Page 28 of Captive Beta
A growl builds deep in my chest but I don’t let it slip out.
I’m going to make sure that Luca never has to worry like this again. That he’ll always feel safe and protected and loved.
I need to make sure.
Because I’ve never seen someone this broken and pained before and it hurts that I can’t fix it right this moment.
I need him to be okay.
I need the pack to be okay.
I want everyone to finally stop hurting, but I feel like it might take a long time until we get there. Not until we take down the Hearts for good.
12
Vera
I’m sitting in the front of the van, Luca’s t-shirt bunched up in my arms, his blanket around my shoulders, as Caleb is driving. Miles is in the back with the kids, who all seem to have fallen asleep.
I really didn’t want to be apart from Luca, but when Jorge explained the situation, it did seem like the best idea to travel in separate cars for now. To keep things simple and to not put more stress on everyone than is strictly needed.
When Luca realised we wouldn’t be going home in the same car, he immediately offered me his t-shirt and the blanket he’d been using. He looked so sad that he couldn’t be near me without it triggering some trauma response, when he so clearly wants to. But I also didn’t want to push him.
We’ve got the rest of our lives to figure everything out, we don’t need to push anything on the first night.
Especially not when he looks so frail, when his grip on his emotions seems to be under constant strain.
Caleb reaches out and puts his hand on my leg. “I think it’s time we have a chat with Erika about what to do now we’ve got all these kids. She might also have some tips on what we can do to make things easier for Luca.”
I nod. Yes. Erika deals with these kinds of things all the time. She’ll know what to do.
Because I feel so lost.
Tears start dripping down my cheeks and I hide my face in Luca’s t-shirt.
He looked terrified when he saw me. Not just when he noticed my pheromones, but before that too.
I scare him.
He’s my mate.
And he’s scared of me.
And I have no idea how to solve that. At least, not right now.
My phone buzzes and I blink away my tears so I can read the screen.
It’s a message from Jorge, it’s in our pack group chat, which means we can all read it, Mathew and Riley too. ‘We’ve got a problem and we need to move quickly. The Hearts keep Luca in line by threatening his family. If they find out he’s gone, they’ll go after them. We have to get to his family first.’
My heart beats in my throat as I read the message again. They’re threatening Luca’s family.
Fucking hell…
‘Where do they live? We’ll go there right away.’ It’s from Riley, which makes me smile.
“Something interesting?” Caleb doesn’t take his eyes off the road, but I feel his attention shift to me.
“The Hearts threaten Luca’s family. That’s how they kept him in line. If they realise he’s gone…”
