Curves & Courage (9 page)

Dom grabbed a pair of athletic shorts from his dresser and slid into them. He was at my side the second the doc began lifting my shirt.

As more of my stomach was exposed, he stiffened. He’d been angry before, but that was nothing compared to now. The stone cold expression on his face said he could kill without a second
thought. His eyes darkened quickly; a dangerous glow touched the edge of his irises. His wolf was reacting in kind. They both could murder without regret.

Dom’s
jaw was clamped tight as it rocked to every grind of his teeth. His nostrils flared as his lips curled in a terrifying snarl. His blackened gaze was locked on the side of my stomach, and whatever was there had killed the cheeky boy who’d teased me moments ago.

What had happened to me?
This was the first time that I was regretting going to my safe space, to my quiet retreat inside myself. I wished for the first time I’d remained conscious during my father’s episode. At least then I would have faced it all; I’d be cognizant of what they were all dumbstruck by.

But I didn’t. I was a coward. I was weak. I’d tucked my tail between my legs and shut down.

“I’m…” The doctor blew out a breath. Dr. Charles appeared flush, apprehensive. It left me uneasy in turn. “I’m sorry, but I’ll need to bring Daniel in on this one. You’re a part of his pack now. They will take this as an attack on their own, but he’ll need photographic evidence in case he’s challenged by the counsel.”

Counsel? Challenged?
Part of his pack? Thank God no one could hear my stupid repetitive thoughts. It was overwhelming. It was… I was… Stupid. I couldn’t even form a coherent contemplation. I was useless, just like my dad said.

Dom snapped out of his trance. He took my good hand, tensing when his gaze caught the
slow to fade wounds on my arm. He swallowed hard, pursing his lips. Whatever emotions he’d embraced moments ago were hidden by the time he faced me. “Please let him take the pictures. No one unnecessary will see them, I swear.”

He’d covered his
reaction with a mask, but he wasn’t as successful at keeping his voice steady. Resentment was prevalent in his voice, even as he pleaded with me.

I knew he would uphold his promise to protect me no matter what I decided. But I knew the complications that could arise if others didn’t believe him or the pack
’s reasons for defense. As awful as having photos of my hideously round stomach would be, bringing more trouble, a new kind of hell, upon my new pack out of self-consciousness would be the most selfish thing I could do.

I shook my head in agreement. “Okay.”
I barely spoke above a whisper. I hated this. I hated what my father had done to me. I hated that strangers would be scrutinizing me. I hated that all actions had to be judged and justified these days. I hated that I could so easily justify my father’s actions.

I went to my safe place as Daniel, Dom’s dad, came in and reacted in a cross between his son and the doctor. He’d tried to control his expression, cover his true feelings, but his sharp, edgy movements revealed the truth. He hesitated at the sight of my stomach. What the hell was on my stomach?

Scoot over, sweetie. I’m joining you again.
My wolf made room for me beside her. It was far easier to hide than to face their myriad of reactions, of permeable thoughts and unmistakable disgust, regardless of who it was aimed at. I felt like a science specimen. Sadly though, it was an experiment I had signed myself up for.

Chapter 24

Dominick

Maintaining my cool around Sophie had been damn near impossible.
He
’d bit her! He bit
my
mate! Twice! Never had I come across a wilder wolf. That you would bite your own daughter after beating her up… I didn’t have words. All I found myself doing was echoing the harsh growls my wolf sung.

I felt jittery. I imagined this was what it felt like to drink too many energy drinks. I was keyed up. Electricity sizzled beneath my skin, pumping my adrenaline at a rapid speed. I felt invincible. I was over-stimulated and overwhelmed. On one hand, I didn’t want to leave her. I didn’t think I could drag myself from her side. I’d be too worried; my imagination would run wild.

My beast would break free.

I knew the moment I left her side
, I would hunt him down. Had they not shared the same genes, she would have been marked by him, and dammit, this beautiful young woman, was mine to mark.

Shit. How sick was it that even while I was looking at her marred body, I couldn’t help but think of how beautiful she was.
Sure, she was bigger than a lot of the girls at school, but she had voluptuous curves that most girls her age didn’t. She was cute and sensual, innocent and sexy. There was something alluring about her that I couldn’t turn away from, regardless of her size.

When her face wasn’t swollen and discolored, she had big brown
eyes with strokes of grey that swallowed me, a button nose I wanted press my index finger to the tip of, lips made for sinful daydreams and soft, round cheeks that made my hands itch to caress them. She was beautiful. And she was mine.

I couldn’t deny it. And, if I allowed myself to think harder on it, I knew I had feelings for her. I knew I cared. You didn’t want to murder someone who’d hurt an acquaintance. Hell, you didn’t want to torture someone who’d hurt a casual friend. I wanted revenge to its full extent. I wanted to avenge every wound he’d inflicted on
my
girl!

Damn. I knew it had to hurt. I cringed just at the sight of her marks. I could only imagine what it must have felt like. I could only ponder what she truly endured last night.

Bile rose in my throat. He was a sick bastard.

Sophie had closed her eyes. I held firmly to her hand as my dad snapped the photos. He didn’t linger. I saw the twitch in his jaw. I heard the click of his teeth. She was my mate, his future daughter-in-law,
the woman who would give him grandchildren. She was ours to protect now, and I knew by his fidgets, he would see that justice was served, one way or another. I didn’t realize how lucky I was to have him as a father until now.

And yet, I would trade him in a heartbeat if it meant I could have protected Sophie from ever experiencing this sort of pain. If there was a way I could switch lives with her, I would. I would gladly take every blow the asshole had ever delivered to her back to the first. I would bear it all for her. While no one deserved this, she deserved so much more.

I wanted to give her so much more. I wanted to buy her a whole new wardrobe, cook her steak every night and walk hand-in-hand down the halls at school. I wanted her to have all that she never had, all she could ever long for, while erasing her scars one by one.

I would kiss every wound. I would tend cut, every gouge from the bites. I would take care of her always. I would stop anyone who tried to hurt her. I would…
shit.
I would give up my life for her.

Damn.

I loved her.

I’d heard the legends, but didn’t believe them. I didn’t believe in love at first sight. I didn’t believe love could happen th
is fast. They’d always said you fell in love with your mate before you ever claimed her. Most wolves claimed their mate within a day. It seemed impossible.

But here I stood, turned into a pondering fool by love.

A snicker bubbled from me. I shook my head in dismay as more laughter erupted.

Sophie was deadly still.
Her eyes remained closed; her body didn’t move. It was as if she was in a trance. It gave me time to observe the woman I loved, laughing stupidly as I did.

Dr. Charles and my dad exchanged looks. Their eyes slid to me in unison; perfectly timed. A single brow arched upwards on both of them.

I smiled, knowing I probably resembled Goofy, but didn’t give a shit. “I love her,” I chuckled. It wasn’t amusing, but I was so dumbfounded by the fact that a guy would fall in love with a girl so damn quick. I’d made fun of the others. I’d dismissed the rumors, the legends. But damn if fate didn’t get me good.

My dad pressed a hand to my shoulder, sobering me. A small smile lifted his lips. There was a sparkle, a damn sparkle of amusement, in his eyes. “Good for you, son.” His humor disappeared. “Make me a grandfather anytime soon though, and you’ll never give me another grandchild after.”

My gaze slid to Sophie, all her wounds on display. I frowned as I assessed her condition. “She’s not healing quick.”

“Ah, yes. Based off her poor color, below-normal temperature, and the lack of improvement in her wounds many hours past, I’m guessing she’s been nutritionally starved. It’s your wolf’s DNA that ignites your healing properties, but if your wolf has been deprived of certain proteins found in meat
, you won’t heal at werewolf speed, but rather at the slow, human pace,” Dr. Charles explained.

“Ordinarily I would re-break the bone and set it immediately, however her
bone hasn’t even begun to fuse,” he continued. “I plan to draw some blood to learn the extent of her dietary damage. I’ll administer some antibiotics and pain medicine through the draw site. Those bite marks will need to be cleaned regularly until she’s healed. Her largest risk comes from infection right now. Her slow recovery combined with the depth of the punctures leaves her quite vulnerable. I could stitch them temporarily, but that might hinder her healing rather than help. I’m fairly confident once she’s back to eating a decent wolf’s diet, she will slim down and recuperate all of her healing properties.” He walked to his bag and withdrew an array of items.

“And her arm?” my dad asked.

“I’ll set and wrap her arm in a bit.” He focused his attention on her. “Sophie?” She didn’t react or reply.

Every face in the room fell. This was a defense mechanism.
This was definitely not the first time he’d beaten her. She must have endured it countless times to be so practiced.

I squeezed her hand. “Sophie?” Nothing. “Sophie.” My voice grew in volume as my tone sharpened. Still, she didn’t respond.

“If you’ll just lie her on the bed, I can proceed without her…conscious.” The doctor seemed disturbed, but quickly brushed it off. “Be careful you don’t irritate her wounds.”

I slipped one arm behind her back, the other behind her knees. She fe
ll into me easily. I couldn’t prevent my heart from swelling as I held her close. The press of her body against me was heaven. She felt right. She smelled amazing. She appealed to all of my senses, even unconscious. She was perfect.

I carefully deposited her on my bed. I spent the next hour watching Dr. Charles tend every cut and coat each bruise
with arnica gel. He speculated there were more beneath her clothes, but I knew Sophie wouldn’t want him to see her. I agreed to help her when she awoke. The last thing he did was set and bandage her arm.

He gathered his supplies and placed them in his bag. “I’ll have the results from the blood in a day or so. In the meantime, mak
e sure she doesn’t skip any meals, and ensure she gets a sizable meat portion at each one.”

“I will.” I slid off the bed, having sat beside her through everything.

He headed for the door, but stopped, glancing back at her. His wrinkles deepened as he studied her. I knew I wouldn’t like what he was about to say. “I found some old scars that hadn’t healed yet on her. My guess is they’re less than a month old. Some are newer than others, indicating this has happened multiple times over the past month and who knows how many times prior. She’s clearly skilled at withdrawing as a way of coping with the situation. She’s not dealing with the trauma; she’d hiding from it. When she finally faces it…” He winced. It took him a second to school his features again before he could meet my heavy gaze. I knew I was glaring at him. I couldn’t help it though. “She has a long road ahead of her. If you’re not prepared to handle her ups and downs, you ought to walk away now so you don’t magnify her problems.”