“Things change when missing puzzle pieces fall into place.” Cryptic much?
I continue pacing the length of the porch and fight the urge to chew on my nails–– it’s my nervous tick, sue me! It’s been hours and still no one has called or even come back, my brothers went with Creed, Jess and their pack, Cairo’s pack is being led by Sky and Zeke.
What the hell is wrong with me?
My brothers and I should have run the second Cairo left, we may never get another opportunity like this again and we have just wasted it! I groan out loud and stab my hands through my hair, and here I was helping them map out routes that he could have gone, even encouraged my brothers to help. I must have Stockholm-syndrome or something. It’s times like this that I hate the fact I can’t shift! More than anything in the world I have always wished that I would find my wolf someday, but that day hasn’t come, I turn twenty in less than six months. I know my dad says I’m a late bloomer but even he can’t get his own lie to sound believable. I’m a dud, the alpha’s only daughter and I can’t even shift–– I’m a joke!
I drop into one of the chairs and clasp my face between my hands, why do I feel like there is this huge part of me that I am missing? Is it because I don’t have a wolf but are born from two, or is it because I’m the pack freak, thanks to my visions? I feel like an idiot because ever since Sky did…whatever she did, I am able to go outside, and it’s the first time I have actually felt… alive in years. Just to have the sun on my face or smell the fresh crisp morning air is something I thought I would never be able to do. Worry and frustration is warring inside me but another part of me is giddy.
I’m losing my damn mind!
“Nah, everyone is bit cray cray sometimes.” I squeak in surprise and snap my gaze up to see Cairo leaning against the porch railing in a… trench coat? Whatever he must see on my face prompts him to add. “You were talking out loud?” A whoosh of air escapes me and the tension I was feeling seconds ago drains from my body, I run my gaze over his chest and begin to heat. His tattoo’s peek out from the opening in the top of the coat, I curl my hands into fists to resist the urge to reach out and trace them. Cairo is hot, no ifs, ands, buts or maybes about it.
“What’s with the coat?”Really?I mentally facepalm myself.
“I…uh.” He reaches up and rubs the back of his neck, as if my eyes have a mind of their own, they zero in on the small sliver of skin on the top of his thigh that is visible through the part in the buttons.
He’s naked!
“My eyes are up here beauty.” I snap my eyes back to his and immediately feel the blush coating my cheeks, he smirks and my breath hitches. “Why are you out here pacing?” He doesn’t give me a chance to answer as he pulls away from the railing and looks around. “Where is everyone?”
“What?” He turns to meet my gaze again, the carefree look he sported just a second ago is gone and replaced by his usual emotionless mask.
“Where the bloody hell is everyone?” I recoil at his harsh tone; I’m still thrown at how he can go from zero to a hundred in a matter of seconds.
“They’re out looking for you. You’ve been gone for hours Cairo, everyone is worried.” He runs his hand through his hair and his shoulders slump slightly.
“Right, I’m going for a shower––.” I stand pinning him with a harsh glare that has him clamping his mouth closed.
“My brothers are out there searching for you and all you can say is you need a goddamshower?” I’m vibrating with anger, his blatant brush off of how his disappearing act means nothing pisses me off, everyone has been running around searching for him worried that he was injured or worse. His eyes burn bright with anger, he stalks toward me and doesn’t stop until we are chest to chest, I have to crane my neck back to meet his eyes. He reaches out and grips the back of my neck, his fingers dig in but I refuse to cry out in pain, I grit my teeth and let my rage shine through my gaze.
“I could shatter your world right now beauty.” He reaches up with his free hand and tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear, the act is so intimate for the words he just spoke.
“Why would you want to?”
“Because I need to see you burn in order for this to break.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It makes perfect sense, you would have fit me perfectly beauty, but I have to save her, and in order for that to happen, I have to give you up.” He whispers the last part, and it takes me a moment for his words to finally register before I yank free of his hold and gape up at him. I can see the regret in his eyes and my stomach drops as dread begins to fill my veins.
“What did you do?”
“Made a deal with the devil.” I mull his words over in my mind and then it finally clicks.
“You traded me to someone because they said they could stop my vision from happening.” I shoulder past him to head inside; he snakes his arm out to stop me, but I yank free. I grind my teeth in anger when I see him looking at me with sadness and pity. “Don’t you dare fucking look at me like that! You had no right to do what the fuck you just did––.”
“You forget who captured who, Gabrielle!”
“I forget nothing asshole, you didn’t capture shit. I chose to leave with you so I could help ease some of the hurt inside you.”
“That wasn’t your fucking job, you are here to help Sky that is it.”
“She will never love you! I’ve seen her life Cairo, California is it for her, she is Sky’s first and last love, she will never love you the way you want her to.” He scoffs.
“Let me guess, you would love me like I should be loved?” I balk at me.
“Full of yourself much? I don’t even know you to love you, so no––.”