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  How did he know? Cecil stared as Ira walked into the room with a tray. He couldn’t smell the food from that far away. Perhaps Rowan had a good sense of smell. Cecil watched attentively as Ira placed the tray on the nightstand. Ira gave Rowan a brief smile before he left.

  “You can eat as much as you want,” Rowan said. “I’m going to eat in the kitchen. I need more food than that tray to satisfy me.”

  Cecil nibbled on his bottom lip. “Can you…eat here with me? Father must be looking for me.”

  Rowan rested his hand on Cecil’s cheek and caressed it. “No one besides my pack can enter this house. You’re safe here.”

  His heart skipped beat after beat. Cecil froze at the pleasant feeling that Rowan’s hand gave him. Rowan’s hand was gentle and warm, nothing like his father’s. Before he knew it, Rowan was gone.

  Cecil took in his surroundings as his hands shook. He wanted to call Rowan back, but he didn’t want to stop him from eating. He knew what it was like to not eat for long hours. Whenever his father hadn’t let him eat, he drank a lot of water to trick his stomach. It never lasted.

  After his meal, Cecil got under the covers and leaned against the headboard. What if his father couldn’t find him? Had Rowan been right all along?

  The door opened, startling Cecil. Rowan walked in with Ira. “He’s going to take the tray. Did you manage to spend time alone here without being afraid?”

  Cecil looked away. He’d been scared out of his mind. Ira took the tray and left the room. “I’m just lucky for now,” Cecil said in a quiet tone. Rowan approached him and sat on the bed. “I have a question.”

  “What is it?” Rowan came closer, and Cecil moved away slightly. “I already told you I’ll never hurt you.”

  “It’s a habit,” Cecil mumbled. “I want to know about what you said earlier. You told me you were going to find me someplace to stay, but then you said I could stay. I want to make sure…which one you picked.”

  Rowan crossed his strong arms. “It’s for you to stay in my pack. Are you asking because you want to leave?”

  Cecil shook his head quickly. “I want to stay!” He recoiled at his own words. This was a first for him. He had never raised his voice fully or expressed what he wanted long-term. “If you let me, I want to stay in this house for as long as I can. I don’t want to go outside.”

  “You should go out as well,” Rowan said. “The outside world isn’t an easy place to be in, but I assure you it will never be like how you used to live. You have me now.” He moved even closer, the bed creaking with the weight of his strong build.

  It had been a while since Rowan forgot about personal space. He hadn’t rejected it either when they had met. Cecil leaned away. “Why so close?”

  “You were comfortable with getting close to me the moment we met,” Rowan said. “I broke your trust, so I’m doing this so you become used to it again. My pack also operates similar to this, especially when we want to…apologize.”

  Cecil stared at him. This was Rowan’s way of apologizing? His heart pounded. The first time anyone apologized to him. He looked down. It had been years since he cried, but now he felt like crying. As if his chest opened, he could breathe again. If only his father had told him these words…

  Rowan rested his cheek against the top of Cecil’s head. “Let me do this for a moment. I need my pack to know that my scent is on you.”

  Cecil moved away. “All of you have a strong sense of smell. I can’t smell much, then.” It could be because he didn’t interact with the outside world. He flinched when Rowan nuzzled his hair. It seemed more like Rowan wanted to do it more and held back instead. “How long?”

  “Only a couple of minutes,” Rowan said, his warm breath blowing Cecil’s hair. “Your hair smells good.”

  Things became strange. Cecil crawled away from Rowan and got out of bed. “I think this is enough, if you don’t mind,” he said quietly, unable to look at Rowan. “I mean, Mia is still checking my blood. You said that thing about me earlier.”

  Rowan stood and made his way to the bathroom. “Since you’re not comfortable, I can give you space. I was getting ahead of myself.”

  Cecil crawled back into bed. Fortunately, Rowan hadn’t hit him. That was a big rejection. It would get him a knife cut on the back from his father. Cecil jumped into a sitting position at the thought of his father. He stared at all the exits. It was so quiet, just like in his father’s house.

  “R-Rowan,” Cecil finally called in a loud whisper. Rowan didn’t respond. Cecil hesitated to get out of bed and approached the bathroom door. What if his father had been in the house all along? He rested his hand on the door handle and turned it slowly. “Rowan?”

  Rowan opened the door, and Cecil went with it, his hand still on the handle. He bumped into Rowan. “What’s wrong?” Rowan asked in his monotone, deep voice.

  Cecil took a step back. “Uh…nothing. I’m sorry.” Cecil hurried back to bed and glanced at Rowan a few times, making sure of Rowan’s presence.

  “Is it your father again?” Rowan went to the window and opened the curtains. “Cecil, come here.”

  “It’s okay. I don’t need…” Cecil paused when Rowan looked straight into his eyes. “Are you angry?” he asked as he went to the window in slow steps.

  Rowan sighed. “Didn’t you say you trust me? I wouldn’t trust myself either after what I did, and it’s all right if you don’t, but I promised to never hurt you. I’ll never break that promise, all right?” He opened the window and looked outside. “See? There’s no one outside.”

  Cecil peeked out. Tall trees surrounded this side of the house. Below, the grass had an even trim, and a small garden extended along the bottom of the house wall. The tree branches rustled in the cold wind. Various bird chirpings filled the air. Cecil looked up at the morning blue sky. He didn’t mind looking at the scenery, but he wasn’t so sure about going outside.

  “Whenever you think your father is nearby, ask someone close to you to check,” Rowan said. “With time, you will see he’s never coming to hurt you again.”

  Cecil jumped when the doorbell rang. Why this timing? What if it was him? “Aren’t you going to check who it is?”

  “If it’s important, my pack will call me downstairs. Otherwise, my Beta handles it,” Rowan answered. He closed the window and made his way to the closet. “I’m going to work for a few hours. Make sure to get to know the rest of the pack. If you need anything, I’ll be in the same room as before.”

  That didn’t sound good. At all. Cecil gripped the bottom hem of his shirt. “I don’t know any of them. I might say something I shouldn’t.”

  Rowan opened the first drawer of the dresser. “Don’t worry. They’re…” He paused and looked toward the door. “Who is it?”

  “Alpha, it’s Jesse,” she said from the other side of the door. “We have a bit of a problem. The police followed Cecil here through the license plate of your car. I think someone saw you leaving Cecil’s house last night. They’re looking for a murderer.”

  Chapter Four

  Cecil gripped his shirt as he sat next to Rowan. Two people calling themselves detectives took a seat on the couch across from them. Rowan’s family members were nowhere to be seen.

  “I’m Detective Adams and this is Cobb. So, we were thinking that an immediate arrest was required, but we thought twice,” one of the detectives said. She glanced at Rowan a few times. “After seeing what the house looks like on the inside, we decided to conduct an investigation. Before we go any further, we would like to ask a few questions.”

  Rowan nodded. “We are open to any questions you might have.”

  This time, the man who sat next to the other detective spoke. “Mr. Rowan Sands, what are you to Cecil Hayes? I don’t see enough signs that the two of you are related in any sort of way.”

  “I’m his friend at the moment,” Rowan said calmly, and Detective Adams took notes. “I often have business meetings in the neighboring city. In some of those times, I have to
pass by Cecil’s house in my car. I always heard a big commotion coming from the house. Even though I believed it was a family quarrel, I found out that Cecil’s stepfather has been keeping him in the house for years. I’m surprised none of the neighbors helped.”

  Cobb hummed. “So he’s the stepfather. I see… Well, Mr. Hayes was found dead when a witness called the police,” he said. “Yet, you’re speaking as if he’s still alive. Did you know he’s been murdered?”

  Cecil looked away before he spoke quietly. “My father’s last name is Patricks. Hayes was my mother’s last name.” He glanced a few times as Detective Adams nodded and wrote on her notepad.

  “I only brought Cecil here because he wanted to finally run away,” Rowan said. “Even Cecil himself believes that his father is still alive, so I’m finding this quite odd.”

  Adams regarded Cecil. “What did your father do to you? Was he alive when you left?”

  Cecil snapped out of it. This whole thing confused him. “He hurt me every day. I didn’t leave the house for many years. My father blames me because my mother died when I was born.”

  “His stepfather also beat him the most on his birthday for years. Fortunately, I got there before he could do it for yet another year,” Rowan said, getting stares from the detectives in return.

  “How come none of you called the police?”

  Rowan leaned back into the couch. “As I said, I didn’t know how serious things were. His stepfather was smart enough not to allow Cecil to go to school, and somehow, he got lost outside of the system. Cecil doesn’t know anything about the outside world. He thought he was alone and that pain was normal for everyone.”

  “I know my father is coming soon,” Cecil said quietly. “He’s going to punish me for leaving the house.” He shook at the thought of his father and gripped his shirt until his knuckles turned white. Whatever the detectives were here for, he would refuse to leave Rowan’s side.

  Rowan motioned toward Cecil. “As you can see, Cecil is still traumatized with what happened. You can see his bruises and cuts from here. He has gone through a lot.”

  Detective Adams pressed her lips, her eyes narrowed. “The interesting thing is how Mr. Patricks died,” she said. “It was a blunt hit to his face and head. Something like that couldn’t be done by Cecil himself. Someone else had to do it. Do you recall Mr. Patricks ever having enemies?”

  “From what he did to his own stepson, I wouldn’t be surprised,” Rowan said. “Do you have any suspects for this case?”

  “Only you and Cecil for now,” Adams said. “Mr. Sands, I’d say you might have the strength to cave a person’s face in, if you don’t mind my daring words. Did you get the chance to speak with the father? Stepfather, I mean.”

  Rowan shook his head. “I only lift weights at the gym room I have here in my house. Strength is a different matter. As for speaking with Patricks, yes, I did. He refused to let me bring Cecil with me. There was no way I would leave Cecil in those living conditions, and he’s a grown adult who had every right to leave on his own. I’m also a very busy person, so I made the quick decision to let Cecil live here for the time being. There is enough space in my house for a big family.”

  Adams took a few more notes before continuing. “Since Cecil is currently in a mental state of shock, do you have any other eyewitnesses who can confirm this?”

  Cecil looked at each of them. He flinched when he noticed Cobb’s attention solely on him. Cecil quickly recoiled and turned his head down. He didn’t know what was going on. Did they want to take him back to his father?

  “Yes, Stella was with us,” Rowan answered. “She’s my driver. To be honest, she’s the one who asked me to go up to the house and possibly help.”

  Cobb regarded Rowan. “Is there any chance we can speak with her right now?”

  Cecil’s eyes widened when Rowan stood and walked out of the room. He rested his hand on the couch, unable to reach Rowan in time. “Rowan,” he called quietly.

  “Cecil, how old are you?” Adams asked.

  “Twenty-three,” Cecil answered. Where had Rowan gone to?

  Cobb spoke this time. “Did you ever want to hurt your father for what he did to you?”

  Cecil stared at him. “Never,” he blurted out. “Father would kill me. He told me that many times.”

  Adams nodded. “What about Rowan? What do you think of him and how long have you known him?”

  “He…” Cecil paused. Now that he realized it, what did he think of Rowan? What did Rowan mean to him? “We met yesterday,” he said. “I tried to run away because my father wanted to hit me with his bat. It was my birthday yesterday, and his bat is his favorite choice. I opened the door and Rowan stood there, so I asked for help and he helped me.”

  Adams leaned forward. “What did Rowan do, Cecil?”

  Cecil tried to recall it. “Father hit Rowan first with his favorite bat. I think it was old because it broke. Then Rowan pushed my father away,” he said. “Rowan asked if I wanted to leave with him, so I did.”

  “There were clear signs in the crime scene that your father was pushed, and we’re still looking for the bat’s handle,” Adams said, checking her notes. “Do you remember anything else?”

  Cecil turned his head down. “No. We left my father,” he answered. “He must be angry right now and looking for me. Father always told me I’d live with him forever.”

  Rowan walked into the living area with Stella. “This is Stella, my driver,” he said as both sat on the couch.

  “Hello.” Stella smiled and shook hands with both detectives. “Rowan has filled me in on what’s going on. I saw everything from the car. Rowan left the front door open.”

  “What do you remember seeing?” Cobb asked.

  Stella cleared her throat. “It was disturbing, if you ask me,” she said. “When Cecil opened the door, I heard him ask Rowan for help. It was quite heartbreaking. Then his father choked him with his shirt collar. He dragged his son inside and planned to beat him with a wooden bat. Rowan stopped everything. Believe me, that man was definitely out of his mind. We left with Cecil as quickly as possible.”

  “Did you ever plan to call the police?” Adams asked.

  “Cecil came first for us,” Stella said. “He was very frightened and in shock. We have a doctor with us who took care of him last night. It would only be a matter of time before we reported that man to the police. We just didn’t think detectives would come here for his murder first.”

  Cecil was more relaxed now that Rowan sat next to him. He glanced at Rowan, whose focus was on the conversation. He looked down at Rowan’s hand. It rested on his thigh, a tad open. He wanted to hold Rowan’s hand.

  “Cecil,” Adams called louder, startling him. “Sorry if I scared you. I asked if you want to go back home and see—”

  “No,” Cecil shouted, his heart pounding. His mind blanked completely as soon as he heard those words. He curled up on the couch and put his hands on his head. “You can hit me as much as you want, but I don’t want to go back. Please! Don’t want…” He felt Rowan’s gentle hand on his back. When he looked up, Rowan wore an expression of concern.

  Rowan pulled him closer and put his arm around Cecil. “If you don’t mind, Detectives, it would be better to give him some time.”

  Cecil couldn’t take his eyes off Rowan. It was the first time Rowan had done this to him. What went through his mind? Was it because of his importance to Rowan?

  Adams stood. “We can return later. Make sure to stay within reach while we conduct this investigation,” she said. “If you remember anything at all, give us a call.” She handed Rowan a card.

  “I can accompany you to the door,” Stella said, leading the detectives out.

  Cecil breathed slower and finally managed to calm his nerves. “I thought they were going to take me back,” he said almost in a whisper. “I don’t want to go back.”

  “I’ll never allow that,” Rowan said. He slid his hand up and down Cecil’s back. “Now, I’m going
to take care of a few matters. It might take a while, so take the time to talk with the rest of the pack who’re still around. I have to make sure no one is affected by what I did.”

  Cecil gazed at Rowan. “You’re too nice to me.” Rowan’s expressions never showed it, but Cecil knew this man was the nicest in his world. “How long do you have to be away?”

  “I don’t know for sure. I’ll return to you as soon as I can,” Rowan said, and stood. “If you need anything, ask Stella. She can handle anything you might ask of her.”

  There was nothing he could do. Cecil watched in dismay as Rowan left. What now? He was in this large house without being next to Rowan.

  Instead of interacting with Rowan’s family as he’d been told, Cecil stayed on the couch. Minutes passed. A few of Rowan’s family members walked by the living room. A few were alone, and others were in small groups, chatting.

  Cecil finally gathered the courage to stand. He walked over to the hallway and glanced from one end to the other. He quickly leaned back when a tall woman walked past him. She disregarded him completely. Cecil stepped forward and took in his surroundings. The white walls had various paintings, the floor had a soft, dark red carpet, and there were small cabinets with flower vases on them. This house was much more than his father’s, in every way. The way sunlight came through the windows put him at ease.

  If Rowan’s family ignored him, did that mean he could walk around the house without having to interact with all of them? Cecil made his way to one end of the hallway. He arrived at a spacious kitchen. It smelled good. He spotted someone in front of the stove, their back turned to him.

  The man turned his head to smell the air before looking over his shoulder. “Are you hungry? Lunch is almost ready.”

  Cecil glanced at the steaming pan. “Are you cooking…for me, too?”

  “I’m cooking lunch for everyone in this house. It’s my turn today,” he said. “You can call me Gun. It’s a nickname everyone here uses for me. Don’t bother asking me why.” Gun motioned toward the table.