He rocked back on his heels, startled. I rubbed my hands against my jeans and he finally said, “I didn’t have an extra shirt in my bag.”
“Guess I’ll be grateful for the shorts then,” I muttered under my breath, but a flash of his teeth made me think he’d heard.
“We should talk about this,” he started, his expression turning serious as he waved his arm at the carnage surrounding us.
“I hit my head pretty hard,” I murmured, avoiding the question. “You came to my aid. You and Caleb. Those guys attacked me. There was a rabid wolf. That’s all.”
He sighed, dropping his hands to his thighs as he looked away from me. I could feel his indecision, practically see the wheels turning as he debated if I was serious.
“I don’t want to know your secrets,” I lied with ease. I wanted to know them, all of them, but his secrets had the potential to alter my life in a way I wasn’t ready for. A way I couldn’t allow. I had a goal and it was a college far from here. I was only here long enough to make sure Dad was okay, and then it was Brown University. This world, whatever it was, wasn’t mine and I didn’t want it to be.
“Little late for that,” he replied, his eyes coming back to mine. I shook my head. “You’re not what I expected,” he continued with a sigh.
“You either,” was my cheeky response.
He nodded and pushed himself up.
“Let’s get you home.” He reached down to help me up and as his hand clasped mine, the spot on my neck burned white hot.
My lips parted, but his hand tightened around mine, stopping me from saying anything. He guided me around the dead body on the ground, blocking it from my view, but I couldn’t resist the urge to look. The snapped neck left his head at an odd angle. His shirt had torn where claws cut through the material, but it was the scratches on his arm that sent satisfaction through me.
“You fought hard,” he said, admiration in his voice as he gave my hand a squeeze.
“I was no match for him,” I admitted as I reached up to rub my aching scalp. The tenderness made me ask, “I guess he didn’t have time to lick my head?”
Dominic gave a surprised bark of laughter and then tugged me against his chest. I bumped into him, and my breath left in a rush as I found myself pressed tightly against bare skin. His arms wrapped around me in a tight hug and I cautiously lifted my hands to his back. Heat radiated from him as my hands settled onto the firm planes of his bare back. Every inch of him was enormous, slabs of muscle layered over one another, and his embrace should have terrified me. Instead, I dug my fingers deeper and burrowed my head into his chest as tears slipped down my cheeks.
“Hey, don’t cry,” he crooned roughly. “You survived.” He paused before adding in a rush, “I’m proud of you.” He shifted uncomfortably, and my body curved around his more firmly. He felt safe and I wasn’t ready to lose the feeling, not after what just happened. “Of all the reactions, I never expected crying. You never react normally.” I heard the frustration in his voice, and a reluctant smile tilted my lips up as tears continued to drip down my face.
I didn’t know why I was crying. It wasn’t the man’s death. He deserved it. I knew that. He would have done horrible things to me if given the opportunity. It wasn’t even the pain, which had subsided considerably since I’d woken up, thanks to Caleb’s slobber. I grimaced at the reminder of reality and clung a little tighter to the man holding me, afraid when I let go that it would be for good. Dominic’s hand cradled my neck, the tips of his fingers massaging the back of my head as he tried to figure out how to stop my crying.
“Do you want me to lick your scalp?” He finally asked in desperation and I laughed, quickly sniffing back the remaining tears as I realized he was serious.
“No, no licking,” I answered hurriedly, pulling away to swipe at the tears on my face. I left my other hand resting against his side, my fingers taking the opportunity to trace the ridges.
“Seeing you run toward me as he lunged at you was one of the worst moments of my life. Then watching Justin drag you, hit you, I lost any control I may have had,” Dominic whispered, one hand running along my spine. I squeezed his side as I looked up at him. “You should have never been put in that kind of danger.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” I told him, seeing the guilt in his eyes. “We thought it was safe or we wouldn’t have kept walking, and honestly it was them.” I glared at the dead guy, Justin, as anger rolled through me. “He did this. He thought I belonged to him. He said stuff….” I trailed off, swallowing hard as I tried to forget the stuff he’d muttered as he dragged me along.