“Get the fuck away from her!”
Lucas gripped the back of the man’s shirt and ripped him away before he could touch me. The man flew backwards and crashed into something but my view of him was blocked when Lucas stepped in front of me.
“Look at me.”
My eyes snapped up to his. He cupped my cheeks and leaned closer.
“Breathe.”
I sucked in a deep breath, quickly followed by another and another until I could breathe easier. But once some of the panic faded, the tears came.
“Did he touch you?”
I shook my head. “Y-you pulled h-him away before he—” I broke off.
My lips started to quiver as his image became blurry. He had been close to touching me though. If Lucas had been a few seconds too late.
Lucas swallowed. “You’re okay.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my face to his chest. A few tears escaped but the rest dried up as I breathed in his scent. He pressed a kiss to my hair. Nothing was going to happen to me, he wouldn’t allow it.
Just as I started to relax, the noises penetrated my mind. Lucas tensed and hugged me tighter. I raised my head and followed his gaze to the man who was struggling to get to his feet.
Once he managed, he swayed slightly and then stilled. His eyes narrowed when they locked on Lucas and with a sneer, he took a step closer.
My eyes widened when Ethan stepped in front of us and growled at the man. It was a shock to my system. I thought that he was human, but he was like me.
“Get out and don’t come back until you’re sober,” Ethan ordered. “Leave!”
My knees weakened as his voice boomed around us. The power radiating from him would’ve been enough to make me drop to my knees if Lucas hadn’t been holding me up.
Once the shock faded, the fear set in.
We were on an Alpha’s territory without his permission. I clutched Lucas’s shirt tightly.
Ethan stood his ground until the man had stumbled out of the garage and down the street. Then he turned around and instantly looked at me.
“I’m not pack,” he said. “This is neutral land.”
I blew out a breath and slowly loosened my hold. Neutral ground was good.
“What does that mean?” Lucas asked against my ear.
Ethan’s eyes asked the question he couldn’t voice out loud. I gave him a small nod.
“It means that no pack has claimed this land and that it’s free to all,” Ethan explained.
“You’re an Alpha,” I pointed out.
“Was an Alpha. There’s a difference.”
“What happened to your pack,” Lucas asked before I could.
Ethan pursed his lips and walked back to the messy counter where he started searching through the mess again. Lucas stared at him silently for a few seconds before he looked away. Stepping back, he leaned into the car to get the bag. After throwing it over one shoulder, he grabbed my hand and led me over to the counter.
We stood silently as Ethan made a few calls.
I was curious about the lone Alpha who owned a garage in a small town. There had to be a reason for him to be living on neutral ground.
My eyes darted over his face.
The thick beard covered most of his face but I could see his eyes. Golden brown eyes that held a lot of shadows and seemed somewhat familiar.
“Right,” Ethan muttered as he placed the phone down. “I’m afraid that it’s going to take a week for the parts to get here. They don’t have any in stock so they have to order it.”
Our eyes locked but I instantly lowered mine.
“Is there a way to have it delivered sooner?” Lucas questioned.
“I can call around and see if there’s another shop that has it but it’s likely to cost you more.”
“It’s not a problem,” Lucas said.
Ethan was silent for a few minutes but I could feel his eyes burning into my skin.
“Okay.” He cleared his throat. “Why don’t you explore the town while I make the calls? I assure you that our small town has a few memorable spots.”
***
“Are you hungry?”
“No, but we can get something for you if you’re hungry.”
I lied. I was starving but I wasn’t going to tell him that because then he’d want to stop somewhere for something to eat. A tug on my arm had my head snapping up.
Lucas had stopped walking and was watching me with narrowed eyes.
“I’ll ask you again,” he said softly. “Are you hungry?”
Turning my head, I focused on something across the street as I answered him. “No.”
“Ariana.”
I tried to pull my hand from his but his hold only tightened. With a sharp tug, I slammed into his chest. My lips parted in a silent gasp when his fingers curled around my throat.
“Are you hungry?”
“N-no.”
His head dipped lower. “Liar,” Lucas breathed a few inches from my lips.
“Lucas—”
“Does this have anything to do with what happened with the sandwich?”
I hesitated and then answered him. “Yes.”
He pressed his forehead against mine as his hand slid to the back of my neck. For a few minutes we stood like that, lost in our own world, until a car honked somewhere.
Sighing, he raised his head and glanced around.
“You haven’t eaten since I...found you. Despite what you’re saying, I know that you’re starving. You’re too thin for someone your height and age.”
“How do you know how old I am?”
His lips twitched. “I know a lot about you, my little doll.”
“Should I be worried?”
Instead of answering, Lucas took a step away and reached up to run a hand through his hair. His eyes darted up and down the street a few times before he looked at me again.
“What do you want to do?”
I took a step towards him when a group of people squeezed past us on the sidewalk. It was a small town but there were a lot more people moving around than I would’ve liked.
I felt vulnerable and I hated it.
“I want to go back to the garage,” I told him honestly.
To my surprise, Lucas agreed. “But let’s see if we can get something to eat first.”
My stomach clenched. “I don’t want any take out. We can’t eat at a restaurant either. Can we maybe get something from a supermarket to make our own stuff to eat?”
Smiling, Lucas slipped his hand into mine again and led me across the street to the small shop. It was booming with business which meant a lot of humans in one small building.
I moved closer to him until our arms brushed.
The way Lucas squeezed my hand in return eased some of the nerves. Some of the people turned to glance at us but the lady behind the register was staring at us openly.
“What are we getting?” Lucas asked.
I swallowed as I looked up at him. “It has to be sealed and not near the expiration date. I don’t eat anything prepared in the shop.”
“Okay. Let’s see what we can do.”
***
I sat perched on the edge of the couch as I watched Lucas prepare our sandwiches.
He’d cleaned the table twice before he opened the bread and laid six slices out on the table. Somehow he’d managed to convince me to try the sandwiches he was about to make for us.
Unwrapping the slices of cheese, he placed it on the bread and then reached for the bag of Doritos. Lucas opened the bag and stole a few chips before he started placing it on the bread.
“This usually works better with a lot more cheese and if you toast the bread instead,” he muttered as he picked up the sandwich and handed one to me. “Should I grab a bucket or something?”
“Just in case,” I told him as I stared down at the sandwich.
A minute later Lucas was seated across from me on the coffee table with a bucket between us at our feet.
“Ready?” I nodded. “Look at me as you eat. We’ll do this together, okay?”
I nodded again.
Lucas raised the sandwich to his lips and I quickly followed. We took a bite at the same time and chewed. Lucas swallowed first while I struggled to.
“I know you can do it,” he said softly.
I swallowed.
“Good girl.”
Shivers raced down my spine as his praise washed over me. Reaching up, he used his thumb to wipe some crumbs from the corner of my mouth.
Without realizing it, I finished the sandwich and actually managed to keep it down. For all but five minutes.
“I’m sorry.”
Lucas shook his head as he uncapped a bottle of water and held it out towards me. I rinsed my mouth and took a few sips.
“I—”
“Stop apologizing,” he interrupted.
I avoided eye contact. I was too embarrassed to look him in the eyes again. It was the second time that he’d given me food and I puked it out.
“Maybe we should try it without the bread,” Lucas suggested softly.
“I don’t feel like eating again right now,” I whispered.
“But you will, later when you feel better.”
I nodded.
A finger under my chin tilted my head up. Our eyes locked and held. No matter how badly I wanted to look away, I couldn’t.
“Does this have anything to do with the kidnapping?”