Page 26 of Protected By the Wolf

I felt someone approach from behind and tried to stand, but my stomach clenched again. I turned my head and saw it was Suzy.

“Bruno, you okay?” Suzy asked.

“Just don’t feel well.”

“Oh no, I’ll tell Chef. Maybe something went bad.”

“No, don’t do that. I’ll let him know if it gets worse. It’s probably just a bug I got.”

She stopped her retreat and turned back to face me. “Well, if you’re sure?”

“I’m sure.”

There was silence for a bit, before I said, “Suzy, is there something you need?”

She nodded. “Yes, there’s something I think you should know, and I’m having a hard time deciding if I should tell you.”

I noticed she looked worried and was wringing her hands together, but something was not matching up. The pain was getting worse and began spreading to my chest. I couldn’t focus on her face.

“Just tell me, Suzy,” I growled impatiently.

“Okay, if you insist.” She blew out a breath and said in a rush, “Jacob is with Millie right now, walking around downtown. I heard they might be going ice skating together.”

I growled, which made her flinch, but she continued, “I also heard that he might propose to her today.”

“What?” I roared. I was seeing red now. I heard more than saw the back door open and Suzy scramble through it. The door banged shut behind her, and it was like a signal, sending me off in the direction of the ice rink.

Millie had said I was the one. Jacob must have tricked her.

Lira

I had driven to San Francisco to pick up some new outfits. If Bruno and I were going to continue dating, I needed to be ready for any occasion. When I got home, I found Millie sitting on the couch, staring into space.

“Millie, what is going on?” I asked for the hundredth time. She hadn’t responded at all since I got home; she just continued to stare into the void. I was so worried she was hurt and couldn’t articulate her pain.

“You’re scaring me, Millie. You haven’t even moved an eyeball since I’ve been home.”

When there was yet again no response, I went into the kitchen to look for serving bowls and spoons. I knew Millie didn’t eat out as much as I did, so she would have more than basic kitchen stuff on hand. Sure enough, I found actual ice cream bowls and spoons. Digging out a carton of coffee ice cream from her freezer, I put three big scoops into a bowl and returned to her side.

Standing in front of Millie, I placed the bowl right on her cheek. Her whole body rippled in response to the freezing temperature.

“Good, that’s the first reaction I’ve gotten from you all night,” I said with relief. I scooped up a spoonful of ice cream and held it up to her lips. “Here, take a bite.”

Her mouth was closed shut so I wasn’t sure how this would work, but as soon as the spoon touched her lips, they opened.

For the first time all night, her eyes tracked to mine, and then she started bawling. Putting the bowl down, I sat next to her and simply held her. “I don’t know why you’re crying, Millie, but I’ve never seen you like this. I’m so worried. Please talk to me.”

But she just continued to cry, and we sat like that till she fell asleep.

After getting her to bed, I picked up my phone and went into the living room. I had a sudden urge to call Bruno and hear his voice in the hope that he would make me feel calmer before Millie woke up. But it wasn’t meant to be. The call went to voicemail. I listened to his voice rumble through the phone, asking me to leave a message, but I didn’t. I just sat on the couch feeling helpless and wondering how to help my sister.

Bruno

I felt so heavy, and no matter how I struggled, the water was continuing to drag me down. I needed to make it back to Millie and make sure she was okay. Every cell in my body was screaming that I had to go to her. That she was in pain.

I suddenly opened my eyes and was stunned by a blinding glare. This didn’t look or feel like the ocean. Blinking a few times, I turned and saw Jacob.

“Why are you holding my hand?” I asked, pulling my hand from his while at the same time realizing I was lying in bed.

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