Chapter 6

Lennox POV

Morning comes earlier than I would like. The couch in the corner of Lotus's room is too small, and I didn't sleep peacefully. I woke up several times and debated crawling into the bed with her, but I don't want to scare her. I can't explain it, but I feel protective over her.

After lying awake for several hours, the sun is shining into the room, and I dare to glance at the beautiful woman in the bed. Only, the bed is empty. Panic surges through my veins, and I think I might be sick. Jumping up from the couch, I race toward the bed and almost trip over a mass of blankets on the floor.

Lotus's blonde hair is peeking out from under the heavy quilt. I pull it back slowly to reveal her sleeping face. I hold my breath as I take her in. She is stunning. Her skin is like porcelain, and her cheeks are rosy from the warmth of the room. Dark eyelashes flutter as she dreams. There is just one thing I don't understand. Why is she on the floor?

Carefully, I scoop her into my arms. I expect her to jerk awake, but she doesn't. Instead, she curls her fingers into my chest, tightening them around my shirt. Her head is resting soundly on my chest, and my arms ache at the thought of putting her down. I decide in that moment that I am not going to.

I settle on the bed with her in my arms. I pull the covers up around us, and she sighs. My heart does a flip at the sound, because it isn't a soundless sigh. Her small voice is begging to break free.

I am not sure how long I spent staring at her. My fingers trail along her face and through her hair. With each passing moment, I become more and more certain that I would move heaven and earth to keep her safe. The plan was to send her away to the colonies beyond our borders. That is where we have sent all of the women who have come into our care, but I don't think I will have the strength to send her away. Not this one. She belongs by my side.

The lock on her door clicks open, and my brothers come crashing in. Their mouths drop open and their eyes widen when they take in the sight before them. Levi's shocked expression turns into a smug one, but not Louis. He is pissed. He seems to feel like he has some sort of claim to our little Lotus.

"Well, well, well," Levi taunts. "What do we have here?"

I glare wordlessly in his direction, but that doesn't stop him. He flops dramatically on the bed beside us, and Lotus's eyes spring open. When she sees that she is in my arms, she screams. Loud and purposefully. My arms untangle from around her, and she quickly scrambles away from me.

Levi moans loudly. "So she can make noise."

Her hands clamp over her mouth, and tears spring to her eyes. Louis tries to move forward to comfort her, but I beat him to it. I clasp her hands in mine and refuse to let her go.

"I only moved you from the floor," I explain to her.

Once again, Levi snorts. "And held her like a baby while she slept."

Her cheeks burn red with embarrassment, but she doesn't pull away. I wait on bated breath for her to speak, but she only nods in return. I try not to let my disappointment show on my face, but Louis isn't so successful.

"Lotus," he coaxes her gently. "Can you speak?"

Confusion and panic flood her eyes, and the color drains from her cheeks. At first, she nods, but then quickly changes her mind and shakes her head. She keeps her eyes focused on our hands, refusing to meet any of our gaze.

Surprisingly, Levi is the one to comfort her. "No one is asking you to speak, Flower, but when you are ready, we will listen."

She glances at him before pulling away from me. My fingers burn with the loss of her touch, and I am not sure why. We all watch her as she climbs from the bed and disappears into the bathroom. Only then do I release the breath I was holding.

Louis turns on me. I can already see anger is clouding his judgment. It is too early for a fight, but I don't think I will be able to avoid it. "What the fuck was she doing on the floor? I thought we agreed to sleep on the couch."

I twist my neck to the side, and it cracks loudly. "I was on the couch. I woke up and she was on the floor. I don't pretend to understand the thought process of a woman."

"You must have done something to upset her," Louis growls.

"Fuck you, Louis."

Levi is lying on his back, tossing a pillow into the air. He quickly throws it in my direction, stopping me from attacking Louis. "Don't you get it? The bed was probably too soft."

Louis and I turn our attention to him. "What do you mean?" We speak in unison.

Levi rolls his eyes. "Are you telling me you didn't look around the city while we were there? It is a shit hole. I bet she slept on the floor of her old home."

I had noticed the state of the city, but I chose to ignore it. What happens outside of our pack isn't any of my business. Or at least that is what I tell myself to make me feel better, but now I am burdened with the truth. If the Crescent Packs look after themselves, who is looking after the cities?

"It is no wonder they hate us," I groan.

Levi rolls his eyes. "What is there to like? We come in once a year and steal their women, and then leave them to live in squalor. We have had the opportunity to make the changes we swore we would when Dad died, but we have been nothing more than complacent."

I settle back against the bed and sigh. "We need to make some changes."

Louis groans. "When did you become the voice of reason?"

I nod toward the bathroom door. "The day we brought her home."