Draco walked away while the others began discussing how to fix Athena’s home and adding the security features she would need. He knew that Leo had that discussion already handled.
He stopped just outside her doorway. Technically it was his doorway since it was the room he had when his parents moved into the house when he was thirteen.
“She’s your mate, isn’t she?”
Draco turned to see Deidra standing there, the sadness evident in her eyes. Shit, how did he respond to that question?
“No.”
“No, she’s not, or no, you don’t want her to be?”
“Both?”
“Asshole!” Deidra glared at him.
“I have too many enemies. Plus, this shit with Maplewood. She would be a target to get to me. Let’s not forget that she’salso human. Our kind wouldn’t accept her as their Luna,” Draco reasoned with his baby sister.
“Bullshit. While she isn’t aware our kind exists, our people love her. She’s the elementary school teacher for more than half of our kind here in Pelco Grove. They would welcome her as their Luna with open arms. I get the target part, but big brother, you forget our mother survived for nearly forty plus years as a Luna. Our people love her without question. Athena will be just as strong.”
“Our mother is also a wolf shifter. Athena is a human. Maplewood and his people get a hold of her, they would tear her to shreds just to get control of our territory.”
“Then train her as you have other human women. Don’t leave her defenseless. You won’t be alone in protecting her. You will have not only our family, but your team as well. We both know once Maplewood is dealt with, others will be too afraid to go up against you.”
Draco knew what his sister said was right, but it didn’t change his mind. “Maplewood is too dangerous, too unpredictable right now. I will not jeopardize her life to satisfy any lust I may feel for her.”
“Damn, big brother. Never knew you to be a coward. Guess it’s for the best. You can sit here in self-pity while she finds a semi-love life with someone else. That’s if Maplewood doesn’t force her to wed him since her brother sold her to him. As your mate, she would be protected by pack laws. But you’re too chickenshit. Thanks for leaving my best friend unprotected.”
Before Draco would say anything to her statement, Deidra stormed away angrily. He hated seeing the anger and the hurt in his baby sister’s eyes, but he was saying firm on his stance.
But tonight, tonight he would give her just a little comfort and take a memory of her for himself. It was the least that hecould do for her, since he wouldn’t be able to do anything else once tomorrow came.
Opening his bedroom door just a smidge, he disrobed quickly and quietly. Once he’d placed his clothes on the bathroom counter, he shifted.
Using his nose, he pushed the bedroom door open enough to squeeze his large wolf frame through the door. Once inside, he used his nose to close the door quietly before allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness.
Moving toward the bed, Draco jumped up and inched his way toward the sleeping form who whimpered in her sleep. Once he was next to Athena, at her back, he leaned over her form to sniff her slightly before licking the side of her face.
Satisfying himself with just that, he laid down, lining his body up to her back, he stretched out, leaning his large frame toward her, laying his head on his paws just before closing his eyes. No sooner had he closed his eyes, he’d been startled awake.
Athena had rolled over in her sleep and wrapped her arm around him, snuggling her face into his fur. Once she’d relaxed, her sniffling had ceased, and she fell into a deep sleep, her arm around him and her breath ruffling his fur.
“I’m so sorry I failed you, Shadow. I’m sorry they hurt you like they did. I miss you so much. Love you.”
Draco couldn’t help the whine that came from his throat. She blamed herself for what happened to her pet.
“Now I’ve lost you for good. It’s all my fault because I refused that asshole. My father doesn’t want me. My mother hates me. My brother despises me. The things I love always get destroyed. I need to move far, far away to protect Deidra and her family. They will hurt them to force me to marry him. Maybe if I do, they will leave this family alone.”
Draco growled low in his throat at her words. Like hell she would do either of those things.
He pressed his nose into her neck and whined, making her squeeze closer to him. When she drifted back to a deep sleep, he licked her face once more before relaxing himself.
Now he had to figure out how to keep her safe as well. She was not sacrificing herself to save his family, or herself.
Chapter
Eight
Athena wokeup when the sun came through the window and shone into her face. Stretching the kinks out of her body, she looked toward the door to find it slightly ajar.
