Page 57 of Shadow City: Silver Wolf

"Yeah, yeah." He rolled his eyes. "But seriously. The fact that you were planning to run away hurts. We're family. If you go, then you better take me."

"But you have your life here, and your pack." Although…he didn't talk about his pack much, now that I thought about it.

"It's my dad's pack. All I’ve done is let them down and allow them to lose their alpha before his time." He frowned.

I hated that he felt responsible, but that was something he’d have to work out himself. “You know that you’re the alpha, and you haven’t stepped down for a reason. I see how Sierra and Carter look at you, and it isn’t with hate or disgust. They love and respect you, which shows you’re doing something right.”

“Maybe, but I’m not ready.” He yawned. "Look, I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed. We've got to get to the university early tomorrow."

Shit, I'd forgotten all about work. I was going to be dead on my feet. "You're right. I'm sorry about all this." If I hadn't tried to sneak out, then none of tonight would've happened, including the kiss.

"No, it's actually a good thing." Killian nodded toward the back door. "We now have four guards protecting us, so we'll know if anyone tries anything."

That was true. "Yeah, Griffin said that I’d be safer here than on the run by myself."

"I hate to admit it, but he's right." Killian yawned again, and I heard his jaw crack. "Now let's go get some rest."

We walked to the bedrooms, and he opened his door all the way. "I'm leaving this open to make sure I catch you next time you try to do something—"

"Smart? Selfless?" I interjected. "Loving?"

"Foolish." He squeezed my arm tenderly. "Good night."

"Night." I left my door cracked open too and crawled into bed. Surprisingly, I fell right to sleep.

Murmursfrom the kitchen woke me.

"Sir, she needs to stay here and not go to the university." A voice I didn't recognize spoke. "It'll be too hard to try to keep her safe with all those people around her."

Sir?Was Griffin here already? I glanced at the clock. It was almost seven.

"You're right," Killian’s voice replied. "That coffee shop is always busy. I’ll link with Carter and let him know and then run by and make sure everything is okay with the painting."

Yeah, I had to be part of the conversation about what I'd be doing all day. I got up and made my way toward the voices.

A tall man who had to be in his mid-thirties stood in front of Killian. He had his arms crossed, emphasizing his muscular biceps through his black shirt. He had two guns strapped around his waist, and his amber eyes homed in on me. A blackish eyebrow arched high enough that his matching longish hair hid it. "I take it this is Dove?" His attention went back to Killian.

Yeah, that wasn't going to happen. I could answer questions about myself just fine. "Yes, I am. And you are?"

"Lucas," he said curtly. "I’m part of Killian’s pack. We were discussing your safety."

"Were you?" I tried to keep the sarcasm out of my voice but failed miserably. "I didn't realize that either of you could make decisions on my behalf." I probably would've been willing if the asshole hadn't laid out what I was going to do without discussing it with me.

"It wasn't quite like that." Killian glowered at the man. "Lucas made some very good points about you staying home. The coffee shop will be so packed with people that anyone could slip in and get to you. It’ll be hard to keep an eye on everyone without making it obvious that you’re under guard."

Establishing security measures would be hard; I couldn't argue with them there. "Carter will be pissed." But honestly, I didn't want to go back there yet. Call me a coward, but taking a day to recover might be a good thing. A day to work through my issues, instead of continually making poor decisions. I hadn't sat back and reflected on anything.

"I'll handle him." Killian winked. "Don't worry about that. And I better get moving because I wanted to check on the paint job I did and make sure nothing bled through."

"Is there anything else we need to discuss, sir?" Lucas asked.

"Nope, make sure no one gets inside to hurt her." Killian patted my arm as he walked by, leaving me alone with the guard.

I didn't like being around people I didn't know, but I couldn't be rude when this guy was protecting me.

"Well, I better get back outside." Lucas opened the door to the porch. "Let us know if you need anything."

"Will do." I strolled over to the couch and picked up the remote then turned on the television.

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