“Hmm, I saw Jackson stomping about earlier. What’s wrong with him?”
“I overheard Karen putting him in his place early this morning,” he laughed.
“Really? I bet he hated that,” she smiled.
“Sometimes, it’s like being surrounded by children,” he said in a mock-serious tone.
Katalina started laughing just as Cage walked past the door.
He paused and backtracked. “What’s so funny?” he muttered.
Toby took one look at him and fell onto the floor, laughing.
“Hilarious you are, little brother. Kat, can I have a word in private?” He crossed his arms and gave Toby a murderous look.
“Oh, erm, sure.” Katalina left the room, laughing at Toby. “What’s up?” she asked, trying to contain her smile.
He turned and looked at her intensely. “Were you with someone the other night on the porch?”
Her heart gave a lurch. “Karen sat with me for a while, why?”
“Someone other than one of us?”
Boom, boom, boom, it pounded in her ears. “No, why? What’s wrong?”
“I found a faint scent trail after you’d left.”
“What?” Her heart pounded harder.
Much to her relief, Cage took her worried tone as her fearing for her life. “Kat, no one is getting near you, okay?”
“Okay… Have you told Jackson?” Please say no, please say no…
“No, I want to make sure it’s really someone hanging around first. He’s in such a foul mood; I’m not sure what he’ll do.”
“Okay.” She must have looked as sick as she felt because his face softened and he lifted his hand. For a moment, she thought he was going to touch her face, but he paused halfway and squeezed her arm.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you, Kat.”
Katalina hated this. She hated that he cared so much and she didn’t feel the same. She hated lying to him, and most of all, she hated he’d been brainwashed into believing it was his job to always protect her.
“Cage, you look tired. When did you last stop and eat? Come sit down and watch TV with Toby and me. It’ll be fun.”
He looked at the sofa longingly. “No, I’d best get back out there. I want to make sure you’re safe.”
“Cage, you don’t need to look out for me all the time.”
“I don’t mind. It’s my job, Kat,” he answered, walking away.
“Whose job is it to look after you?” she murmured.
He paused halfway out the door and smiled sadly. “Yours if you want it?”
He’d gone before she could respond. She stood there feeling cold and empty. Mad at the people who’d put her in this situation. She knew she shouldn’t feel guilty for not doing as Jackson said, but she couldn’t help it; Cage deserved better, but she had a feeling her heart had already been given away to a black-eyed wolf, the night he’d found her hiding in a shed, bloody and broken.
That night, she stood at her window like she’d done the previous night, hoping and praying Bass would return. She’d stood for hours the night before until she’d no longer been able to keep her eyes open. The urgent need she had inside of her was silly and irrational, as if now he was gone a piece of her was missing. She’d only known him for a very short time, yet it felt like they’d always known each other. Every time she remembered their kiss, her heart raced, her body tingling and so many questions swirled in her head, desperate for an answer.
Her eyes caught movement to the left. Immediately, she froze in hope. There it was again, a movement in the shadows. Katalina left her room and quietly crept down the stairs. Faint snores carried from the sitting room; Cage had finally given in to his exhaustion. The front door creaked as she opened it. She paused, worried he might wake. The scrape of Arne’s paws across the wooden floors made her cringe; he appeared from the kitchen, his tail wagging as he saw her.
“Come on then,” she whispered. “You can be my excuse.”
She closed the door and listened again but heard no one, and a quick look in the front window confirmed Cage was still fast asleep. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to block the cold wind. Katalina stood on the porch, watching the tree line; waiting to see if Bass would show himself. After what felt like an eternity, his jet-black wolf stepped from the cover of shadows and then disappeared a second later.
Katalina ran. The snow was deep and almost instantly, she felt her injuries. She forced her sore muscles to move quickly. One look out of the window and anyone in the house would see her running. Arne ran ahead of her, his head down, tail in the air as he sniffed the scents around him. He stopped when the gap between them grew too great and lapped back, his tongue hanging out in excitement.