Curves & Courage (6 page)

I pursed my lips, knowing this was a pivotal moment. I shoved my hands into my pockets. “Yeah, probably.”

She echoed my words with a small, slight headshake. She took a moment to gather herself. “Dominick, you seem like a really nice guy, but, you don’t know me.”

Annoyance
bubbled inside, erupting to the surface. “Seem? You would know if you gave me a fair chance.”

She averted her gaze for a moment before looking back up at me. I wanted to kiss the wistful smile off her lips. “Probably. Under different circumstances.” She shrugged.

I ground my teeth; my wolf growled, fighting upwards to break free. “What circumstances would those be, because I thought being mates overrode every obstacle?”

She grabbed the pile from her desk and stepped to the side of me. “I’m sorry I can’t be who you want me to be, Dominick.” Her voice was so small, weak. I couldn’t explain it; I just knew she had so much inside her.

I closed my eyes, balling my hands into fists of fury. My muscles clenched as my wolf scratched my surface, threatening to wreak havoc.

I didn’t bother watching her walk away this time. When her scent no longer surrounded me, I made a grab for my book bag. “If my dad asks, tell him I went for a run.”

“You sure that’s wise right now, bro?” Kris stood at my side, like he always did. He was loyal to a fault. Your mate was supposed to be your permanent partner though, not your beta.

“Yeah.” I bound out the classroom, shoving my way to freedom.

Chapter 15

Sophie

I opened the door to the apartment. I knew he was there, but he didn’t bother getting up from the couch. He was chugging a forty-dollar bottle of Scotch. I knew the price because he’d sent me out to purchase it for him our last night in Kansas. The corner storeowner knew my dad by that point; he knew me too. Being a small town, he bent the law via the back door.

I turned and closed the door, sliding the lock into place.

Glass shattered as he slammed the bottle down on the coffee table. I swallowed hard, steadying my heart before I faced him. He wore the same clothes from yesterday. His shirt hung open a little further at the top and the sleeves were shoved higher up his thick forearms.

“What the hell are you standing there for? Clean up this fucking mess,” he growled.

I lowered my books and bag to the floor by the door. I grabbed the dustpan and broom from the coat closet and moved in to sweep up the chards of glass. Dragging the broom across the coffee table, I held the dustpan at the edge of it to catch the tiny crystals.

His breathing became heavier as I angled the broom around his feet. I nearly doubled over as he lurched out and snugged his hand around my forearm. He jerked me into him. He inhaled deep. “You’ve been with
them!
”

His fingers wrapped around my bun. He pulled hard on the knot atop my head, bending me backwards, tilti
ng my face towards him. He looked so mean, menacing and hard. He didn’t look like the man I knew as a child. “Don’t fucking lie to me,” he roared, his lips curling in disgust.

His fingers dug into me. I knew he was leaving a bruise on my forearm. Had my hair been hanging free, he would have torn out a chunk. His hands were viscous; he stared through me, not at me. He didn’t see his little girl. He saw a punching bag; he saw what he wanted to see: an enemy, someone capable of betraying him.

I struggled to calm my body. I closed my eyes, focusing on my breathing. I had to keep my pulse slow and smooth. “Who are you referring to, Dad?” My tight grip on the broom and dustpan were wavering as pain shot through my right arm.

“Who?” he shouted.
“Them! The fucking wolves I smell all over you!” He threw me backwards into the wall. As my back slammed into the wall, the broom and dustpan fell free; glass bounced like marbles across the floor.

I couldn’t react. He didn’t give me time to react. His huge hand closed around my neck. “After all I’ve done for you, you’re turning your back on me? How fucking dare you!”

I tried to shake my head negatively, but his grip was too tight. “N…oo.” My voice was a broken squeak.

My head pounded, my heart thundered as I tried to suck in air. His hold was too strong. My lungs fought to expand, they longed to swallow the oxygen I frantically attempted to inhale, but they weren’t allowed. I couldn’t breathe.

His eyes glowed. His lips quivered as he revealed his teeth, his growl shaking me.

I felt the life draining from me, slowly seeping from me. And there was nothing I could do.

I was too weak to fight him. I didn’t know if I even wanted to fight him. I couldn’t really say I had a life worth fighting for in that moment. But, just when I’d accepted my fate, embraced the freedom death brought, he let go.

I fell to the floor, the weight of my body ramming the pieces of glass into my flesh. My lungs greedily demanded all the air I could handle; I gasped, sucking in the spicy scent of alcohol wafting from him. Pain shot through me. Suddenly, I was aware of a deep, dull throbbing ache in my forearm as new pricks of pain made me hyperaware of my predicament.

A howl emanated from him. “You think you can just walk away from me after all I’ve done for you, you ungrateful bitch?”

I couldn’t answer. My head still pounded; it spun as my body struggled to recover.

A swift, jarring punch sent me flying sideways across the floor. I felt my face swell instantly, a persistent ache forming at his latest connection site.

I fumbled, flailing to sit up.
The room was swirling, my vision blurry, caught somewhere mid-shift. My wolf wanted to come out and protect me. But she needed more protection than me. She was the baby and I was the child. The child had a better chance than the infant.

The second I put pressure on my right hand, pain surged up and into my shoulder. I collapsed as his heavy footsteps drew close.
I couldn’t control my heart’s racing beat. I couldn’t contain my erratic pulse as my entire body stung and throbbed at random points. I felt the scrapes, conscious of my current wounds. Fear climaxed in my chest as I became all too cognizant of the wounds he’d yet to inflict.

This was the time I needed to shut down. This was when I
had to let go. This was when I closed the world out and purposefully allowed myself to hover between this world and the dream world, between reality and unconsciousness. This was the time I separated my physical self from the rest of me; this was the moment I huddled inside, deep in the recesses of myself with my wolf as the very man who helped make me destroyed me blow by blow.

I enjoyed the dark. I’d come to welcome the shadows known best at night. I’d much rather steep my soul in blackness than to remain awake, aware of each piece, each ounce of dignity, of hope, of strength being taken from me by brute force. I could wake up an empty shell and recover; but living through every blast, like in war, would leave me an empty shell with nightmares I would never be able to escape.

I held tight to ignorance, despite the pain in place of bliss.

I wrapped a shaking arm around my wolf. Instinctively, she slid over, making room for me to hide inside with her, where we could cry and whimper together in harmony.

Chapter 16

Dominick

It’d been a long night. It’d been a battle of wills to steer my wolf away from where I knew she lived. Kris had convinced me to give her time and space; he’d accompanied my wolf and me to ensure we listened. I hadn’t realized just how hard it was to exist without your mate until I set my wolf free. He’d roamed in anguish. His heart was heavy, burdened by the knowledge of her scent and the prison of not being permitted to chase her.

It was like turning your back on everything you were familiar with. It was like leaving home all over again.

And when we’d returned, miserably sulking, my dad had been there to assure me. I wanted to believe him. I convinced myself to believe him.

“
Your mate always comes around.
”
He grew quiet, his gaze focused off in the distance.
“
You can’t avoid fate.” A soft sigh escaped him.
“
And you can’t possibly run forever.
”

I wanted him to be right because my longing for my mate doubled on school grounds. In a matter of days, I became observant of the time, focused on reaching fourth period, where I knew I would see her.

My heart beat faster as her scent wafted towards me. The morning had seemed to drag by, teasing me without her presence. A smile tugged at my lips as I looked towards the classroom door; my wolf had sat up, his tail wagging with excitement. We immediately froze, rage assaulting us as concern consumed us when we saw her.

Her hair fell around her face, but it didn’t hide
the swelling around her cheeks and eyes nor did it cover the faint bruising at her neck. She didn’t carry any books today. Rather, she clutched her arm to her chest, attempting to pass it off as merely crossed arms.

“Oh shit,” Kris bit out. His hand closed harshly around my shoulder.

Before now, I’d learned to drown out the noise of the other students. I’d practiced ignoring their banter, their laughter, their drama, and their annoying tendencies. But everything was roaring into my ears today, deafening my thoughts, magnifying my fury.

Someone hurt her. Badly. They hurt
my
mate! They hurt her! Bad!

I didn’t know how I made it to her, but I was there before I could stop myself. “
Come with me. No arguing. Don’t you dare even try to push me away. Come. Now.” I carefully removed her book bag from her shoulders, certain I didn’t jostle her and cause any unnecessary pain.

She must have heard the edge in my voice; she must have sensed how close I was to losing it in public because she promptly
followed. Her eyes traveled around, studying those around us, those lost in their stupid, immature bullshit.

I snagged my backpack off the back of my chair, never missing a step. I heard Kris fall into place behind her. I shoved the door open,
creating a safe path through the swarm of students still cluttering the halls. I didn’t turn around and look at her; I knew I’d lose it.

The moment we got outside, I text my dad.
She’s hurt. Get to the school ASAP.

Her breathing was steady; her heart beat rhythmically. It was the slight elevation in her pulse that gave away that she was scared.

I took a deep breath, not wanting to further frighten her, before I turned towards her. My heart broke at the sight of her. Her teeth dug into her bottom lip as she tried to control the quiver of her chin; the action caused the apples of her cheeks to puff up, enhancing the discolored inflammation. Unshed tears sat ready to fall at a moments notice in her eyes.

Careful not to spook her, I lifted my hands and slipped her hair back over her shoulders.

She closed her eyes and looked away.

“I can help you. I will help you.”

She immediately denied me. “You can’t. He…he’s too strong.”

I trailed my fingertips over the markings of an extra-large hand around her neck. Whoever
he
was, was large and strong, but he’d hurt her again over my dead body. He would have to get through me to ever get close to her again.

My wolf echoed my stance,
thunderous inside. He shredded my insides, ready to seek revenge. His fury scorched my veins; torched my soul in fierce flames of fortification.

My dad’s car peeled into park along the street in front of the school.

“Come with me. Please-” Dammit. I still didn’t even know her name.

She
stared warily at the car as my dad bound from it towards us. Her gaze met mine. “Sophie.” She clung tighter to her arm, working her lip for a few seconds. Taking a soft breath, she exhaled, “My name is Sophie.”

Chapter 17

Sophie

He was the spitting image of Dominick. I knew he would look just like him in twenty years.

Keen eyes assessed me. He laid a hand on Dom’s shoulder. “Let’s go, son.”

The alpha. His dad was the alpha. It was the simplest formula to put together since Dominick was a future alpha, but it hadn’t clicked until now.

If I went with them, I would be dragging an entire pack into this. You didn’t involve the alpha without involving the entire pack.

I knew I was
gawking at them, but I didn’t know what to do. I wanted so bad to go, but I couldn’t handle the guilt of knowing I’d brought hell down upon all of them.

I studied my mate. He didn’t deserve to face what I had. None of them did. Deep down, I knew I didn’t either, but I couldn’t change what was. I could prevent what was to come though.

“What are you shaking your head ‘no’ to, Sophie? There will be no arguing. You need to come with us.” Dom spoke like an alpha ready to take control of a situation; it was unnerving and comforting simultaneously.

I glanced back at
Kris, lingering behind me. He gave me a small, encouraging smile. His brows furrowed as he watched me, assessed me with an investigator’s eye. I knew he saw more than the others.