Chapter 7

Harper’s POV

My head felt stuffed full of cotton as I woke up the next morning. Everything felt fuzzy, out of focus. All I wanted to do was snuggle deeper into the fading scent of pine and peppermint and drift a little longer…

As soon as I had the thought, my eyes snapped open. I wasn’t in my room at the Ridgewood pack house. Last night came rushing back in a wave of deep humiliation.

Oh god. Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god.

I couldn’t believe what I’d done – what I’d said! Oh god, Levi must hate me. I remembered him rushing from the room without a backward glance. But could I blame him, after I was grinding on him calling him Daddy?

I wanted to sink through the bed and disappear.

But I groaned and forced myself to sit up, pressing a hand to my stomach. The Heat was gone, thanks to the suppressants. And the tearing pain from whatever Mason had done to me had subsided too, thank whatever god was listening.

So my body felt fine, just a little sore. My clothes on the other hand… between sweat and slick dripping down my thighs, my clothes were ruined.

Mortified all over again, I peeled off my soaked shirt, pants and destroyed panties. With a grimace, I stuffed them in the trash can in the corner, trying my best not to look at the crusted blood on the collar of the shirt.

I touched my neck absently as I turned to the closet for something to cover up with. My neck was completely fine, no evidence of Mason losing his mind last night. I shied away from those memories too.

Focus Harper, I told myself. My stomach growled, as if agreeing. I hadn’t eaten since lunch, I had to find food or I’d be sick and give Levi another mess to clean up.

That spurred me on and I grabbed the closest thing, a plain white button-down shirt. Good enough. I pulled it on over my bra, the only clothes I had left that weren’t ruined. Then I strode for the door before I lost my nerve.

The scent of bacon and pancakes wafted up the stairs and I followed it down to the kitchen. I didn’t see anyone else, though I knew Levi had brought some of the pack with him. Had he cleared them out because of me?

Levi stood at the stove, gaze intent on the pan in his hand. I paused, my breath catching at the sight of him. His sleeves rolled up, showing off his thick, tanned forearms, his beard a shade darker, scruffier than yesterday. He was so ruggedly handsome, for a moment I could only stare.

Oblivious, Levi expertly flipped a pancake in the air, caught it, and was moving onto the eggs with the other hand before it even landed. I was impressed, he looked so natural, so practiced in the kitchen.

Then an ugly thought niggled its way in – did he cook for other women after helping them through their heats too? Is that how he knew I’d be starving?

Suddenly, I wasn’t that hungry anymore.

I stepped all the way into the kitchen, loud enough for him to hear me over the sizzling pans. He turned, his grey eyes locking onto mine, searching, as if he could see all the way into me. I quickly looked away.

Without a word, Levi served me bacon, fried eggs, and a stack of pancakes slathered in butter and drowning in syrup – exactly the way I liked them.

We sat at opposite ends of the kitchen island and ate. It was … weirdly normal. Like the rare Sunday when he was actually home and I woke up early enough not to miss him. Mostly it was just coffee, but the silence then was comfortable at least.

Now, it was charged, though neither of us mentioned last night. Well, not until I’d made it through half my pancakes, hungry after all.

“Harper,” Levi asked, his serious tone putting me immediately on edge. “What happened last night? Why’d you leave the pack house?”

I pushed my eggs across my plate, trying not to think about it. Mason’s crazed eyes, his teeth ripping into my neck, the bitter, metallic taste of his blood being forced down my throat. It was terrifying. And the little girl in me wanted to run straight to Levi and have him make the scary things go away.

But… Mason was my fiancé, and more than that, he was the Ridgewood’s Alpha. He might as well be the Alpha of the entire West.

Levi was technically still my alpha, he’d be duty bound to step in. But then his wedding invitation flashed through my mind. He was moving forward I couldn’t drag him back.

“Nothing happened,” I forced out with a shrug. Still looking at my plate, I lied, “Wedding planning stress got to me. I just needed some air.”

Levi stood and moved closer. “Harper, look at me.” His tone was firm, but kind. I steeled myself, and dragged my eyes up to his, forcing my face into neutral lines. Levi frowned, storm grey eyes searching my face. “What really happened? You were bleeding.”

Shit, of course he’d scent my blood! But I just waved a hand. “I got turned around in the woods and panicked a little. I fell and got scratched up, but I’m fine, see?”

I hopped off the stool and held out my arms, spinning in a little circle to show him I was perfectly fine – and to break that unyielding stare before I broke.

“Why are you wearing my shirt?” I froze mid spin. He did not sound pleased.

Awkwardly, I turned to face him. “Oh, sorry, my clothes were soak– ruined, I mean.” My face went hot. “I couldn’t wear them anymore. I threw them out.”

Levi just grunted, returning to his stool. “You shouldn’t dress like that in front of anyone but your husband,” he said gruffly, disapproval heavy in his voice.

Confused, I looked down – and realized the top few buttons had come undone, showing my black bra to him. Oh god, I look like a porn star! Does he think I did it on purpose?

But Levi just calmly picked his fork back up and kept eating. For some reason, I was disappointed.

Even this didn’t force him to see me as a woman. Even after last night, I was still just a kid to scold in his eyes.

A burden.

Levi POV

I forced myself to eat normally, as if I wasn’t affected by Harper’s supple thighs peeking from below the hem of my shirt, or her sexy tousled hair, or her beautiful, blushing face. But it was an effort.

If she’d been wearing this while she called me Daddy, I might not have made it out of that room.

Immediately, I chastised myself for the thought. Harper didn’t want me, not really. That was her heat talking. She was engaged. And even if I sensed problems between them, she never asked to come back to me.

“I want to go back.” It was the last thing she said before she got sick in the car. Or was that the beginning of the heat? I had so many questions – but I didn’t have a right to the answers anymore.

I glanced at her from the corner of my eye. Her bottom lip poked out the tiniest bit, the only hint on her face that she was upset. It was one of the few things about her that hadn’t changed from the sweet, cute kid she’d been. It was almost strange to see the strange expression on this grown woman, about to get married.

Irritation sizzled through me, my wolf pacing in my chest. He’d always been protective of her, but there was nothing I could, or even should do. This was just how fathers felt when their daughters left, wasn’t it?

Exactly. I was Harper’s dad.

Daddy.

The word clanged unbidden through me, like a protest, a denial. Like the flood gates opened, I suddenly couldn’t stop thinking about last night.

It was like I could feel the phantom of her in my arms again, against my chest, my lap, writhing every inch of that glorious body against me. My fingers tightened around the fork.

Harper’s ass grinding against my cock. Her little whimpers. Her moaning for me, trembling with need –

I cleared my throat, reaching up to loosen the collar of my shirt.

“You okay?” Harper asked, pushing the pitcher of water towards me, nothing but concern in her warm brown eyes.

I’m officially a monster for thinking of her like that. I needed to drill it in my head – both of them – that Harper felt nothing for me but care for a father. That was all.

But as she leaned over to pour my water, I heard her intake a subtle breath… like she was scenting me. My wolf pushed to the forefront, and she leaned a little closer, like she could sense it.

I turned to look up at her and found our faces only inches apart –

SKKKRRRRRR!

The squeal of tires stopping outside made her jump back. I frowned. I told my men to clear the house today. “Who the hell…?”

But Harper swallowed hard as she moved to the window. “It’s Mason.”