Chapter 10
Zeke
We raceto the clearing and shift back, getting dressed to return home. I have many questions about what she told me, but I can see that she’s lost in her head right now.
I figure it’s best to give her time to think about this rather than press her for answers. But I can’t help wondering what she means.Before the fire?
I wrap an arm around her as we walk back to the house, just letting her know that I’m here for her if she needs me. She leans into me, clearly thankful for the company.
When we get back, Nora is in the kitchen baking. “You guys have to try these muffins,” Nora says, one hand resting on her swollen belly and the other holding a plate of bright green pistachio chocolate chip muffins.
Addison takes one and takes a tentative bite before her eyes widen, and she nods her head vigorously while taking another bite.
“The baby is obsessed with pistachios. I don’t know why,” Nora explains with a small eye roll.
She asks what we’ve been up to, and I tell her that we went on a run, that it’s one of the first times Addison has shifted. Addison is excited as she talks about the details of running around, thenshe brings up a memory that crossed her mind. I make eyes at Nora to let her know not to question her right now.
We say good night and head back to the bedroom. As soon as we climb into bed, all I can think about is mating with her earlier. It was spectacular. Better than anything I ever imagined it would be.
And now, after the fact, I get to lie in bed with my mate. And I’ll get to do this every day for the rest of our lives.
However, one thing keeps bothering me. I had a few expectations about what our first time might be like, and I realized not everything went as I thought.
When I entered her, I expected there would be resistance, but I didn’t feel any. It was easy.
A sick feeling grows in my stomach at the idea of it. She was held captive for a long time, and who knows what they did to her.
“Addison, I want to ask you a question. What we did earlier,” I begin, stammering over my words as I cautiously try to broach the subject. “Have you done anything like that with anyone else?”
Addison shakes her head right away. “No... but when I was at the facility, sometimes the doctors would hold my legs open and put things between them. They said it was for data and my health. But they never told me what they were doing.”
A wave of relief washes over me. Even though what she described is horrible, it’s nowhere near as bad as I was thinking. If she confirmed my suspicions, I would be heading over to Axiom and killing every guard in sight, regardless of whether or not I survived.
I relax and grab my laptop from my bedside table and set it down between us. Addison looks at it curiously before I explain what it is. “We could watch a movie before bed?”
Once again, those words don’t seem to mean anything to her because she just wrinkles her eyebrows. I feel a flicker ofexcitement knowing that I’m going to get to show her a movie for the first time. But then there’s the added pressure of having to pick the perfect movie for someone who has never seen one before.
With everything she’s been through, I figure above everything else, laughing could be good. Some levity in her life would go a long way.
She’s mesmerized as I navigate through Netflix and pick outWayne’s World,one of my favorite comedies.
I turn off the lights and both of us lean back, our eyes on the screen as we watch everything unfold. There’s a lot that Addison doesn’t quite understand, unaware of a lot of the references. I don’t mind answering questions for her when she has them.
We’re halfway through the “Bohemian Rhapsody” scene when I hear the front door slam. A moment later, Declan yells, “I need everyone down here now!”
Addison and I look at each other before tossing the covers aside and running down as quickly as we can. Everyone else is here by the time we’re in the living room. Declan is angry, practically bristling about something.
“What’s going on?” I ask, my hand instinctively reaching for Addison’s to squeeze it. Something in my gut tells me this is about her.
“Aaron reported seeing two armored vans in our territory.” Declan pauses, letting the weight of this sink in. “We need to investigate this. Stop them before they do anything.”
“Addison, Nora, you two need to head over to Tara’s and my house,” Kyran says.
I look at Addison and see the terrified frenzy back in her eyes. Nora strides across the room and stands next to her, reaching out for her hand. Addison flinches away before blinking hurriedly as if realizing she’s somewhere safe.
“Sorry, I’m okay,” Addison says, grabbing Nora’s hand.
“You don’t have anything to worry about. We’re going to stop these assholes,” I say to Addison.
