Page 108 of Quarterback Sneak
He’s in front of me a moment later, his hands on my arms. “Stay here. I’ll go check it out.”
“No, wait.” I grab his arms. “Don’t go out there. If it’s Jace or Sam, then it’s not safe.”
He gently pries my hands from his arms. “It’s okay, Evie.”
“No. You don’t understand. They’re dangerous, Zane. They’re...terrifying.”
“I’m just going to get a look.” He’s gone a moment later, and I don’t know what to do with myself. I walk over to his bed and sit. I hear the murmur of voices and know that at least one other guy is awake now. A few minutes later, Zane enters the room. I can feel his presence, even if I didn’t see his shadow. He turns on the light, and I blink in the brightness. When I look at him again, my breath catches in my chest. He’s shirtless, only wearing black athletic pants. He crosses the room in two strides, and I stand up to meet him.
I lift my head. “Was there something out there?”
His eyes meet mine. “Yes.”
“What was it?”
“We’re not sure yet. Slate’s tracking it down.”
“Do you think it was Jace?”
His eyes don’t leave mine. “I’m not sure.” His hand reaches out and holds my face tenderly. “You need to know, Evie, that you are safe with me. Always. I will never let anything happen to you.”
I don’t look away from him. “If you go out there and track them down, I want to go with you. I don’t want you to face them alone.”
Zane’s face goes tender. “Baby, it’s my job to protect you, not the other way around.”
“I’m not going to let something happen to you, Zane.”
He gives me a soft smile. “Come here.” He tugs me forward and pulls me into his arms. “I love you,” he says against my hair.
I stare at him. “I don’t think you understand, Zane. They’re dangerous.”
His eyes darken. “I understand more than you know, Love.” His hands curl around my face. “But Iwillkeep you safe.” He opens his mouth like he wants to say something, but Slate appears in the doorway. Zane kisses my temple. “Why don’t you sleep in my bed? I won’t be in here for a while.”
He disappears with Slate. I debate a moment and then follow him out to the living room. Four sets of eyes turn my way. I swallow at the sight of four obviously fit men staring at me. All of them are only wearing pants. But my eyes drift to Zane. He’s just a step above everybody else. He walks over to me and wraps his arms around me, drawing me into the group. There’s something about the way they’re all looking at me. I pull away from Zane. “What’s going on?” When Reid, Quint, and Slate all turn to Zane, I do the same. “What aren’t you telling me, Zane? I know there’s more going on.”
He turns to me, his face assessing before he nods. “Come with me. I want to show you something outside.”
“Okay.” He turns to Reid and nods his head to the back door. Zane turns on the outside light and keeps hold of my hand as we step outside. When we get outside, he releases my hand and puts his hands on my shoulders. Reid steps out quietly. “I’m a wolf shifter, Evie.”
The air is sucked from my lungs, and I can’t quite compute what he’s saying. “Is this because of what I told you about what happened in the woods? That’s not funny, Zane.”
Zane looks over at his best friend. “Will you help me?” Reid nods, and Zane turns to me. “He’s going to show you. I’ll be right here the whole time.” He walks over to me and steps behind me, putting his chest to my back. He drops his big hands on my shoulders and runs his thumbs over my collarbones. The movement is soothing, and I find myself reacting to his calming presence. “Okay, Reid.” I stare at Reid, wondering what in the world is happening. “I’m right here,” he says right against my ear.
Reid turns away and pulls off his shirt. When he puts his hands on his pants, I turn around and put my head in Zane’s chest. “Why’s he stripping down?”
“Give him a minute,” Zane says near my ear. I hear the rustle of clothing, and then I hear something else. Then there’s only silence. Zane’s hand comes up to the back of my neck, and he kneads it gently. “Reid’s in his wolf form now.” Zane’s voice is so low and calm, I almost don’t even register the words.
When I do, I suck in a breath. “What?”
“Look,” Zane says softly. I almost don’t turn around.Almost.I lift my eyes to Zane’s and notice his eyes are lighter in the dark; they’re almost glowing. “I will never let anything hurt you,” he promises in a low voice. I turn around slowly. Somehow, I already know what I’m going to see before I do. I force myself to turn, even as fear courses through me. I'm picturing the dark, horrifying creatures I saw in the woods that night with Sam and Jace. And yet, when I finally turn around, that’s not what I see. I see a beautiful wolf, not the ugly, awful creatures I saw in the woods. I push back against Zane, but he’s solid behind me. His hands drop to either side of my waist. “You’re safe. He would never hurt you.”
For some reason, my mind latches onto that. “Why?” I ask, though I should be asking how this is even possible.
“Because you’re my mate. He knows that and will only ever protect you.”
My mind doesn’t really compute what he’s saying. “How is this even possible?”
“Reid is in my pack,” Zane says softly. “My dad is the alpha of our pack. There are about two hundred of us in our pack. All of us are shifters, meaning we’re half human, half wolf. We maintain complete control of our wolf and our minds when we shift, and that makes us different than wolves out in the wild. We keep our wolves hidden from the human world for safety's sake, or we would be hunted for science or killed because of the threat humans think we are.”
