Page 67 of Hawke

Chapter Twenty-Two

Delilah

Hawkewashellbenton getting us away from the hotel. I was too tired to argue. I was too overwhelmed to question why he wanted us to leave.

My head pounded with the information about Hawke not being human, but part animal. Which, come to think about it, didn’t sound all that crazy when you put the pieces together.

The entire club worked like a wolf pack. They were all insanely protective of one another, ate an enormous amount of red, bloody meat, and didn’t date because those they rescued were human.

They were protecting us not just from our pasts but from themselves, too.

I should have listened to Journey. I should have believed her. But after all the trauma she went through, seeing her rapist and the club beating the crap out of everyone, I thought she was hallucinating.

Obviously not. They all really were animals.

But why hadn’t I seen any wild animals running around the bar?

Again, my head pounded, a small voice whimpering inside me to chill out. She continued to speak to me like I was her best friend when I still felt like I was slowly losing my mind.

Hawke unbuckled his belt while I sat on his bike. I swayed, trying to keep my heavy eyelids open, but once I heard the loud slap of his belt coming out of the loops, I perked up.

“Not now, Sunshine,” he smiled. “I’m just making sure you don’t fall asleep and fall off. It’s only a quick ride, but I’m not taking any chances.”

Hawke sat on the bike, my front to his back and wrapped the belt around me. It was stifling and tight, and I could barely breathe.

“Is this necessary?” I asked uncomfortably.

Hawke remained silent, only the sound of the engine revving in response to the question. Lucky for me he wrapped us up tight, because I fell asleep as we rode down main street.

I exhaled, the sounds of Hawke’s bike long gone. I wasn’t painfully strapped to him with the wind blowing in my hair.

Ugh, I fell asleep.

I was prone to falling asleep so easily around Hawke before I was even sick. I’d find myself in my bed after falling asleep at the bar, talking to him, or at a movie or in the forest we often went hiking in. But now, knowing he wasn’t human, I should have been more aware. I should have been worried that the man I’d known for two years held a secret so large it made my heart ache.

I couldn’t hold it against him, though. Because he was trying to protect me all along, and he was here now. But what made him flip the switch to tell me this great secret?

I stretched, feeling the tension in my back slowly ease away with each crack. Hawke’s body shifted, his breathing heavy and slow as he rolled onto his back, and his arm fell across his eyes.

The bed was decorated similarly to the night before. We nestled into the mattress, cushioned by the soft, fluffy pillows and blankets. Right, maybe a wolf thing. It made more sense now.

The small fan that was mounted on the wooden desk created a gentle breeze that caused the curtains to sway, thus providing the room with dim lighting. The entire room was decorated in a rustic theme, featuring bare beams, a wooden dresser, and wood flooring.

It smelled like the outdoors, of moist dirt, pine, and cedar, all intertwining their smells together, giving it a healthy and clean scent. It smelled nothing like the city, which was thick with smog, exhaust, and noise pollution.

This room was its own paradise away from the life outside these walls, and I realized I might not be in the city at all.

My bare feet hit the animal rug on the floor, and I crept to the window. As I looked outside, I sighed in relief that we weren’t in the middle of nowhere. In fact, we were on the same street as the diner.

And then my eyes widened, tightening my hold on the curtain.

I was late.

The door creaked open, and Hawke jumped out of the bed like a bat out of hell. He rushed forward at amazing speed and grabbed Bram by his neck.

Bram was holding a sterling silver tray when it slipped from his grip and landed with a loud clatter on the ground. As each item, ranging from glasses of juice, to croissants, eggs, and sausage hit the ground, they shattered into pieces and spilled.

“Hawke!” I screamed and without hesitation, he looked at me, but didn’t release his hold.

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