Page 16 of Defeated

She has nowhere to go. That’s why she came back. If she’s been in town all this time and her clothes look clean and well-maintained, she must have had somewhere to stay before. Now, she doesn’t. I can only think of one reason that would be.

“They’re at your apartment,” I guess. Probably so are the rest of her belongings.

She doesn’t respond.

“And if they’re still there tomorrow?” I prompt.

She shrugs as if it doesn’t concern her. “I’ll figure something out.”

My wolf growls in my head. He’s not pissed at Zoe. He’s pissed at what someone is doing to her.

I’m not sure why the thought of these shifters chasing Zoe out of her own home enrages me this much. If I could pry her address out of her, I’d deal with these shifters myself right now. But I’m painfully aware that Zoe is literally balanced on the top step, and any pressure I put on her will chase her away. And she has nowhere to go.

Would she sleep on the street, putting herself in more danger? Or would she risk going back to a potentially unsafe apartment?

I take a step back before she can topple down the stairs, holding the door open. “Well, if you’re going to be helping me out with this packing, come on in. I was about to take a late lunch break if you’re hungry.”

She hesitates for a beat and then follows me in, one reluctant step at a time. “I’m not hungry. Where do you want me to start?”

I pretend not to notice her grumbling stomach and her maple and wild rose scent, an intoxicating smell, as she passes me on her way into the lounge.

After giving the lounge a quick scan, she turns to me.

I nod toward the half-empty bookcase. “Why don’t you finish up the books, and I’ll order some food for that break I was going on?”

Her shoulders relax with each step I move away from her. Seeing her response makes me more determined to prove that she can trust me not to hurt her.

I leave her to packing, dig my cell phone out of my pocket and do a quick search to find a local restaurant that delivers. It doesn’t take long to settle on a well-reviewed local coffee shop that makes sandwiches and soups.

I order four sandwiches, two soups of the day, and two seasonal coffees. After tucking my cell phone into my pocket, I start building boxes while Zoe focuses on emptying the bookcase.

We pass the next thirty minutes in silence.

It’s not like me to make small talk. My packmates—Penny or Tina—would usually be the one drawing me into conversation, but Zoe is skittish and I need to find out what threats are lurking in town, so I can deal with them.

If that means fumbling as I try to make small talk, then so be it.

“He worried about you,” I say as I pass over three more boxes.

“Colton?” She takes the boxes and turns to place them on the floor beside the bookcase.

I look away from her curves. The last thing she needs is to catch me staring at her ass when she’s wary enough. “Yeah.”

“Well, he didn’t need to.”

“I disagree.” I wait until I have her full attention before I speak. “The trouble from here followed him to our pack’s home. They nearly killed one of my packmates.”

Zoe blanches, her fingers gripping one of the last books. “Was your packmate okay?”

I recall Penny tossing mouthwash into a man’s eyes before shoving him down the stairs. An unexpected way to deal with a threat, but it did the job.

Swallowing my smile, I nod. “Penny can more than handle herself in a fight. She’s okay. Since these guys seem like the type to hold a grudge, you can probably understand why Colton would be worried about you.”

My words drift over Zoe’s head because, from the vacant look in her eyes and the way she’s gripping that book as if determined to crush it, she’s not listening.

“Zoe?”

She shakes her head and shoves the book into the box at her feet. “I can’t be here. I should go.”

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