Running Free (Woodland Creek)(20)

Not exactly what I was expecting to come from his lips.

“It just happened. I had no control over it. What do I do, Luca? He’s a human!” This time a sob escapes me.

What have I done?

He’s about to say something in response to my emotional outburst but then quickly shoves past me. My proverbial hackles rise because I sense it too. Someone is here. Just like he’d thought. Luca tilts his head to the side and listens but remains firmly in front of me. I’m not one to cower behind someone but his overwhelming need to protect me trickles through my veins and assaults me. I can feel it with my very essence — his desire to keep me safe.

The warmth.

The surge of peace.

Like a brother would protect his little sister.

The concept is almost laughable considering how many times we’ve had sex. However, as floorboards within the house creak and groan, I know there’s nothing funny at Luca’s desire to keep me safe. It ripples and pulsates from him, saturating my soul.

“Stay here,” he whispers and starts toward the back of the house.

Footsteps thunder until the backdoor to the house slams shut and the both of us jump. Before I can even process the fact that someone was indeed in the house, Luca has stripped naked, shifted and is mid stride toward the backdoor. I run after him only to see he’s already made it to the edge of the woods with his hackles raised and a fierce growl in his throat.

“What is it?” I hiss after him.

In his wolf form, he’s massive and threatening. I know though that he’d never hurt me. He trots toward me and instinctively, I reach my fingers out and stroke his pelt as he passes. Once back inside, he sniffs around for a bit before shifting back into his human form.

Before, I’d have been drooling over his round ass, but not today. He saunters back over to the clothes he strung through the house and begins dressing. Finally, once dressed, he regards me.

“Someone was here. I picked up his scent. A f*cking bear,” he snarls.

Bear.

Those kids were gutted.

What if they were after Suzie?

“Someone is trying to hurt me, I think,” I groan, mostly to myself. “If anything happens to Suzie… ”

He pulls me to him and hugs me tight.

“I know.” He sighs. “I could sense it which is why I made a beeline over here. But then, you looking all sexy and shit, distracted me for a minute. But that won’t ever distract me again.”

There’s finality to his words. And I believe him. Whatever past we had before is disintegrating. As I draw strength from his embrace, something new forms between us. His protectiveness over me is ever present but the sexual tension that always ebbed and flowed between us is completely gone. The embrace is comforting. Soothing. Familial.

“We’ll patrol the house. Nobody is touching either one of you, or Otis for that matter.”

His words infiltrate my soul and I believe them with every part of my being. Something is happening — something I can’t quite put my finger on.

My body quakes and my flesh prickles with awareness. Luca will protect me. And so will they.

Pete. Winston. Bob. Shawn. Elliot. His entire pack. Their faces fill my mind. Warmth and love surges through my veins and I’m more confused than ever. I sense their security and loyalty. It makes no sense.

“Luca,” I whine.

He strokes my hair and kisses the top of my head. “Yeah, I f*cking feel it too. Looks like you are officially a part of the Grey Lotharios.”

I pull away to stare up at him. “I don’t understand.”

His smirk is a smug one that causes me to frown. “Frankie, it looks like whatever this physical thing is going on with you affects those around you. You imprinted on that dipshit, and now, you’ve compelled my inner wolf to bond to your Doberman. Not in a sexual way,” he grunts in annoyance, “but as in, you’ve joined our pack. You’re our sister now.”

Blinking several times at him, I attempt to process his words. There’s so much about this whole f*cking shifter world that I don’t understand. Once again, I’m thrown a curveball that makes no sense.

“So what?” I screech. “Now I’m supposed to wear leather and ride a Harley all day?”

He smiles broadly at me. “That’s a hot visual but no. It means, we’re bonded to you. If something happens to you, we know about it. It’s how we protect each other. A sixth sense if you will. And no f*cking bear is going to hurt you on our watch.”

I sigh in relief that my life won’t change too much. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

His chuckle is warm and it comforts me. “For the most part, it isn’t too bad.”

I sense something that he’s not telling me but I don’t beat it out of him. Instead, I let my mind soak up the fact that I now have a whole pack of wolves, bears, and tigers that have my back. My little heart that ceases to beat regularly thumps to life.

As if cued into my thoughts, Luca flashes me a boyish grin. “Yep, Frankie,” he chuckles and pulls me in for another hug. “You now have a family.”

Family.

A foreign concept until now.

Something I seemed undeserving of and like nothing I’d ever receive in this lifetime is now mine.

And I’m f*cking thrilled.




“Are you sure he won’t mind the intrusion?” Otis questions as we climb out of his car in Gun’s driveway.