Everything Anew

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Lila

I woke up surrounded by the scent of clean linen and jasmine. I curled up in the warm blankets further, getting undertones of pine and sandalwood the more I nuzzled into them. My mind slowly came into focus until my eyes opened, light peered into the room from the open curtains on the other side of the room.

Once my eyes opened fully, I remembered where I was, the bed I was in, and who's scent I was rubbing myself all over. I sat up abruptly and looked to my right, seeing Nathan lying on his stomach, facing the opposite direction with his blanket halfway over his back. I noticed he was shirtless, and took the moment to admire the lines of muscle cording down his back and beneath the sheets. I looked away instantly and checked the bandage on my leg, seeing speckles of blood that seeped through the wrappings overnight. 

I slid out of bed without waking the alpha beside me and made my way to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, changed my bandages, and ran my fingers through my hair to tame it. I was in desperate need of a shower, but decided I would take one later when the others were awake. When I slid back into room, Nathan had turned over and found himself in the middle of the bed. I remembered him telling me it was where he was used to sleeping and was thankful he hadn't found himself there with me beside him.

I limped back over to it, but not without noticing Nathan's phone on his nightstand. It had a crack down the center that reminded me what happened yesterday was real. Guilt suddenly weighed down on me. I had caused the pack more stress than they deserved, prior to my arrival they already had enough on their plate, now they had to deal with the drawbacks of me living in their home and piling on more.

A part of me wondered if it would be better for me to leave so they would be safe, it wasn't as if staying here would ensure nothing would hurt me, in fact I was a sitting duck. It was only a matter of time before they'd come for me again.

"Lila."

I turned my head the moment I heard that familiar, groggy voice. Nathan's eyes were barely open when he glanced up at me, his brows furrowed and lips parted. I couldn't help but to stare. "What time is it?" he asked.

I looked around the room until I spotted a digital clock on his desk. "8:45." 

He sat up slowly and reached up to push his hair back out of his eyes. His hand then slid down to his jaw to scratch at his stubble, only to move up towards his eyes and rub them. When he opened them, they focused on my leg. "How's it feeling?"

"Sore, but I managed to walk to the bathroom this morning." I left out the fact that I limped when I did. "So, what's the plan for today?"

Nathan propped himself against his headboard and leaned his head back against it, letting out an exhausted breath. "We all need a good talk, that's the first step. I thought up a few things last night, but nothing solid." He shook his head. "There's no way for me to get those fuckers off our backs, no matter what I do."

I watched him for a moment and rolled an idea over in my mind, voicing it aloud a second later. "I could leave."

"That's not an option." Nathan looked over at me. "Where would you go?"

I shrugged. "Anywhere. Drive me somewhere safe, I'm sure there has to be a safe haven for other shifters and wolves. I'm sure if you ask a few people, they'd know of a place."

Rather than shooting the idea down instantly, Nathan pondered it for a moment. He crossed his arms over his chest and bit his lower lip in deep thought; yet again I had to look away before he noticed me staring. "I'll look into it. We'll try to get that collar off, but until then we'll look for a safe place for you to go once that's done,"