Luca exited the room, a silent chuckle escaping his lips, leaving an unaware Mona behind. He needed to leave, and quickly. As he stepped into the hall, he passed Timothy, who was using the wall as a crutch, a drunken defective barely holding himself upright.
Timothy, unsteady on his feet, climbed the steps, his left hand braced against the wall for stability. He hoped the spinning in his head would soon lessen. He had certainly enjoyed himself, that was until he began seeing double.
Timothy lifted his head just as a pair of shoes entered his blurry vision. He squinted, trying to focus, and watched Luca leap gracefully out of the second-story window. "Where did he come from?" Timothy muttered to himself, shaking his head.
Pushing open his own room door, Timothy's eyebrows shot up in shock. A jolt went through him. His gaze fell upon her snow-white skin, and the gentle swell of her breasts, cupped in her gold-embroidered bra. Her satin pajama pants sat low on her hips. His eyes feasted greedily, soaking in the sight of her. It felt as if the alcohol was rapidly leaving his system the longer he stood there.
Trinity sat with her back to the floor-length mirror, nestled on the soft white carpet. She carefully applied the ointment the pack doctor had given her to help heal her bruises. Alana had told her it would affect her old scars, too. What it couldn't fix completely, it would at least lessen the obvious appearance of the scars. She wouldn't look so different from everyone else; no one would be able to read her life on her skin. At the time, she hadn't known how she felt about it, but the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of erasing that part of her past. It had been a while since she had felt like her old self. The part of herself that always wanted to be saved was dying quickly.
"Instead of staring, you could help me," Trinity said playfully, a faint smile touching her lips. She wasn't as uneasy with his hazy eyes on her as she might have expected.
Timothy pushed the door closed, a low whistle escaping him. He couldn't believe his luck; this was shaping up to be one of the best days of his life. Trinity was attractive, and half-naked. If she moved the wrong way, he would be able to see her nipples peek out from their feminine cages. Practically running to her, Timothy settled behind her, his legs on either side of her satin-covered legs. The excess of tequila and rum in his system made his actions bold and sloppy.
Trinity held up the jar of ointment, offering it to his waiting hands. As Timothy took the jar, sobriety seemed to rush through his veins when he truly saw Trinity's back. He was still, unreasonably excited, but the damage to her back was something he hadn't expected. In his view, Trinity was strong and vibrant, not someone who would be littered with scars. Taking the ointment from her hands, he applied it with extra care. Her warm skin was a sharp contrast to the cooling cream. Her back tensed for a moment before relaxing at the cool sensation.
"Are you going to ask?" Trinity knew that by allowing him to help, to see her back, she was opening herself up for a question or two.
"No, I wouldn't want anybody asking about mine," Timothy stated simply, his gaze steady. A long, jagged scar stretched along his left thigh, a constant reminder of the wolf that had attacked him, the creature he hadn't known was a werewolf until recently. A rogue wolf on the run. The memory, usually a sharp sting, was dulled by the alcohol, but it was there, a phantom ache.
Looking over her shoulder at him, he reminded her of something she often forgot. She wasn't the only one who'd ever been in pain, who had permanent scars from their past. "Do you like it here?" she asked him, her voice softer than before.
Timothy ran his fingers through Trinity's black tresses, scooping her hair over her right shoulder as he continued to apply the cream. "It's weird! In some ways, this is the worst place I've ever been, but I just can't see myself anywhere else. It has its charms" Timothy felt a level of confusion about it. He had often wondered what everyone else was thinking.
Trinity felt herself resonating with his words.
"I like being here. I mean, some people are terrible, but terrible exists everywhere; it's not exactly special. I like that it's simple here; no one hides who they are."
He hadn't thought about it, but she was right. Anyone who was an asshole didn't hide the fact. If someone wanted to use you, they were quite upfront about it. It seemed like wolves were very simple in nature and action; there wasn't much divergence from one to the other. In a way, it made more sense when any of the wolves would call them "sly humans." There was a certain level of trickery that you learned living in the human realm that wasn't existent here. If you wanted your way, all you had to do was be strong, powerful, and intimidating. Being sly and sneaky couldn't help unless you were strong.
"I like the relationship I get to have with my parents. It's nice, to not be alone."
"You don't hate them? For what they did?" she wondered, turning her head slightly to gauge his expression.
"I don't hate them. When I got here, I didn't trust anyone. I never trust anyone. But I'm starting to trust them."
The thought of trust hadn't really crossed Trinity's mind because, without realizing it, she did trust Boris. She knew he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her; she knew she could rely on him. She trusted that he would always look out for her best interest. And even though Alana was a bitch with almost no redeeming qualities, Trinity knew that she wouldn't do anything too horrible, knowing how it would affect Boris, which was something.
A comfortable silence settled between the two of them. Timothy finished applying the cream to all of her bruises, which, with the old injuries, happened to be the entirety of her back. Grabbing either side of her bra straps, he prepared to hook the two pieces together.
Ryan pushed open the bedroom door, at first trying to lessen his noise, but when he heard the conversation happening inside, he knew he didn't need to be so quiet. Stepping into the room, he saw Trinity on the floor with her elbows resting on her knees, her back to him. Her bra was exposed to his eyes, the gold fabric catching the light with ease. The straps were loose, and Timothy sat behind her, his legs on either side of her own. Ryan frowned, his gaze zeroing in on Timothy. He couldn't imagine Trinity letting anyone see her scars.
Timothy felt his hand freeze before his entire body followed suit. He knew that there was something between the two that he did not want to get involved in. "Umm, I didn't touch her—I mean, I did—" Timothy fumbled for the right words as he scrambled to his feet. The air in the room felt thick and full of tension. Without a backward glance, he headed for the door.
Ryan shifted ever so slightly, allowing Timothy to make his great escape. His harsh stare followed Timothy's every stumbling step. The door shut with a resounding click.
"That was mean," Trinity laughed, a hint of amusement in her voice at his overprotective routine.
Ryan wanted to keep his stern look, but it cracked once Timothy was out of sight. "I don't think he's your type."
Trinity turned her head, a playful glint in her eye. "Oh really? And what is my type?"
He grinned, leaning against the doorframe, crossing his arms. "Well, for starters, someone tall, handsome, with kind eyes." He paused, a chuckle bubbling up. "Definitely funny, with nice brown hair and brilliant hazel eyes." Ryan couldn't help but laugh openly now. "And, of course, a huge dick, I mean just massive-."
"Hey!" Trinity interrupted, her own laughter mixing with his, tossing her shirt at his chest playfully. "Are you describing yourself?"
Their shared laughter filled the room, easing the lingering tension. Ryan's eyes, still sparkling with amusement, then shifted, his gaze falling back to Trinity's bare back.
"It will all fade with the cream," Trinity said softly, a wistful note in her voice.
"Good." Ryan's voice was firm. She deserved to be free of the reminder. This would only become harder when she learned that she was mated to her monster.
Kicking his foot, Jess frowned as she saw Timothy resting against the wall of their room, sleeping with his arms wrapped around his waist. "What are you doing?" she asked, watching as he started awake.
"What time is it?" he mumbled, stretching his sore shoulders, avoiding her question.
"I don't know, 2-ish." She shrugged, using her towel to dry her wet hair. "Come on."
They opened the door silently, hoping to get a few hours of sleep. Ryan hadn't been able to sleep. Turning his head at the light from the hall bleeding into the room, he saw the pair enter. She was still wet from her shower. It was all he needed to see to know that she was with Noah.
Turning her head at the intrusion, Trinity sighed, seeing it all unfold. Tomorrow was going to be a shit day.
Author's note
Pardon the wait. When I work out of town, it's a bit too hard to get chapter out. I'm also working on another two books. Don't forget to vote comment and gift powerstones!