Big Red and the Little Wolf

Chapter 15

Echo Pov

The old bed frame creaked beneath the thin mattress as I jolted upright. As the banging that woke me up continued against my door, my heart thudded in my chest.

I checked the time to see that it was late morning. Ever since working at the bar, I often slept until the start of the afternoon since we worked well into the night. I thought back to Kodi dropping me off last night and couldn't place anything that happened to be out of the ordinary. Could he be on the other side of the door? Perhaps he found out what I am and waited until I would be asleep to catch me off guard.

I stumbled out of bed as quickly as I could. The belongings that I brought to the inn were scarce, but I still searched around the room for something I could use to defend myself. When I couldn't think of anything but to unplug the lamp from the wall, I rushed to the window.

The banging stopped for a split second as the intruder changed tactics to get through the door. I flipped the locks on the windows, sliding the first window pane up to allow me an escape. Glancing back revealed that the door wouldn't hold up against the onslaught of the intruder much longer. The door bolt jiggled and loosened as the intruder fiddled with the knob, throwing his own body against the door every so often.

Just as I threw my leg over the side of the building, the lock busted and the door gave way to the intruder. I didn't allow myself to pay him any mind as I prepared myself to lunge out of the window. It wasn't until I heard his voice that I froze.

"Echo!"

The owner of that voice was no attacker. If anything, he had been more of a savior to me after taking me in when no one else would. I strengthened my grip on the window frame to push myself back into the room.

"Derek?"

The sight of me did nothing to ease his frantic state. His breathing was labored as he had just forced his way through the door. The disheveled look was complete with his wide eyes and the way his hair branched off in all directions as though he had been combing his fingers through it.

As soon as I crossed the room, Derek pulled me into his arms. He must've been tracking me as a wolf and shifted not long ago as he still smelled of sweat and the woods.

"What are you doing here?" I asked once I took a step back.

"Did you really not think I would come find you after you left without saying goodbye?" His tone held a sliver of anger to it, but his expression only conveyed hurt. "What are you doing here?"

It was my turn to feel panic rush through me. Derek was my best friend, the only one who protected me when everyone else thought I was worthless. He was right. I should have known that he would show up for me sooner or later.

Instead of answering him, I turned to the bed and sat on the corner of it. I didn't spare him a glance as I stalled to think of what I should share with him. I couldn't let him find out that my mate was one of the hunters. Derek didn't deserve to be lied to, but I had to protect Kodi after I was just getting to know him.

"It wasn't safe for me in the pack anymore," I said. This wasn't far from the truth as I remembered how the other pack members grabbed me and dragged me to the woods as a sacrifice for the hunters.

"That's not true." Derek sat down on the thin mattress next to me. He made the bed look small and inconsequential. Actually, his entire presence made the room of the inn feel more like a closet than cozy lodging. "Violet and I have always had your back."

"I'm sorry, Derek. With the danger that's been posed to the pack, that isn't enough anymore. The other pack members have made it clear that they want no part in protecting me from the hunters."

Derek gave me a look of confusion. Violet must not have shared with him the conversation we had right before I left. "What do you mean by that?"

I shook my head. It didn't matter. Those boys wouldn't face any punishment for what they tried to do to me. "You shouldn't be here wasting time with me. The pack needs you."

"You're my priority right now. I've left Josh in charge."

I held myself back from rolling my eyes. Josh was most likely rejoicing in my absence. I wouldn't have been surprised if he told Derek to forget about me.

If I expected Derek to leave me at the inn, there were still some things that had to be left in the dark. I placed my hand on top of his to offer him reassurance.

"Derek, I'm sorry. With the hunters around the pack, it doesn't feel safe for me there right now. In this small town, I'm removed from the danger and can pretend to be just like everybody else."

"So when the hunters are gone, you'll come back?" Derek asked.

The sound of a car beeping as it locked sounded from outside. Before I could answer Derek, my curiosity got the best of me as I stood to look out the window. It took me milliseconds to recognize the old truck and even less time to find Kodi walking through the front door of the inn.

What the hell was he doing here? I turned back to Derek and began pulling him up from the bed. If Kodi came in here, he would know right away that Derek was a wolf from his scent. I was also willing to bet that Derek would recognize Kodi's scent from that day we investigated in the pack woods.

"You have to leave."

Derek became flustered as I pushed him towards the window, but he didn't fight me despite how easily he could have. He stopped as we reached the window.

"Only if you tell me that you'll be back."

Kodi could be up here at any minute. I couldn't let Derek see him.

"Yes. Once the hunters are gone, I'll come back to the pack."

Derek began climbing out of the window. He paused midway to look at me as he said, "I will kill every single hunter and then I will come here to bring you back."

I didn't have time to think about what he said to be able to respond before he leapt out the window. Since my room was only on the second floor, I didn't worry about him hitting the ground. As an alpha, he could heal a sprained ankle within minutes.

As footsteps sounded down the hall, I slammed the window shut. The room was covered in Derek's woodsy scent. The first thing I could think to do was mask it with the lavender perfume that was on my dresser. I sprayed it around the room like a maniac, giving the bed where Derek sat an extra spritz for good measure.

Though the strength of the perfume was enough to make me cough, a part of me believed that he would still be able to detect Derek's scent on me after I had hugged him. The truth was, I didn't know the extent of Kodi's capabilities as a hunter, but I wasn't about to take any chances.

I hurried to the bathroom, turning on the water to the shower just as a knock sounded against the door to my room.

"Echo?" Kodi's voice grew louder as he stepped into the room. "Are you okay? The lock on your door is broken?"

Shit.

"I'm fine!" I shouted to be heard over the sound of the water. "You can wait for me in the room while I finish up my shower!"

"Okay."

Once I stepped into the shower, I rested my forehead against the tiled wall. I cursed at how close my two worlds had come to colliding, knowing that it wouldn't have ended well if they had.