“Darlin’, I just need to put you down for a second, okay?” She doesn’t respond, but this time, I’m able to lower her into the seat without her pushing back into my hold. “I’m going to take us somewhere safe, somewhere no one will find you. But if you need me to hold you a little longer, I will. I’ll do whatever you need.”
She inhales a shuddering breath, and those big, pretty eyes finally peer up at me.
“You smell really good.” She blinks, pupils blown wide.
I pull in my lips to lock away the smile bursting to get out. “So do you,” I murmur, desperate to touch her again.
“Can we…” She swallows, glancing around the car park before lowering her voice. “Can we get out of here?”
I nod, pulling back only when her fingers allow it.
Sitting on the edge of the passenger seat in my 4x4, she looks so small, a shiver skittering through her body. I reach into the back seat, grabbing someone’s Nexus hoodie. Her eyes go wide as she watches me pull it over her head. It drowns her, covering way past her knees. Her hair bunches around her in a self-made bob of pink, eyes locked on me again, and if this were a different day, a different moment, I’d lean over and kiss her.
Instead, I tuck some hair behind her ear, ease her legs into the footwell, and reach over to push in her seat belt.
Shutting her door, I rush to the other side, finding her curled up, knees under the hoodie and against her chest, fingers toying with the cuffed sleeves.
“I’m going to take us somewhere safe,” I repeat, trying to soothe her.
She doesn’t respond, just stares straight ahead.
I reach into my pocket and send the guys a quick update.
“I’m going to send my pack to your room. They’ll pick up anything I missed. Okay?”
Again, no response. She just stares.
My alpha rumbles his concern. “Are you hurt, darlin’?”
“No… I’m okay.”
Finally.
A soft purr trickles out of me, even louder than the engine when I start the car. As I pull out of the car park, her body starts to relax, and I decide I’ll never stop purring.
***
A part of me hoped Revea would fall asleep during the journey, but she doesn’t. Her eyes remain fixed on the road.
From the airport, our home is thirty minutes away. I make it there in twenty.
The guys will no doubt be at the hotel by now, seeing what I saw, wondering what the fuck is going on. That gives me some time alone with Revea to figure out exactly that. Because she’s terrified. And fear makes people do two things.
Right now, I’ve got an omega ready to flee at the drop of a pin.
My purr fades out when I pull up to the first security check. It scans our car’s registration before the wide iron gates creak open.
At the next gate, I enter a code from my phone. I catch Revea’s gaze on me but pretend I don’t.
At the third, I lean out the window to press my thumb against a scanner and say my name.
She’s turned to look at me. “What is this place…?” she murmurs. But now, she doesn’t sound scared.
“My pack house.”
She frowns but doesn’t say anything else, just settles back into her seat as I drive into the courtyard.
We’ve never brought any women here. We’ve never gotten that far. Even when Luc had a girlfriend for a while last year, he didn’t even ask to bring her over, like a part of him knew it wouldn’t work.
