Chapter 9

**Elise**


I don’t know the last time I slept in total peace like this. When I wasn’t too scared to close my eyes or woken by the sound of the frightened girls around me. All I could hear was a steady beating of Sawyer’s heart as it played a melody for the sweet dreams it created.

When I start to wake I blink my eyes open even though I know there is nothing I will be able to see but…

I blink several more times and faint blurred outlines appear where only darkness once was. My eyes roam around the room a little bit but I’m trapped tight against Sawyer’s chest so I can’t see too much. There is a faint purple glow to everything that is kind of beautiful. A few more blinks and the blurry shapes start to become more defined. I immediately lean my head back just enough to take a look at Sawyer for the first time.

Oh my gosh…

A gasp escapes me at the sight of him. He’s beautiful. He looks like a golden god. His hair is a dark blonde and wavy but not too long. His skin is a golden tan and his features are masculine but smooth. I can’t believe such a breathtaking man has his arms wrapped around me right now.

His arm that’s draped over my arm and waist tightens around me and he makes a groaning sound. It sends a shiver through my body and that finally wakes him. His eyes slowly open and golden hazel eyes are fixed on me. My eyes are fixed on his and his brow furrows as he tries to understand what’s going on. Can he tell that I can see him?

“Elise?” I smile at him and his eyes widen. “Can you see me?”

I nod. “I can.”

He sits up suddenly and I turn onto my back and stare up at him.

“Shit. You can see me! This is great! You’re okay. I have to go get the others!” He moves to climb off the bed but I sit up and grab his arm.

“Not yet. I want to…look at you a bit longer.” I say feeling the heat of embarrassment blooming on my face.

He lets out a relieved laugh before he moves closer and pulls me into a hug. “I can’t believe this. I was worried the effects would last much longer.”

I pull back from him and let my eyes wander over his handsome face. “Me too. Maybe the injury wasn’t as severe as we thought. I can’t believe you’re…you.”

He laughs. “This is me. Not what you were expecting?”

Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it. Their voices alone were enough of a comfort to me that I didn’t care what they looked like. I could listen to their voices and breath in their scents for hours and be just as happy.

“I can’t believe you slept with me last night,” I say in shock and then realize how that sounds. "I mean that..."

He laughs. "I know what you mean. Why wouldn't I?"

Good question. Well, let's see...he's freaking gorgeous that's why!

"It's just that you're...you know..." I wave my hand to point out all of his gorgeousness and he glances down at himself with a confused look. "You're super handsome."

He looks up at me and smiles wickedly and that really makes me want to punch him in his cocky face. When did I become so violent?

"Thanks, sweetheart, but I was happy to sleep with you last night." He winks at that part before continuing. "Actually, I slept a lot better than I have in a long time."

Me too...I don't know when I slept so well. At Haven, I wasn't in any danger or anything but I would have nightmares all the time about what happened to my parents. Thankfully I was spared the harsher details, but my imagination came up with plenty of vivid images that haunted me for a long time.

"I slept pretty well too," I admit feeling my face heat as he watches me with an amused smirk.

He is really infuriating when he looks like that but it also makes me blush like crazy.

"I'm glad. How's your head feeling. I should have been waking you up every hour because of the concussion but I was too deeply asleep to remember." He says looking a little guilty as he rubs the back of his neck.

I grab his hand and give it a squeeze. "I feel okay now. All I have is a headache that I'm sure will pass."

He nods and we fall into a comfortable silence as we watch each other. It should feel strange being under such an intense look from a really really handsome guy but it isn't. Of course, that sliver of self-doubt has rooted itself in my mind now that I've seen him but I try to ignore it. There is a lot about me that shouldn't appeal to a guy like this. He could be with any girl he wanted, and I am far from pretty right now. I lived in a cage for two years.

I must look like a real mess.

Sawyer must see the war going on inside me because his brow furrows. "What's wrong?" He asks and I consider lying to him.

Instead, I change the subject. "It's nothing. So what happened to the others? Is Archer okay? He seemed really upset yesterday."

He shrugs and moves to sit next to me against the headboard.

"He and I have been fighting like that since we first met. I am a hotheaded cocky bastard and Archer hates that about me. He's right though, sometimes I let that side of me get me in trouble. I'm sorry for acting like an asshole to you and saying those things." I hadn't seen his face when he apologized to me last night, but the way he looks now tells me he means what he's saying.

I reach over and slip my hand under his. "It's alright. I'm sure my being here is causing you all a lot of issues. It's not like you guys expected to have to take in a stary last night. I'll try my best not to cause you guys any more problems."

"Elise if there are any problems it's with us not you. We aren't very experienced with having a woman around here. Most of us keep our relationships away from the pack." He explains and I look at him a little confused.

It's not normal for a pack to really date individually. I suppose it is more common than I am aware of but the idea of that seems odd. Packs have an urge to complete themselves by adding an Omega and possibly a Beta male at least that's what we were told at Haven.

"You don't all date the same woman?" I ask trying to better understand what he's saying.

He shakes his head and the movement makes a strand of his golden hair fall over his forehead.

"We don't have any serious relationships and none of us have ever brought a woman to our place before. They're more short-term and not worth the trouble. I'm not proud to admit things never get that far with me. I'm not great at committing to someone I don't connect with." He barely looks at me as he admits a pretty big personality flaw.

He's basically saying he's a player.

I'm not sure what to say. Does that mean I'm just a passing person in their life or is the fact they brought me here mean something more?

"Archer isn't like the rest of us though. He's never been into going out and hooking up with a random girl at a club." Sawyer says breaking the silence. "We all thought maybe he was gay, but he laughed when we asked him. He just said that if he finds the right girl he'd know she was the one for him. It's not like he never got any offers, but he never once went out with a girl."

Is he saying...

"Never?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "Nope. He's a kick-ass virgin."

I choke at his bluntness and he finally turns to smile at me. "It doesn't seem like it after last night right?"

I shake my head because that kiss had been epic.

"I think he was right. When it's the right girl...you know. My guess is all his instincts are telling him you are the girl he wants." I drop my eyes to our linked hands and let that sink in. "Does that scare you?"

I lift my head to look at him and give him a weak smile. "No. It should right? I mean I just met all of you, but it doesn't feel weird being here. It's new and exciting but it also feels sort of familiar. I'm not sure if that makes sense."

He gives my hand a squeeze. "It does. We feel it too. It feels like you belong here with us, and that's not weird. If we had met you at Haven it would have been no different. We would all still be strangers but it would have been a less dramatic introduction."

He points to my injured shoulder and chuckles. "A lot less dramatic."

I laugh. "Yeah, talk about a meet-cute."

He tilts his head and looks at me like a lost puppy. "A what?"

I laugh and shake my head at him. "It's when two characters in a movie or book meet in a cute and unexpected way. Although I guess gunfire and head injuries aren't that cute. Still, it brought me here, so it's not all bad."

The memories of what happened last night come flooding back and one thing, in particular, stands out.

Kane. He got away. Will he come looking for me?