Rose and Knox had warned her that they’d only given her the bare-bones basics about the lycan race, and had promised that she would learn the details once they reached Sanctuary. She hadn’t pushed the subject any further since she wasn’t sure she was ready to hear everything just yet. Finding out lycans existed both frightened and fascinated her, but oddest of all, even through the terrifying moments of grappling with the astonishing information she was receiving, a calm acceptance had blossomed deep inside her.
She contributed that acceptance to instinct, figuring because fate had marked her, something inside her must have recognized that she was different, that she was meant to fulfill a certain destiny.
Stranger yet, she didn’t feel like she had been shackled by fate, but actually found herself embracing what she might become in the future if she found her mate. She supposed the thought appealed to her because she’d never really come across a man who wasn’t a jerk or didn’t disregard her feelings in certain circumstances as mere female outbursts spurred by hormones.
The chance of finding a man whose universe revolved around her, whose love would be true, who wouldn’t be a jealous jerk, who would care about her feelings, and who would protect and cherish her was a fantasy most women only dreamed about. Of course, the possibility of finding her mate was slim, and if she never met him, she’d survive. She only hoped if she did find him, he was a little less in-your-face dominant than Knox. Knox was a good man, and she liked him, but his intensity was overwhelming at times.
After a while, Rose and Knox had grown on her. They’d been kind to her and hadn’t given up when she’d stubbornly refused to believe them. They could have simply given her the knowledge of lycans and left her to fend for herself, left her to believe it or not, but they’d refused to abandon her, had insisted they wanted to become her family, to protect her. And who was she to turn down an offer like that? For one, a family sounded like heaven. She missed her mother, and felt alone on her own.
Secondly, what kind of life would she have always looking over her shoulder wondering when or if she might be discovered by a rogue?
She caught a glimpse of a tall man with black hair only a few feet from them, but when she peered around Knox’s broad back to get a better look, he was heading into the woods. She shrugged, deciding he probably had something better to do than meet the new girl.
Knox turned to look at her, his brow raised in question as his eyes went from her to the backseat. She barely noticed the four scars that ran across his face now that she was used to them, the scars Rose told her he’d gotten from a fight a long time ago. While the puckered white edges were hard to miss, they didn’t detract from his looks. In fact, they gave an inside peek to the predator that lay beneath.
He glanced at the backseat again, and she finally caught on to the silent message he was trying to convey. She’d almost forgotten about Puss in the carrier. She’d refused to leave her beloved cat behind. The long-haired flame point Persian had been the last thing her mother had given to her before she’d died. Knox and Rose had made it clear that a cat would probably not be a welcome thing at Sanctuary, but nothing could deter her from bringing her pet.
She’d been assured that no one would harm Puss, but that it would be a good idea to keep her out of sight and out of mind. She’d probably get the snub from Puss for the next few days, since she did not like to be locked up, but it had been for her own safety.
“Don’t worry, Uncle Knox, I’ll keep a close eye on her. Besides, she’s an inside cat. She hates going outside.” She grinned when he smirked at the
“Uncle” part. She’d only just started calling Knox and Rose “Uncle” and “Aunt.” Even though Rose was a distant cousin, calling them “Aunt” and
“Uncle” made her feel closer to them. They hadn’t had any objections with the titles when she’d asked.
“See that you do. There are many things that could harm her out in the woods. And I don’t mean us.” He winked at her.
“We’ll get your bags and show you to your cabin. It’s close to the one we stay in when we visit.” Rose started for the back of the SUV, and Knox stopped her.
“I’ll get the bags, and Melony can handle Puss.” Knox swooped down and kissed Rose on the mouth, halting the obvious protest she was about to launch.
Melony blushed and looked away. The way they looked at each other could make anyone hot under the collar. The two were scorching together, and she wondered if she’d find a man who loved her that much one day. She hoped so, but even if she didn’t, well, that would be okay too. She might be young, but she knew a woman didn’t need a man to define her life.
“Grr. You are such a man,” Rose said to Knox when he opened the back hatch of the SUV.
“Yep. That’s me. A man.” He tugged the suitcases out, put two under each arm, and started off on a path that led into the woods. “Come on,” he said to Melony over his shoulder.
He carried her luggage with enviable ease. She would have struggled with two of them, and wouldn’t have managed all four at the same time on her best day. On top of that, she almost had to jog to keep up with him, and Puss growled in displeasure at being jostled around.
“Uncle Knox, slow down a bit,” she said breathlessly.
“Sorry, I forgot how small you are.” He immediately slowed his pace.
“No problem.” She grinned.
Once they made it to her cabin, she was pleasantly surprised. Rose caught up with them and gave her a quick tour. It wasn’t big, but it was sufficient, efficient, clean, and cozy. She’d always liked the countryside—although this was more like the jungle than countryside—and she felt a resolved happiness settling inside her. This was going to be her home. She had a family, and she would be safe.
“Tonight we are all gathering at the campfire. I’ll introduce you to the others, and Lorent.” Rose smiled at Melony.
“Who’s Lorent?”
“He’s someone I had a little run-in with in the past. He used to be a rogue, but he’s been reformed, and we figured it would be good for him to teach a newcomer about us in detail. He’s a tad bit shy, and we’ve been trying to get him to open up more. He was here when we got out of the SUV, but must have gotten a bit skittish when he saw you.”
So that’s who the man had been, but wait—“A rogue?” Melony worried her lip with her teeth.
Knox walked to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Was a rogue. He’s reformed. He’s one of us now. He is trustworthy. Neither one of us would allow you to be put in a situation that could cause you harm.”
Melony nodded. She believed him. After all, why would they have spent so much time and energy hunting her down to protect her only to be careless with her safety later? Didn’t seem logical to her.
“I trust you.” She’d always been chided by others in her life for being too trusting but damn it, she liked to believe the best of people.
“The fire will be around eight. I’ll be back here a little before to take you there. In the meantime, relax a bit, unpack, and settle in.” Rose hugged her and followed Knox to the door.
“Sounds great. I’ll see you later then.” She waved and headed down the hall to the bedroom with Puss. It was a nice-sized room with a big bed that was made up in crisp white sheets and a thick comforter.
“I’m so glad I potty-trained you to use the toilet,” she mumbled to Puss.
The potty training had been a two-month-long process, but Puss no longer required a litter box. It had been well worth the time and effort she’d put into it since she no longer had to scoop poop or change kitty litter.