“Are you always this bossy, Kirk?” I tease.
“Only when it comes to health matters,” he says.
“I don’t think that’s reassuring.”
“We promised to be honest with each other, right?” He guides me out of the kitchen to the stairs.
Day one in our home, and no one died. I’m going to call it a win.
CHAPTER TEN
Iskim over the journal, feeling the fear of my ancestors as I read. Today was for recovery, according to Doctor Kirk.
I wrinkle my nose at the passage written in elegant cursive. Being a keeper interrupted her entire life.
She was forced to abandon her dreams of teaching the cubs to protect the powerful item. I’m still unsure what it does, or why it’s needed.
I continue to flip through the pages, scowling as the words start to blur together and swim on the page. I make circular patterns on the midsized yellow legal pad I’ve been using for notes.
Allowing my mind to wander, I sketch the face of the woman who broke my heart.
Her wild corkscrew curls frame her slim, heart-shaped face. I sketch her large eyes and high cheekbones. The sorrowful expression tears at my heart.
For all I know, she’s amused by my plight. It takes powerful magic to hide one’s true nature.
Who knew what else she’d lied about? A knock at my door pulls me away from my musing.
“Hello?”
“Can I come up?” Cadoc yells.
“Yes.” His steps on the stairs grow louder before the door swings open.
He’s a vision in black jeans and a black t-shirt that shows off his thick thighs, and heavily muscled frame. The man has the body of a powerful warrior.
“What’s up?”
He stands out among the pastel colors in the room. The lavender bedding on the massive bed and the pink, cream, and gold rug, match the bright white walls creating an airy feeling in the room.
“Do you have time to talk?” Cadoc runs a hand through his hair.
“Of course.” I mark the journal page with a strip of dark purple ribbon before closing it. “Join me?” I move over to the couch and wave him over, moving the monstera pillow to give him space.
Cadoc sinks onto the cushion beside me. “Do you think your father would be furious about us?”
“Who? Where the hell did this come from?” my voice raises an octave as I stare at him.
He shakes his head. It’s unusual to see him like this, uncertain and seeking approval from someone else.
“He was my best friend. I know he’d want me to look after you, but this is—.” He heaved a deep breath. His large hands grip his knees, and the veins stand out dark against the white skin.
“Cad. Neither of us asked for this.”
“And yet, you’re stuck with me.”
Stuck. There’s something bitter in that five-letter word.
“A three-hundred-year-old ex-enforcer.”
“I have a strong alpha who does everything in his power to keep me and the rest of our clan safe,” I counter. Hearing his unfavorable take upsets me. I’d always adored Cadoc growing up. He was a constant, protective source that made life more fun. “I feel safe when you’re near and right now, that’s a gift more precious than diamonds.”
“Yeah?” He looks through long lashes that should be illegal for a man to possess.
I scoot closer and lean against him. “Always, Cad.”
He wraps an arm around my shoulders and we sit silently. The peace surrounding us is a comforting reprieve from the current upheaval.
“I don’t know what to do with my days now,” he admits.
“What do you want to do?”
“I don’t know. It’s been so long since I had any real spare time.”
It sounds like a sad, unfulfilling existence. I hadn’t realized how much time he used to spend with my family growing up until now. Had we provided him with the family setting?
“It looks like you have some thinking to do while I get back to my research,” I gesture toward the journal.
“No luck yet?”
