Page 39 of True North

The woman’s heard me cry enough for one day, so I turn the shower faucet on to hide the sounds as a sob bursts out of me. I want to be strong—I spent all this time learning to be strong—but the grief is so big.

When Jimmy and Tasha first found each other, she refused to leave me to join him in his own pack. He spent months wooing her, and me, in an attempt to change her mind. It worked, too. Tasha went to live with him, and I grew to love him as a real brother. The fact that he treated my sister as a queen was the only thing that mattered to me, and I had been the first one to tell her she needed to go.

It wasn’t easy living with Tevin without Tasha, but I would never have kept my sister from her mate.

My heart squeezes painfully.

Tess!

I jolt at the sound of my name coming too loudly across the mind link. I’m startled just as much by the voice as by the volume. What the hell is Callum doing close enough to mind link with me on Dominic’s territory?

I brace my hands on the bathroom counter and take a deep breath. He’ll be able to tell his mind link is going through, which means he has to know he’s close enough to reach me.

Tess, your sister needs you.

I’m not sure how he could possibly think telling me that would make me want to respond. If she needs support after losing Jimmy, it shouldn’t come from me. Not when I’m the reason he was stolen from her in the first place.

C’mon, Tess. Can you hear me?

The desperation in his voice makes me choke on another sob. I’m a coward for running instead of facing what I caused. Callum and my sister and the pack—they all deserve so much better than that.

I’ll stay here all night if I have to. I’m not leaving until you either come home or tell me what’s going on.

I can’t handle hearing Callum calling out to me, and I believe him when he says he won’t leave, at least as long as he still knows I can hear him. Desperation claws at me like it’s trying to burst out of my chest and splatter all over my reflection in the bathroom mirror.

I throw the bathroom door open, and I’m relieved to see no sign of Eloise. I tear out of the bedroom, barely even registering Dominic’s newest little guard trying to stop me. I get the upper-hand by catching her off guard.

Just as I’m reaching the overlook, Luca appears in front of me. And I know it isn’t fair to either of us, but I launch myself at the semi-familiar face.

“Woah,” he says, catching me just before I manage to knock us both to the ground.

I mutter an apology that he probably can’t hear as I bury my face against his chest. He wraps an arm firmly around me, holding me close as I take shuddering breath after shuddering breath until I can get a handle on myself.

Callum’s voice is momentarily gone, but I know that probably just means he’s testing the distance, attempting to narrow down the scope of where I am. He’s going to be back.

“Are you okay?” Luca asks, stroking my hair over the tangled braid I’m still sporting from my brief gym visit. “The second I was within linking distance all I could hear anyone talking about was the woman Dominic took in. I thought it couldn’t be you except then they started talking about—”

“My scent,” I finish for him since it seems that’s all anyone wants to talk about at the moment.

“Yeah,” he confirms quietly.

He pries me away from him, holding me at arm’s length with his hands wrapped just above my elbows. He looks me over as if I might somehow have been damaged in his brief absence. I can see his eyes linger on the shirt I’m wearing.

“I don’t have any clothes,” I explain, shifting my weight uncomfortably. I’m not interested in forming any kind of romantic connection with Luca, but the hurt in his eyes makes me feel guilty nonetheless.

“No, of course.”

“Could you take me back to your place?” I ask. I feel like a monster for using his attraction to me, but I think that might be my best hope right now of getting out from under Dominic’s thumb.

Luca tucks his head sheepishly. “Actually, I don’t stay at the house much. I live here full-time.” He lets go of me with one hand to gesture to the hall behind me, and I glance back to see Dominic’s guard staring at us warily. Luca notices too, muttering, “What’s his deal?”

“He’s supposed to be guarding me,” I answer reluctantly.

“Guarding you?”

“From escaping,” I answer flatly.

Luca looks bewildered, like he can’t quite process what I’m saying. Which makes this an unfortunate time for Dominic to reappear. Bad timing seems to be his thing.

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