Page 25 of The Protector’s Heart

He hummed in his throat and Kammie had the distinct feeling that if she hadn’t been there, Malachi would have enjoyed making Nila say ‘yes’ to whatever question she was referring to. Probably to mate with him. Kammie smiled at Nila and said, “I’ll take good care of her. Come by anytime. Malachi has my cell and house phone numbers, and I’ll report to him if anything is up.”

“She’ll be safe here with the patrols, Nila,” Malachi said. “Go say goodbye so I can take you to work. We can stop by after dinner and you can spend time with her if you’d like.” Nila smiled again and left Kammie on the porch.

Kammie wrapped her thick sweater tightly around herself as Malachi turned to her. “There are three protectors patrolling your home. They’ll be in six-hour shifts, but there will always be three guys here. If anything looks off at all to you, call me immediately. I don’t care what time it is. It’s important to me that you and Diane are safe.”

“Thank you,” she said.

“You’re welcome. Thank you.”

She nodded at the big male and turned and headed into the house. Diane had been settled into the hospital bed that was tucked into the corner of the family room. Nila was sitting on the edge and holding Diane’s uninjured hand. Both of them had tears on their faces. Kammie stepped into her bedroom and brought out a box of tissues, handing it to Nila discreetly. Then she went into the kitchen and busied herself with breakfast.

Nila stopped into the kitchen to say goodbye, leaving with the omegas and Malachi. Kammie carried a lap tray to Diane. “Your meds say you need to take them with food. I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I stocked the kitchen with all sorts of things.”

Diane looked at the tray, laden with scrambled eggs, pancakes, apple juice, and bottled water.

“Oh, it’s perfect. I haven’t had anyone cook for me in ages; I’m always the one cooking for everyone.” She lifted the fork in her right hand and said, “Thank goodness those assholes didn’t break my right arm, or I’d have to learn how to do everything left-handed.”

“It’s good to find the humor in these situations,” Kammie said.

Diane swallowed a bite of pancakes as Kammie opened the water for her. “Sounds like you know something about being knocked around.”

“Yeah. But he’s gone and won’t be back.”

“How do you know?”

“He was banished. If he shows up in town, Acksel will kill him.”

Diane raised a brow. “I think I like your alpha.”

Kammie brought out her own food and sat with Diane, and then after the dishes were put away, she walked into the family room to ask Diane if she’d like to watch TV and found her trying to open a new package of cards.

“Can you shuffle? I’m out of commission but I’d love to play some UNO, if you’re up for a few games.”

“I’d love to.”

Sitting on the bed, she made herself comfortable and shuffled while Diane moved the lap tray until it was between the two of them.

“I might be a bit of a card shark,” Diane said with a wink.

“I’ll watch out for you, then,” Kammie said, chuckling as she dealt out the cards. She could tell she was going to enjoy Diane living with her. As a human, Diane wouldn’t pressure Kammie like some of the she-wolves did, demanding that she make herself available to work for them. Even though all females were omegas, some of the females thought they were better than others, as if service to the pack was beneath them. Those females, who treated Kammie like a second-class citizen and saw her as too weak to be of any real value, ordered Kammie to cook and clean for them, threatening to tell the alphas she wasn’t performing her duties. Kammie spent a lot of time hiding from the pack during the full moon hunts because her body was scarred from her uncle’s abuse. She liked letting her guard down with the sweet human. It was nice to be appreciated without feeling obligated.

Kammie tried to focus on the cards, but she found her mind wandering to something Jeremiah had said to her earlier in the day.

“I’m thinking of going, you know?” he said, after he’d brought in the hospital bed.

She had looked up at him in surprise.

“Leaving? What do you mean?”

He’d shrugged his broad shoulders and looked away from her. “It’s hard to be on the bottom. At least you like being an omega; I’m forced to it because of my genetics.”

“Where would you go?” She didn’t mind being an omega. She liked to help, and that’s what omegas did.

“I don’t know. Somewhere. Anywhere but a place where everyone looks down on me for not being able to shift.”

“I don’t think less of you for not being able to shift. You know how much flack I get for never shifting in the yard with the others? They think I’m weak because of my scars and my fears.”

Jeremiah shook his head, turning his brown eyes to her. “I don’t think you’re weak.”

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