“No matter how I feel about her, she’s still my flesh and blood. If you disrespect her, then you disrespect me. You tell her… tell Ivy to be a good girl.”
A blanket of silence fell between them before Lorenzo spoke. “I have no desire to harm this young woman, but consider passing along the message yourself. I’m sure she’d like to hear a kind word from her father.”
Chapter 9
Tired of lying around in nothing but Lorenzo’s silk robe, I went through his drawers and found an oversized button-up shirt that fell just above my knees. The red and black material was super-soft flannel—a garment he’d worn and washed a million times over. I couldn’t imagine Lorenzo wearing something so cozy and inviting, but it smelled like him.
I liked this secret side of Lorenzo and wanted to nose through more of his things, but my leg kept me from doing that. Each drink of his medicine seemed to help the pain subside, but I couldn’t move as nimbly as I once had.
I walked with a limp.
The cream cheese he’d left out hit the spot, and I eagerly consumed the entire container, sating my wolf’s inner craving. There was also peanut butter, bread, a small jar of raspberry preserves, crackers, fruits, and a gigantic bag of assorted nuts.
The view from his bedroom window was magnificent, and I spent a generous amount of time in a curved chair, admiring the scenery. The room had no phone, and if not for my leg, I would have been pacing the floor.
When the horizon swallowed the last drop of the sun, I devised a plan. Lorenzo had ordered me not to open the door for anyone, but the needs of my own pack came first. Austin was the only alpha who could order me around, and I had to find out if they were safe. My family could be in danger. What if I had useful information that could help them? Since I was under Lorenzo’s personal protection, then his packmates couldn’t touch me until they heard back from him.
The hallway outside Lorenzo’s room was spacious and empty. I approached the staircase ahead and glanced over the banister, realizing we were higher than the second floor. Goodness, I’d make an entrance as memorable as a drunken Fred Astaire if I went down that way.
“Now what?” I whispered.
When I looked left toward the back of the house, I noticed an odd door against the far wall. The wood was different from the others, and lovely etchings in a pale gold were on both narrow doors. A black button on the right caught my attention. An elevator!
I limped toward it, putting more weight on my right leg. I needed to get that under control because if I met with his pack, I didn’t want to show them my weakness. When I slowed my pace, the lameness became easier to conceal. I pressed the button and stepped inside the mirrored room, watching the doors silently close. A red carpet scratched at my bare feet, and the interior looked gold. I laughed to myself, wondering if Lorenzo was kidding about the gold toilet. He had a dry sense of humor, so it was hard to tell when he was being funny.
I anxiously wrung my hands, waiting for the doors to open. My sleeves were rolled up to show them I carried no weapons. What if they’re waiting for me with daggers in hand?
The door opened and I stepped on cold kitchen tile. Lorenzo had an impressive home. The kitchen looked like something out of a magazine—stainless-steel appliances and a long counter in the center. His pack kept it impeccably clean, not a crumb or even a flower display to be found. A row of copper pots and pans hung above the counter, shiny as if they’d never been used. The chatter in the house drew me closer to the hall on my right.
I cleared my throat and approached the open doorway. My heart must have been going a mile a minute, and my throat felt like sandpaper. I felt like an intruder and prayed he had a sensible pack.
A woman swiftly rounded the corner and gasped in surprise when she bumped into me. Her dark red curls fell against her bare shoulders, and she was well-endowed, judging by the way her tank top had lost the war of concealing her breasts. She looked at me from head to toe before yelling over her shoulder, “What have I told you boys about bringing in tramps?”
Then her head snapped back and she put her hands on her hips. “Who let you in?”
I realized she must be the alpha female. If that was the case, she had the power to toss me out on my behind.
“I’m Ivy, and I’m here as Lorenzo’s guest.”
Her blue eyes widened. “You little liar.”
“It’s not like that,” I quickly said.
She touched a button on my flannel shirt. “Sure looks like it’s that to me.”
Lorenzo might have claimed this woman, so I didn’t want to give her the wrong impression. “He found me in wolf form—that’s why I don’t have my clothes. I’m not here to cause trouble, but Lorenzo left and I didn’t want to hide upstairs. I thought the respectful thing to do was come down and introduce myself so you were aware of my presence. I just want to extend my friendship to the pack.”