Drowning In Shallow Water

6

When I woke up, I found Martha sitting by my bedside, staring at me. It freaked me out but she just smiled and waited patiently as I sat up.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" She asked, smoothing down my hair as she scanned my face.

I felt a bit self-conscious that she was seeing me this early. I could have drool and snot all over my face.

"Yeah, thank you. What about you? Is everything okay?" I asked, trying to wipe my face even though I was not sure what was on it.

"I was worried about you. I heard what happened last night. Are you hurt?" She asked, holding my hand.

I smiled at her gentleness. "I'm fine. Sleep did me good. I'm all better now."

"I'll make sure it won't happen again. I talked to Kaden about it. You won't have to go through that again, I promise," she whispered, caressing the back of my hand. "Breakfast?"

"Yes please. Can I freshen up first then I'll come help you with breakfast?" I offered.

I hurried up in the bathroom and rushed to the kitchen. I found Martha done and she smiled as she ushered me into the dining room. My smile and step faltered when I found Maya in the room, sitting next to Angelo and little Luther. She fitted in perfectly and it seemed as if they were well acquainted. I didn't look at her, however, only mumbling my greetings before taking a seat next to Martha.

"Did you sleep well, Nicola?" Maya politely asked with a a smile on her face.

I blinked a couple of times to check if this was real. "Um, yes. Thank you."

She looks down at her food for a while before speaking up again. "I'm sorry about how I acted yesterday. I was just having a bad day."

"Oh," was all I managed to say. "It's no big deal. I'd already forgotten about it."

Maya looked unsure of my response but I tried to be as genuine as possible. It still puzzled me that she lashed out the way she did when I thought we were getting along. I only concluded that I would stay away from her as best as I could.

"What happened to the man from last night?" I asked as the thought popped up, and also to change the subject.

"We let the authorities handle him. You have nothing to worry about," Martha sweetly said.

The answer was enough to soothe my mind so I let it go. As an easy conversation was going, I finished the food on my plate. Kaden surprised me by clearing the empty plate away from me, leaning in close to murmur in my ear, making me blush at the close proximity.

"It's good to see you with a healthy appetite."

"Thanks for the great food, Martha," I shyly said as everyone's attention was on my burning cheeks.

"That was barely anything. Wait for dinner and I'll cook up a storm," Martha promised as she stood up from the table.

I helped Kaden with the last of the dishes and putting the in the dishwasher before everyone went to relax in the lounge. I found an empty spot next to Kaden where he had his arm on the back of the couch. I almost snuggled into his warmth but decided against it.

"Kaden told me that I've been here before a couple of times," I started, nestling a cup of milkshake in my hands.

My manly appetite was finally returning to me. I smiled softly at the thought of taking after Danny's food habits. He always had food on him. I still didn't quite understand how he didn't get fat.

"We practically raised you. You and Kaden were inseparable when you were younger and Danny liked being the older brother. They didn't get along so well. When you weren't watching, they were fighting but for you they became the sweetest angels," Martha cooed as she looked at Kaden and I.

Angelo gave us a curious look and directed his question to Martha. "So, are they mated?"

Silence fell over the room as I sipped my milkshake, trying to imagine Kaden and Danny fighting. I always knew Danny to be temperamental. However, Kaden looked nothing but sweet. I would bet he wouldn't hurt a fly.

Wait---

"Mated?" I asked, my brows knitting together in confusion.

"Uh.. um--"

"We're best friends. That's what he means. We were and we still are," Kaden smoothly responded, even though I felt there was more to the story.

"We are?" I asked, even though I felt like a fool for doing so.

"Of course. We made a promise when we were younger and there's nothing stopping us now. You are okay with that, aren't you?" Kaden said.

"Of course I am," I said with a shrug. "I should put this away."

I left the room with my empty milkshake cup. I stopped by the window and sighed softly. Looking at the sink reminded me of Danny's horrible habits. I always had to do the dishes or else the entire house would smell. And his horrible protein shakes...

"Hey, you okay?" Angelo asked after walking into the kitchen.

I brushed away a few stray tears and nodded. "Yeah, just.. reminiscing. Is there any protein shake around here?"

Angelo's brows rose in surprise. "Why do you ask? Well, we're just perfectly muscular we don't need any protein shake. That's for losers."

"He's lying," Maya said. "He's into that sort of thing. I'm sure you'll find some stored away. He always has a secret stash everywhere, even at my place."

I forced a smile as Maya looked at me intently, but I couldn't hold her gaze. She made me feel uneasy and I hadn't quite gotten over her lashing out yesterday. She stepped closer to me and opened her mouth to say something when she suddenly gasped.

"Duck!"

My legs were swept out from under me as I heard the sound of glass shattering before shards rained down on me. I screamed when I saw a flash of light grey fur knocking Maya back. Before I could figure out what was going on, someone grabbed me and began dragging me away. Ferocious growls and things breaking made me panic even more as I was unsure as to what was going on. I chanced a glance over my shoulder and saw three large dogs snapping teeth and pouncing on each other. I screamed at the sight and stumbled on my own feet.

"Nicola!" Someone yelled as one of the dogs bounded towards me.

I almost fainted as I shielded my face with my hands, as if that would save me from the sharp teeth. Hot breath fanned over my skin as fur tickled my bare legs. There was a deep growl that made me whimper.

"Nobody move!" Andrew yelled, making my muscles tense up. "Nicola, I need you to calm down. You're going to be okay."

"Heel, rogue," Angelo snarled through gritted teeth. "This is your last chance."

There was more growling that I was convinced it was going to eat me. But after a random yell, followed by a yelp from the grey dog, the large animal collapsed with a thud. I scurried away from it into Kaden's safe arms as my entire body shook.

"Get her out of here," Andrew commanded with an edge to his voice.

A gasp escaped my lips as the dog began to move. There was pin drop silence as fur receded into skin and the body of a man lay on glass shards on the kitchen floor. I blinked a couple of times and rubbed my eyes at the scene, disbelief wrapping around me. I surveyed the grim faces around me to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.

The large animal was gone and in its place, a naked man I assumed to be dead.

My Danny.