“Evan?” Lake placed a hand on my side.
Lowering the blanket, I peeked up at him. His silver hair stood out in the dark room, as did the faint glowing of his purple eyes. “H-Hey.”
There was another flash, this one brighter and followed by smaller flashes. It highlighted his features for a moment before casting him back into shadow.
“You’re shaking,” Lake whispered.
“It’s kinda embarrassing to admit, but I’m not a fan of storms. I’ve been afraid of them ever since I was little.” I shakily exhaled and tried to steady my breathing. “I’ll be okay though.”
He frowned. “Will you?”
Not trusting my voice, I nodded once. Of course, that’s when the storm proved I was full of shit. A loud crack of thunder filled the air, causing the hairs on my arms and legs to stand on end. A whimper crawled up my throat as I flung upward and grabbed onto him, shoving my face into the hollow of his neck.
He wasn’t wearing a shirt. And god, his skin was so warm.
Lake tensed, becoming so still it felt like he’d stopped breathing. The close proximity was undoubtedly making him anxious. I thought he was about to push me away. Instead, he cupped the back of my head with one hand and wound the other around my midsection, holding me closer.
“It’s all right,” he said. “You’re safe.”
The backs of my eyes burned. Here was a male who had been cast out and forced to live in isolation just for being a demi-wolf. He’d been mistreated and hated. Yet, despite how cruel and unforgiving the world had been to him, he was comforting me and being so damn gentle.
“Sorry,” I said, unable to stop the trembles racking my body. “Didn’t mean to wake you.”
“Don’t apologize.” He petted the back of my hair. It was soothing. “I wasn’t asleep yet anyway.”
“You have superhuman hearing.”
“My inner wolf is to thank for that. All of my senses are heightened.” He weaved his fingers through my hair, playing with the ends of the strands. “Is this helping?”
“Y-Yeah.” I burrowed more against him, seeking more of his warmth. His chest was mostly smooth with only a light dusting of hair. Not too much though. Definitely nothing like the Wolf Man or any depictions of werewolves I’d seen before. Why my mind went there, who knew? Maybe to distract myself from the chaotic storm outside.
The loud boom of thunder came without warning. A yelp escaped my lips.
“It’s all right,” Lake repeated as he gently shifted me to my back and tucked the blanket more around me. He lay on top of it and settled beside me, one arm pushed under my head and the other secured around my waist.
Something heavier mixed with the rain and hit the roof. Hail? The wind intensified, the gusts slamming against the side of the cottage, causing the trees to bow—the little I could see of them anyway through the torrential downpour. I squeezed my eyes closed so I couldn’t see them anymore.
And it was then, as my breathing kicked up a few notches and another wave of fear cinched in my chest, that Lake began to sing.
The words were in an unfamiliar language, but it reminded me of a Celtic lullaby. The gentle tone of his voice was sweeter than anything I’d ever heard, pleasing and light. Haunting too. He returned his fingers to my hair, soothing me with touch as he soothed me with his song.
My erratic heartbeat returned to normal, and my breaths evened out. Sleepiness then began to creep back in, sinking into my muscles and making me feel heavy.
Lake sang me to sleep, his lullaby chasing away my fear of the storm.
Chapter Four
War and Peace-Muffins
A clamor from downstairs woke me early in the morning. So early the sun hadn’t even had a chance to rise. It was still dark outside with only a faint hue in the distance.
“Answer the question, wolf!” a deep voice boomed. A voice that could only belong to my grumpy knight. “Why are you here?”
Oh shit.The previous night flooded back to me. Lake had slept over. And now he faced the wrath of my overprotective captain who saw threats everywhere he looked, especially when my safety was put into question.
I flung up out of bed and scurried around, tugging on pants. I didn’t want to go downstairs in my underwear. The situation was bound to be uncomfortable enough without adding my humiliation on top of it. Voices rose as I descended the stairs two at a time and nearly tripped on the last one, misjudging the distance to the floor. I caught myself on the railing and continued toward the commotion.
“Calm down, Maddox,” Briar said just as I reached the entryway into the main dining room. Wall sconces and decorative lanterns lit the space, while darkness showed through the set of windows behind them.
