through the entrance. “Come on, let’s go find the others.”
The downstairs of their house was dreamy, with comfortable furniture, plush cushions and rugs, lamps with warming light, and the general feel of a real home. Everything was high quality and lush, but also practical and lived in.
