Catching Kate (Book 2.5 She-Wolf Series)

Kate

The thought of going head to head against Thomas in a legal context actually brought me an ironic sense of excitement. I was an attorney. This was my battleground.

Despite my not reporting him to the police, I kept a personal record of his abuse over the last year. For whatever reason, when Sam revealed the werewolf world to me, it was the wake up call I needed to prepare my exit.

I definitely experienced setbacks in my resolve and faltered many times coming up with my escape, but it all came together when Sam told me about her and Ivar. She needed a guardian for Luke. I needed somewhere to land. It all fit.

Kind of like it was fate, I thought while I watched my supposed mate set a pot of water to boil on the stove for spaghetti.

All of my hospital records and a diary of Thomas’s actions were on my laptop at the Alpha’s Residence. Handing them over to a stranger gave me the same sense of shame I felt this morning recounting everything with the Pack Enforcers.

I hated that anyone would view me as a victim. I hated that I was a victim of domestic violence. It left a bad taste in my mouth.

The only plus side was that I would get to stare down Thomas while I made him answer for what he put me through. I might be embarrassed that I let him get away with it for so long, but the god-fearing, high-powered, family man would absolutely loathe the fact that I was willing to tarnish his precious reputation.

I painstakingly hid who he was for so long, I assumed he thought I would continue to roll over and let him take advantage of me. His ego would never allow him to let me walk away without making me pay for it.

“Dinner’s ready,” Emerick called, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Smells great,” I told him as I made my way to the kitchen.

“It’s just pasta and sauce from a jar,” he frowned.

I shrugged. “I’m not much of a cook. With as much as I was working, I mostly lived off of greasy takeout. I’m easily impressed.”

“Hmm,” Emerick murmured. “I’ll plan something better next time.”

“This is great,” I assured him with a hand on his arm. “Honestly.”

We sat at his small dining table and the atmosphere between us was perfectly cozy.

Like home.

I pushed the thought away, but my heart ached with longing.

“I should probably go back to the AR tonight,” I said after a moment. “I need to face my parents eventually.”

He tried to hide it, but I saw disappointment paint his features.

“That’s true,” he agreed.

“My dad’s going to lose his shit,” I muttered.

Emerick shook his head and reached for my hand. “Luke has kept him updated. Elias is fine. More than anything, your parents are just worried about you.”

I nodded, but didn’t respond. If I could’ve kept my relationship with Thomas a secret from them forever, I would have. They raised me better than to have an affair with a married man. Let alone an abusive one.

We finished dinner and set the dishes aside before I asked Emerick to drive me back to the Alpha’s Residence. It was difficult to think of it as my home, but I couldn’t bring myself to call it Luke’s house either.

As the massive mansion came into view, I felt my anxiety building. Emerick reached over to give my knee a gentle squeeze.

“They love you, Kate,” he assured me. “Nobody blames you and nobody is judging you.”

I didn’t say anything, but opened my own door when he pulled to a stop. I got out and marched through the gravel with my head held high.

Look more confident than you feel.

My mom burst through the front door before I hit the porch steps. She ran and wrapped me in a fierce hug.

“Katie bug, I was so worried about you,” she cried.

“I’m okay, Mom,” I told her and gently patted her back.

She shook her head as she pulled back to look up at my face. Both her and my sister were petite while my dad and I towered over them. I saw pain in her eyes, but she tried to hide it with a sad smile.

“Well let’s get you inside,” she said after a moment. “Are you coming Emerick?”

Emerick sat, leaning against his car. He looked at me for an answer, but I was torn in two. Part of me felt that I needed to face my family on my own. The other wanted him to protect me from my own thoughts and emotions.

“I’ll give you two a minute,” my mom said as she looked between us. She quietly made her way back inside and shut the door.

Emerick walked to me and rested his hands on my arms gently.

“If you need time with your family, it’s okay,” he told me. “I can catch up with you in the morning.”

I bit my lip, still unsure of what I wanted. My independent nature told me to send him away for the night, but my heart hurt at the thought of being apart. Unfortunately, I couldn’t trust the old ticker these days.

Plus I knew bringing him was risking committing to something more serious than the fling we were currently carrying on. For now I could tell myself he was an escape from reality, not a serious relationship. Whether it was the truth wasn’t important.

“I owe them an explanation,” I said, finally. “And I think I need to do it on my own.”

He nodded and kissed my forehead.

“I’m here,” he said, gently. “Whatever you need, hun. I’m just a phone call away.”

My eyes welled up, but it was a difficult emotion to explain. Thomas had strict rules for me around contacting him. Once, I was really sick and I called at an unauthorized time. After stepping away from his family, he berated me, called me names, and threatened my job. It was his usual tactic to keep me in line.

The next day he showed up at my front door with flowers and an apology. I thought he found time to get away since he knew I needed help and took it as a gesture of his love. Turned out his wife and kids had gone to visit her parents and he didn’t want to go so he told her we had a big case. He ended up annoyed that all I wanted to do was lay around on the couch, insisting sex would somehow cure my illness.

Such a jackass.

“You okay, hun?” Emerick interrupted my reverie.

“Oh, yeah,” I said, shaking my head. “Just remembered something.”

Emerick nodded skeptically. “Okay. I’ll see you in the morning?”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “I’m supposed to be at your house so Thomas’s people can find me, right?”

He tensed at my mentioning Thomas but kept his expression neutral and nodded.

“I’ll pick you up,” he said. “Goodnight, baby girl. I love you.”

He brushed his lips against mine and I gave in to his kiss. His hands landed gently on my hips just between the hem of my shirt and my waistband. The casually intimate contact sent shivers down my spine.

Too soon, he pulled away. I sighed and he looked at me longingly before resting his forehead against mine.

“If I don’t go now, I think I’ll end up dragging you with me,” he whispered.

I snorted. “I’d like to see you try, wolf-man.”

Finally, he grinned. “I’ll see you in the morning. Call if you need anything.”

“I will,” I promised.

With that, he turned and walked away. I watched his car ease down the driveway before squaring my shoulders and walking across the porch.