Her worry wasn’t just for keeping our race hidden. She’d felt something for the man on the floor, and it was tearing me up to think any of her worry might be for him. So, I nodded and motioned her back to the bedroom.
Sirens screamed in the distance as I tucked her into bed and closed the door.
When I returned, there was no limp form in the living room. The back door closed as I eyed the blood-free carpet. I glanced out the front window. The lawn was clear. They’d both run.
I waited in the front door as the police pulled up.
My face hurt. I had no doubt I looked like a victim as the officers in the first car opened their doors. Good thing they couldn’t see the other guys and their busted faces.
“Sir, I received a complaint that animals were fighting in your back yard...what happened to you?” the first officer asked as the second watched me.
“I need to report an attempted break in.”
Then the questions started. Did I know who had attacked me? Had I ever seen my attacker before? Could I describe him?
I knew they wouldn’t accept short answers.
“My girlfriend and I were inside when we heard a noise out here. I came out to investigate after telling her to stay inside. As soon as I was out, someone hit me from behind. We scuffled a bit. He was about my height but smaller in the shoulders. Dark hair. Hazel eyes. Nose had a bump in the bridge. His teeth were yellow. He had a friend in back. I heard his dog growling. I managed to knock the guy out on the front lawn,” I stepped further out the door to the spot in the snow, “here. Then I went running back inside.” One of the officers glanced at my bare feet.
Damn.
“I think the adrenaline rush is fading,” I said calmly. “My feet and hands are freezing. Mind if we go inside?”
The one who’d spoken waved me in. As soon as I was inside and had the door closed, I started up again, speaking softly.
“Once I knocked the one out in front, I ran back in here. Gabby’s been sick,” I waved to the door, “and I was worried when I heard something from the back. It was a good thing I came in. He was standing right here,” I moved to the center of the room. “He landed a few good punches, but I managed to knock him out, too. Gabby had gotten out of bed. We heard the sirens. I helped her back into bed, made sure she was okay, then came out to wait for you. When I came out, they were both gone.”
“We’d like to talk to your girlfriend.”
“Okay. Just knock on her door. I doubt she’s sleeping.”
Chapter 22
After the police spoke to Gabby, whose pale, frightened expression gave more credibility to my story, they took pictures of my hands, face, and the entry points.
Once they left to go bother the neighbors with questions, I closed myself in the bathroom to wash. Most of the cuts were starting to knit together. Beyond the sound of running water, I listened to Gabby move around in her bedroom.
During Gabby’s conversation with the policemen, she had told them she didn’t want to stay the night and had said we’d be staying with family during the holiday. She’d given them her cell number for the follow-up they said they would need to do.
I knew her desire to leave had little to do with her safety. She had questions. She was afraid of what had happened when she’d looked at the man on the floor. So was I. How could she feel the pull for another werewolf? Sure I knew Gabby’s scent appealed to all werewolves, but the pull was supposed to be unique, something only one werewolf could experience when he saw his Mate for the first time. And I wasn’t mistaken. She’d felt the pull for me and for the man I’d knocked to the floor. What did it mean?
I sighed, dried my face and hands, and quietly left the bathroom. Gabby had dressed and still moved about her room, her actions tense and jerky. She shoved clothes into her bag with an aggression I seldom saw in her. I leaned against the frame and watched her for a while.
When her bag was full, she turned toward the door, then froze. Her gaze immediately dropped to the floor, avoiding mine. It hurt. I was as confused as she was over what had happened, but it didn’t change how I felt about her. Did it change how she felt about me, though?
I sighed, stepped aside, and motioned her through the door.
She grabbed her phone and called Rachel to let her know what had happened and to warn her not to come back without Peter. After she hung up, I quietly followed her out to the car. She moved around to the passenger side, still not looking at me.
Clenching my jaw, I got in behind the wheel. Was I losing her? I couldn’t stay quiet. I had to say something. But what?
I backed out of the driveway and started out toward the Compound.
Anything I had to say right now would lead to begging. Females didn’t like begging.
Tapping my fingers against the wheel in frustration, I tried to think of something, anything, to start a conversation about what had happened.
It took a moment to realize her breathing had slowed. I looked over and saw her head tilted loosely to the side. She was asleep. Great.
For the next hour, I kept going over the fight. I’d knocked the guy out. He lay on the floor, eyes closed. Gabby stepped out of her room as if in a trance, her eyes focused on him. I’d scented fear, confusion...but also interest.
I gritted my teeth. My canines poked into my lips. Nice. I was losing control and Gabby. The steering wheel crackled beneath my grip.
I went back to tapping. It didn’t help. My ears itched. Beside me, Gabby shifted in her sleep. Her scent wasn’t helping.
“Clay...”
I paused my tapping.
“Could you pull over for a minute?”
I glanced at her. Was she sick? She didn’t look pale, just worried. I braked and slowly pulled over, careful of the snowy shoulder. Once the car was in park, I turned toward her.
A sad smile lifted her lips, and then she tapped them.
My tight grip on the wheel went slack. Was she saying she wanted a kiss? My heart leapt. I swallowed hard and tried to pull back the change. I didn’t want to hurt her. It wasn’t working. I needed to know everything was good between us before I’d calm down. A kiss would help with that.
She studied me just as I inhaled deeply. Her scent lacked the confusion it had held earlier. A sweet hint of interest gave me hope, and I lifted my hands to cup her face. Her expression softened. This woman...I couldn’t live without her. I smoothed my fingers over her soft skin as I leaned in. She reached out and grabbed my shirt, pulling me closer until my lips met hers. I swallowed a groan. She was still mine.
Her lips parted, and she bit my bottom lip. It was like a kick to the heart. I opened my mouth for her, and she made a small noise as our tongues touched. My teeth shrank as I claimed her mouth, taking what she surrendered.
We steamed the windows before she pulled back. I wrapped my arms around her, unwilling to let her go yet. I kissed the top of her head and just held her.
Her fisted hands opened and flattened against my stomach. It wasn’t a push away. It was a touch, an acceptance. I kissed her one last time, then straightened in my seat.
She fell asleep after a few minutes of driving, but it didn’t matter. Whatever was going on in her head, she was still with me. That was all that mattered.
We arrived at the Compound at dusk. Cars crowded in front of the building, making it impossible to park close. And that was fine with me. I turned around and parked near the drive. Just in case.
Gabby woke as I turned off the car. She gave me a sleepy smile and started to untangle herself from her blanket as I got out. I walked around to her side, opened the door for her, then grabbed her bag.
The buildings were lit up, and few people milled around outside as we walked to the main door. Jackets and shoes filled the entry, and I could hear conversations from the rooms around us. Both signs of a full house.