Page 20 of Shifters' Fated Summer
“Luca,” I started to say.
The sound of the door opening silenced me.
“Where is…” Cade froze in the doorway, his broad shoulders filling the frame. Honey eyes darkened tomolten bronze as he stared at me. Most of my body was hidden behind the wall of the tub, but my bare shoulders were clearly visible.
“You’ve invited her into our bedroom?” Cade asked quietly, clearly addressing Luca, though his eyes never left my body.
Our bedroom.What?
From his perch beside the tub, Luca replied, “She was too weak to stand in the shower.”
“We can’t trust her. She’s loyal to the vamps.”
Something rose inside of me, wanting to argue. But what was there to say? I still saw Evrin as my patron and my future mate. But that vision was fading the longer Luca kept his hands on me. Swallowing, I sank further into the water in some pathetic attempt to hide.
“She’s one of us,” Luca said, each word slow and deliberate.
“She’s not pack,” Cade replied coldly.
“She’s right here.” I scowled at the Alpha whose focus never wavered from my exposed skin. “I think I can decide for myself who I am loyal to. And honestly, I’m not sure I can trustanyoneat this point.”
Luca’s pursed lips widened into a satisfied smile, while Cade huffed and turned away, leaving us in peace. I glared at the back of his head until he was out of view.
“Did you mean that?” Luca asked softly.
“Mean what? That I don’t trust you?” I asked, irritation still coursing through me, sharpening my words.
“That you don’t trust the vamps.”
Silence stretched, and my heartbeat pulsed in my ears. Was I really declaring that I didn’t trust my patron any longer? Honestly, I wasn’t sure.
Could I trust the rest of the vampires? Absolutely not, but that was always the case. It was Evrin I still wanted to trust. But that felt hollow, somehow. Doubts whispered in the back of my mind.
“I don’t know. Things don’t make sense anymore, and I don’t trust you guys either, but Luca, I want to trust you, even though I don’t feel like I should. It’s… confusing.” I finally confessed.
Luca nodded, clearly pleased with my answer from the way his smile widened as he twisted the faucet for fresh water and began rinsing the conditioner from my hair.
“You are safe, wildcat. I swear it. I won’t hurt you.”
His reassurances relaxed me, and I closed my eyes as warm water poured over my hair and his fingers worked through the strands.
“I’m feeling tired,” I admitted. “Maybe I can finish that food and take a nap?”
“It’s bedtime, actually,” Luca responded as he unplugged the drain and helped me rise. His eyes stayed on the far wall as he wrapped me in a fluffy towel and scooped me up.
“Oh,” I answered, my eyes fluttering closed instinctively as he leaned me against his firm chest. The water from my hair soaked into his collar.
Chapter 8
Stars
Emerging into his room, I let out a small gasp. The far wall was made up entirely of windows, something I had missed when we entered. The room was dark, allowing full visibility of the gloomy forest beyond. Dark trees swayed, but it was the sky above that shocked me.
The navy sky was dotted with a million pinpricks of light, more than I ever imagined.
“What?” Luca asked, his voice against my wet hair.
“Stars,” I managed to say.
