(Mis)fortune

The boys stood on the porch, sadly waving goodbye to their new friends. Since Jim had already left for work, they were stuck with just Emmitt, Nana, and me. We were obviously nowhere near as exciting as Paul and Henry. Mary gave me a final wave as they pulled away from the house.

Emmitt stood beside me. I was relieved he hadn’t said anything about my dream the night before or the way we’d woken up. A blush rose at the memory of waking practically on top of him. When I’d lifted my head to see if he still slept, I had found him studying me. My mad scramble to get off of him had seemed to cause a moment of pain, but I hadn’t stopped to apologize. I’d flown to my bedroom and closed myself in until he’d left.

“Now what are we going to do?” Aden said softly to Liam.

Emmitt laughed. “How about a baseball game?”

The boys perked up and started planning teams. They called Nana out to join in. Since I didn’t run as fast as the other two adults, the boys decided I should pitch. Liam wisely chose Nana for his partner.

When Jim got home from work, he found us still playing outside. Everyone agreed it was time to eat, and we had another picnic dinner on the porch.

Afterwards, the boys talked Jim into a movie at Nana’s place and raced off to pick what they would watch and get ready for bed. Nana followed, leaving me alone with Emmitt for the first time since that morning.

Emmitt didn’t give my nerves a chance to build. Instead, he took me by the hand and led me to the truck. He wrapped his hands around my waist and, with little effort, sat me on the open tailgate. He hopped up next to me. Shoulder to shoulder, we watched the sun set.

“I’m sorry about last night,” I said, finally working up the courage.

“Why? It’s the best night sleep I had in a while.”

I rolled my eyes at him, doubting the truth of his statement.

His lips twitched at my expression. “The longer I’m with you, the more I want to be near you. When you first came here, being apart at night didn’t bother me. You were only two floors away, and I’d started working on the apartment so I knew we would be closer soon. Then, sleeping in a bed that smelled like you helped, but it’s been getting difficult again.” He smiled ruefully. “If you asked, I’d sleep on your couch every night.”

After the dream I had the night before, the offer tempted me; but I had to think of Liam and Aden, too.

“I’m not sure how Liam and Aden would take that. They’d probably worry that we aren’t safe again, no matter what explanation we gave them for your overnight stays. I don’t want to scare them.”

“We could always share your bed?” he half-asked, half-stated in a serious tone.

I floundered for something to say. Share a bed? Were we that far?

“No hidden agenda. Just sleeping,” he said, amused.

I opened my mouth to thank him for the offer and to decline but never got the words out.

Emmitt’s head whipped up. His gaze locked on the woods at the back of the yard. Without looking away, he leapt off the tailgate, lifted me, and set me on the ground toward the house.

“Get onto the porch.”

His low voice worried me. He took a step backward, trying to herd me in the direction he wanted while positioning himself to shield me. What was out there? Peeking over Emmitt’s shoulder was no easy feat, but I managed.

At first, the yard appeared empty. Then, the deep shadows near the trees at the back of the yard moved. I frowned, trying to focus on the area.

Two men emerged, but I couldn’t see them clearly. I wanted to ask Emmitt who they were, but he reached for my arm and nudged me toward the porch as he’d ordered.

I took a step back, hoping to see more, however, he shadowed my move. His skin rippled and started to sprout fur. The first thread of fear started to creep in. I glanced over my shoulder and backed up onto the porch steps. With the additional height, I could see past Emmitt.

The two men continued to advance. Their bent, partially transformed bodies moved with a slinking stealth I found disquieting.

A cloud drifted away from the moon, briefly lighting the yard. Moonlight caught pale skin, highlighting the odd elongated arch of a thigh before another cloud snuffed it out. It’d been enough to recognize one of them. Frank. Fear bloomed.

Another cloud shifted. Frank smiled at me before shadows obscured him again.

Emmitt growled low in warning. Dread filled me. We’d managed to stay hidden for a little over a month. Why had they found us now? Thinking of my brothers sent another wave of fear crashing through me. We couldn’t go back to the life we’d had.

The thought gave me courage to speak up.

“Where’s Blake?” I said in a voice that definitely didn’t sound fearless.

Both of the werewolves stopped their approach.

I took a breath and tried to sound more confident.

“Give him a message for me. He won’t get what he wants. I’ve seen it.”

I really didn’t know what I had seen but hoped it would give Blake a reason to doubt his plan. Maybe even a reason to abandon it.

“You know nothing, little girl,” Frank said from the darkness. “You just played dress up and sat at Blake’s dinners like the puppet you are. If not for the curse that causes you to be born to humans, we would have wiped out humanity long ago.” As he spoke, he began to shift further. “You are nothing more than a tool.”

I wished I knew what he meant.

Behind me, the door creaked open. A light footfall gave away Nana Wini’s presence, saving me from having to respond. She moved just behind me, and I fought the urge to turn around and look for the boys.

The men in the dark shadows didn’t react well to her appearance. Their faces extended forward, canine muzzles just starting to form. Fingers contracted and nails grew longer, glistening ebony in the yard light. The men remained on two legs, but those legs shrank as their torsos stretched.

“Leave now,” Nana said in a low and commanding voice.

Had she not been behind me, blocking my way, I would have been tempted to go inside. It wasn’t a voice easily ignored.

“Quiet old woman,” the other werewolf growled. The moonlight shifted enough that I recognized him, too. The man from the movie theater. I cringed. I’d jeopardized us all.

Nana’s furious snarl startled me. I whipped my head around to look at her. Bits of fabric flew at me as she burst from her lacy cardigan and tweed pants. An enormous, snowy white wolf stood where she’d been.

She gathered herself and leaped over Emmitt and me, clearing the space between the porch roof and our heads with precision. She landed lightly on her paws several yards in front of Emmitt. Crouched and ready to spring, she gave a low warning growl that sent chills down my spine. Neither werewolf budged.

Nana and Frank stared at each other. For several minutes, they remained locked in a silent standoff. Though she continued to growl occasionally, Frank did nothing.

“What’s going on?” I whispered to Emmitt, who still stood in front of me as a shield.

“She’s trying to talk to them through her link,” he said calmly. His skin had stopped rippling once Nana had arrived.

Nana let out another furious snarl, and Frank laughed in response, a guttural taunting sound. Her muscles bunched a second before she launched herself at them. The half-changed werewolves burst into their own fur, meeting her onslaught.

The three collided with an audible thud. I flinched and gripped Emmitt’s shoulder.

“Help her, Emmitt,” I said.

“Michelle, she’s an Elder. She has more strength than Jim and I do combined, more than enough to take care of those two and several more. You need me more than she does.”

My gaze never wavered from the swirling mass of fur and legs. Frank and his friend, similarly colored, made it hard to distinguish who was who. Thankfully, Wini stood out with her white.

I leaned into Emmitt. My limbs trembled as I watched her evade bite after bite. The two wolves were cunning and fought as a team. Her speed and skill kept her just out of reach. Then one of the wolves made a mistake and exposed his neck. She almost had him by the throat when the other lunged forward and tried to take a bite out of her back leg.

Nana spun and tore into the one trying to sneak a bite. He emitted a high-pitched continuous yelp of pain. I hoped it was Frank.

The unharmed wolf used that distraction to go for Nana’s throat. I made a small sound of denial and clutched Emmitt. Nana coiled, and I knew she saw.

Using her hold on the yowling one, she tossed her head back, swinging the captured wolf into the other, effectively blocking the attack. My jaw dropped at the show of strength. Those wolves were as big as she was. The hit wolf grunted at impact and flew back a few feet. The wolf in her maw fell silent and looked a bit dazed.

She loosened her bloody hold, and he fell to the ground. She backed up a step, crouched, and waited.

The bloody one scrambled to his feet and joined his friend, who was up and ready. However, they didn’t make another attempt at her. They turned and ran.

Nana Wini took off after them, almost catching them at the edge of the yard. There she stopped and paced.

Emmitt turned toward me.

“Let’s go inside. The kids heard some of the noise and are scared.”

I whirled and ran to my brothers. Already dressed in their pajamas, they both huddled on Jim’s lap. He continued softly speaking to them when I entered.

“Sometimes wild dogs come into the yard and fight over a bone. It doesn’t mean they are bad, just that they are misbehaving. Nana will set them straight. You’ll see.” He looked up and met my eyes with relief.

The boys got up and ran to me.

“I’m here,” I said dropping to my knees to hug them. My shaking remained. Emmitt stayed by the door.

Jim stood and picked something out of my hair. When I looked at him questioningly over the boys’ heads, he showed me a piece of cardigan. My mouth popped open in a quiet “oh” as he strode to Nana’s bathroom. He came out carrying a robe and went to the hallway.

I hadn’t thought about Nana Wini’s clothes. It was a good thing he had.

“Are they gone?” Liam asked, his face still buried in my hair.

“Yeah, buddy. Nana chased them away.”

A few moments later, Nana strode in, unharmed. I assumed she’d chased them off, but her next words worried me.

“Chasing away those dogs gave me an idea,” she said looking at the boys with a calm smile. “You haven’t yet met Jim and Emmitt’s parents. They live with several other families in a house bigger than this one. Paul and Henry live there, as do some much nicer dogs. So, I think we should take a vacation and visit them. In fact, we should make it an adventure and go tonight. Should we let Jim come with us?”

They both nodded, but didn’t let go of me.

“Should we have Jim and Emmitt race to see who can pack first?”

This time Aden pulled away a little, slightly interested. I wondered what he thought of Nana’s sudden appearance in a robe.

“To make this fair, we’ll have Emmitt pack for your sister and Liam. Jim, you go pack for Aden and grab all personal affects.”

Aden cheered in approval and began telling Jim where his things were so he could win.

Nana met Jim and Emmitt’s gaze for a moment then they both walked out of the apartment, leaving the door open. Silent communication. My anxiety grew. We were running. Again. A wave of panic almost pulled me down.

“Michelle, let’s take the boys into the bathroom and wash them up before we leave. It’s a long trip.”

She closed the three of us in the bathroom, saying she’d pack for herself while we waited.

I went through the normal motions but didn’t open the door when we finished. Instead, I sat on the toilet lid and asked Aden and Liam about their time with Paul and Henry. Liam, for a change, didn’t say much and let Aden do most of the talking.

Emmitt opened the door a few minutes later.

“It was a tie,” he said to the boys. “Ready to go?”

We all nodded. Emmitt met my gaze over the boys’ heads and sent them out to Jim and Nana.

He held out a hand. “You’re not alone this time,” he said.

A bit of the tension eased. He understood. I wrapped my fingers around his, and he pulled me into a quick tight hug before we joined the others.

In the living room, Jim already had Aden up in his arms. Emmitt scooped Liam up in a way that flipped him in the air, eliciting a shocked squeal and bringing a smile to his small, and otherwise serious, face.

Jim and Emmitt carried my brothers out on the pretense that they didn’t have shoes on. They buckled the boys into the back seat of Nana’s car while Nana stood near me.

After closing the back doors, Emmitt took my hand and led me to the truck. He held the door for me, waiting until I buckled. I heard Liam quietly tell Nana Wini she had something in her hair. I didn’t look up to see what it was, but I hoped it wasn’t blood. Emmitt closed the door on her response.

I kept my eyes on the trees lining the driveway while Emmitt drove out. What once seemed so quiet and peaceful now menaced. I imagined Frank and his friend watching us from the shadows. How long before Blake joined them?

Leaving the driveway, Emmitt turned north. Jim, driving Nana’s car, followed. I knew we were heading to Canada and the mysterious Compound of Emmitt’s childhood. The thought of going to a place with even more werewolves churned my stomach. What would we find there?

“You’re killing me,” Emmitt said, pulling my attention from the trees.

“Excuse me?”

“Your fear. I can smell it. Even when you were facing down David in the parking lot of that diner, it wasn’t this bad.” He reached across the seat and wrapped his hand around mine. “It will be okay. I promise. There is no need for this fear.”

“No need?” I said in soft disbelief. “Werewolves are real. One of them kept me locked away for four years and wants me back. The infallible laws, which your people can’t ignore, no longer seem to work. After all, Richard’s murderer hasn’t stepped forward.

“I’m heading to an unknown place filled with an unknown number of werewolves who will think I smell delicious and may or may not treat me like Blake has. If I don’t want to go, my only other option is to run again, zigzagging scent trails across the North American Continent, waiting to be stumbled upon. How exactly am I supposed to get rid of my fear?”

Emmitt lifted the hand he held and brought it to his mouth, tenderly kissing the knuckles. My heart flipped. I wasn’t upset with him. I was angry with myself for believing there could be an easy answer. Emmitt kept my hand in his and remained quiet.

Nothing had been easy since Blake had entered my life. I needed him out of the picture for good. The premonition of me biting Emmitt should have assured me everything would turn out all right, but Frank’s reaction worried me. Why had he laughed when I’d told him?

And how was I a tool for Blake? The way Frank spoke, it had to be more than just stock market information. Frank’s comment about wiping out humanity scared me. How many werewolves looked at humans like that? It had to be a select group because I didn’t get that vibe from the three werewolves I lived with.

I stilled, recalling his exact words.

“If not for the curse that causes you to be born to humans,” I whispered.

I looked at Emmitt with chills skating over my skin.

“They knew I would be born? How had Blake known I’d be born?”

He squeezed my hand reassuringly, but I caught his quick frown.

“Nana’s hoping to find answers at the Compound,” he said. “Another Elder is there waiting for us.”

I had serious doubts she would find anything useful. Blake held the answers I—we—needed. How could I get them, though, without going back? If not for Nana, Jim, and Emmitt, Blake’s men would have me, and I might know the answers. But I didn’t want to go back like that. And, now that Blake knew who I had protecting me, I doubted he would risk exposing himself again.

We lapsed into silence for so long I started to drift to sleep, still trying to think of a way to get answers. Next to me, I felt Emmitt move in his seat. A moment later, his jacket, which he’d brought with him, settled over the front of me. I curled my legs under me, snuggling under the jacket. It smelled like him, and it was all I needed to drift off to sleep.

I vaguely registered the sound of a car door opening. Even the sudden chill as the jacket left me couldn’t completely wake me. I turned toward the seat’s warmth, trying to get comfortable, already sinking back into sleep.

The feel of a thick arm sliding behind my back and another under my knees tickled my awareness. Emmitt’s smell surrounded me, and I shifted to snuggle against him. Then, he lifted me. The air born, weightless feeling yanked me from my sleep. I let out a yelp and wrapped my arms around him, prying open my unwilling eyes.

He smiled down at me while turning so he could nudge the door closed behind us. The sound echoed in the surrounding silence.

I looked around for the boys, noting the sky had started to lighten. Jim carried Aden, and Nana Wini held Liam. Both the boys slept soundly. The adults were already making their way toward the vague outline of a building.

“Emmitt, put me down.” I didn’t want anyone’s first impression of me to be that of a helpless girl.

He set me on my feet. “I was trying to let you sleep.”

“I know. Thank you.” I clasped his warm hand.

The rest had helped relieve some of my anger and frustration. I felt bad about venting at him but didn’t want to say anything out in the open. The ears here would hear far too much.

I turned to look back at the road we’d come from but saw only a rutted trail leading into more trees. The surrounding woods reminded me of our home in Montana. I could see why Emmitt and Jim had settled there. It must have reminded them of this place.

Hearing a door close, I turned to see the boys gone.

“Is this where you grew up?” I asked Emmitt quietly.

“Yeah.” He gently tugged my hand, encouraging me to start walking.

A long, two-story log cabin, winged by several outbuildings, encompassed the area we’d parked in, which was more dirt than gravel. Constructed before the 19th century, the buildings had seen better days. Pieces of chinking were missing here and there from between the grey, aged roughhewn logs. Near the ground of the first story, most of the chinking was new, showing that repairs were in progress. A few of the old, single-paned windows rattled slightly in the breeze. I wondered how they could possibly stay warm in winter. The outbuildings were all in equally poor repair. Emmitt hadn’t been exaggerating about their need for money.

Despite the building’s run down appearance, the area around the buildings showed signs of upkeep. Flowers bloomed in pots near the main door and in the window boxes under a few of the first floor windows, improving an otherwise unfriendly exterior. Branches from surrounding trees showed signs of recent pruning, and the weeds near their bases, trimmed back.

The oversized front door was one of the few things that looked new. I eyed the unevenly spaced deck boards that raised a step above the ground. In a few places, the wood looked newer. Even with the replacements, it still looked questionable. At least, I didn’t have far to fall if one of the boards snapped under me. I stepped up on the planks and was surprised they felt sturdy.

Emmitt reached around me to open the door. I walked into a huge entry and paused, relieved to see the inside in much better repair. Rugs stacked with shoes lay around the outskirts of the room while a variety of outerwear hung on the hooks screwed into the walls. I felt like I had just walked into a huge coat closet. Emmitt’s hand on my lower back prompted me to step further into the room.

“Nana Wini sent a call out for a pack meeting in a few hours.”

That sounded intimidating.

“Pack meeting? Why?”

“It’s time you are introduced to the pack. It lets everyone know you are under the protection of the Elders.”

What protection? Their laws didn’t work. Physically, Nana fought off two rebel werewolves, but I knew there were so many more out there. I didn’t voice my doubts.

“What about the boys?” I was less afraid for myself than I was for them.

“They’ve already been put to bed.”

He led me down a long hallway.

“I mean their safety.”

His expression filled with soft understanding. “It will be discussed in the meeting as well. We will keep them safe.” He walked beside me in silence for a moment.

I could tell he was struggling with something. He didn’t leave me guessing for long.

“I know you’re probably tired, but my parents would like to meet you.” He glanced at me. “If you’re up for it.”

My stomach did a tiny flip, and not in a good way. The leaders of the pack and parents to the man I now dated wanted to meet me. I’d just dozed in a truck for several hours and probably had crazy hair and looked rumpled. Great first impression. No, I really didn’t want to meet them, but I nodded anyway.

Emmitt’s face lit with a relieved smile. “They’re waiting for us in the apartment we’ll be using.”

Emmitt and I followed several hallways before finally climbing a set of stairs. He led me to a door that opened to a newly remodeled, modest apartment.

A small area in the back left corner of the main room was set aside as a kitchenette, complete with a mini fridge, coffee pot, and small breakfast bar. There was no kitchen sink. Getting water from the bathroom had to be more cost efficient, especially if the apartment was only used occasionally. I could see where this kind of updating moved slowly. It had to cost a fortune.

The rest of the room was setup as a living room, complete with occupied sofa and chairs.

Six sets of eyes turned toward us as we walked in, interrupting a quiet conversation. I recognized Mary and Gregory, and of course Jim and Nana.

Everyone stood, and Emmitt led me toward the two I didn’t know.

“Mother, Father, this is Michelle.”

Emmitt’s father, a tall formidable man with a bulk of bulging muscles and a serious expression, stood beside Emmitt’s mother. I’d caught how he watched her intently while she’d spoken with Mary. The slight softening of his expression when his gaze settled on her assured me he had a soft spot.

His mother was tall and lean but not thin. She wore her hair pulled back into a ponytail. Dressed in worn jeans and a t-shirt that sported a rock band from the seventies, she fit into her surroundings. She looked beautiful and much younger than in her forties. Apparently, women aged well, here. In fact, I hadn’t noticed any old and wrinkly werewolves. Nana Wini’s hair might be white, and she might be old in years, but she didn’t have any other signs of aging.

“Call me Charlene,” Emmitt’s mother said. She gave me a warm smile that reached her dark blue eyes—Emmitt’s eyes—and offered her hand.

I returned her smile and reached for her hand. When we touched, my world tilted precariously. I really didn’t want to faint in front of Emmitt’s parents.

The room and all the people faded from my sight. I stood in a black void and knew something wasn’t right. Shouldn’t I have fallen? I reached out a hand and slowly turned in a circle. I couldn’t see, hear, or feel anything except myself. There was no floor beneath me. I appeared to be floating. I looked around, feeling panicked. Where was I?

I spotted a pinprick of brilliant, white light in the distance. It looked like a tiny star. Yet, even its brilliance didn’t explain how I could see myself in the inky abyss surrounding me.

As I watched, the pinprick of light began to expand. It rapidly grew to the size of a baseball but didn’t stop there. It bloated to the size of a volleyball within seconds. Its radiance hurt my eyes, but I didn’t turn away. Instead, I squinted, trying to see it clearly.

The light wasn’t growing but swiftly flying toward me—or me toward it. I tried to move. The result was a moment of helpless flailing since there was no floor to use to propel myself. My heart started to race painfully in my chest. Death couldn’t come this way. I wanted to see my brothers. Emmitt.

I threw my arms in front of my face and braced myself. Light flashed brightly through my scrunched eyelids. I cringed, waiting for the impact of whatever it was. When nothing happened, I tentatively lifted my head and peeked through my arms.

Everything around me had changed although I still couldn’t move, suspended in nothing. The area directly below my feet was a brightly lit white space. Around me, millions of images overlapped each other like frozen stills on a monitor. I wondered what waited behind them and blinked in shock when the one I’d been looking at jumped out of the way to expose another image behind it.

Turning my head, I focused on other images, willing them to move, and they did. They flew to the side to make room for the ones below. Most of the images were clear and crisp, but some were fuzzy or dark. All had people in them.

Before I had a chance to focus on any one image, I flew backward. The images behind me moved to create an opening in the weird, white emptiness. The whiteness clung to me, briefly stretching into the black void before letting me go, leaving me in darkness again. I watched the light shrink in size as I zoomed away from it, or maybe as it zoomed away from me. It was hard to tell.

Just as suddenly as I’d appeared in the void, I snapped back to the present. My hand stretched before me, holding empty air. Charlene had let go.

“You okay?” Emmitt asked.

I mentally shook myself and dropped my hand to my side. I wasn’t sure what had just happened.

I’d thought I’d glanced images, some violent, containing several of the people in this room. At first, the images had appeared infinite. When they moved to allow me to leave, I’d seen they weren’t. They had been stacked on top of one another, several layers deep.

Had I just seen the source of my new premonitions? Could that really be where they came from? I desperately wanted to go back and study them.

I looked at Charlene. She watched me with concern, but I noticed dark circles under her eyes that hadn’t been there a moment ago. Perhaps now wasn’t the best time to ask to shake her hand again. Whatever had happened to me, something must have happened to her, too.

All the werewolves around me were watching expectantly, waiting for me to offer an explanation for my weird behavior. If only I had one.

“Sorry, I’m a little tired.” I gave Charlene a weak smile then glanced at Emmitt’s father. He met my eyes directly and though I could see he didn’t believe me, he didn’t appear upset about it. Instead, he nodded in greeting. I could see where Emmitt got his height and coloring from.

“This is Thomas,” Charlene said, continuing with the introductions. I was glad Emmitt’s father didn’t hold out his hand. “And you already met our friends, Mary and Gregory.”

I smiled and said a quiet hello to the others.

“Nana told us some of what you’ve been through. I wanted to let you know that we will do everything we can to protect you and your brothers so you can feel safe here.” Her earnest expression lent credence to her sincerity. “We’ll let you get some sleep and see you at breakfast.” She turned her warm gaze on Emmitt and gave him a quick hug before leaving. Mary and Gregory followed the pair out.

“I’ll see you after breakfast,” Nana said, leaving as well.

Jim remained with us, closing the door behind Nana. “If it’s okay with you, I’ll stay on the couch tonight.”

He glanced at Emmitt when he said it, but I answered. “That’s fine. The boys will probably wake you up in about two hours, though.” I liked knowing he would be between us and the door while we slept.

“I can handle it.” He stretched out on the couch and closed his eyes.

Emmitt said nothing. He pulled me toward the back of the apartment, down a short hallway, and nudged open the door on the right. I peeked in.

Dim, pre-dawn light illuminated two small bumps under the covers of the full-sized bed. I stepped forward and pulled back the light quilt so I could see them clearly. They both lay on their sides, facing each other.

I bent to give them kisses and gently touched their cheeks before covering them up again. The fear that sat heavily in my stomach since seeing Frank and his friend fight Nana Wini wasn’t for me. It was for them. I hated feeling so helpless.

Crossing the room, I pulled the curtains on the window closed. It would give Jim a few more minutes of sleep.

Emmitt stepped into the room. I waited by the door while he smoothed back the hair from each boy’s head. When he finished checking on them, he motioned me into the hallway and pulled the door partially closed behind him as he left. He had werewolf hearing, but I didn’t and appreciated the consideration. With their door cracked open, I’d hear them when they woke.

We walked across the hall to another bedroom, which mirrored the boys’ room. Emmitt flipped on the switch so I could see clearly. The full-sized bed and matching dark dresser complemented the forest green walls. Sheets and a light quilt covered the bed. An extra quilt lay folded on a trunk at the foot of the bed. Our bags rested on top of the spare quilt.

Staring at the bags, I felt a blush creep into my cheeks. Did he plan to sleep with me? When he’d suggested sharing a bed last night, I thought he’d been kidding.

I could feel him standing behind me, waiting for my reaction. Too much was coming at me too fast. Thinking of him…us…right now made my head hurt.

“I don’t know what to say.”

“How about don’t hog the covers or I’ll push your furry butt to the floor,” Jim called from the living room.

Emmitt snorted behind me, and I turned to look at him.

“I just want sleep. I won’t get it out there with Jim or if I’m further away from you than the next room.”

I recalled what he’d said about having a hard time sleeping away from me and sighed as I nodded my acceptance of the situation.

Quirking a smile, I quoted Jim. “Hog the covers and I’ll push your furry butt to the floor.”

He grinned in return.

“Now, go away so I can change.” He obliged, and I quickly changed into the pajamas he’d packed for me then slid under the covers. “Okay. I’m decent.”

I rolled onto my side, facing away from the door so he could change if he wanted to. Listening, I heard him enter, the rasp of the zipper, and the rustle of clothes. I closed my eyes while wondering if he felt as self-conscious as I did.

He stepped to my side, surprising me enough that I opened my eyes. I saw his loose shorts as he reached up and closed the curtains, and I mentally breathed a sigh of relief. He moved to his side and slid into bed beside me but didn’t reach for me.

We lay quietly, side-by-side, and I wondered if he could still smell my fear or if all my other emotions where flooding it out.

“I’m sorry about in the truck before. You’re right. I don’t need to be afraid right now. I need to be strong and face whatever happens. I just don’t want to drag anyone else down into my problems. I wish there was a way I could face Blake and still keep my brothers safe.”

Emmitt rolled to his side so he faced me. “We will find a way.”

He moved his hand, lightly resting it on my side. I didn’t mind. The warmth of his palm soothed me to sleep.