“Did you always live in Devil Hills?”
“Not always. My family is there. I was off in the military for six years. I learned security there and decided I wanted to be in the police.” He felt her watching him. “Then a position came open and I took it.”
“Is it very large? The town,” she added.
“Almost five-hundred people in the area,” he said nodding to himself. “Maybe more…not really sure on that part. I’ll have to ask Lucas. But we have good, solid self-sufficient businesses that support us, for the most part.”
“You’re happy there. You enjoy your work,” she continued looking at their hands, her other palm over his, fingers tracing along the calloused length of his fingers idly.
“There’s enough to keep us busy and we have the full support of the council. We don’t have the public opinion nightmares that larger cities suffer through,” Sage had thought about her comment for a long few minutes before answering. He had been concerned that it would be enough of a challenge for him, but human or shifter, there was always someone who thought they could break the law and get away with it.
“What will your friends say, Sage?” Her hand left the top of his to touch the mark that throbbed slightly on her shoulder.
“It’s about time?” He grinned when she laughed. “At least that’s what I hear from my mother. My friends…I hope they’ll be happy for us.”
Friends. Luna thought about the word. She had friends when she was little. She could remember the few kids she knew from the area and the small community school. It had felt warm, fun. She remembered her dolls and puzzles, lying on her stomach and trying to make the pieces fit.
“You’ve gone quiet,” he said after half an hour.
“I was remembering when I was little. I had friends. There was a small school and the teacher was sweet and young and we danced and sang songs,” she looked up at him, her smile big. “All my memories are there, Sage. I can…I remember being in the woods with my mother. I saw her change,” she swiped at the tear that slid down her cheek when she blinked.
“Tell me about when they came for you, Luna. What do you remember?”
She tried withdrawing. Tried pulling her hand free, her head shaking. Some small part of her fought the answer, fought the rights to her own memories. His fingers tightened and held, silently telling her he was there.
Chapter Nine
“Luna…look at me…please…if you don’t want to talk about it…now or later…tell me. But you’ll need to talk to someone. Maybe a counselor to help you with the fear and…”
“I don’t want anyone else. I want to answer…” She worked to level off her breathing, slowing it down. “When you asked the question…it was like a burst…a…suddenly they were all shoved back into place in my head.”
“Well, it’ll have to wait…maybe fireplace talk when we get through the day,” he knew they had people watching the perimeters. And it was obvious the local gossip line was up and running. People stopped whatever they were doing to watch him drive slowly through the outskirts of town, approaching the main street and quaintly bricked round-about that was the pinnacle of downtown.
“People are staring.”
“It’s because you’re so beautiful,” he answered, whipping his palm free when the claws speared the center. “Ow!”
“Sorry. Sorry…I…” she pulled her hands back and stared at them, closing her eyes and trying to make them leave. “I’m nervous. I…I’m frightened,” was the whispered admission. “Who are all those people?”
“Your new friends, Luna.” He pulled into the slot in front of his office, his head shaking and a low groan easing free. “So much for low profile.”
****
Lexi bounced on her toes, gripping Lucas’ arm until he wrenched it out of her grasp and rubbed where the claws had stuck him.
“Sorry…sorry…” Lexi apologized at the same time Eli came from the side, his laughter loud.
“She does it to me all the time,” he told his brother. “She’s excitable.” He looked around, the grim expression on Jess’s face making him frown. “What’s wrong?”
“I wanted to get her into the clinic without a lot of attention. And especially without her father appearing right away,” Jess stepped toward Sage and Lucas.
“I’ll check with the patrols and find out where they are,” Eli told him, going off toward the deputy driving up in his patrol car.
Sage lifted her to the ground, his head lowered to her ear.
“It’s alright. They really are friends, Luna.”
She nodded and walked with him, unconsciously moving closer to him.
“Let’s get inside,” Jess looked around at the people watching them.
“How about a little introduction, doc?” Sage kept his arm around her waist, guiding her toward the clinic. “Luna St. Germaine…the one towering above you and scowling, is pack Alpha, Lucas Daniels. The one who ran off, Eli Daniels and the doctor anxious to get you out of sight, is Jess Daniels. Yes, they’re brothers.”
“It’ll come to you in time, don’t worry about the names. Hi, I’m Lexi,” she couldn’t have stopped the ponytail from twitching and it was fascinating Luna.
Luna stumbled, held up by Sage’s arm as she watched it move, mesmerized.
“He cut all my hair off,” she whispered, the memory filling her in a rush, her palm up and stroking over the strands that fell in a feathery, uneven pixie cut.
“Inside, now,” Jess growled, leading her to the back of the clinic.
“He took my hair!” She shouted in rage when they reached the back office. She pulled out of Sage’s arm and paced the room furiously. “I was twelve…I had the most beautiful ponytail! Just like yours! And he took it from me! He never let me grow my hair again.” She stopped, her breathing catching and eyes wide. “That’s when…that’s when the injections began. They said I had allergies…I needed the shots every month…”
“It’s alright, Luna,” Sage put an arm around her waist, leading her to the office where Jess waited.
“We brought you some clothes,” Lexi went to the guys and pushed them to the door. “Go away and let us talk to Luna.”
“I need blood first,” Jess ducked her palm and went to the tray. “Luna, sit down here, please…”
“Why?” But she sat on the table he patted, his hands working the sleeve up her arm. She looked around anxiously.
Sage didn’t need to hear a word to know what she wanted, the distance between them closed in three steps. One palm went to her waist, the other beneath her hand, holding it while Jess readied the syringe. She had long ago become accustomed to needles, but it didn’t mean she liked them. She looked away from the red fluid flowing into the vials he filled.
“Because I want to know if your system is clear of whatever they’ve been giving you, Luna,” Jess prepared the crook of her arm and took his sample before closing her elbow and directing her to hold it up. “But just from looking at you…your eyes have cleared and your sentences are longer and more concise.”
“Let’s not forget feisty,” Sage teased. “Even under the influence, she was defiant enough to escape through your window and leave.”
Jess quickly wrote on the side of the vials, tucked them into a pouch and handed them to the nurse waiting at the door. “Make sure Lenny understands to be careful, Kelly,” she nodded and left. He moved to stand in front of Luna, quickly checking her eyes. “Are you feeling alright, Luna?” His voice was terse as he took her hands in his, testing the dexterity.
“I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel,” She answered honestly. “Things are far clearer and I have memories.” She watched him nod, her reflection in his glasses. “Why are you angry? Have I done something wrong?”
“He’s not angry at you,” Lily said quickly after catching a look from both Scarlet and Lexi. She took her mate’s hand and guided him to the door. “You guys should go to your office, Jess. We brought some fresh clothes for Luna and her pack. We’ll be out
in a few.”
“Her senses are coming in, Lily. She knows there’s tension here.” Sage said quietly, the anger from Lucas and Jess extremely evident. “They aren’t angry at you, Luna. It’s me. And I’ll be in Jess’s office waiting for you, alright? Remember what I told you.” He stepped back when she nodded and watched them leave.
“They’re both angry,” she said when the door closed behind the four males. Her head tipped slightly as she worked to put a word to what she sensed. “Territorial.”
“Are you alright, Luna?” Scarlet leaned against the window while Lexi brought out the cardboard box they’d filled with clothing from their closets as well as a couple of the stores around town.
“I believe I am.” She looked at the box. “I’m frightened. I tried explaining to Sage but…my father won’t stop just because someone is in the way. My being here puts you all in danger of…he has a temper,” she tried explaining.
“Oh, I don’t think your dad’s ever met anyone like Sage or our guys,” Lexi said with a chuckle. “Alright…we know you don’t have much stuff, so we brought you some clean clothes and things.”
“Clothing?” Luna looked into the box with a thankful sigh. “Thank you so much. But why are they angry with Sage?” She targeted Lexi, her scent familiar. “You’re…like me. Why are they angry at him?” She felt the strength in her that wanted to go and protect him! Her eyes went to the door anxiously.
“They won’t hurt him,” Lexi said quickly, sensing her anxiety.
“I think they might be concerned that he took advantage of you, Luna,” Scarlet hopped onto the gurney, feet kicking lightly.
She looked at them all, digesting her statement as she selected clothes to wear. Unconcerned for her nudity, she began undressing.
“He’s my friend,” she said thoughtfully. “I think the misconception is coming from…even Sage…I was subdued, but I wasn’t…dead. I saw things and learned things and had experiences,” she looked around as she dressed. “I don’t know if I’m finding the right words to explain the fog. I attended diplomatic balls and events,” she snickered lightly. “But believe me when I say, the males at them had the behavior of pigs and that’s probably an insult to the pig.” She was relieved to hear the light laughter from her new friends.
“Maybe that’s what we don’t understand,” Lily said carefully, quietly refolding and putting things into the box.
“You think that because I was controlled most of the time, that I’m too naïve or innocent for a relationship,” Luna met their gaze. She sunk into one of the chairs in the room, working the new boots on and smiling at them. “I like these. Thank you all for this. I brought a few things with me, but…not the right things, I think. I like Sage. I’ve been around boys…men…since I was taken. I’ve been lectured about decorum. I’ve been warned about what to expect. For the most part, it was…entertaining. Curious. Maybe because I felt nothing…but Sage is different,” she confided softly, listening to her own words and sighing. Very different, she thought, remembering the heat that passed between them when he kissed her.
“I think they’re frustrated big brothers and they need to get over themselves,” Lexi said with a snort, her eyes rolling and ponytail twitching in agreement. “I think only your cat has been kept from you. I think you’ve seen a lot of life, but…maybe your ability to react the way you wanted was kept from you.”
Both Scarlet and Lily stared at their insightful friend. Luna grinned.
“Exactly. Until the memories came back of my mother…of seeing her shift…of playing with her…running around the lake and…I’d take a small pack with me with food and books and she’d lay in the sun and let me lie against her and read and talk,” Luna sighed. “I would read to her and curl up with her for a nap, pretending I was a little cat. Those are the memories that were taken from me.”
****
Sage stood at the door to the office, his line of sight with the room they had left Luna in with the girls. He held his hands out, dark eyes warning.
“Alright. Get it out of your systems now,” he told them flatly. “Because her senses have kicked in full force and she knows something’s wrong but she isn’t able to identify where or who it’s directed at and believes it’s aimed at her.”
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing marking her? After one day? When she has a system filled with drugs that…” Jess grabbed his hair with both hands and paced the large office.
“Did she know what you were doing, Sage?” Lucas sighed, a great deal calmer than his younger brother.
Sage looked at Lucas, all emotions forced down. “I spent the last twenty-four hours with her, not you.”
“Then explain what happened,” Jess said flatly.
“Please,” Lucas shot a narrowed glance at his brother. “We aren’t pushing into your business, Sage. But she’s under our protection. From what…did she know what the hell you were doing?”
“I saw her walking away from the clinic and picked her up on the road, headed to Morning Star. She said she had a headache. She slept all the way. I called you and let you know,” he looked pointedly at Jess. “When she woke up…her speech became less…stilted…more every day, not stiff, but with one hell of a sexy accent,” he searched for the words to describe what he’d observed. “She was remembering things.”
“We thought it was the blow to her head, but it could well have been the drugs they were putting into her day after day,” Jess said thoughtfully, the anger in him easing back. He knew Sage well enough to know whatever he’d done, hadn’t been done just so he could have a woman in his bed.
“I don’t think it was the head wound, either,” Sage agreed, leaning on the door jamb. “Depending on what I asked, memories were there…but it was like she had to search a file cabinet to find them, fit them into place. We ate…and went to her grandmother’s house. She died two weeks ago, but her father just mentioned it to her a day or so back. Evidently it found enough of a hold that her system fought everything to get clear enough to think.”
“And the mark?” Jess was still angry. “She’s spent her whole life under drugs and someone’s control and then you step in and mark her before she even knows what the hell it means?”
“She knew what I was doing. She knew and agreed. I kept you up on everything that was happening. She’s not a child.”
“The hell she isn’t.”
“And you aren’t her big brother,” Sage snarled back, stopping only when Lucas put a palm on his chest and stepped between them.
“You just laid eyes on her yesterday.”
“Really?” The single sarcastic word left his lips. “And should I ask the town gossip about the time frame for any one of you and your mates?” Sage looked around, his tone cold and hard.
“Sage, we all know how powerful the…pull…is when your wolf uncovers its’ mate,” Lucas looked at his brother and then back to Sage. “I think Jess might simply be questioning things because Luna has no…” He rubbed the back of his neck. Stepping between a male and his mate was a bad place to be.
“She doesn’t have a clue,” Jess said softly.
“The hell she doesn’t. I was making that same mistake and she’s set me straight. She’s articulate and very self-aware. She isn’t a child,” he repeated, anger in each word. “I didn’t just fucking attack her, Jess,” Sage growled. “We talked about it. Believe me or don’t, but she understands and knows a hell of a lot more than you want to give her credit for. She keeps reminding me that she isn’t ten years old.”
“Those drugs took away her will. And now you’ve taken away her freedom,” Jess stated flatly. “Again.”
“I didn’t take anything. I asked and she agreed. I won’t hurt her. I don’t know any other way to keep her safe without the mated laws. Now she has the full protection of the pack. And she’s far from helpless or stupid. We spent half the fucking night talking once her body stopped shaking from her first shift. She started having memories of her mother and knew…”
Chapter Ten
“Just a…friendly disagreement,” Jess said, his teeth clenched.
“Jess believes you were forced into something you aren’t ready for,” Sage felt the tension as keenly as the others. Then there was that soft smile she offered before striding into the room and going to her toes, kissing Jess on the cheek.
“I think you’re a sweet big brother,” she turned and went to take Sage’s palm. “I wasn’t forced into anything.” She looked from one to the other without hesitation. “For the first time in my life, I’m where I want to be.”
“Let’s go,” Sage said flatly.
“Where are we going?” Luna stood beside him, his body bolting upright. It had just registered in his mind that she’d changed clothes.
His head fell slightly forward, his eyes wide and going from the knee high boots, over the snug jeans and the tight fitting red top that dipped sexily in the front and disappeared into the narrow waistband of her jeans. He’d seen her without clothing. Why did women look so much sexier in shit that took forever to get them out of?
“Those aren’t yours,” he wasn’t sure where his brain had gone. The words sounded as lame as they felt, parts of him tightening without permission.
“They are now,” she beamed a smile at him and twirled. “Lily gave them to me.”
“Gorgeous. Different than you’re used to?” He asked, the almost child-like expression in her eyes making him wonder if Jess wasn’t right. Was she too young to understand what he’d done? To her. To them. The quiet, fog shrouded woman was gone for good and if he had his way, she’d never be permitted to exist again. This woman was life and color and tempting as sin.
Devil Hills: #2 Luna & Lydia Page 8