Her smile made my heart race. “If you think that’s going to get you laid later, you’re so right.” I laughed and embraced her. I never realized I could love someone more every single day.
She grabbed the toothbrush and toothpaste and got out of bed. “I’m going to get cleaned up.”
“I’ll meet you in the kitchen.” I stood up and stretched, stealing a peek at her perfect ass as she left the room. I couldn’t wait to get her back home.
I swiped my med kit off the side table and headed down the hallway to check on Serenity. I froze in the doorway, trying to figure out what the hell had happened in here. The dresser drawers were out and stacked in the corner. Beside them, the closet was wide open, and the file boxes Naomi kept inside were upended, the contents tossed all over the room. I crossed the threshold and noticed words smeared on the mirror over the dresser. They appeared to be written in lotion.
She’s coming.
I looked over at the woman sleeping on the bed. Could she have done this? The blankets were still tucked in tight around her, and she didn’t appear to have moved.
Now that her long, red hair was dry, it fanned out from her head like a halo of fire. I took her wrist, checking her pulse. Normal. I put on my stethoscope and listened to her heart and lungs. Both were clear and strong.
I pulled the chair over and glanced at the mirror again. “Did you do that?” I asked.
She didn’t move. I didn’t really expect her to but still. I slid the blood pressure cuff up her arm and pumped it up. “You’re safe now. We won’t let anyone hurt you.”
Her blood pressure was normal. Why wasn’t she waking up? For all I knew, Deidra could’ve shot her up with the same serum she had given to the Timberwolves. From Micah had told us about their reactions, many of the men suffered from brain bleeds. Had she had a stroke? If I could take her to a hospital, we could test her blood for traces of various drugs at least, but if Deidra had reported her missing, I’d end up in a police station for questioning.
I’d have to bring over my IV kit today to keep her hydrated. I could probably put in a feeding tube, too, if she didn’t wake up in another day or two. As I pulled the cuff free, a book slid off the bookcase and hit the carpet with a muffled thud. I frowned, glancing over my shoulder. Another book slid out and fall to the floor like someone had dropped it.
I looked at Serenity. “Was that you?”
One of the books opened, and pages started flipping. Goosebumps rose on my arms as I got up and retrieved it. I brought it back over to the bed and sat down again.
“Can you close the book too?” I asked.
A second later, the hardcover smacked shut on my lap. Holy shit.
I sucked in a breath and set the book aside. “Can you open your eyes?”
Nothing.
Sensory deprivation encouraged people to focus on different senses. Maybe her physical movements had atrophied. How long had she been in that pod?
Madison came around the corner and gasped. “What happened in here?”
I looked over my shoulder. “I think Serenity did some redecorating.”
“She got up?” Madison went to the other side of the bed and took her sister’s hand.
“Not exactly.”
The books rattled in the bookcase, and another one slid out and fell to the floor.
Madison’s eyes widened. “Telekinesis?”
“Maybe?” I was a werewolf. Psychic abilities weren’t exactly in my wheelhouse. “But I think it’s safe to say she’s alert. Maybe she’s just trying to find her way back to controlling her body?”
Madison retrieved the book and smiled. “Little Women. I used to love this book.” She came back to the bedside. “I’m sorry I didn’t remember you.” She took Serenity’s hand and glanced over at the mirror. “She’s coming?”
Madison blinked and looked over at me. “She says Deidra is getting a team together to bring her back. We have to be ready.”
“I’ll let Asher and Vance know.” I stood up, staring at Serenity. “Remember when you asked me why Deidra might be willing to risk injecting soldiers with her untested serum?”
She nodded. “Yeah. You thought it was for money or power.”
“I think I was wrong.” I looked down at Serenity. “Maybe it came from a mutated maternal instinct to fix her daughter.”
“But psychic abilities aren’t an illness,” Madison whispered.
“You and I know that, but maybe if Deidra can’t explain it with science, then she sees it as broken or flawed somehow.”
“Like she did with me.” Madison shook her head. “We have to protect her.”
“We will.” I stood up. “Vance and Chandler will be here to watch over the little guys while the rest of us shift. They won’t let anything happen to Serenity.”
“What if Deidra shows up with more Timberwolves? They could outnumber Vance and my brother.”
I shook my head with a smirk. “Even though Vance is retired, he’s still one of the deadliest assassins on Earth. They’d have to bring a small army if they want to get past him.”
A pair of my pointed bandage scissors on the side table suddenly launched across the room, the tips sinking into the opposite wall. Damn, this woman was powerful. Maybe Deidra kept her locked away because she was frightened of her.
Maybe we all should be. I buried the thought and pulled the scissors free from the wall and set them back on the nightstand. “I hope that means you won’t let them take you without a fight.
Madison looked up at me. “She says she’s not going back to that lab.”
“Good.” We left the room, and closed the door to keep little guys from getting in there. When we got back to the guest room, Madison slid her arms around my waist. “I need to talk to you.”
“Okay.” I tucked her hair behind her ear. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” She nodded, peering up me from under her lashes. “I want to be able to help protect the pack.”
“I told you I’d teach you to shoot, and Naomi is great with teaching self-defense.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I want to worthy of being your mate.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re already so much more than I deserve.”
“You need a partner, not a weak human who needs your protection.”
I arched a brow. I’d never heard her refer to herself as a human before. “What are you talking about?”
“Tonight is the full moon.” She bit her lower lip. “Doesn’t that mean you’ll be a wolf?”
I ran my hand up her arm as my eyebrows pinched. “Yeah.” I froze as I realized where she was headed. My voice dropped to a whisper. “Are you asking me to change you?”
She studied my face and started to nod. “After last night, I’ve been thinking, and if I’m going to live in this world, I don’t want to be a liability. I want to be able to protect you and my family.”
My wolf howled deep in my soul as I bent to kiss her. I took my time, savoring the taste of her lips before resting my forehead against hers. “You don’t have to do that for me.”
“Don’t you see?” She caressed my face. “This would be for me. I’m embracing this new life. I want to be strong and ready for whatever comes next for us.”