“It’s not so bad. They pull a little when I move, but the nurse gave me some pain killers so they don’t hurt too much,” he told her.
Marin smiled. “I’m glad it doesn’t hurt. I can never thank you enough for what you did. You could have just told Stefan where I was and let him take me.”
Michael shook his head. “No, I couldn’t. You’re part of our family and we take care of our own.”
Marin bent and kissed him on the cheek. She’d had a brother who’d practically sold her into modern day slavery. The thought that Michael was willing to risk his life for her brought tears to her eyes. She was a very lucky woman to have fallen into such a wonderful family.
Cole stepped closer to the bed. He should probably wait until Gabriel returned before asking any questions about the attack, but he had to know how Stefan had been able to injure Michael so badly. Not to mention that he was having a little bit of trouble watching Marin and Michel together. He knew it was ridiculous to feel this way, that they only had sibling like feelings toward each other. He could only hope that it wouldn’t be so bad once he could actually mate with Marin. Cole knew that his first time with her would be different from anything he had ever experienced before. Hopefully his inner wolf would settle down a bit afterwards.
“I know you probably don’t want to talk about it right now, but I need to know how Stefan was able to do so much damage,” Cole asked his brother.
Michael sighed. “Honestly, I’m not really sure. He asked me about Marin and threatened me with a knife. I was prepared for the attack, but he managed to get the upper hand.”
Cole looked at his brother worriedly, “No one has ever gotten the upper hand with you before. Do you think he’s part werewolf?”
Michael looked down, a little embarrassed. “Actually, I was a little distracted… and a little cocky.”
“What else is new? You’re always cocky, but what had you so distracted that he was able to get close enough to slice with you a knife?” Cole asked Michael.
“I ran into Kari. I hadn’t planned on telling you, but I figure she’ll be around soon enough anyway,” he replied.
Cole could tell that Michael was leaving something out. “What else?”
Michael cleared his throat. “I, um… I sort of ran into April, too.”
Cole was stunned. April was his ex-girlfriend. They had dated for about a year, but that had been six or seven years ago. They had broken up because she had moved away. She had asked Cole to go with her, but he had stayed in Ashton Grove with his pack. He hadn’t seen her since.
“April was in town?” Cole asked quietly.
Michael continued to look down at his lap. “Yeah. She asked about you.”
Cole looked at Michael. “What did you tell her?”
“That you were doing great and were engaged. She didn’t seem to like that answer. I think she came by to see if y’all could pick up where you left off,” Michael responded.
Marin decided she had been quiet long enough. “Who are Kari and April?” Part of her was afraid of what his answer would be, but she felt that she needed to know. If these were women that he had loved or had been dating, it was important for her to know now instead of later. She had already lost her heart to Cole and she wouldn’t give him up without a fight.
“April is my ex-girlfriend. We broke up about six years ago and I haven’t seen her since. She decided to leave Ashton Grove and I wanted to stay,” Cole told her, giving her the short version. “Kari is another story. We met about five years ago. She made it clear that she was interested in me, but I told her she wasn’t my type. She wouldn’t take no for an answer and still appears every once in a while and tries to make a pass at me.”
“Do you still have feelings for April?” Marin asked in a small voice. It didn’t seem fair that this should happen after she fell in love with Cole, when her life was finally starting to look up. Her heart felt as if it were breaking. She knew that she couldn’t walk away from him, but if he was in love with another woman it would certainly complicate things.
Cole took her hands in his and turned her to face him. “No, I don’t. I did for a while, but I haven’t even thought about her in a long time.”
Marin gave him a hesitant smile. Looking in his eyes, she saw that he spoke the truth. “I’m glad that you don’t love her. I don’t know what I would have done if you still loved her and wanted to be with her.” She paused. She didn’t want to tell him that she loved him… it was way too early for that. But what could she tell him? “I’ve come to care for you already. I wouldn’t want to lose you to another woman.”
They turned to face Michael and saw that he had fallen asleep. Or at least he looked like he was asleep. Cole wouldn’t put it past his brother to play possum in order to get them out of the room.
Gabriel opened the door and stuck his head inside. “The cafeteria is open until eleven at night. We should go if we’re planning to eat here.”
Cole and Marin followed him out, leaving Michael to rest. With any luck, he would be discharged in a day or two.
***
The food at the cafeteria had been passable. It was definitely not something to write home about, but it wasn’t going to kill them. After they’d had their fill, they had returned to the waiting room. No one was anxious to go home this late… not with Stefan on the loose.
Marin yawned. “Sorry, it’s been a long day.”
Cole put his arm around her. “You don’t have to be sorry.” As he contemplated the hard chairs in the waiting room, he realized that Marin would have a rough time sleeping in one of them. “Do you want to go the house?”
“What about Stefan?” Marin asked with a frown. After seeing how much harm he could do to a werewolf, Marin wasn’t sure she wanted to leave the safety of the hospital. Surely he wasn’t crazy enough to try anything with so many witnesses around… it would be suicidal. Especially since the cops were watching over Michael.
Cole, also thinking about witnesses but in a different context, looked at Gabriel. “Feel up to adding all of those locks to the house tonight? I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer sleeping in my bed tonight instead of the hard hospital chairs.”
Gabriel thought about it a minute. He knew Cole wanted to go home for a reason other than the hard chairs. “Let’s go home. Michael has two officers watching him in addition to the hospital staff.”
Cole felt a slight tremble run through Marin. He knew she was scared, but if it came down to a war it would be best if they were on their own turf. Two men changing into wolves might be a little hard to explain to everyone in the hospital.
Chapter Seven
When they pulled into the driveway, they noticed a police car across the street with two officers inside. There was also an officer posted at their front door. Obviously the officers at the hospital hadn’t been lying when they said the house would be protected.
As Gabriel approached the door, he said, “Evening Officer.”
“Good evening, Mr. Andrews. I’m Officer Halbert and my partner, Officer Denton, is watching the back door. There will be at least two of us outside of the house all evening to ensure that no one will bother you tonight.”
Gabriel smiled at him. “That’s good to hear. I think we’re going to add a few locks to the lower level just to be safe. We also have an alarm system we can set before heading to bed.”
Officer Halbert nodded. “That sounds like an excellent plan. You can never have too much security these days.”
Gabriel unlocked the door. Before he could step into the house, Officer Halbert stopped him.
“Mr. Andrews, I’d feel a lot better if you’d me walk through the house first.”
Gabriel stepped back. “I’d appreciate that. I’m sure that Marin would feel better if someone checked things out before she went inside.”
Officer Halbert stepped into the house. He meticulously went through all three floors, making sure he looked in every closet, every shower and under every bed. Once he was s
ure the house was clear, he went back to the front door.
“Everything looks clear, Mr. Andrews. If you need anything tonight, just give a shout and one of us will come running.”
“Thank you,” Gabriel said, as he ushered Cole and Marin into the house. Closing the front door, Gabriel turned the lock on the knob and also locked the deadbolt.
Cole put his arms around Marin. “Do you want to go up to bed or stay down here with us?”
“I’m really tired, but I’d feel safer staying with you,” she replied, stifling a yawn.
Cole brushed a kiss across her forehead. “We’ll be as quick as we can, but I want to put some extra locks on the windows and doors down here tonight. I think we’ll all sleep better with the added security.”
Marin nodded and followed them into the kitchen. Even with the new locks and the security system, she wasn’t sure that she felt safe. She knew that Cole would never let anyone hurt her, but what if Stefan attacked them in their sleep? Even a werewolf would have a hard time winning that fight. For all of their sakes, she hoped that Stefan stayed away tonight. Maybe the police detail outside would scare him off.
***
An hour later, Gabriel and Cole had secured the downstairs windows and doors. Cole looked over at Marin and saw that she had fallen asleep on the couch. Walking over to her, he gently lifted her into his arms.
Turning to Gabriel he asked, “Are you ready to head upstairs?”
Gabriel looked around the room one last time. Everything appeared to be secure. “Yeah, let’s call it a night. I don’t think we can do anything else right now.”
As Cole headed up the stairs with Marin, Gabriel turned on the alarm. Once he was sure the downstairs was locked up tight, he followed Cole upstairs. When Cole reached the third floor, he nudged his bedroom door open and carried Marin inside. Behind him, he heard Gabriel close the door for him. Trying not to wake her, Cole laid Marin on the bed. He carefully removed her shoes, socks and jeans. Pulling the covers over her, he made sure she was sleeping peacefully before heading into the bathroom.
Closing the bathroom door behind him, Cole flipped on the light. He brushed his teeth and took a quick shower. He had hoped that the hot water would relax him, but he kept thinking about Marin. Even though she hadn’t said anything on the way home, he knew that she was scared. Until Stefan was either caught or dead, he would continue to haunt her. Cole was personally hoping for the dead option.
After getting out of the shower, he dried off and wrapped the towel around his waist. He turned out the lights and quietly walked back into the bedroom. Marin was still sleeping soundly and had curled up on her side.
Cole walked over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of pajama pants. He normally slept in the nude, but since he was sharing his bed tonight, he thought the pants would be a good idea. Granted, it wouldn’t be the first time Marin woke up to find him naked in her bed, but the other two times had been unintentional.
Pulling back the covers, he climbed into bed beside Marin. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Breathing in her scent, he closed his eyes and slept a deep and dreamless sleep. Neither of them woke until morning.
***
The sun was shining brightly through the bedroom window the next day. Marin slowly opened her eyes. She could hear the birds chirping outside and wondered what time it was. As she stretched, she felt an arm tighten around her waist. Smiling, she turned to look at Cole.
Even in sleep, he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. Wrapping her arms around him, she buried her face against his chest. She would never grow tired of waking up in his arms. Never had she felt as safe or as cherished as she did right now.
Cole became aware of Marin the moment she had touched him. He couldn’t think of anything more pleasant than waking up with her in his bed, pressed against him. Opening his eyes, he looked at the amazing woman lying next to him. He ran his fingers through her long hair, loving the silky feel of it.
Marin looked up to find Cole watching her. “Good morning.”
He smiled down at her. “Good morning. I take it you slept well?”
“Very well. Did you bring me up to the bedroom?”
“You fell asleep on the couch last night so I carried you up when we were finished with the locks. It seemed a shame to wake you. After the stress from yesterday, I knew you needed some rest.”
Marin looked down at her partially clothed body. “You weren’t brave enough to put me in my nightgown?”
Cole grinned at her. “I wasn’t sure how you would feel about me undressing you while you were asleep.”
“As long as it’s you and no one else, I’m fine with it,” Marin said with a slight blush. After all, he’d already seen just about all of her.
Cole brushed his fingers across her cheek. She was so beautiful that he could hardly believe that she was his. Technically, she wasn’t officially his, but he hoped to make their engagement a real one sometime soon. He couldn’t wait to put a ring on her finger permanently, claiming her as his own for all to see.
Marin rolled to her back and looked up at the ceiling. “Can I ask you something?”
He raised himself up on one arm and looked down at her. “Of course you can.”
Marin looked at him, dreading his answer. “I can’t help thinking about the lab work I had done last night and it’s not that I’m not grateful it turned out to be negative, but…” Marin stopped mid-sentence, unsure how to continue. For that matter, she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to hear the answer to her question.
“But what honey? Just ask.”
“What if it had been positive?” she asked in a near whisper.
Cole chose his words carefully, not sure what answer she was hoping to hear. “I would have supported whatever decision you made.”
“You mean if I had decided to keep the baby, you would have been okay with that?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. I would have raised him or her as my own, but I’m not sure I wouldn’t have seen Stefan’s face every time I looked at the child. I know it wouldn’t be his, or her, fault and I promise that I would have loved them, but I have to admit that it would have been hard.” Cole visibly swallowed. “Every time I think of what that man did to you, it tears me up inside. Having to see his child every day would have been a constant reminder. I can honestly say that I’m glad the test was negative.”
Marin nodded. “I’m not sure what I would have done either. I always told myself that if I found out I was pregnant before I was married that I would keep the baby no matter what, but I didn’t take into account the way I would feel about that child if it had been a result of being raped. I don’t think that’s something most women think about.”
Cole brushed her bangs away from her face. “May I ask what brought on this train of thought?”
“I guess I was just wondering what it would be like to have a baby… your baby. And then I started thinking about last night. I’m sorry. I’ve ruined our morning, haven’t I?” she asked with a slight frown on her face.
“No, you haven’t ruined our morning. You can always talk to me, no matter what it’s about. You know that, don’t you?”
She smiled at him. “Yeah, I know that.” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “You know, you didn’t flinch when I said that I was thinking about what it would be like to have a baby with you.”
“Maybe because I’ve also thought about what it would be like to have one with you… not that I’m rushing you! It’s just that, for as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to settle down and start a family. I had started to think that my mate was never going to come along and then suddenly, there you were. The moment I saw you in the woods I knew that you were mine.”
“You did?” Marin asked, clearly surprised.
“I don’t know how to explain it. When we got you back to the house, Gabriel told me that you were a mate for one of us. My first instinct was to growl at him and claim you for myself, but then I settled down and tried t
o be reasonable. He said that when you woke up you would be allowed to choose who you wanted to be with, and that if you wanted to leave, you would be allowed to leave.”
“I’m glad I didn’t leave, but it’s nice to hear that I would have had a choice.”
He smiled at her. “I’m glad, too. I don’t think I would have made it without you. Just thinking of you with either of my brothers was enough to make me want to move out. I don’t think I could have handled seeing you with either of them.”
Marin looked contemplative. “I have to be honest. When I first woke up and Gabriel was the only one around, I had wondered what it would be like to be with someone like him. He was so nice to me and quite honestly, I’ve never had a man treat me so well.”
Cole wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to hear this. He started to say something, but he decided to let her finish. She apparently felt that she needed to tell him this… even if it was torturing him.
“I know that you heard about my brief stay with Stefan when I was talking with Gabriel. There’s actually a lot I didn’t say. I’m not sure I can put it all into words, but I want you to know what happened.” She paused, not sure how to phrase it. “The time that I escaped and he tied me to the table… it didn’t stop there. He had three friends with him at the time. Not only did he rape me, but he let them rape me, too. When they were finished, they just left me there. I had managed to loosen the ropes a bit by struggling, not that it had done me any good. After I had regained my strength, I managed to wriggle out of the ropes. I found some clothes and managed to escape again.”
Cole sat quietly, listening to her. He felt physically ill just thinking about what she had been through. He only hoped that there would come a point when she could forget about that horrible week, a time when it would just be a distant memory.
Marin continued her story. “When I thought you were just a wolf, it was Gabriel that I thought of as my savior. I thought that I had finally found a good man, one that I could trust. I have to admit that I wanted to know what it would be like to kiss him or to have him make love to me.” She took a breath to steady her nerves. “But then I woke up and found myself kissing you that morning. At first, I was terrified, but then I looked into your eyes and regardless of what form you had taken I recognized you. Well, obviously I didn’t realize right away that you were the wolf, but I think some part of me recognized you as my other half. Later, when it hit me that you were the wolf, I realized that you had stayed by my side night and day.” She smiled at him. “I had thought that Gabriel was the hero, but it turned out that you were. You’re the one who truly saved me.”
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