Chapter 294 Chapter 294
Gia lay there in the dark, she should have been exhausted and fallen to sleep immediately, especially after the hot shower. She was still amazed by the set-up Deacon had here. He’d started the generator—that he had put in some type of enclosure, and once the door shut, she couldn’t hear more than a low hum of it working. He’d turned on the pump filled the tank and heated it for her, she had no idea how the water flowed from that tank to the large shower head, but it felt like she was standing in a waterfall when it did. The water was the purest she’d ever smelled, with no chlorine or chemical undertones to it at all. While she’d been in there, he’d lit the stove and warmed up the small space, so it was cozy. He wasn’t there when she got out.
She’d found her backpack sitting on the bed and hoped it meant to use the only bed because she was now burrowed under the blankets that smelled of him. Across the room on the small couch, he’d put a sleeping bag, she stared at it in the dark, would he even fit on that? Should she get up and sleep there? If sleep ever found her. It was so silent; she wasn’t sure she would be able to.
Her mind kept churning the last few days over and over. Not the first operation, she tried to forget that one. Death wasn’t something she ever wanted on her mind. The second one, however, had changed things on so many levels, she still couldn’t process all of it. She, the sheltered daughter of an Alpha had been involved in freeing enslaved shifters from the curse of their entire community. She wondered how Terah was and if it would be wrong to make inquiries about her? About the others as well, including the men that have been forced to do the bidding of the maniacal one-form captor.
Flipping to her other side, she stared at the small window, wondering briefly what time it was, the light of dawn wasn’t too far off now. Of course, she should be freaking out that the rescue had ended on such a tense note, one with them all having to run and hide, but that didn’t bother her. For the few short moments, maybe, but Deacon was so calm through it all that she fed on his emotion and was able to stay calm.
Her heart kicked up a notch every time she thought of him or anything to do with him. In that glorious moment of triumph, she’d felt by doing something to contribute to her world, finally, she’d also found her mate. She should be ecstatic, overflowing with joy, as most would be, but she couldn’t quite dig deep enough to find that. Growing up, she’d never been one of those gooey-eyed girls that talked about their future mate and how wonderful it would be. No, the last thing she ever wanted then was another male in her life controlling her. She smirked to herself in the low light, or trying to control her. A part of her brain, when his scent had drifted to her told her to run, fast and hard, but she wasn’t the type to ever run from new emotions, not even if it was for her own good.
Was she happy she’d found her one and only? Honestly, she wasn’t sure. His scent on the pillow wasn’t helping her seek clarity on the matter right now, yet it made her feel calm. It was all so confusing. He’d intrigued her before she knew and now, intrigue didn’t cover it. He was a huge, many-pieced, large, muscular puzzle. When he’d told her of his parents, she’d wept on the inside. He was so strong, so steady. She knew she would be a fragmented version of herself if her existence was the mystery he was. Her family may annoy her to no end but having them was a part of her strength. She smiled, okay, maybe more the driving force behind her determination, but still, she had them.
Flipping onto her back, she looked at the ceiling, she could ask Walker to look into the family name Parrish, if anyone could find the line, it would be him. She bit her lip, that would be intrusive and wrong without his knowledge. He was friends with Calum, if he truly wanted to know he could in a heartbeat, she imagined.
Did he even know they were mates? That popped into her head without warning. He didn’t act like he knew. All she’d wanted to do since she found out was look at him and take his scent into herself. Of course, she’d had to ask to go for a run on the trip when all she’d wanted to do was lean over and sniff him like a drug. It was ridiculous, the emotions and urges that went with this mating discovery. He never looked like he wanted to move a little closer or... her eyes popped open; he was always stepping back from her. She turned her head and looked over at the stove, the small window sent flickers of flames throughout the room. Right from that first moment, she’d dragged her fox out of that hole, he’d stepped back. At the first safe house too, and any time since. He had to know.
Blowing out a breath, she tried hard to make her body relax. She was going to give herself a migraine at this rate. Okay, so he knew and hadn’t said anything or acted on it. Why? He’d complimented her many times; even thought she was pretty. He’d told her more than once she’d done the right things and stood up for her against Nox. She groaned inside her head, yeah that had to be it right there. Nox. Her charming, overbearing jerk of a brother. Deacon had to work with him and knew there were three more brothers back home. She closed her eyes, she’d run the other way too if she was him.
Rolling over once more, she moved around trying to find a position that would help her relax. She heard the outer door to his huge porch open and slowed her breathing. Faking sleep was something she excelled at, or she’d have been caught a thousand times by her parents growing up. She waited for the door to the cabin to open. Did she dare roll over and look out the window by his small table to see what he was doing? She didn’t want to come across as a nag to him. Maybe he just needed some quiet time in his own space, she didn’t know how long it had been since he was home and could imagine after a long time away just sitting and doing nothing in the safety of your home was something everyone did upon returning. She closed her eyes and worked to regulate her breathing. Someday, she’d have a home that wasn’t filled with too many relatives. A place like this, cozy, safe, and quiet.