Chapter Seven

Ricardo  

She's faster than she looks, but Daemon stays behind her. She's clearly upset about something and he's giving her space, but she would still know that he's there. She runs straight to the house and Daemon looks away as she shifts from wolf to human form. I don't even know my own wolf anymore, he has never shown this much restraint before.  

I wait a few minutes before I shift too, making sure she has already entered the house. Nudity has never been a thing for werewolves, we shift in front of one another without being self-aware, but I'm not sure if that's the case with her. There are so many things about this girl that I don't know. Maybe Harry was right, maybe I made the decision to take her in too quickly. I should have asked more questions first. But when you're presented with your mate on a silver platter, what are you supposed to do? Say no? 

I pull on the pyjama pants I left at the kitchen door and stop dead in my tracks when I enter. Ianthe is standing in front of the fridge wearing a silk white robe. I couldn't see her body yesterday and what a sight it is. 

Her white-blonde hair flows in silky waves to the small of her back, almost touching the luscious curve of her ass. The belt around her waist is ciched tight, displaying a tiny waist. Her body was made for sin and I step behind the kitchen island to hide my erection. How the hell am I supposed to withstand her for three whole months? 

"I'm going to make scrambled eggs and toast, would you like some?" She asks from the fridge without turning around. 

I have to clear my throat and hope I sound somewhat normal. "You do know I have a chef right? She comes in every day at seven am." 

I refrain from telling her that I don't usually use the chef, that I technically don't even live in the house. Rina is the chef and housekeeper in one and makes sure the place still stands. 

She lifts her slim shoulder and takes out things from the fridge, not looking me in the eye. "I really like cooking, would you mind if I take the duty over from the chef?" 

Fuck me sideways, now I'm seeing her barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen. I need to get out of the house and to the office asap before I lose my mind. Maybe I should just stay over at the packhouse for the next three months, but as soon as the thought enters my mind I banish it. There's no way I could go without seeing her every day. Plus Natalia asked Daemon if she could run with him in the mornings. No way I'm missing that. 

"You can do whatever pleases you." I tell her and she lifts her eyes to me. They're red-rimmed from crying and a pang goes through my chest. I really want to pull her into my chest right now. 

"Really? Can I go into town?" 

I frown. What the hell did they keep this girl from? "If you wanted to, yes. I will assign you a guard." 

"Can I have friends?" She asks hopefully. 

I want to  say no. I'm the only friend she needs, but then I have a close-knit group of friends who works with me and with whom I trust my life with. Everybody in this life deserves that. 

"Of course." 

She looks at me like I'm some alien from outer space. 

"You're not my prisoner." I tell her gently. "I vowed to look after you and protect you, that doesn't mean you have to be stuck at the house all the time." 

"Oh." Her full lips form a perfect circle, a crease in her smooth forehead, her eyes confused on my face and more alarm bells go off in my head. 

Was she a recluse at her pack? And for Goddess' sake, why? 

Before I can ask her anything else, the doorbell rings loudly. It can't be Rina, she has a key. Ianthe's movements freeze and she looks from me to the direction of the front door like a deer caught in headlights. 

"It's probably just Harry," I tell her reassuringly, but she looks about ready to bolt. "Please continue with breakfast, I'll take him to my office." 

The doorbell rings again before I get to the door and I open it with a scowl. 

"Good morning to you too." Colt, head of security and part of my circle of close friends, says sarcastically. "I searched the whole pack house for you." 

"Morning." I open the door so he can enter, leading him to my office, which is in the opposite direction of the kitchen. "To what do I owe the early morning visit?" 

I let him enter the office first before I close the door behind us. His visit has to be important if he didn't wait until business hours. 

"Well, I'm not exactly sure, but you know me, I don't like surprises." He says, not taking a seat at my desk. "My soldiers stopped Alpha Sebastian yesterday on his way out of town." 

I cross my arms over my chest. "Yes, he came to see me yesterday. What surprised me most is, why did I not get a warning?" 

Colt scratches his chin, a telltale sign that he's nervous. He should be, I don't take it lightly when people don't do their jobs. 

"That's the thing, he wasn't detected when he entered." Colt looks genuinely confused. 

As wolves, we rely heavily on our smell, the soldiers stationed at the borders, will smell someone coming long before they arrive, so how the hell was he not detected? 

"That's impossible." My voice is calm, but my insides are churning. 

How were they not detected? I could smell him when he was in my office, we have some of the finest wolves at the border. 

"I thought you handpicked your soldiers Colt, are you slacking now?" There's a warning in my voice, I will not allow my pack to be invaded again. 

Red colors his neck. His job is prestigious in the pack, he is respected, I trust him with the territory, but just like I gave it to him I can take it away. 

"Something is off here Ric." He says seriously. "Why could they smell him when he left but not when he came in?" 

There is only thing that was different. When he came in, his sister was with him. When he left, she wasn't.