and sat in the chair as far
away from him and the others as she could. He had spoken to her last night
about her desires to die and they had worked some of them out. The rest she
said she had to think about. He still wasn’t sure what that might be, but he
had a feeling she didn’t either.
“I wanted to tell you both how sorry I
am for the way…” Lou looked at Austin and CJ before she lowered her head again.
“I’ve had a really hard time of it and I didn’t have much in the way of choices
when it came to my life. I’ve never had the opportunity to… I don’t trust
easily.”
Austin snorted and CJ hit him. She
glared at him before she spoke to Lou. “I know about not trusting. The way you
were living, it’s small wonder you didn’t hurt yourself sooner. I know that I
thought about it a great deal after my mom passed away.”
“I was too cowardly to do anything on my
own.” The words seemed to spill out before she knew it, Connor thought. “I mean,
I was willing, but the mind kept me from actually doing anything. I didn’t want
to be sold to the labs again.”
Connor nodded when Austin looked at him.
“Dean sold her once before. He didn’t only sell her, but had drugged her up to
get her there. It wasn’t a nice place.”
“He won’t get me again. Not as long as I
can still breathe. Those people wanted…they thought that they could…” Lou got
up and moved to the sink and took a clean glass from the drainer. “They thought
they could use me as a breeder. Someone thought they could take my eggs and
make more just like me.”
“Holy Christ.” CJ got up too and started
to pull Lou into her arms. But when Lou stiffened, she only rubbed her arms. “No
one here will harm you or try to sell you to that place again. I’m sure that
Connor told you that, but I’m telling you again. No one, not a single person
here, will cause you harm or they have to answer to me.”
“And me.” Austin pulled CJ back to him. “I
swear to you, Lou, that no one will do anything to hurt you. I’m alpha here and
they know better than to piss me or my mate off.”
Lou snorted and Connor found himself
smiling. She was going to be a handful. He looked at his brother when he
cleared his throat. Connor was sure he was going to say something to piss Lou
off and he decided he was on his own.
“You don’t believe me? I got news for
you, young lady, when I say something—” She cut him off with a raise of her
hand. “What is it?”
It was her stance that made him think
she was feeling something. When she looked at the door from the dining room,
they all stood up. Connor was nearly standing in front of her when Karl walked
in. His face was a bloody mess and he was limping.
“Christ.” He started for him when Lou
stopped him. “I have to help him, love. Just stand still—” She knocked him back
when he reached for Karl again. As he started to rise, he saw it then.
The knife sticking out of his shoulder
was embedded deeply. In addition to the knife, there seemed to be a note. Connor
watched as Lou moved forward. She spoke softly to them as she reached out to
the note with trembling hands.
“If you touch it, I won’t be able to
tell you anything about it.” She looked up when Phil came into the room. “You
have to make them stay back.”
Phil nodded and stepped in front of him.
“You know as well as I do that I can put you to sleep. Don’t make me have to do
that.”
“She’s going to get hurt if she tries to
take that out of him.” Connor nodded to the big Irish wolf. “He’s in pain, even
I can see that.”
“Yes, he is. But if you touch the note
first, she won’t get the best reading on it. Let her do this.” His next words
were spoken in his mind. “You have to let her do this because you trust her.
She might get hurt, but you have to trust her to do the right thing.”
Trust. Connor was beginning to hate the
word. He nodded once at Phil and asked him something that just occurred to
away from him and the others as she could. He had spoken to her last night
about her desires to die and they had worked some of them out. The rest she
said she had to think about. He still wasn’t sure what that might be, but he
had a feeling she didn’t either.
“I wanted to tell you both how sorry I
am for the way…” Lou looked at Austin and CJ before she lowered her head again.
“I’ve had a really hard time of it and I didn’t have much in the way of choices
when it came to my life. I’ve never had the opportunity to… I don’t trust
easily.”
Austin snorted and CJ hit him. She
glared at him before she spoke to Lou. “I know about not trusting. The way you
were living, it’s small wonder you didn’t hurt yourself sooner. I know that I
thought about it a great deal after my mom passed away.”
“I was too cowardly to do anything on my
own.” The words seemed to spill out before she knew it, Connor thought. “I mean,
I was willing, but the mind kept me from actually doing anything. I didn’t want
to be sold to the labs again.”
Connor nodded when Austin looked at him.
“Dean sold her once before. He didn’t only sell her, but had drugged her up to
get her there. It wasn’t a nice place.”
“He won’t get me again. Not as long as I
can still breathe. Those people wanted…they thought that they could…” Lou got
up and moved to the sink and took a clean glass from the drainer. “They thought
they could use me as a breeder. Someone thought they could take my eggs and
make more just like me.”
“Holy Christ.” CJ got up too and started
to pull Lou into her arms. But when Lou stiffened, she only rubbed her arms. “No
one here will harm you or try to sell you to that place again. I’m sure that
Connor told you that, but I’m telling you again. No one, not a single person
here, will cause you harm or they have to answer to me.”
“And me.” Austin pulled CJ back to him. “I
swear to you, Lou, that no one will do anything to hurt you. I’m alpha here and
they know better than to piss me or my mate off.”
Lou snorted and Connor found himself
smiling. She was going to be a handful. He looked at his brother when he
cleared his throat. Connor was sure he was going to say something to piss Lou
off and he decided he was on his own.
“You don’t believe me? I got news for
you, young lady, when I say something—” She cut him off with a raise of her
hand. “What is it?”
It was her stance that made him think
she was feeling something. When she looked at the door from the dining room,
they all stood up. Connor was nearly standing in front of her when Karl walked
in. His face was a bloody mess and he was limping.
“Christ.” He started for him when Lou
stopped him. “I have to help him, love. Just stand still—” She knocked him back
when he reached for Karl again. As he started to rise, he saw it then.
The knife sticking out of his shoulder
was embedded deeply. In addition to the knife, there seemed to be a note. Connor
watched as Lou moved forward. She spoke softly to them as she reached out to
the note with trembling hands.
“If you touch it, I won’t be able to
tell you anything about it.” She looked up when Phil came into the room. “You
have to make them stay back.”
Phil nodded and stepped in front of him.
“You know as well as I do that I can put you to sleep. Don’t make me have to do
that.”
“She’s going to get hurt if she tries to
take that out of him.” Connor nodded to the big Irish wolf. “He’s in pain, even
I can see that.”
“Yes, he is. But if you touch the note
first, she won’t get the best reading on it. Let her do this.” His next words
were spoken in his mind. “You have to let her do this because you trust her.
She might get hurt, but you have to trust her to do the right thing.”
Trust. Connor was beginning to hate the
word. He nodded once at Phil and asked him something that just occurred to
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