Page 9 of Knot All Is Lost: Part 1

“Teal, or any shade similar,” I said with a smile, looking down at my dirty, scuffed up hands. “Is there a place to clean up a little?”

Clara hesitated a moment looking at Rafael but he waved her off. “I’m sure Cambrie and I will be able to manage without you for a few moments.”

She gave me one last look with a teasing wink and left to find me clothes. Rafael came into the room and took a seat in a folding chair near the door, and crossed his legs before settling his hands in his lap.

“Do you mind if I ask you a few questions, Cambrie? If you don’t feel comfortable answering them you can tell me and I will leave it alone, sound okay to you?” he asked.

Everything about him was soothing, the sound of his voice, his scent, even the way he carried himself. Nothing about him gave you the impression he would ever be a threat to you. After needing to protect myself from a predator all my life I felt I became a good judge of reading people. So far Rafael hadn’t given me any reason to doubt his words.

“Can I ask some?” I ventured, proud of myself for asserting a request.

“I would rather enjoy that if you did, Cambrie. Feel free to ask me anything,” he answered, a smile tugging at his lips. “Would you like to go first?”

I thought about that for a moment, then shook my head. What I wanted to know was about the suppressors, but I felt like it would be better if I got to know him a little better. I didn’t know the rules on things like that, and I didn’t want to upset him right away.

“Very well, then I’ll start off with something simple. I know now that teal is your favorite color, what about your favorite kind of music?”

Why was everyone so interested in what music I liked?

“I don’t really have a favorite,” I answered simply.

“Is that because you like all music or could it be that you haven’t gotten a chance to find a favorite?” Rafael inquired.

That made me scowl as I thought about his question. Did I like all music? No I didn’t like the stuff blasting out of our neighbor’s house that was all yelling and angry. When I was in the grocery stores they played some music I enjoyed, but I didn’t know what type of music it was. Father never let us have a radio saying that music always reminded him of Mother. She loved country music and used to sing it all the time doing chores around the house.

“After Mom died, I wasn’t allowed to listen to music. I’d hear songs around town or in stores that I liked, but I didn’t really pay attention,” I offered.

“I’m sorry to hear your mother died. Was that recent?”

“No.” I shook my head. “That happened ten years ago, everything changed from that point on.” I looked up to meet his gentle blue-gray eyes that seemed to see into my soul. “My father became so angry at everything and took it out on me every chance he could. It was almost as if he thought it was my fault that she died, so he took everything away from me. Then when I tried to get away after my designation came in, he locked me away for good.”

Rafael sat up a little straighter at this information, his eyes narrowing. “What is your designation, Cambrie?”

Tears welled up in my eyes. “If I tell you, will you help me? Please, please don’t send me away. I can’t let him find me or the evil bastard who was going to buy me.” The more I spoke, the faster the tears came pouring out of me. “All I want is to be free to live a life of my own. I’ve never been free.”

Rafael slid to his knees and crawled over to me slowly, making sure I was okay with him coming closer. The tears just kept coming, and breathing was getting harder as my lungs tightened making me gasp. Rafael started to reach out for my knee going slowly so I could stop him if I wanted to, but I didn’t. For once in my life I just wanted someone to hold me and tell me everything would be okay. His scent wrapped around me as he gently tugged me forward so my head was resting on his shoulder as a hand ran up and down my back.

My knees touched his thighs but he made sure that there was minimal contact between us as he comforted me. Before I knew what was happening, a whine escaped my lips as I nuzzled into his neck and his body grew stiff. Then the next second I was wrapped up in his arms, cradled against his chest. My fear spiked and my first response was to fight him, but then this sound unlike anything I’d heard before rumbled in his chest. The rattling purr cut through my fear and I was finally able to take a deep breath, flooding my nose with his sandalwood and vanilla aroma as it acted like a balm to my nerves. Something in my brain, on a base level I’ve never experienced before, told me I was safe. For the first time since my mother died I was in the arms of someone who would protect me.

Curling myself into a tight ball I tried to get as close as I could to the sound emanating from his chest. It did things to my body and brain that I didn’t understand. It was as if I craved it. Rafael paused in his purring as my scent started to pour off me, filling the room with my perfume. I could feel his chest expand as he took a deep intake of my scent before I was lifted and carried off. My normal response would be to panic but there was something different about this, something that my broken mind couldn’t fight. All I kept thinking was, I was in the arms of my Alpha, and he would keep me safe.

---