CHAPTER 27

• He entered the room. And stopped dead in his tracks. Across the room was Danica balancing on one of the dining chairs as she used a feather duster to tackle non-existent cobwebs. But it wasn’t Danica. Danica was life and fire and sensuality and adorable sarcasm. She was not quiet or expressionless or withdrawn or robotic.
• Most of the pack, even Lindy, were gathered in the room on the sofa facing the T.V., but all eyes were fixed on Danica. And all, even Lindy, appeared concerned. So concerned that they only spared him a brief glance before turning their attention back to her. Slowly he covered the space between them until he was beside the chair she was balanced on. She didn’t look at him. But she wasn’t ignoring him, he quickly realized. She was simply elsewhere in her mind. “Danica?” he said softly. “Danica baby…you okay?” She double-blinked as if snapping out of a daze and then peered down at him. “Everything okay?” he asked again, really not liking the vacant look on her face. Danica nodded. “Fine.” Why, of all the times, did he want to speak to her now – now when the last person she needed to be around was him? The answer instantly came to her: Because someone had sent for him – if they
• hadn’t, he wouldn’t have bothered with her. She went back to her dusting and Gio realized he had just been dismissed. “Come on, baby, come down from there.” No response. “I think we can safely say there isn’t a speck of dust left up there.” Nothing. Not even a sarcastic comment. His wolf was pacing again, not liking that she was obviously hurting. “How about you get down and we’ll go get a cup of coffee.”