35

Cathy left the room and headed downstairs. It was a breath of fresh air to see that her brothers hadn’t stood guard in front of her room like they did the other time. Maybe they were finally learning.

Or maybe Ted’s presence made a difference.

Nah. Chase and Carl were too stubborn to care whether or not Ted was there to protect her. They still thought they were in a better position to keep her safe. She rolled her eyes.

The man who could keep her safe was struggling with his desires for her yet her brothers who didn’t know how this rare opportunity of a lifetime that presented itself before her meant to her thought they could do a better job protecting her.

She didn’t want to be protected. She wanted to be loved and wanted.

Was it so bad that she wanted Ted to be that man for her?

She was still thinking about this when she walked into the kitchen and met Maggie by the counter. There was a blood bag in her hand which she held up as soon as Cathy walked into the kitchen.

Cathy raised a