“You wanted her gone and didn’t protest.” Rome would have cared about his people. Having lived so long, his space wouldn’t have been as important to him. She was willing to bet that if she went into one of the pack’s houses it would be beautiful.

“You’re starting to know me. Redesign this, make it our space and not this strange space in limbo.”

“I like that, in limbo. This space looks like it’s waiting for someone to come in and make it beautiful.”

“It’s waiting for you.”

She blushed, thoughts of what she could do running through her head. “The bathroom and the closets?”

“I think you’ll be pleased with them. I did state exactly what I wanted in them. In here it’s paint and pictures, which can always be changed.”

“I can’t call my father or Nicole, can I?” She knew she couldn’t, but she wanted or maybe needed to tell her father she was safe. It would be wonderful to let Nicole know there was life outside the pack. Maybe she would want to come visit.

Rome took her hand, kissing the back of it. “Eventually, but not right now.” He pulled her into his arms. “Keeping you safe is my number one priority. I can’t do that if everyone knows where you are. Your father wants you safe. He’d rather you didn’t call. There’s a hunter out there and we don’t know what he knows. He may know what you look like or where you came from. We don’t know if Julie got in touch with the hunters. I don’t think that’s likely, but it’s always a possibility.”

“I know, you’re right. I never realized how much I would miss him.”

“He’s your father. Of course, you miss him.”

“Are your parents still alive?”

Her eyes went wide, and she pushed him forward and leaned down behind him. She’d seen that bullet pierce his back hard enough to tear through his heart. There wasn’t a wound. Why wasn’t he dead? Wolves can’t survive a bullet through the heart.

“There are things I might have left out when we were talking. Now might not be the best time to spring them on you.”

She crossed her arms and stared at him, trying not to remember how good he could make her feel. There would be no secrets between them.

He took one look at her, and an involuntary smile tilted his lips. Alpha mate indeed.

“I told you how my brothers and I were hunting bear. I might have forgotten to mention that it was centuries ago. The white man was not on this continent. It was before The People were here. They’re an offshoot of my people. That’s why the similar looks.”

“That’s impossible. You’re talking like six or seven hundred years ago.”

“We stopped counting at ten centuries.”

She started gasping for air. Her hand was pounding on her chest as Rome rubbed circles on her back and told her it would be okay.

When she could finally breathe, she looked over at him. Thinking she knew him and knowing him were two different things. It was time for him to let her into the ‘this is Rome’ club.

“I think you should tell me everything.” She pushed the tray to the bottom of the bed and waited for him to tell her what she didn’t know.

Chapter Fifteen

“I told you aboutthe white stag and why we were turned into wolves. What I didn’t say was the goddess of the Dark Night cursed us with immortality. Rather, she thought it was a curse. We’d live long enough to see all our loved ones die. To be the last of our people, our kind.”

Amelia felt a pang in her heart when Rome said he was immortal. She would get old, and he’d watch her die. If they had children, he’d watch them age and die. She started sobbing, not wanting that for her mate. That was a heartache she couldn’t imagine.

“Why are you crying?” His hands were moving as he tried to decide where to touch her. He was looking for wounds on her body, but it was in her soul. She almost wanted to smile as she watched her proud and sure alpha come apart at the seams.

“I’m not physically hurt,” she sniffed before burying her head in his side.

“What’s wrong?” He was gentle as he gathered her up and placed her on his lap.

“I’m going to die. You’ll be alone again, and then you’ll watch any children we have die.” She cried her way through it, gasping for air and wiping her eyes and nose against his chest.

“My soft-hearted mate.” He lifted her head and took a napkin to wipe down his chest. “Do you remember the bites we exchanged?”

She nodded, her hands rubbing at her red eyes.