Read Every Dawn Forever for Free Online

comforting her, she wasn’t ready for anyone to touch her.  He could see that clearly.
    Crux joined them.  “When the storm passes, we’ll be on our way.  We will keep you safe, Sydney.”
    The rain began to pound harder against the roof, the wind howling outside as the storm raged.  Sydney hugged herself tighter and he wondered if it was a coping mechanism.  Maybe she’d never been hugged.
    “Can I,” she cleared her throat, “can I use the bathroom?”
    Did she feel like she needed to ask permission?  What kind of life had she been forced to endure?
    “You don’t have to ask, sweetheart, of course.  Whatever you want to do is fine with us,” Orion promised.
    She turned away from the window and hurried to the bathroom, shutting the door quickly.
    With a sigh, Orion leaned against the rough wood wall and ran his hand through his hair.  He had a feeling it was going to be a long night.
     
    * * * * *
     
    Sterling scoured the small cabin, looking for something for Sydney to eat.  She looked as if she hadn’t eaten well in months, maybe years.  She was short, but she was thin, with dark circles under her eyes and a pale complexion that made him wonder if she spent much time in the sun at all.  Rage boiled inside him.  She’d clearly been abused.  The dress she wore revealed old and new bruises on her arms and legs.  He’d been raised to never lay a hand on a woman in anger.  He didn’t understand males that abused their women.  Having a mate was a sacred honor, and she was to be cherished and protected at all costs, not brutalized and ground under heel.
    Crux asked, “Is there no food at all?”
    Sterling shook his head.  There wasn’t a crumb to be found.  There had been vending machines at the bus station.  If he hadn’t been so overwhelmed at finding their mate, he would have been thinking more clearly and purchased some snacks.
    Orion and Crux joined him in the kitchen. Orion lowered his voice.  “So we’re all in agreement that she’s our mate?”
    Crux answered yes and Sterling nodded.  Orion let out a short breath.  “She’s just coming out of something bad.  The bruises alone tell a lot of her story, but she’s skittish as hell and half-starved.”
    Crux said, “She needs to feel safe around us.  That could take a while.”
    “She’s a wolf, so I’m sure that she’s feeling connected to us.  She needs time, so we’ll give it to her.  We want her to come to us because she wants us and cares for us.  Let’s give her the space she needs to find peace, and the rest will come in time.”
    Sterling nodded silently, agreeing with everything his brothers had said.  It would be hard, but they would keep their hands to themselves because her happiness was the single most important thing in their lives now.
    A small, muffled sound of pain came from behind the bathroom door and all three of them tensed.  He stepped forward, planning to find out what was wrong, when Orion caught his arm.  “Hold up, man.  We can’t go barging in there.”
    Sterling bared his teeth.  “She’s hurting.”
    The sound came again, and then a wave of her delicious scent washed over them.  Sterling closed his eyes and inhaled.  She smelled like she was aroused.
    “Holy shit,” Crux said, shaking his head.
    Orion swallowed hard and clenched his hands at his sides.  He took in a few deep breaths.  “I’m going to ask her if she’s okay.  If she says yes, then we’ll leave it at that.  If something is going on, then we’ll help her in any way that she’ll allow.”
    Orion walked to the bathroom, his steps heavier than necessary so that he didn’t scare her when he knocked.
    “Sweetheart, are you okay?  It sounded as if you were in pain.”
    There was a long pause and then her voice came out, breathy and high.  “I-I’m fine, Orion.  I’ll just be a few minutes.”
    “Take your time, sweetheart.  You can rest on the bed and we’ll leave when the storm