Hideout

F O U R

I fumbled for the door handle, tipping out of the car backwards to try and escape. Leo fisted my shirt and hoisted me back in easily, laughing loudly. "Calm down, calm down," he murmured. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Take me home. Please. Just take me back," I gushed, not looking at him. "Can I have my glasses please?"

"Your birthmarks don't matter to me. They aren't that big of a deal," he said. "You've got the most kissable lips I've ever seen. Wow. I honestly cannot stop looking at them."

My face was bright red at his last comment. "What you think about them doesn't matter, but how I feel about them," I told him, in reference to my marks. "You aren't the one that has to live with them." 

Leo shrugged, his dark eyes examining my face. "I'll give them to you later." He pulled out of the parking lot, and I sighed in relief. Him driving meant he couldn't get psycho rape-kiss on me again. It was a long, awkward drive. With Leo attempting to start up conversations, most of which were subjects I was not comfortable with.

He pulled up to my apartment complex and killed the engine, getting out the same time as me. I eyed him suspiciously. "What are you doing?"

"I always walk my dates to their door, of course," Leo explained, holding out my gloves and my glasses to me.

I happily slipped both of them back on, feeling as if a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. I felt about ten times safer with the barriers covering my scars. Leo watched as I covered myself with them with a blank face.

"What did your pack do to you?" he asked. "Obviously they didn't treat you right for those silly birthmarks."

I started up the stairs that led to my temporary home, Leo following behind me. I really didn't want to talk to him about this right now, but more than that, I wanted him to leave me alone. "Adelaide. What did they do to you?"

"Nothing. That's the problem. They wouldn't let me do anything, okay? They gave me my own room at the top of the house - in the attic. I didn't get to train or go on runs. My alpha bought me the glasses and the gloves to wear whenever I left the room. No one teased me - not since I was a kid. I was left completely alone, wasn't allowed to meet other packs or to the ceremonies the other kids did. I was treated as if I wasn't supposed to exist, as if they could lock me away and pretend I never did. Not even my parents stopped them," I said harshly, glaring at him through the dark lenses of my glasses.

Leo's light brown eyes softened. "That's why you're afraid of joining my pack? I'd never do that to you."

I shrugged. "I don't want to have to worry about it. I'm okay being alone."

"Have you ever not been alone though? How would you know any different?" he murmured, touching my cheek. 

I pushed his hand away, moving to unlock my door. "Please, just leave me alone. You've done enough tonight."

Leo caught my arm when I turned to go in, his eyes guarded. "You know, I understand your situation a lot more than you think. You'd have a safe place under my roof - you wouldn't have to go through that ever again." I swallowed the lump in my throat, looking away. "We'd take care of you. I won't allow anyone to mistreat you."

"That's what they promised me too."

He frowned at me, touching the birthmark on the side of my face, and I grimaced. No one touched me, not usually. Especially there. His fingers pushed my hair out of my face slowly, looking at the different colored skin curiously.

"I keep my promises," he said intensely. "Especially promises I make to beautiful girls."

I rolled my eyes, trying to hide the discomfort the compliment gave me, the bad things it reminded me of. "Don't. Don't say that."

"What? Don't call you beautiful?" Leo tested in amusement. "I have never heard a girl ask not to be called beautiful."

"I don't want to be told lies," I hissed under my breath. "I've had enough of those in my life."

Leo was silent for a while, following me into my apartment. "What have they done to you, princess?" The way he was walking toward me was almost predator-like. And I was the perfect prey: scared, cornered, and lacking confidence. I shrank against the nearest wall, Leo moving to stand over me, his hair falling into his eyes as one of his hands disposed of my glasses and threw them onto my bed across the room, his other coming up so his thumb could brush over my bottom lip slowly.

"You should go," I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut as the glove on my left hand was pulled off, Leo pulling my hand to his mouth and kissing the ugly, unnatural skin.

"Let me stay the night," he replied softly and I could feel his hot gaze on me. "I can show you just how beautiful you are."

I took a deep breath. He was making me crazy nervous and more confused than I have ever been before. "I can't. You should go," I repeated.

"Have a good night, gorgeous. I'll see you around," he claimed, his hand holding my face so his lips could graze against mine.