He took a small towel and placed it on one of the chairs. “Take a seat.”
She sat on the chair. Her cheeks heated, and she wondered if he saw the embarrassment. If he did, he didn’t say anything. Resting her palms on her knees she looked toward him. He was gathering stuff out of the fridge. The coffee pot was already working, filling the room with the delicious aroma.
“How do you know we’re mates?” she asked, blurting the words out. Pressing a hand to her mouth, she apologized.
Daniel smiled at her. “Your scent, and my wolf is driving me crazy telling me to claim you. He knows what he wants today, tomorrow, the future. He’s got it all mapped out.” He chuckled.
She watched him slice into a peach and start to segment the fruit. He was making toast as well. The fresh smells made her stomach grumble. At home, she got her own breakfast, which usually consisted of cereal. Her mother wouldn’t be caught dead in a kitchen. She wondered if her father knew all of their meals were prepared by a lower pack female? Dawn doubted it. Her mother wouldn’t let anyone get the chance to spill the truth. She probably threatened a beating.
Minutes passed as he finished breakfast. “Doesn’t your wolf recognize me?” he asked, taking a seat at the head of the table. She was beside him but away from the table. If she was to lean her arms on the table she’d look out of place.
“Yes and no. It’s complicated.” She tucked some hair behind her ear. The chair he sat on scraped back as he stood to his feet. The sudden movement had her tensing. He grabbed some kind of band and stood behind her. Daniel worked her hair into a ponytail. “I love your hair, but I don’t want it to get in my way. I love watching your face.” He took a seat again, confusing her.
He offered her a slice of peach. Staring at the fruit then at him, she frowned.
“You’ll feed from my hands,” he said.
Leaning forward she sucked the fruit from his fingers trying not to touch his skin. Daniel laughed. “I wash my hands. You’re not going to get any diseases.” For several minutes he fed her different slices of fruit, sipping his coffee and reading the paper. The only attention he paid her was with the fruit he offered up.
Was she invisible?
Gripping the edge of her seat, she took more fruit. When the bowl was empty he buttered some toast and tore the bread apart. Again, she had to take the food from his fingers. Slowly, the anger started to ebb away to be replaced with comfort. She liked taking food from his offered hands. He was feeding her, caring for her.
When the food was all gone, Daniel taking plenty of food for himself, he poured them both a coffee. He folded up the newspaper throwing it away from him.
“Here is your coffee. This is too hot, and I don’t want to risk burning you.” He handed her the cup. She took it and swallowed some down.
He kept watching her.
Should she say something?
“Thank you, Sir.”
“Dawn?”
“Yes, Sir?”
“Did you feel how hot the coffee was?” he asked.
His face was a blank mask. She didn’t know why he was asking such questions. Staring into the coffee cup, she frowned. Steam was rising from the cup. She’d always been able to drink hot liquid. Being a wolf she was able to heal a lot faster than humans.
“Erm, no. It tasted fine, why? Is there something wrong, Sir?” she asked.
“No, nothing is wrong.” He gave her a quick smile before getting to his feet. With his back to her she stuck her finger into the hot liquid. There was no pain. The wolf inside her was growling at her. When she withdrew her finger she saw the scald, and yet she’d not felt anything.
You’ve not felt anything in a long time. This is what you’ve been hunting for, the ability to feel pain.
Her wolf was pacing, clearly distressed. She placed her hand on her lap watching her skin begin to heal.
“Have you ever been in a fight?” Daniel asked, washing the dishes.
“Not really. I’ve seen fights but never been in one.”
He wiped his hands on the towel and turned to face her. “Why did you dip your finger into the cup?” he asked.
She gasped. “How did you know?” she asked.
“The scent of burning flesh, Dawn. You tested the liquid with your finger. It’s not completely burnt, yet you had a scald that has now disappeared. Tell me why you didn’t call or scream.”
“I’m a wolf. My pain is different from others’.”
“Wolves scream at burns, broken bones, even the pain from the way I bit you last night.”
She swallowed around the lump in her throat.
“I don’t know why,” she said, rubbing her hands down her thighs. “I really don’t know why, Sir.”
Staring down at her finger, she was curious as to why she didn’t call out. Her lack of attention had brought her secret to his attention.
It’s because you crave pain that you can’t feel. You’re sick, twisted, and need to feel pain.
Tears filled Dawn’s eyes as she looked up at Daniel. “Do I repulse you?”
Chapter Six
Going to his knees before her, Daniel stared into her eyes seeing the fear shining within her depths. How long had she been hiding this inability to feel pain? Congenital Analgesia was very rare in wolves, but Daniel had heard of certain cases where wolves were tormented or physically abused during their transition. Around a wolf’s eighteenth birthday they went through the transition that rewired their brain to connect to their wolves. The problem with this condition was in wolves it was harder to treat. He stared down at her finger seeing it had already healed.
Wolves hid it away, and he understood why as he’d also heard of packs using wolves with Congenital Analgesia to fight to the death. They didn’t need to stop even with broken bones as they didn’t feel it. Cupping Dawn’s head, he tilted her head back and slammed his lips down on hers. There was so much going on in that head of hers that he didn’t have the first clue where to start. For the last year she’d been hiding this from him. Had she been hunting pain in the hope of finding it? He should have seen it. Whenever he spanked her, she’d made all the right noises, but it was lies.
Sliding his tongue along her lips, he plundered her mouth tasting her.
His wolf pounced wanting out, to mark his woman and to prove to her they didn’t hate her. They were in love with her.
Down.
No, we have to claim her. She’s hurting. We need to prove to her it doesn’t matter. She needs us.