Chapter 12

**Elise**


Sawyer leads me back to the nest and gently pushes me to sit on the bed before he disappears through the doorway. I lean forward and make sure he’s gone before jumping to my feet and rushing into the bathroom. Lifting my borrowed shirt over my head I glance down at my bandaged wound and take in a shaky breath. I haven’t felt any pain in a while now and that can only mean one thing…

Pulling the bandage back slowly I gasp when I see the area where the wound was completely sealed over. The stitches cover only a small scar that looks almost faded. Panic wars inside me as the reality of what this means takes hold of me.

It worked. That stupid drug worked and now I’m some freak with super healing power! What the heck? It should be impossible. How did they even get a drug like this? They had injected it into me a few days ago to prepare me for auction but it hadn’t done a thing until now. It must have been the severity of my injuries that kick-started it.

How am I going to explain this?

No one is going to believe me! Who would? It’s some kind of Syfy stuff going on! This kind of thing only happens in movies and books. Right? Maybe I’m imagining things…

“Sweetheart?” Sawyer's voice reaches me and I quickly pull the shirt back on.

I take a couple of quick breaths trying to steady my racing heart before I plaster a smile on my face and step back into the room.

“There you are. So we didn’t have many choices of things that would fit you but I had these.” He drops a pair of black Sandler with a thick strap on top. It has a white stripe through the center and they definitely look too big but it will do.

“Thank you,” I say sitting back on the edge of the bed and slipping them on.

Sawyer laughs at how big they look on me and I can’t help but join him. They look sort of ridiculous but it’s better than walking around a mall in bare feet.

As I think about the mall I start to worry that going somewhere with so many people might be a terrible idea. An unbonded Omega nearing her heat…not a good combination for public places.

"I'll go get ready now. Will you be okay on your own for a minute?" Sawyer asks looking sincerely worried.

I laugh. "I think I can handle myself for a few minutes while you change Sawyer."

He scratches the back of his neck and lets out an embarrassed laugh. "Sorry. I'll just go..."

He turns on his heels and quickly leaves the room like his underwear is on fire. Once he's gone I let my smile fall and I rub my shoulder a little bit even though that small pressure doesn't hurt. I wonder if there is a way to get out of seeing Liddy.

"There you are! All set?" Archer says striding into the room looking even more handsome than this morning.

The just woke-up look worked well for him but now...

"Yeah. I have my magic slippers now." I tease lifting a foot to show him my large shoes.

He laughs in such a carefree way that it blocks out all the panic I was feeling a second ago. "I see that. Well, come on Cinderella, I'll escort you to your pumpkin."

"It's supposed to be a carriage," Sawyer says as we leave the room and meet him in the hallway.

He looks like a rich billionaire when they try to look casual. Polo shirt that looks freshly ironed, khaki shorts, and brand new-looking white sneakers. His hair is swept back and locked in place and he has a smirk on his face that looks like he has about a dozen smart mouth things he wants to say right now.

"Would you two get your asses down here already?" Ezra calls up from downstairs and I get my butt moving.

He doesn't sound like he's in the mood to be messed with. I take the lead and am the first to step down the stairs and greet him. He looks me over once again like he's trying to figure me out and when his eyes land on my shoes he lets out a little sound of amusement.

"Come on love. Let's get you some proper shoes." He says reaching for me and wrapping an arm around my waist before herding me toward the front door.

I glance over my shoulder and see a less than happy Archer and Sawyer, but I'm too scared of Ezra to refuse to be escorted by him. Okay, not scared but more like I don't want to see him unhappy. Yeah...people pleaser right here, but can you blame me?

Weston is leaning against a big black SUV when we all walk outside. His head pops up from staring intensely at his phone and his eyes stop right on me. Just like Ezra, he runs his eyes over me. He grunts and turns to open the back passenger door. Ezra leads me around it and rests both hands on my hips before giving me a boost inside. That's how big this thing is, so big that a five-foot-two-inch girl needs a boost to get in.

Once I'm in I slide to the center seat as Archer nearly knocks Sawyer out of the way to climb in on the left side while Weston takes the right. Sawyer grumbles something under his breath before slamming Archer's door hard and walking to the other side of the car. He takes the front passenger seat while Ezra takes the driver's seat.

He turns to me and watches me buckle myself in before giving an approving nod and turning forward again. We are on the road for only a few minutes when Ezra gets a call. All the guys seem to tense up before a familiar voice comes from the car speakers.

"Where the heck are you guys? You know I hate to be left waiting..." Liddy says sounding pretty tense for so early in the morning.

She also sounds kind of scary.

Her power is amazing because these four grown and scary men seem scared of her.

"We were just going to stop by the mall and grab Elise a few things and then..."

"Like heck you are!" She calls out cutting Sawyer off. "She is injured, who cares what she's wearing. I'll have Scott bring some of my stuff for her, just get her here!"

A faint voice comes from somewhere around her. "He's already on his way!"

"Thank you sweetie! At least my guys seem to have their heads out of their butts this morning. Elise?" My back stiffens as if I've just been called on by a no-nonsense teacher.

"Yes?" I say cautiously.

"Don't let those guys take you anywhere but here. Lay down the law girl." She says firmly and four pairs of eyes turn to me.

I glance at each of them in surprise because it looked as if they were deferring to me but that can't be right. I tell them what to do? I mean Liddy is a tough lady but I'm nothing like her? I spent two years being yelled at and ordered around and before that, I was under the strict rules of Haven. How am I the right person to be making any kind of decisions?

"Elise? Speak up girl I can't hear you over all their testosterone!" Liddy says and I have to bite back a laugh when Sawyer rolls his eyes. "I know you're rolling your eyes Sawyer I can practically hear it from here!"

"Damn woman lay off me!" Sawyer calls back before letting out a huff and turning to face the window.

Is he pouting right now? That's just too good.

"We'll see you soon Liddy! Thanks!" I call out and hate that my voice cracks a little.

Sort of messes up the confident answer I was going for. I have a long way to go before I am on the same level as her. She is officially my idol.

"Good. I hope they fed you. Those boys need a guide to take care of themselves sometimes. You should have seen them one time when our parents had gone out of town..."

"By Liddy!" Sawyer yells before ending the call abruptly. "Damn she has gotten worse in her old age."

Weston leans forward and smacks Sawyer in the back of the head. "Don't say shit like that, you know she has eyes everywhere."

Sawyer puts on an act of searching around him for cameras or something before shuddering dramatically.

"We need to keep you far away from her sweetheart, or you will be just as bad." He says and I raise a brow at him.

He curses and swallows hard. "Shit sweetheart you're already scary as Fuck."

I shake my head at him and turn away so he doesn't see my smile because...Yes! I have potential.

Ezra makes a sharp turn at a small road not far ahead of us, and I end up sliding right against Weston. He catches me by wrapping an arm around my waist and when I glance up at him his intense eyes are completely focused on me. It's so strange to have so many men just...looking at me and not like a giant dollar sign is floating over my head. In their eyes...it's like all they see is...me.

I clear my throat and right myself hoping that my face doesn't look bright red because that would only give away just how much I like when he touches me. I'm meant to play a little hard to get, right? Isn't that what guys like? The thrill of the chase and all that, but I don't like games. I have been through too much to fall into mind games that are, frankly, stupid. Why can't people just come right and say how they feel?

If more people were honest with each other maybe more people would find the right people to make them happy. If it was that easy I would have saved myself from two long years of torture.

Maybe it's time I figure out exactly what these guys want from me. It's becoming clear they want me to stay with them, but will they still want me when they find out what's happening to me? I don't even fully understand it.

Will this end before we have even begun?

I hope not...