As her back heaved, his thoughts shot to when he was six and his mother had held him like this saying his dad would never be coming home again.
He rubbed her shoulders. “It’s going to be okay. Look.” He turned her. “Clay is back to being Clay.”
Elena lifted her head and hiccupped. “Clay?”
“Yes, sugar. It’s me.”
“How did you do that?”
Clay didn’t come near. Instead, he sat back in his chair and poured the meat sauce over a pile of spaghetti as if he’d done nothing unusual. Dirk hoped his friend’s casual actions would calm her.
She sat down and clasped Dirk’s hand. As soon as their fingers touched, his fear disappeared. Maybe she would accept them.
“Drink some water,” he said.
She shook her head. “I want some answers.”
He appreciated the strength in her tone. They owed her that much. To him, reassuring her they didn’t intend to cause her any harm was the primary task.
He glanced up at Clay. Let me talk.
Clay’s brows rose. Go ahead.
Dirk picked up the hand she’d placed in his and kissed her palm. “There is something else you need to know about us.”
She licked her lips to wet them.
He doubted she had any clue what she did to them.
“How can there be more?” Her voice cracked.
This wasn’t going to be easy. “It’s about werewolves in general.”
“You like to eat women who wear red?”
His chest caved. “Sweetheart, if you can make light of the situation after what you’ve seen, I know everything will work out.”
She sniffled. “Go on.”
He thought he caught a smile. “Werewolves have this thing inside them—I’m not sure what it’s called—but when they see the woman that’s meant to be theirs forever, they know it.”
She searched his eyes, but his comment didn’t seem to register. “Meaning what?”
He told her what happened physically when they met their mate. “I’m twenty-nine years old and I’ve never had that kind of reaction until I stepped in the room with you.”
She glanced at Clay. “Are you saying I’m your mate?”
“Yes. Clay and me both.” His gut twisted as he awaited her response.
She slipped her hand from his, stood and walked over to the kitchen island, her movements jerky. She faced them. “I’m a good girl.” Her bottom lip trembled and she wove her fingers together.
Dirk wanted to grab her and hold her. Was she upset by their werewolf status or that both of them wanted her? “We know.” Or maybe it was the idea of having sex.
Clay twisted around in his seat. “Elena, we would never do anything you wouldn’t want.”
She nibbled on half of her bottom lip, and Dirk looked away from the tempting sight.
“I’m really confused and overwhelmed.”
Dirk slammed a hand on the table and she jumped. “I’m sorry.” He hadn’t meant to hit the table so hard. “We’re telling you all of this so you don’t think we can’t trust you with the truth.”
Clay held out his hand. “Please come, sit. We have a lot more to tell you.”
She rocked back and forth looking like they’d sprayed her with a round of bullets. “More?”
“It’s about your abduction.”
Her shoulders sagged and she slowly eased past Clay and sat in her seat. “What about my abduction?” Her voice sounded stronger.
Dirk nodded to her plate. “Eat first. You’ll need your strength.” Both he and Clay dug in and hoped she’d follow.
For the next few minutes, all three finished their meal in silence. Dirk composed his thoughts and set down his fork. “Werewolves have a lot of unique characteristics.”
“Is this about my abduction?”
“In a way. You need some background information first.”
“Okay.” She’d taken a moment before responding. “Like what?”
“One is that we can read each other’s thoughts when they are directed at each other.”
Her jaw dropped. “You know what I’m thinking?”
“No, sweetheart. Not your thoughts. It has to be between werewolves. It’s like talking, only it’s quiet.”
“Oh.”
Clay put down his silverware. “Are you ready to learn what we do for a living?”
She finished her glass of water. Dirk didn’t like how her hand shook. She nodded.
“Dirk and I work for an organization called the Pack.”
“Because they’re werewolves, too?”
Clay smiled. “Yes. You catch on fast.” He drank his beer. “We’ve been aware of Harvey Couch’s connection to human trafficking for months but hadn’t made much traction until he lost his life in a skirmish over dealing drugs.”