She needed to get out of there right that very second. She looked around. She could maybe get to the door. Then where would she go? A tall, broad shouldered man who stood next to a small blonde woman walked forward.
“I don’t know if it’s one of the invisible wolves, my Alpha, but I would say that we are clearly not alone.”
Angel jolted back into awareness in Parker’s room sitting up straight in the bed.
Usually she came to awareness slowly but that experience—whatever it was—made her awaken fully conscious.
She felt Parker’s hand on her back before she heard his voice in her head. “What’s the matter?”
“I dream walked—meaning I traveled in my sleep—to Westervelt. Gods, it was so scary. I don’t know how they knew I was there except they did.”
She needed to steady her breathing and get control of herself. It did no good to be scared. If someone wanted to hurt her, they would only get more enjoyment out of her fear. She’d learned that lesson over and over again growing up with the pack in New Orleans. Still, traveling without a choice to Westervelt had thrown her.
Parker’s strong arms came around her pulling her up against his chest. She could hear his heartbeat. His scent enveloped her. He felt steady, strong, and larger than life. He felt real. She was here, not in Westervelt. Even if her consciousness had been there—and somehow moved a chair—her body had been here with Parker, safe in his bed.
That knowledge helped more than anything else could have.
“You were only asleep about ten minutes.”
She sat up to look at him. “Really? Were you awake the whole time?”
“I had started to doze off.”
Nodding, she let him lay her back down on the bed tucked into his arms. He stroked her hair as they both lay silent under the covers. There was so much she needed to consider about what she had just seen.
The Westervelt pack was alive and well—with women, including Scarlett, whom Angel had known her whole life. They had an Alpha who wanted to outlaw anyone dying for him. No one in the whole room—even scared Scarlett—seemed at all worked up or afraid of him.
She groaned at the implications. Could she have been so wrong in her assumptions of Westervelt? Were things so much better there? They had all looked beat up, like they had been through some kind of ordeal. Clearly, some kind of violence had gone on. That didn’t speak well to their current state of existence.
Was the whole thing an elaborate trick to try to get her to come back so they could do to her whatever nefarious plan they’d had for her since her birth?
There were too many questions and no one to give her any answers. Parker’s breathing had evened out. She suspected he was asleep but when she looked up at him his eyes were open. He was awake, unless he was one of those freaky-deaky people who slept with their eyes open.
“I was just thinking that we need to find a way for you to control your magic when you’re asleep.”
She nodded, not surprised he knew she’d been wanting to speak to him. He was super quiet, hardly ever moved when he didn’t have to, and he never missed anything that was going on.
“Maybe there’s something in my mom’s book.”
He sniffed her hair, which made her smile. “You haven’t read it cover to cover?”
“I have, except every time I do something new pops up. That’s the thing about a magic book.”
“Do you always find what you need?”
She shook her head. “I wish, but no. I think my Mom tried to anticipate things I might need but how could she know everything I would face?”
“Or perhaps there isn’t a spell for everything. Or maybe your wolf needs to teach it to you herself.”
He made some really good points. “True.”
“Go back to sleep. I won’t let you travel.”
“You can’t stop it.”
“I can. When I need to be, I am a force to be reckoned with. For as long as we are together, I will protect you. Tonight you will be safe, even from your own abilities.”
It was a stupid statement filled with sentiment and not fact. He couldn’t possibly do what he said he was going to do. Yet, she believed him with all of her soul.
Somehow Parker might actually be able to keep her from traveling in her sleep to places she didn’t want to go.
“Do you snore?”
He shook his head. “Don’t you think you should have asked me that before you insisted I get in the bed with you?”
She laughed, loving this easy way between them. Her wolf liked it too. She yawned contently and Angel suspected she’d soon force Angel to go to sleep whether she wanted to or not.
“I just want to know how hard I’m going to have to elbow you in the ribs.”
“I don’t think I snore, but feel free to kick me if so. I’d prefer that to a good elbow jab.” He paused. “Do you snore?”
“Going to throw me out if I do?”
“No. But I might go and sleep on the couch.”
“You’re such a gentlemen. I’m talking about beating you up and you’re saying you’ll sleep elsewhere.”
“What can I say? I’m clearly a better person than you are.”
This time she cracked up. Long, hard chuckles. She couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed so hard. Or, to be honest, had really laughed at all. Wow, it felt good, which was why it shocked her to her core when she started to cry.
Not even dainty tears, no, hard thick wetness fell from her eyes.
“Oh my gods, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
Parker didn’t say a word as he pulled her even closer into his side. “I’ve got you, Angel. You’re safe with me.”
Once again, she believed him.
Chapter Six
Parker set down the dish he washed and inhaled deeply. He knew the moment Angel set foot in the restaurant. He hadn’t wanted to wake her so he’d snuck out while she was still lost in dreamland.
He’d hated doing that. When he’d woken up and regarded at her, she had appeared so incredibly soft and delicate. He’d wanted to pull her into his arms and never, ever let go.
He shook his head. This had to stop. If there was one thing they’d both agreed about, it was the need to end their so-called mating before it got out of hand. Day dreaming about her was a bad sign. It meant he was getting comfortable with her soul being inside of his.
Still, he couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing out there in the diner. What had she ordered? Which greasy dish was for her? He tried to guess. Maybe eggs…
The object of his thoughts walked through the kitchen door holding Nancy’s apron.
He raised an eyebrow knowing they’d have to communicate entirely telepathically since she would look crazy speaking aloud while he couldn’t.
Instead of glancing at him, she turned to Bob. “Hi, Bob, do you remember me from yesterday?”
She touched Bob’s arm. “I’m Angel Kane. Nancy isn’t feeling well and even though I’m not a waitress, I have lots of experience waiting on people. Can I help?”
Bob stammered his response. Angel had a way of doing that to people. She walked in a room and took over. It was very opposite of how Parker handled life. His size made him noticeable, there was nothing to be done about that, but his general silence made everyone forget he was in the room.