Chapter 215

He moved so silently I hadn't even heard him approach from behind. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I turned to find him standing there.

"I've sent someone to get you some clothes," Samuel said, his voice low and even. "Come, tea is ready."

Before I could respond, he turned and walked away, disappearing around the corner.

See? He could have killed you before you even knew he was there, but he didn't. Maybe he's not so bad, Naomi whispered in my mind.

That's what Mom and Dad thought when they let those three into our camp. Look how that turned out—they're dead and I'm alone, I reminded her.

Naomi disagreed, but I felt her following the scent of food, drawing me toward the kitchen.

I entered cautiously, finding Samuel removing something from the oven. His back was to me—a position I would never put myself in with a stranger.

"There are drinks in the fridge if you're thirsty," he said without turning around.

This irritated me a little, because it meant he knew I posed no threat to him. I watched him work, keeping my distance. I will never turn my back on anyone. No one deserves that trust.

When he finally turned to face me, his eyes flickered to my hands clutching his pants to keep them from falling down.

"Please sit down, talk, do anything but stare at me like I'm going to kill you," he said, gesturing to the table.

I chose a seat facing him, keeping my back to the wall where I could see both him and the exits.

"How old are you?" Samuel asked as he set a plate of food in front of me.

"Just asking your age," he muttered to himself. "Questions won't hurt you."

"Twenty-three, I think," I answered quietly.

"I'm twenty-eight," he offered, as if that information mattered.

Should I care about his age? Is this important? I wondered.

"Have you had a mate?" he asked.

Barely, I thought. That relationship ended almost as quickly as it began.

I remained silent, unwilling to answer his question about my mate.

"How long were you with those... people?" he tried again.

"Too long," I said simply.

My eyes drifted to the windows, noting their peculiar construction. I already tried. They don't open, made of plexiglass.

"Why don't you have windows?" I asked suddenly.

"So people can't get in," he explained.

"Or out," I said under my breath.

Samuel nodded. "That too. My last mate was killed when someone broke into the house, so I built this place. It's safer."

He abruptly walked toward me, causing me to jump up so quickly my chair fell backward.

"Um," he cleared his throat, looking up at the ceiling. "Your pants."

I looked down to see they had fallen to my ankles. Quickly pulling them up, I righted the chair.

"I won't hurt you," Samuel said softly. "Here, eat."

He handed me a plate of food before setting down his own. Retrieving a water bottle from the refrigerator, he waved it in my direction. I snatched it quickly, then sat down again.

As we began eating, I noticed he cut his food with a fork while giving me a knife. I wonder if he did that to make me feel safe, or if he truly isn't worried I might use it on him.

I picked up the knife, watching as his eyes briefly followed my hand before returning to his meal. I cut a piece of the food and put it in my mouth.

"Maggie said you had a mate," Samuel commented.

I nodded, chewing slowly.

"I had a mate," he offered. "Her name was Zoey. She was killed during the Pack wars."

I observed him as he mentioned his mate—his eyes flickered toward his wolf, his hand gripping the fork tightly for a second before relaxing.

"Is that why there are no females here?" I asked. "I can't smell any she-wolves."

He looked up, somewhat surprised I had answered him.

"Yes. Our warriors went to help Maggie's Pack. We didn't expect another Pack to attack mine. They killed everyone, including the elderly and children."

The expression on his face told me he felt guilty about what happened to his Pack.

"Your mate?" Samuel asked, glancing at my neck. "I see he never marked you."

I looked at his neck, noticing the faint outline of a mate mark scarred into his skin.

"He didn't get the chance. They killed him when they realized," I explained.

"How long ago?" Samuel inquired.

"A few months ago. A Pack to the east of here found him barely alive."

"What do you mean, near Maggie's Pack?"

"Yes, the scent was the same, so I guess he must have been one of her Pack members. We were camping just outside their Pack boundaries..."

I told him how the rogues found Hector nearly dead and brought him back to our camp.

"My wolf kept talking to his wolf, keeping his wolf calm and alert so he could try to heal," I explained, remembering those moments. "His wolf said his Alpha had attacked him."

"I tried to heal him by licking him," I continued. "When he woke up and realized I was his mate, he tried to break the chains. They killed him when they woke up."

"I can't imagine Charles attacking one of his own Pack members," Samuel said, shaking his head. "Charles isn't like that."

"Well, he did, but the rogues killed him anyway and dumped his body near the border. But not before they made me watch them tear him apart."

"What was his name?" Samuel asked softly.

"Hector. He said he was a border patrol, one of their warriors."

"If you want to know where he's buried, I can ask Charles," Samuel offered. "Zoey was from the same Pack, she's buried over there too. We could put something on their graves if you'd like."

I just nodded, knowing it wouldn't change anything. What good would that do? It won't bring him back, won't change the fact that this man is now my mate.

Samuel stood to clear our empty plates.

"Thank you," I said quietly. It was my first real meal in years.

See, he's not so bad, Amanda. Maybe we can stay, Naomi encouraged.

Yeah, everyone shows their true colors eventually, I warned.

"Would you like to watch TV?" Samuel asked, heading toward the living room.