She climbed into Malachi’s giant bed and went to sleep believing in all of them and maybe in herself too. She was safe here. Not only with Malachi but also with his pack.
She woke up screaming from a dream that, for the first time, was not a flashback. Instead it was a harbinger. She tumbled out of bed to the floor, sprang up, and ran to the locked door.
“M-M-Malachi,” she sobbed.
“I’m here,” came his quiet rasp from the other side.
April turned the lock with shaking fingers, then threw the door open so hard it bounced off the wall. Before her stood the good alpha. Her panicking brain could form no further thoughts, not even to say his name again. She pressed her body to his, her cheek to his bare chest. Her fingers dug into his back as she tried not to be dragged away from him. Slowly his arms encircled her. From his chest came a deep, soothing rumble.
“You are safe,” he said.
“No, no.” The sobs came so hard she thought she might gag. “He came. He wants to hurt me. He wants to kill us.”
A warm, broad hand cupped the back of her head. “He isn’t here, April.”
“He’s coming here.”
“Then I’ll kill him.”
“Please don’t let him take me.”
“If he tries to take you from me, I will kill him.”
She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t let go of Malachi, or Drew would kill them both.
“My word to you, on my life. I won’t let him take you, April.”
Then his arms shifted, and he lifted her from the floor and cradled her. Slowly she began breathing and thinking. Began processing her surroundings and…andhim. The six-foot-seven alpha wolf who carried her across the house…while wearing nothing but black pajama shorts.
He brought her to the couch. The sheets were rumpled, the pillow fallen to the floor when he got up to go to her. He set her down with the same care he afforded his every other word and deed. Then he wrapped her in a dove-gray woven throw blanket and sat beside her. Her teeth chattered. She looked at his legs, massive with muscle, bare to mid-thigh; then at his chest and abs, no less muscular in ways her imagination had not done justice. And the bulk of his shoulders…the sculpted power of his arms… Confusion swirled in her head. She was still shivering from the nightmare, yet she was able without any fear to notice the strong body beside her.
Because this is Malachi.
He stood in a smooth motion that caused muscles to ripple in ways that made her blush. And Malachi… Was he blushing too?
“I apologize,” he said.
Then he walked away, down the hall to the master bedroom. In less than a minute he came back, clearly hurrying so as not to leave her alone, tugging a black T-shirt down over his torso. He wore long sleep pants now too, also black.
“Oh,” she said.
“I didn’t expect you to open the door.”
“Oh. Right. Of course.”
“April…” He crouched in front of her to meet her eyes squarely. “Are you all right?”
“I…I’m…” She covered her face. “I’m confused.”
He waited, silent. Gave her space to figure out…well, nothing. Shewasconfused.
“I thought I wasn’t able to look at you…that way. The, um, the way I just did. I didn’t mean to, and I—I don’t know that it means anything, Malachi. I know the scent of my mood gave me away, and I know what you must want it to mean, but I—I don’t think I can let it mean that.”
“Will you tell me why?”
“If I knew.” She threw up her hands. “I didn’t think I could trust a wolf, any wolf, ever again, and if I was wrong about that… If there’s ever going to be a wolf that I could learn how to…to… It would be you. I know that much. The only wolf I might ever… It would be you.”
Malachi rose from his crouch and sat beside her again. Slowly he wrapped his arm around her, so slowly she could easily push him away or move out of his reach. When she didn’t, his arm tucked her closer. She sighed. She let her head rest on his chest.
