Moon Touched (Zodiac Wolves: The Lost Pack #1)(30)

Stella gave me a quick tour, through a large kitchen that had been remodeled recently, featuring dark oak cabinets mixed with stainless steel appliances. The attached family room was huge, with overstuffed chairs and a large leather couch circled around a huge wood-burning fireplace. A sliding door led out onto a huge deck with some outdoor furniture, a fire pit, and a grill. I felt a pang go through my chest. This was a home for a family.

“We’re going to be roommates,” Stella said, grinning at me.

“Do you live here alone?” I asked, remembering what Kaden had said about limited pack space.

Stella laughed. “No. It’s Kaden’s house. We live here together.”

Shit. Just when I thought I’d get a break from him, I found out I’d be living in his freaking house. I pictured myself waking up to find him sulking in the kitchen, snarling at me as I tried to get my morning coffee. Kill me now.

I opened my mouth to say something—to protest or ask if there was somewhere else I could stay, I didn’t know—but Stella cut me off before I could say anything.

“I’ll show you to your room." She motioned me to follow her up the stairs to the second floor, which had at least five bedrooms. She gestured toward the first door. “This one’s mine. We share a bathroom, but you’ll have your own space.”

Stella opened the second door and stepped back to let me go inside. The room was clean and cute, but plain. There were no personal touches to speak of, just a queen bed shoved into the corner, a plain wood dresser in another corner, and an empty desk placed under the window, which looked out over the forest where Kaden had disappeared.

"This was one of our guest rooms, but it's yours now," Stella said. "Feel free to make yourself at home."

I ran my fingers across the dark wood of the desk, feeling something tighten in my throat. For the first time in days, I felt...safe. Here, among the pack I always assumed were monsters. "It's perfect. Thank you."

She nodded and left me alone in the room. After she was gone, it hit me that I didn’t have any way to make myself at home. I didn’t have anything to unpack. All of my belongings had been left behind during the attack. Even the clothes I’d worn at the Convergence were gone, torn apart and abandoned when I'd shifted.

My phone. I patted my pockets uselessly. Of course it wasn’t there. I'd lost it somewhere when I'd fled from Jordan, and it was probably smashed in the forest in the middle of Montana. Or worse—in the hands of the Leos. I shuddered as I pictured Jordan thumbing through my phone, looking at the photos I'd snapped and the texts I'd sent. I was suddenly fiercely glad that my camera had been destroyed before I'd left home. If I’d lost that at the Convergence too, it would have destroyed me.

I checked the small closet, but it was empty. I didn't have any clothes other than the ones I was wearing, and no toothbrush or shampoo either. I grimaced and headed to the bathroom to see if there was anything in there I could use.

The bathroom was modern, done in soft sand tones, and smelled like jasmine. A towel was rolled up on the counter, with shampoo, conditioner, and a new bar of soap set beside them. They weren’t anything fancy, but I sighed in relief when I saw them. Now I could get the blood out of my hair, and stop smelling like a barnyard animal.

I hopped into the shower eagerly, standing under the spray of the warm water for a long time and letting it run from red, to pink, to clear. I took my time, luxuriating in the feeling of cleaning myself off, while I let my thoughts go blissfully blank. When I stepped out, I felt so much better, and a lot more like myself again.

I still didn’t have a change of clothes, but the ones that had been provided to me were relatively fresh. I threw them back on and headed downstairs to investigate. I walked down the stairs slowly, trying to listen for any movement. Someone was shuffling around in the kitchen, making noise, and I hoped it was Stella and not Kaden.

When I entered the kitchen, Stella turned, a sandwich on a plate and a smile on her face. “For you,” she said, handing it to me.

I looked up at her, eyes wide. “Thank you."

I tried to be polite as I dug in, but after the first bite, I couldn’t help myself. I wolfed it down like I hadn’t eaten in days. Stella watched, a slight smile on her face. I froze mid-bite and ducked my head.

“It’s really good." Even though it was just a ham and cheese, it was delicious.

“We’re going to need more food,” Stella said, her smile turning into a grin. She turned and rifled through a cabinet, pulling out a bag of chips. “You must be starving. Here, have this as well. And sit down, you’ll get crumbs on the floor.”

Stella motioned me over to the island, and I sank onto the stool gratefully as I tore into the chips. She didn't even know me, but she was being so nice to me anyway. I spotted the Ophiuchus pack mark on her upper arm as she turned, and wondered if everything I'd been told about them was a lie. Kaden certainly lived up to their dangerous reputation, but his sister was another story entirely.

“I need to go to the store,” Stella said, and I cocked my head at her. “You should come with me. I can show you around the town and you can get whatever you need.”

I shook my head. “I don’t have any money."

She waved my worries away. “Kaden will pay for whatever you need.”

I nearly choked on one of my chips. "I don't want his charity."