Chapter Fourteen
Olivia
This time when she woke, Olivia was still wrapped tightly in Dominic’s strong arms and she loved the feel of it. It had been the best wake-up she’d ever had in her life. If she could wake up every day that way then she knew she’d never complain about anything again. Even though the floor was hard and with just one tiny blanket to share it was rather cold, it was the most comfortable she’d ever been.
Their first time together had been passionate, a tenderness had set between them. But their second time had been different, it had been wildly animalistic and raw. Like the walls that they’d both put up were coming down piece by piece with every stroke, every kiss, and every orgasm. It was their second time together and no less remarkable than it had been the first, though completely different. She had to imagine it couldn’t get better than that but if it didn’t she wasn’t ever going to complain. But there was always the wonderful possibility that the more they were together, the better it would get, if that was possible.
Next to her, Dominic moved and she felt his muscles stretch beneath where her palms rested against his arms and chest. Muscles like that could drive a woman insane, and she felt she was nearly crazy for him. If this was what fated mates felt like, then she had no idea how she could survive being with him— then again, she didn’t know how she could survive without him.
The roller-coaster that she was riding with him was fast and furious with no way to stop it. It was a lot to handle but at the same time, even if someone could put on the breaks, she wouldn’t want to get off the ride. No, she was content to ride this exciting yet maddening ride that was Dominic for as long as she could.
“Good morning,” he said to her before he even opened his eyes.
She smiled, her cheek against his chest.
“Good morning,” she whispered back.
“Last night was… I don’t even know what last night was,” he laughed lightly.
Olivia liked his laugh and realized that while she’d been with him for two days and had already experienced a lifetime with him, she’d yet to hear him laugh.
“I like that,” she told him.
This made him crack his eye and look at her, the amber looking like liquid with his eyes still sleepy. “What do you like?”
“You’re laugh,” she told him simply. “You should do it more often.”
He closed his eyes again and smiled, not smirking like he usually did, but genuinely smiled. She could have dozed off again in the comfort of him but there was a knock at the door. Dominic sprang up faster than she’d seen someone move before. She sat up more slowly next to him, holding the blanket against her chest.
Dominic’s eyes combed over the room and his face appeared stricken with panic.
“What’s the matter?” she asked.
“Someone’s at the door,” he answered obviously.
Olivia rolled her eyes. “Well, duh. But why is that such a problem?”
Dominic stood and as always, she marveled at his naked body and had to wonder if she was ever going to get used to such a perfect sight.
“We can’t be seen together.”
Quickly he was stuffing his legs into his jeans and kept his eye on the window, as if the curtains were magically going to open and reveal that they’d slept together. More slowly than he, as she stood with the blanket wrapped more tightly around her.
“What’s the big deal?” she asked. “It’s not like I’ve never hooked-up with someone before. Plus, this is…different.”
A low rumble came from deep in his chest and her eyes widened at the unfamiliar sound. “I’m not getting kicked out from another pack,” he said firmly. “Go in the bedroom and get dressed,” he commanded.
If anyone else had talked to her that way she would have dug in her heels and refused to listen all the while giving that person a fight. But Dominic’s tone told her that he was in no mood for a battle so reluctantly she walked back to the bedroom with a million words on her tongue.
She swiped at the makeup that had slightly smudged in her sleep and ran a brush through her hair, in an attempt to calm herself from the anger she was feeling at Dominic’s dismissal. How could one person cause so many feelings inside of her?
One minute she was content and feeling safe and comfortable, his arms feeling like she was finally returning home after a journey that she’d never thought she’d make it through. Then the next she wanted to scream at him and wipe that smug smile right off of his face. How she could feel so connected to him yet utterly irritated by him boggled her mind. But someone was at the door and there was absolutely nothing she could do about Dominic at the moment. The only thing she could do was get dressed and find out who was at his cabin so early in the morning. That person had ripped her away from the happiest she’d ever felt so it had better be worth it.
Dressing in leggings and a sweater, Olivia emerged from Dominic’s room feeling much fresher and better about herself. The scent of coffee brewing perked her up as she took the few short steps toward the kitchen.
Patrick, one of the pack members, was sitting across from Dominic at the small circular kitchen table.
“Good morning, Olivia. How did you sleep?” Dominic asked as if he barely remembered she was there. It was an act, she knew it was, but still it grated on her nerves. Olivia had never hidden her life and what she wanted, so why was she having to do it now when she finally found the one true thing she wanted?
“Fine, thanks,” was all she said.
She walked over to the counter and took a mug out of the cupboard and poured herself a steaming cup of coffee.
“So, what were you saying, Patrick?” Dominic pulled the attention from Olivia back to the conversation she had interrupted.
“The attack last night, it wasn’t bad but I’m certain they’re coming.”
Olivia hadn’t heard what was being said from the bedroom but her blood ran cold when she heard someone had been attacked.
“Who was it?” she asked anxiously.
“No one from our pack. He’s a loner, lives in town but not with any wolves. He’s not part of a pack, seems that he’s tried to give up the life of a shifter. But, they caught him anyway.”
“Why would they do that?” Dominic asked. “Atticus said the poachers are looking to get rid of packs for sport. Why would they go after just one shifter who doesn’t even partake in a pack?”
Patrick shrugged. He looked ragged, worn out, and it was obvious the toll this was taking on every rank of member. He scratched at his thick beard and let his experience show in his thoughts. “Maybe this isn’t just about killing packs anymore, maybe this whole thing has just become a game of killing shifters.”
“It was close by?” Olivia asked.
“It was just in town. He survived, but only because a neighbor called for help when she heard some disturbing noises. He’ll be alright, but that means that they’re mere minutes away from us. We’re probably next.”
Olivia felt her body slump against the kitchen counter. Just the night before she had found how very real the threat was and now it was only minutes away? Life was spinning so fast in the prior couple of days that she was very nearly feeling dizzy about it all.
“I should get going,” Patrick finally said standing from the table. “The wife is nervous about being alone. I think we’re all a little nervous about all of it.”
He walked toward the front door, neither Olivia nor Dominic moving one bit. With his hand on the knob, he turned back toward Dominic again. The two locked eyes and Olivia watched something pass between them.
“Be prepared,” Patrick warned. With the final warning he opened the door and walked outside to go home and protect his wife.
The scent of coffee, which had smelled divine just moments before, suddenly made Olivia nauseous and she dumped the entire contents of the mug down the drain. Dominic stood from the table and began to pace around the house. Up and down and up and down until Olivia couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Can you stop pacing and say something?”
“This shouldn’t have happened. How did they get into town with no one noticing? Someone should have noticed,” he said clearly thinking out loud.
“How would someone have noticed? Everyone is in their cabins at night.”
“Exactly!” he roared, “That’s the whole point!” Dominic pointed at the windows, his face turning red in his frustration. “Someone should be out there watching and patrolling! We could catch these monsters before anyone else got hurt! A lone wolf, someone who isn’t even a part of this, was nearly killed last night!”
Tears were springing from Olivia’s eyes at his outburst and at everything that seemed to be such a mess.
“There’s nothing anyone could have done. And he’s alive,” her voice was coming out a whisper.
“Don’t you see how bad this is? Don’t you see that you could die? That everyone could die! I’m not going to let that happen!”
Dominic yanked the door open letting a strong cool gust blow through the house before he raced out of it, slamming the door behind him. She hurried to the living room where she pulled back the curtain just in time to see his wolf’s brown and golden fur race off into the mist of the morning woods. Olivia was left alone again.