Enigma

Chapter 11

Lillian had never known what family meant before Lydia and the twins.

Staying in the orphanage when one child after the other was getting adopted, she had been left behind every single time. Her crushed hopes and dying friendships were beaten out of her, steeling her heart in indifference until she learned not to open up too much, and she strangled her longing for lasting relationships.

Her family history had made her an unwanted child and later, an outcast at school.

The sense of family and belonging was a foreign concept. One she kept herself from hoping for even as her heart longed for a home.

Lillian had never thought she'd find it in a pack of wolves.

So when pack member after pack member of the pack came to offer his or her comfort and sympathy after the incident with the rogues, the sense of warmth that blanketed Lillian was almost overwhelming. This is what a family is supposed to be like. Unconditional care and affection.

For the first time in her life, Lillian felt that maybe, just maybe, she could let her heart hope. Maybe she had finally found a home.

After the pack slowly diffused from the lake side, Anna invited Lillian for lunch at her mother in law's.

Lillian clutched the twins' hands in hers. They had been uncharacteristically subdued ever since Anna brought them out to meet her during the pack meeting.

Lillian could guess the reason. They were reminded of the last time she'd been hurt. They might not understand exactly what was going on, but she knew they were distressed by her injuries.

Lillian looked over her shoulders. Her eyes met dark amber ones. She quickly turned around, frowning to herself. Why did she look back at him? She shook her head to clear her thoughts. A difficult task considering the way his gaze pressed on the back of her neck.

Noah could get to her more than anyone else she'd ever known. And she didn't particularly like it. The man simply got on her nerves. Just being around him put all her nerves ending on attention, and made her act like a rebellious teen trying to contradict his every order no matter how right he was.

She wasn't being unreasonable, but even the idea of being under his command lit an insurgent fire in her.

The memory of how he stood toe to toe with her in the woods, the wolf all but staring out of his glowing eyes, made her want to shiver in a primal fear she couldn't control. It also made her want to lean in and inhale more of his earthy scent. Which was absurd, absolutely absurd.

Paradoxically, Lillian was more afraid of Noah when he was angry as a man than as a wolf. Lillian could handle the wolf, she didn't feel scared around the wolf. Only an angry male made her wary.

There was something very feral about him in that moment when she'd defied him in the woods. For a moment, he wasn't Noah, he was simply a bigger, stronger man who was angry at her. It brought out bad memories.

But after that moment- when she could see her past in her present- had ended, she realized it was ridiculous. Noah would never hurt her. Man or wolf, the knowledge that he'd never put a hand on her in harm was a piercing truth that finally clicked into place in her mind.

"Here we are," Anna said, bringing Lillian out of her musings.

The house they stopped before was a large one story cabin, tucked between two trees. The porch was large enough to accommodate a ten person dining table on one side of the door, and two rocking chairs on the other.

A behemoth of a man walked out of the door, and the porch seemed to shrink in size with him in it. He was bald, with olive skin and dark brown eyes narrowed their way. His massive chest was bare, corded with muscles, and he was at least six five. He was... big.