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Hudson and I sit in the leather armchairs across from him. Carver and Bennett sit on the sofa against the wall, and Thomas leans against the window sill with his arms crossed.
I snap my fingers and point at the floor. Lykos slinks to his belly and lies his head on his paws. General Parks’ eyes widen, and his brows raise in shock. Lykos is jet-black and massive, so he takes some getting used to. He weighs one hundred seventy-five pounds and is three feet tall. His eyes are onyx, and the only way you see him in the dark is if you’re close enough to see the white surrounding the dark orbs. Lykos looks like a hound from Hell and will protect Aurora at all costs. Not only that, but he’s also been trained in helping people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Deciding not to beat around the bush, I jump-start the conversation and give the general a pointed look. “You look like shit.”
He sits back in his chair. “Is that any way to speak to your superior officer?”
“No,” I admit. “But in this case, I have to ask, Sir, what the hell is going on?”
The general hangs his head. “Things have been… rough.”
“How so?” Hudson interjects.
“The night terrors, for one.” The general rubs his face. “Aurora wakes up in the middle of the night screaming. She jumps at her own shadow and has barely eaten anything since I brought her back here from Boston.”
My men and I exchange concerned looks. “Lykos should be able to help with some of that,” I say.
General Parks chuckles. “He looks like he could eat her.”
“In theory,” I joke, and then straighten in my chair. “I’ll teach Aurora all the commands she’ll need to know. The first thing we need to make sure of is that they’re compatible with each other. If they’re not, we’ll figure something else out.”
General Parks claps his hands together. “I promised you a meal.”
Carver’s stomach grumbles, relieving some of the tension. “What’s for dinner?”
“Caesar salad, chicken fettuccine alfredo, and Dutch apple pie with vanilla bean ice cream,” General Parks responds, rising from his chair. “My cook really outdid himself.”
General Parks leads us into the dining room, where the smell of garlic permeates the air. He indicates where we should sit, and I have Lykos lie down between myself and Hudson.
“Where’s Mrs. Parks?” Bennett inquires.
General Parks sighs. “She left Monday for a benefit gala in Washington.” He lowers his voice. “Vera can’t handle Aurora’s distress. It’s killing her. She’s going to stay with her family for a while.”
“Dad, is it ti—” Aurora comes around the corner and freezes in place. In a voice barely above a whisper, she says, “Jaxson.” Those piercing emerald eyes stare briefly into mine.
“Baby girl.” General Parks stands to escort her to the table. “Rivers and his team are back. I thought it would be nice for them to join us for a home-cooked meal. What do you say?”
I guess he didn’t tell her we were coming over… or back from our mission.
Aurora drops her gaze and picks at her sleeve. “Um… sure.”
When I close my eyes at night, the image of her lying naked, tied to that table, haunts me. I’m pretty sure that’s about to be replaced with the vision in front of me. Aurora is beautiful. She’s dwarfed in an oversized sweatshirt in an attempt to hide her body, but no matter how hard she tries, there’s an aura around her. Long, dark chestnut hair frames her heart-shaped face. Her soul-piercing emerald eyes lock with mine, and they give me hope that not all is lost. She’s in there somewhere. Now to drag her ass back out.
Everyone starts scooping up their portions and digging in as soon as Aurora is seated. I try not to be obvious as I watch her out of the corner of my eye. She pushes food around on her plate to make it seem as if she’s eaten something, and she doesn’t attempt to engage in conversation. If anything, she slumps further into her chair.
“When will Aurora’s mom be back?” Carver asks in between bites.
Without looking up from her plate, Aurora mumbles. “Stepmom.”
Carver swallows. “Oh, sorry.”
General Parks clears his throat. “Um… Yes, Vera is Aurora’s stepmom. I remarried when Aurora was eleven. We lost Ana to cancer unexpectedly. Didn’t get the diagnosis until it was too late.” He takes a drink. “I didn’t want Aurora to grow up without a mother, and you know how our life is, always on the go.”
We all nod in agreement.
Bennett and Thomas both reach for the last piece of garlic bread. Bennett’s elbow hits the rim of his glass, sending it sailing over the edge of the table, where it smashes into a million pieces.
Aurora screams and throws herself out of her chair. She huddles against the wall, covering her head.