His eyes were brown. Chocolate, clouded swirls that bored right into her. His focus was immediate, and so was hers.
The man stepped towards Naomi and it took everything in her power not to shrivel up in fear.
Killian observed her skittish behavior, and noticed all eyes were on her.
"I need everyone to leave us," he said with no room for argument.
The room emptied.
Mickie was the last to leave. "I'll just be by the door, Alpha," he whispered.
Even with the room empty, he could see the fear on her features. Even sitting down he could tell she was small.
He took a seat on the ottoman next to her chair. Not too close, but not too far.
"I'm Killian," he offered hesitantly. She wasn't what he imaged he would pick as a mate, yet everything about her called out to him.
"Naomi," she offered. Her voice was angelic, soft and husky. Hearing the sound made it seem like he was living for the first time.
"How old are you, Naomi?"
She glanced down, her hands brushing nervously against her pants.
"Nineteen, almost twenty."
He was surprised by this. She looked to be the youngest of the group he had just saw. She was frail, just skin and bones it seemed. She had deep bags under her eyes. He wondered how the girls were treated here. He wouldn't put anything past the director.
"I'm 25. I'm from the Moon Valley pack. Do you know where that is?" He was doing everything to keep is voice level and gentle. It seemed to help as her tense shoulders slowly eased down and her gorgeous eyes finally looked up.
She shook her head no.
"It's quite a drive from here. It's getting late, so I can't stay here long. If you don't want to leave with me tonight, I understand, but I will be coming back tomorrow."
Naomi soaked in the man beside her. Everything about him seemed dark. He wore dark clothes, had dark hair. He had a sleeve of tattoos run up his left arm, yet when he spoke to her, he seemed gentle. His presence made her feel warm and at ease. That made her nervous, but not afraid, not like she normally was.
"You want me as your mate?" she asked confused.
He shifted a bit, like saying the words out loud made him uncomfortable. "I've been searching for awhile. When I saw you, you called out to me. I've never felt anything like it before."
"I felt it too," Naomi admitted.
"Really?" He was surprised by that. He figured it was his wolf or something.
Naomi didn't have any ties to this place. She would miss Darla and some of the young ones, but she wouldn't miss the teasing, the work, the exhaustion. She was terrified to leave with a strange man, a wolf at that, but she somehow knew that she would be okay.
"I'd like to go with you tonight," she whispered.
Killian couldn't prevent his grin. He felt excited for his new adventure, for getting to know the adorable girl next to him.
"Okay. How about we gather your stuff then?"
---
Killian was like a giant walking up the stairs to her shared bedroom. The ceilings were so low that he had to hunch his shoulders.
He was displeased at what little Naomi seemed to own. He sat on the bed, watching as she packed. There was very little clothing, a bear, and a small box that she stuffed at the bottom of her bag.
"I can't believe the Alpha chose the shrimp," one girl whispered on the bed. She said it low in the other girl's ear, using her hand to block her mouth, but Killian could hear way better being a wolf.
He observed his mate who seemed unfazed, and yet again he wondered what she had been through here.
"Do you think I can't hear what you are saying?" he asked the girls, crossing his arms over his chest. "You should know better than to disrespect a future luna. You wouldn't want to know what we do as punishment for those who dare to do so in a pack."
The room went silent, and he stood, taking Naomi's bag.
"I'd like to say goodbye to someone first," she said softly, stopping him from walking out the door.
He nodded, following her into a kitchen where a plump old lady was working at the stove.
"Naomi," the lady cried. "I was worried that you would leave without saying goodbye."
This was the first time Killian had felt welcomed in the whole house. The lady felt like a grandma and he could feel his own barriers lowering in her presence.
"You must be the Alpha. I'm Darla," she smiled, holding out her hand.
"Killian," he said.
"I'm so happy that Naomi can leave. She works too hard for her age. She deserves this more than anybody."
Work? Killian eyed the blushing girl.
"I'll miss you," she whispered.
"I'll miss you lots, honey. It won't be the same here without you."
Killian watched as Darla hesitantly reached out. Naomi stiffened as she patted her cheek.
A tear fell on her cheek, and Killian's heart wrenched.
"You are more than welcome to come visit anytime," he offered.
"Such a sweetheart," she cooed, staring into his eyes without fear, something even wolves had trouble doing. "You've also had so much pain. You will be a good match. Lots of healing to do."
Darla moved, rifling through the cabinets. "I've got snacks for the road. I know you have a long drive back."
She filled containers full of cookies and pretzels and popcorn.
"Make sure she eats, will ya? Safe driving."
Naomi gave her one last lingering look, feeling a heartbreak she hadn't felt in a long time. Darla was the only person to care about her.
Killian placed a hand on her shoulder as they walked to the door, a motion that was supposed to be comforting, but Naomi jumped back so violently she fell onto her butt.
"Shit, I am sorry. Are you okay? I didn't mean to scare you." He held out his hand, but she ignored it.
"I'm okay," she said.
Killian watched as her body seemed to flood with fear again, like she was reliving a certain moment. He had a lot of questions.
Kate held open the door.
"Goodbye, Naomi," she said. "Thank you for coming Alpha." The door closed.