Page 6 of Big Knot Energy (Shadowverse)

She wasn’t as small or petite as her sister, but she wasn’t exactly tall. She was thin,toothin, and looked frail. A small scar was fading along her hairline and shadows underlined her haunted eyes. She always seemed as though she was watching for one threat or another. Even though she was behind a secured gate and surrounded by armed guards.

“I was talking to Corazon. And my pack. Enzo and Ax…” Damn it. I was rambling and stumbling over my words.

“I know who your pack is,” she said, a ghost of a smile playing at the corners of her pillowy lips.

While Isabelle and Corazon resembled each other in that sisterly way, the beta sister held something that called to me, to my alpha, in a way I couldn’t define nor deny. Not that Corazon wasn’t a beautiful woman. But I’d never once weaved a single sexual fantasy around her the way I had around Isabelle – Issa – on nearly a daily basis.

Who the fuck was I trying to kid? It was more like hourly.

“We’d like you to come stay at our house.” I held up my hands when her eyes widened, and her lips parted. Her warm, sun-dried linen scent spiked and was tainted with a slightly bitter smell as herfear ratcheted up. And why wouldn’t she be afraid? I was another alpha, just like the ones who’d made her life a fucking nightmare.

“W-why?” she stammered.

Sitting up and turning my body to face hers, I hunched my shoulders a little and clasped my hands between my spread knees in hopes of appearing less intimidating and a little smaller.

“I’m only going to speak for myself, but I promise the others feel the same way. We feel responsible for you. We want to know you’re safe.”

“I’m safe here,” she said. Her eyes flitted to the closed door then back to me again. “Dotheywant me to leave?” Her voice sounded so small, so sad that it broke my fucking heart.

“They never said anything about you leaving.Wewant you in our home. And, if you’d like someday, in our pack. As a member.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and blinked rapidly and I feared the moment those beautiful hazel eyes grew glassy.

But she never so much as teared up.

“I have no desire to carry your children,” she said, lifting her chin and leveling what I assumed was supposed to be a glare on me.

“That’s not…we haven’t discussed having a family. Not that we won’t want a child or two someday. But…we just…”

Fuck. I was screwing this all up.

“I like you. We like you. And we want to make sure you’re safe. We want to help you grow. We want to help you gain your independence.”

From what we’d been told, she was still reluctant to leave the house, even when the entirety of the pack left the estate for one reason or another. And even when there would be plenty of firepower to protect both women.

“All we want from you is your happiness. You’re free to get a job if you want or just…live your life. We make more than enough that you won’t have to worry about feeling as though you need to earn your keep or whatever.”

Maybe I should have waited and let Enzo have this discussion with her. As pack lead, he might have been able to give her better reasons, or at least been more articulate.

No way would I have allowed Ax to be the one to ask her. He would flirt with her and make sexual innuendos that might have ended up turning her away before we ever had the chance to show her who we really were. How safe she would be. That we were nothing like the fuckheads she’d known her whole life.

“Give us a shot. A week. Two tops. If any of us make you uncomfortable, I will personally call Bain to come kick all three of our asses and bring you back here.”

“I don’t really have anything to bring with me. I’ve been borrowing Cora’s clothes and stuff.”

That wasn’t a no. Hope bloomed so bright in my chest I had to fight the urge to jump up and start doing a jig.

“We can order anything you want or need. You’ll have your own room if you aren’t comfortable sleeping with any of us or in the pack bed.”

“I’m not great at cooking, either.”

“Not expected of you. Nothing is expected of you except…Iwouldlike it if you would consider seeing a therapist. Not a requirement,” I tacked on quickly. “But I think it could help. Other than that, we just want to see you heal from your ordeal. From your past. And we want to help show you most alphas are nothing like your fathers or that mother fucker who hurt you.”

I winced as my anger pushed forward, but relaxed when a small smile stretched on her lips.

“I’ve heard curse words before, Cyrus.”

Why the hell did my name rolling from her tongue wake up my dick?

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