Curves & Courage

by Christin Lovell

I knew the moment I left her side, I would hunt him down. Had they not shared the same genes, she would have been marked by him, and dammit, this beautiful young woman, was mine to mark.

  Shit. How sick was it that even while I was looking at her marred body, I couldn’t help but think of how beautiful she was. Sure, she was bigger than a lot of the girls at school, but she had voluptuous curves that most girls her age didn’t. She was cute and sensual, innocent and sexy. There was something alluring about her that I couldn’t turn away from, regardless of her size.

  When her face wasn’t swollen and discolored, she had big brown eyes with strokes of grey that swallowed me, a button nose I wanted press my index finger to the tip of, lips made for sinful daydreams and soft, round cheeks that made my hands itch to caress them. She was beautiful. And she was mine.

  I couldn’t deny it. And, if I allowed myself to think harder on it, I knew I had feelings for her. I knew I cared. You didn’t want to murder someone who’d hurt an acquaintance. Hell, you didn’t want to torture someone who’d hurt a casual friend. I wanted revenge to its full extent. I wanted to avenge every wound he’d inflicted on my girl!

  Damn. I knew it had to hurt. I cringed just at the sight of her marks. I could only imagine what it must have felt like. I could only ponder what she truly endured last night.

  Bile rose in my throat. He was a sick bastard.

  Sophie had closed her eyes. I held firmly to her hand as my dad snapped the photos. He didn’t linger. I saw the twitch in his jaw. I heard the click of his teeth. She was my mate, his future daughter-in-law, the woman who would give him grandchildren. She was ours to protect now, and I knew by his fidgets, he would see that justice was served, one way or another. I didn’t realize how lucky I was to have him as a father until now.

  And yet, I would trade him in a heartbeat if it meant I could have protected Sophie from ever experiencing this sort of pain. If there was a way I could switch lives with her, I would. I would gladly take every blow the asshole had ever delivered to her back to the first. I would bear it all for her. While no one deserved this, she deserved so much more.

  I wanted to give her so much more. I wanted to buy her a whole new wardrobe, cook her steak every night and walk hand-in-hand down the halls at school. I wanted her to have all that she never had, all she could ever long for, while erasing her scars one by one.

  I would kiss every wound. I would tend cut, every gouge from the bites. I would take care of her always. I would stop anyone who tried to hurt her. I would… shit. I would give up my life for her.

  Damn.

  I loved her.

  I’d heard the legends, but didn’t believe them. I didn’t believe in love at first sight. I didn’t believe love could happen this fast. They’d always said you fell in love with your mate before you ever claimed her. Most wolves claimed their mate within a day. It seemed impossible.

  But here I stood, turned into a pondering fool by love.

  A snicker bubbled from me. I shook my head in dismay as more laughter erupted.

  Sophie was deadly still. Her eyes remained closed; her body didn’t move. It was as if she was in a trance. It gave me time to observe the woman I loved, laughing stupidly as I did.

  Dr. Charles and my dad exchanged looks. Their eyes slid to me in unison; perfectly timed. A single brow arched upwards on both of them.

  I smiled, knowing I probably resembled Goofy, but didn’t give a shit. “I love her,” I chuckled. It wasn’t amusing, but I was so dumbfounded by the fact that a guy would fall in love with a girl so damn quick. I’d made fun of the others. I’d dismissed the rumors, the legends. But damn if fate didn’t get me good.

  My dad pressed a hand to my shoulder, sobering me. A small smile lifted his lips. There was a sparkle, a damn sparkle of amusement, in his eyes. “Good for you, son.” His humor disappeared. “Make me a grandfather anytime soon though, and you’ll never give me another grandchild after.”

  My gaze slid to Sophie, all her wounds on display. I frowned as I assessed her condition. “She’s not healing quick.”

  “Ah, yes. Based off her poor color, below-normal temperature, and the lack of improvement in her wounds many hours past, I’m guessing she’s been nutritionally starved. It’s your wolf’s DNA that ignites your healing properties, but if your wolf has been deprived of certain proteins found in meat, you won’t heal at werewolf speed, but rather at the slow, human pace,” Dr. Charles explained.

  “Ordinarily I would re-break the bone and set it immediately, however her bone hasn’t even begun to fuse,” he continued. “I plan to draw some blood to learn the extent of her dietary damage. I’ll administer some antibiotics and pain medicine through the draw site. Those bite marks will need to be cleaned regularly until she’s healed. Her largest risk comes from infection right now. Her slow recovery combined with the depth of the punctures leaves her quite vulnerable. I could stitch them temporarily, but that might hinder her healing rather than help. I’m fairly confident once she’s back to eating a decent wolf’s diet, she will slim down and recuperate all of her healing properties.” He walked to his bag and withdrew an array of items.

  “And her arm?” my dad asked.

  “I’ll set and wrap her arm in a bit.” He focused his attention on her. “Sophie?” She didn’t react or reply.

  Every face in the room fell. This was a defense mechanism. This was definitely not the first time he’d beaten her. She must have endured it countless times to be so practiced.

  I squeezed her hand. “Sophie?” Nothing. “Sophie.” My voice grew in volume as my tone sharpened. Still, she didn’t respond.

  “If you’ll just lie her on the bed, I can proceed without her…conscious.” The doctor seemed disturbed, but quickly brushed it off. “Be careful you don’t irritate her wounds.”

  I slipped one arm behind her back, the other behind her knees. She fell into me easily. I couldn’t prevent my heart from swelling as I held her close. The press of her body against me was heaven. She felt right. She smelled amazing. She appealed to all of my senses, even unconscious. She was perfect.

  I carefully deposited her on my bed. I spent the next hour watching Dr. Charles tend every cut and coat each bruise with arnica gel. He speculated there were more beneath her clothes, but I knew Sophie wouldn’t want him to see her. I agreed to help her when she awoke. The last thing he did was set and bandage her arm.

  He gathered his supplies and placed them in his bag. “I’ll have the results from the blood in a day or so. In the meantime, make sure she doesn’t skip any meals, and ensure she gets a sizable meat portion at each one.”

  “I will.” I slid off the bed, having sat beside her through everything.

  He headed for the door, but stopped, glancing back at her. His wrinkles deepened as he studied her. I knew I wouldn’t like what he was about to say. “I found some old scars that hadn’t healed yet on her. My guess is they’re less than a month old. Some are newer than others, indicating this has happened multiple times over the past month and who knows how many times prior. She’s clearly skilled at withdrawing as a way of coping with the situation. She’s not dealing with the trauma; she’d hiding from it. When she finally faces it…” He winced. It took him a second to school his features again before he could meet my heavy gaze. I knew I was glaring at him. I couldn’t help it though. “She has a long road ahead of her. If you’re not prepared to handle her ups and downs, you ought to walk away now so you don’t magnify her problems.”

  “I’m not abandoning her.” It came out as a snarl. Just as I’d suspected, his words incited my wolf and tore the lid off my carefully contained anger.

  He nodded in a professional manner, immediately distancing himself. “Very well. I’ll call your father with the results of her blood work soon.”

  He slipped from the room, leaving me to face my future alone.

  Chapter 25

  Sophie

  I woke beside Dom. He was gently brushing my hair away from my face in a
soothing, rhythmic motion.

  The first thing I noticed was I wasn’t in as much pain. It amplified what I’d felt prior, making me hyperaware of the extent of my earlier agony.

  “Doc gave you some pain meds,” he explained.

  My mouth was dry, pasty; a hint of a metallic taste lingered on my palate. I needed some water.

  I stretched my arms out prepared to sit up when I saw the bright green wrap on my arm. “I, uh, guess it’s pretty bad.”

  He watched me closely, but didn’t reply. He continued his gentle sweeps. It was slightly unsettling.

  I fidgeted, rubbing over the thick bandage, feeling every fiber of the plush material. It’s not what I’d expected. I’d expected an ace wrap at best. This was tightly bound in many layers, constricting my arm, almost holding it in place.

  “What’s wrong, sweetie?”

  I stared up at the ceiling, thinking about his question. What is wrong with me? Despite his attention, I was unusually calm. It was an eerie calm that stole over me, like the calm before a storm. Was there a storm coming?

  I was processing slower. I realized I was unusually at ease… because it was a forced calm. Was it? I couldn’t figure out where the drug stopped and Dom began.

  Regardless of my drug-induced intoxication, it felt right to be beside Dom. His fingers slid easily through my strands, like a silent lullaby. I wanted to inch closer to him, fit myself to him. Somehow, I knew I would fit perfectly against him, despite my curvier figure. He felt right. He was far better than living with my dad.

  My dad! That’s the storm.

  I frantically searched the room for a clock. Dom was too impassive beside me. He wasn’t rushed or anxious in any way.

  “He’s going to come for me, Dom.” I swallowed the fear pushing its way into my chest.

  Dom’s sweeping hand halted momentarily; the only reaction I got from him. “I’ll protect you, Sophie. I’ll always protect you.”

  My stomach clenched. I sat up, crossing my legs Indian-style. “You don’t understand, Dom.”

  He sat up swiftly, meeting my worried gaze. I saw irritation flare in his eyes. He didn’t hide all the nasty things he wanted to do to my dad. “No, Soph, you don’t understand. I’m a future alpha. I’ll be damned if I let some wolf who’s not brave enough to pick on someone his own size influence my life. You’re not running and neither am I.”

  I gasped as I recognized his true intentions. My heart took off. “You can’t, Dom. You… I mean, he’s…” I shook my head, loathing the fuzzy feeling fogging me, hindering me from getting my point across.

  “I can. And I will, Sophie. I will fight for you.”

  My lungs ceased to expand. Dread slowed my blood flow, killing my pulse despite my rapid heartbeat. “Please don’t, Dominick. Please don’t do it.”

  His hand cradled my face. “Why? Afraid my charm’ll be too much for you?” His dimples appeared as his lips curled up in light humor.

  I couldn’t resist a small smile, but I still chastised him. “Stop. You know that’s not it.”

  He crossed his arms, teasingly assessing me. “No, you stop. Kris’ mom left clothes for you. Dr. Charles said you need to shower. He only cleaned and treated what he could see. He left some more cream and bandages to reapply when you get out.” He leaned into me and wagged his brows suggestively. “I can help you in the shower if you want. After all, you can’t get your arm wet.”

  Somehow he demolished my self-consciousness and made me feel like a dainty cheerleader. It was probably the desire in his eyes. He made sure I saw it. He made sure I knew he wanted me in every way, not just because Nature said so.

  I smiled, suddenly feeling shy. “I think I can manage.”

  “With one hand?” he challenged.

  “I’ll call if I need help.”

  He grinned wider. “I’ll be waiting.” He winked cheekily.

  I slid off the bed. I teetered, grabbing at the bed desperately; I imagined this was what it was like to be drunk. I was disoriented. I didn’t feel like I was standing on solid ground…or maybe it was my body that didn’t want to stand its ground. I tingled, aware yet numb in some ways.

  Dom was there somehow, catching me. I didn’t know how he moved so fast.

  Concern crinkled his brow before it smoothed. By the time he centered himself in front of me, amusement lit his face. “You sure you can manage?” A single brow was up, taunting.

  I studied him. The boy was downright sexy as sin. There was something about him that was charming and alluring. I knew, once I allowed myself, I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off of him. I knew I wouldn’t be able to tell him no if he touched me in any deviant way. His words alone made me feel beautiful. I could only imagine how his hands and mouth would make me feel.

  “I’m sure.”

  He chuckled, his laughter wrapping itself around my heart and warming me through. “Stubborn girl.”

  “Somehow, I don’t think you’d want an easy girl.” I didn’t know where those words came from. I wasn’t usually so forward in judging others… Was I judging him? Darn this medicine.

  There was something in his eyes, some sort of emotion I couldn’t name. “Hm. Guess we’ll never know.”

  We watched each other. Butterflies fluttered about in my belly. I was lost in him. How did I get lost in him so easily? I could stare into him forever. I would gaze into him forever.

  He smiled wistfully. “Go shower, Soph. I don’t want you getting an infection. Come on.” He placed a soft hand on my shoulder. Clutching my good hand in one of his, he guided me into the bathroom attached to his bedroom. “Sit.” He helped me sit on top of the toilet. I could only imagine how I looked right now on top of the commode with a bloodied shirt, messed up hair and a bright green soft cast Bigfoot could see from a mile away in the forest.

  He turned on the shower, testing the water several times before he turned back to me. He shuffled uncertainly for a moment. It was unlike him. He was always confident. “Does your bra hook in the back?”

  I averted my gaze. I knew my cheeks were colored. “Um, I can just pull it off over my head.”

  He squatted down in front of me, lowering himself once again for me. He dipped a finger beneath my chin and lifted my face. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help, okay? I promise not to maul you.” He beamed, his dimples on full display.

  I chuckled; surprised to find tears in my eyes. I bit my lower lip as I gazed at him. He did something to me. He unleashed emotions I was unfamiliar with. He gave me hope when I thought I’d lost it. He was slowly wrapping himself around my heart, working his way in. Already I knew his laugh, his charm, his protection, and, already, I knew I was going to miss it. “Thanks, for everything, Dom.” My voice was soft, yet full of sincerity and heavy with sentiment.

  “I’ll always be here for you, Sophie.”

  My tears were wavering. I knew if I spoke they would fall, so I nodded my head, acknowledging his declaration, savoring his promise.

  He stood, leaned in and carefully kissed my cheek on his way up. “Call me if anything. I’ll put the bag of clothes on the bed open for you. Just leave your clothes on the counter. I doubt we’ll be able to save them, but knowing Lisa, she’ll try anyways.”

  I swallowed hard, regaining a bit of control. “Okay.”

  Chapter 26

  Dominick

  I walked out into the living room and found Swanson and my dad bent over his computer. Lisa and another mother in our pack, Anna, were occupying one of the couches, mid-conversation when I came out.

  “How is she?” they all asked at once.

  I didn’t feel right airing Soph’s dirty laundry. I didn’t want to taint her standing with the pack coming in. I felt the need to protect her reputation. “Better.”

  I brushed past them, avoiding eye contact so they wouldn’t pester me with more questions I would have to carefully word answers for. I went into the kitchen and grabbed a family size package of sirloin steaks from the fridge. I pulled out a grill
pan and got to work. I knew without the blood results that she hadn’t been eating right. Not once had she eaten lunch. She probably wasn’t eating breakfast either. If I had to guess, she was probably eating one meal a day consisting of the scraps her dad left her, which definitely didn’t have meat.

  My wolf roared, snarling viciously at the thought alone. It was customary for the man of the house to get the largest piece, but a respectable man made sure everyone had enough. I knew the asshole was practically starving her. He took what he wanted from her when he wanted it.

  I froze, mid-seasoning the steaks. Shit.

  My harsh growl echoed in the oversized galley kitchen. I hadn’t thought about it before. Just how much did her father take from her? If he- fuck! I yanked on my hair, unable to stand still. I tossed the seasoning aside and began pacing.

  My breathing was rapid and sharp, a sneer on each exhale. If he touched her in that way… He was dead. Hurting her, breaking bones, ripping skin and cutting flesh was enough, but if he even thought about touching her in that way, I wouldn’t hesitate to kill him in front of anyone, even the police. I’d be damned if he walked a free man after that. I wanted to do that already with her wounds alone. They looked bad. He hadn’t been gentle with her. He’d treated her like a damn predator, like his enemy rather than his daughter. He deserved to die for that alone. She was his flesh and blood, but he treated her worse than a criminal robbing him.

  I glanced up at the clock. 2:47pm. School would let out soon, and when she didn’t show up, he’d hunt her down… and find me instead.

  I found solace in that. I’d get my day with him. I’d have my chance. My dad would see to it. He understood the drive to hunt anyone who hurt your mate. He knew it all too well. Sadly, this was a new bond in our relationship.

  I finished the steaks, cooking them to medium rare and letting them rest on a plate.

  The shower had stopped a few minutes ago, but already, my wolf was restless to see her. I needed to see that she was alright, reassure myself that she would be okay.

  I knocked on the bedroom door. “Sophie?”

  “Yeah?”