Page 9 of In Plain Sight

Seven kids. That was crazy. I had heard that Collier Pack had been very blessed with pups. Large families weren’t as uncommon here as in other packs, but still. I couldn’t even imagine what it must have been like growing up with so many kids.

“Where do you fall in that line?” I asked, just making conversation.

“I’m third and the middle daughter.” She carried a plate of sandwiches and two steaming bowls of soup on a tray, placing them on the table before me.

My stomach rumbled in anticipation and my mouth watered at the smells filling the room.

“That must have been something. I can’t even imagine.”

“Do you have siblings?”

“Two brothers,” I confessed. “I am also the middle child. My parents are no longer with us.” The darkness threatened to consume me as I fought back my need to avenge their deaths. If Ruby noticed, she didn’t comment.

“No sisters?”

“No,” I said, quickly taking a sandwich and stuffing my mouth full. I hoped it would stall the conversation so we could pick up with less personal things. I didn’t want to lie to her, but I had to protect the mission, even from my mate. The less questions about my family and Pack, the better.

“Well, you’re lucky then. I love my sisters, but they can be quite invasive. I know I’ve been guilty of it with them as well, even if it was good intentions. But I hate knowing they could storm the place and barge in at any second.”

“The door is locked, right? They can’t just come in,” I said.

Ruby scoffed. “I’ve never locked that door even once. What’s the point?”

I scowled. “Ruby, you’ve been a single woman living alone, or I assume so at least. It’s not safe to leave the door unlocked so just anyone could wander in.”

I hadn’t seen any signs of a roommate or man in her life. If she had another man in her life, she wouldn’t have bonded with me. Would she? Another reminder that I knew absolutely nothing about my mate. While the desire to share things with her was already there, I knew I had to be vigilant at keeping my mouth shut lest I ruin the mission. I couldn’t sway my focus, not even for Ruby.

“Your safety is very important to me. That’s one thing that’s going to change quickly,” I assured her, getting up to walk over to the front door and lock it. When I got there, I saw that the lock required a key. “Where’s the key?”

Ruby laughed. “Honestly, I have no idea. I told you there’s no concern here for that. I’m not sure that old lock has had a key since I moved in here.”

I frowned. “When was that?”

“The day I turned seventeen, so pushing ten years now.”

I groaned. “I’ll find a hardware store tomorrow.”

“You’d do best to just order it online if you’re going to be all pigheaded about it. Doubt our local hardware store even bothers carrying them. No one locks anything around here. The Pack protects their own, so there’s no need,” she insisted.

“I’m not willing to risk your safety on that,” I told her stubbornly.

Much to my relief, she just laughed but didn’t argue with me.

The remainder of lunch was steered towards lighter conversations. Ruby decided we just needed to get to know each other, and at first I feared what that would entail and how much I’d have to lie to her, but it wasn’t deep soul-searching questions she was after, it was the simple things in life: What was my favorite color? What kind of foods did I like? How old was I? When was my birthday? With these basic questions, I relaxed and even let my guard down a little as I answered each one honestly.

When she confessed her biggest pet peeve in life was being lied to or kept in the dark about things, even for her own good, I felt a physical stab of pain in my chest. When I agreed to take the mission to kill Elena, I was filled with spite and needed revenge for my parents’ deaths. I was so consumed with hate and anger that I couldn’t see straight. I had justified every decision that got me here without any remorse, until now.

Though it had been quick and crazy, and I was only beginning to get to know my mate, bonding with Ruby had instantly filled the hole in my heart that I hadn’t been aware was even there. She had made me laugh several times, something I couldn’t remember having done since childhood. And I felt more relaxed than I ever had before, like an invisible weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

Sheltered away from the rest of the world in this apartment where only Ruby and I existed made it difficult to remember I was in enemy territory. The Collier family was as much my enemy as the Westins; I needed to keep that at the forefront of my thoughts and keep that torch of hatred for them alive and burning brightly.

Later in the afternoon Ruby’s phone rang again and I heard her decline a dinner invitation. She hung up the phone and stared at the screen for a minute.

“My mom,” she finally said. “I know I just disappointed her and everyone’s excited to meet you, but is it really so bad that I just want one day alone with you?”

I shook my head, surprised by her question. “No, my beautiful mate. Today is our day. There will be plenty of time to meet your family later.”And your Alpha,I thought without saying.

I briefly wondered if perhaps Ruby’s family had connections to Thomas Collier, then immediately admonished the thought. Under no circumstances would I use my new mate for political gain or assistance in this mission.

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