The first thing we did was drop Evan off with his brother.
He had been missing for weeks, and while I didn’t know what his animal was, I knew he’d be safe in the custody of his three hundred pounds of muscle big brother, who had tackled him in a bear hug.
I waited in the car with Skye, who hadn’t spoken a word since we left Delgado’s mansion. She stared listlessly out the window to my left, so I scooted next to her and let her know everything was all right.
As soon as we approached the Weston house, Reno got out ahead of us to speak with Austin.
“If anyone can smooth things over, it’s Reno,” Wheeler said.
“Is he in trouble?”
Wheeler shut off the engine and rolled up his window. “He’s a PI; it’s his job to be in trouble. But this involved me, so yeah, he’s probably going to hear it from Austin for not having kept him in the loop.”
“This wasn’t just a personal vendetta,” I reminded him. “If Austin wants a good reason why you two snuck out of the house on a mission, then make sure you put that little baby in his arms and let him hold her for a few minutes until he figures it out.” I angrily pushed the front seat forward.
Wheeler got out of the car and helped Skye to her feet, hooking his arm around her waist and letting her lean against him for support. She looked so frail it worried me. Had Delgado fed her, or was his plan to starve them into submission?
We approached the front porch at a slow gait, allowing Reno enough time to fill Austin in on what we’d been up to. I knew in just a matter of moments my presence would no longer be welcome here.
Izzy appeared at the front door in her long Pink Floyd T-shirt, holding Lola in her arms. Lola was asleep on her shoulder, and when Izzy caught sight of Wheeler and Skye, she gave her a gentle shake.
Lola opened her eyes and rubbed them. Izzy whispered something in her ear and pointed at Skye. The moment that baby caught sight of her mother, she kicked her legs wildly to get down.
“
Mommy! Mommy!
”
Skye broke from Wheeler’s grasp and rushed up the porch steps with newfound energy. When she reached the top, she fell on her knees and wrapped her arms around that baby so tight I thought she’d never let go.
Lola sobbed, still crying out her name.
“Shhh, baby.
Mommy’s got you
.” She kissed her several times on the cheek, and I stood in awe of mother and child reunited.
It could have gone another way. That baby might have never known the fate of her mother, who would have eventually lost her life in a cage fight. I wiped a tear from my cheek, the rest of the pack also misty-eyed. Izzy laced her fingers together in a prayerlike gesture, resting them beneath her chin. Jericho rubbed her shoulders from behind, coaxing her back inside.
Just as soon as they were out of sight, Reno stepped out with a small bag and tossed it down to Wheeler. “Put this in the blue truck.”
“For what?” Wheeler cocked his head and tested the weight of the bag.
Reno squatted in front of Skye and softened his voice. “There’s a pack up in Colorado—a good pack. They take in Shifters who need protection. I go way back with the Packmaster; he’s a good man I’d trust with my life. I’ve sent several men, women, and children to his homestead. It’s well protected.”
“Colorado?” she asked with uncertainty.
“It’s temporary. You’ll stay with him for as long as you need, and then he’ll start helping you relocate. If you want, there are packs out there who take in other animals. He’ll set you up with a new identity and job in any city you want. The property is secluded and no one knows it exists. It’s a safe haven. You up for it?”
“Is this necessary?”
“Delgado is still out there, and I’m guessing you don’t have any family to take you in. I’m not going to sugarcoat it and tell you everything is fine. When Delgado finds out what we’ve done, he’ll be on the hunt. You’re better off starting over. If you stay here, I can’t guarantee your safety. He won’t think twice about coming after your daughter to teach you a lesson; that’s how men like them think.”
She picked up Lola and rose to her feet. “
No one
is going to touch my baby.”
Lola had her arms wrapped around Skye’s neck and was playing with her long hair from behind. It made me smile to see her flipping it about, making ripples in the straight waves of silk. Her cheeks were still wet, but her eyes were filled with joy.
“We leave tonight, and it has to be with the clothes on your back. We can’t risk going to your home to pick up anything. If there’s something sentimental you really want, I can search the place at a later time and hold on to it for you. I packed a few things for your little girl. Izzy added a few extra toys and a pink blanket. That okay?”
Skye nodded, tears shining in her eyes as she stepped into him for a hug she couldn’t even give because her arms were full.
Reno patted her on the back. “Let’s go.”
Skye descended the steps and then put Lola down. “I can’t thank you enough. I’ll never know how you did this—how you found me.”
I reached out and held her tight. “This is a chance for the new life you’ve always wanted. You go out and grab the world by the balls.”
Skye laughed. “Still the same old Naya.”
“Maybe someday you can call me up, if they allow it. Take care of that baby.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Lola is my world.”
I kissed her cheek. “Make sure Reno stops off somewhere and gets you some food. You need some meat on those bones.”
She snorted. “You’ve been telling me that since the day we met.”
“Don’t worry,” Reno interrupted. “I got food covered. Time to go.”
I knelt down quickly and stroked the brown curls on Lola’s head. “Hey there, pretty girl. You make sure you take good care of your mama, okay?”
She giggled. “You got big boobies!”
Wheeler laughed so hard he let out a snort. I scorched him with my gaze, since it was his fault I was running around in just a bra to begin with.
“That’s right, sweetie. And if you keep eating every bite of food on your plate, then someday you will too!”
She giggled and I smiled at Skye. “If I can’t put meat on
your
bones, then Lola is taken care of,” I said, swinging my hips as I walked up the steps.
I passed Denver and headed toward my room.
Time for Naya to make her great escape before the bomb drops
. Packs could be volatile in the clubs; I could only imagine what they were like at home during an argument.
I flipped on the light to my room and put on a button-up blouse. After packing my bag, I turned to head out.
“Going somewhere?” Austin asked. He leaned against the far door at the opposite end of the hall, asserting every ounce of male dominance he possessed.
Without breaking stride, I walked toward him with my chin up. “I’m a grown woman, Austin Cole. And I’m not one of your pack, so don’t even consider reprimanding me,” I said in a singsong voice.
He leaned hard on that right arm of his and blocked my exit. “Naya, I’m asking you as sweet as pie to get your ass upstairs and wait for me in the game room.”
“And I’m asking with a cherry on top to get out of my way before I do something we’ll both regret.”
His brows knitted together. “Who gave you a black eye?”
“What exactly did Reno tell you?” I put my hand on my hip and lifted my chin.
“That you all raided Delgado’s home, rescued two prisoners, and tore up his yard.” Austin reached out and took my bag. “What do you think Wheeler will say?”
Good question. Why argue and make myself look foolish? The only thing Wheeler could confirm was that I almost engaged in a threesome.
Austin stepped aside. “Go on upstairs. I don’t think after tonight you’re going to feel too safe walking home alone. I have a pissed-off criminal tycoon to deal with now.”
“He’s only a human.”
Austin moved aside and let me walk past him. “Maybe so, but you just opened the lid to a basketful of vipers. Just because one of them is a garden snake doesn’t mean I’m letting down my guard. Delgado has connections, not to mention Breed employees who do his bidding. Wheeler!” he shouted. “Come to my office.”
Austin took my bag with him, and I exchanged a quiet look with Wheeler when I passed him. I ascended the stairs, careful not to wake the sleeping children. When I walked by an open door, curiosity got the best of me.
Trevor was sitting at a cheap desk with tiny plastic pieces scattered in front of him in organized sections.
“You’re up late,” I remarked.
“Sometimes I have trouble sleeping,” he said without raising his head.
I inched into the room and looked around. Model airplanes hung from the ceiling and decorated wooden shelves on every row.
“Is this a hobby or should we have an intervention?”
Trevor moved aside a magnifying glass that was attached to his desk. It swiveled and he angled it away. After rubbing his eyes, he turned around to face me and stretched his legs out. “It helps me.”
I lifted a plane and looked at it. “With what?”
He folded his arms and yawned. “It’s therapeutic, I guess. I used to be in the closet with my wolf. Building airplanes started when someone gave me one as a gift, but it helped me with maintaining control over my wolf. Now that I’m in a pack, I shift when I want. But I can’t seem to stop building planes,” he said with a short laugh. “Fucking crazy.”
“Maybe you should give some of these to an orphanage before you become a clutterbug.”
His chair squeaked as he moved it left and right, looking about the room. “Never thought of that.”
“Mind if I sit?” I asked, motioning toward the wooden chair behind me. Trevor nodded and I took a seat. “Austin is coming up at any moment to beat his chest and display his male dominance.”
“That’s a nightly occurrence. Welcome to our home.”
“You’re an outsider without any relation to them. What’s it like living in a pack? Do you gather outside, howl at the moon, and dance naked?”
He waggled his eyebrows. “That might be fun. But nah, it’s pretty normal around here compared to how I grew up.”
“Was it terrible?”
He leaned forward in his chair. “The worst. I don’t like talking about it, but I’m sure you can guess how a guy like me fit right in.”
Being gay, Trevor had undoubtedly faced cruelty at the hands of older wolves in his pack who were against it. Not because they had moral issues so much as they saw a wolf turning away from having children as a betrayal to their own kind.
“I’m glad I wasn’t born a wolf,” I said. “I can’t imagine the controlling lifestyle of a pack.”
He sniffed out a short laugh. “That was just
my
family. We lived in bumfuck nowhere, so they were the kind of pack that made up their own rules. Anyhow, my family cut me off. I assumed that’s how all packs were until I gave these guys a shot. I’d convinced myself they were going to go back on their word in the first month and force me out, but no one here has ever made me feel like anything less than a brother. Yeah, they razz on me, but I get them back and it’s all friendly shit. Nothing personal, and we always eat together. It’s hard to stay mad at someone who has to pass you the rolls.”
“What’s it like?” I asked, my curiosity piqued. “Living with a pack, that is.”
His gazed shifted. “It’s like… home. No matter where I go or what shit I’m in, I know I’ve got my pack by my side. I don’t have that feeling of being alone anymore. It’s hard to get used to the idea new people will come in, because I don’t know how they’ll fit in with me or anyone else in the family. It’s not just about me; I’d be pissed as hell if someone came in and bullied someone in my pack. I feel protective of them.”
A strange feeling overcame me, one I’d felt before in the presence of the Weston pack. Envy. A longing to know what it was like to feel love and loyalty from people who truly cared and didn’t just want something from me. Everything in my life had become nothing more than an exchange of needs. Men objectified me, and that’s why I’d raised my standards on who was good enough to take me to bed. So many men had wooed me for months in hopes of having something unattainable on their arm—a trophy other men could admire. Maybe that’s why I’d bonded with Lexi from the beginning; she loved my company and valued our friendship. Most of the girls at the club were catty—always suspicious you were out to steal their act or regular customers. Lexi’s was the first true friendship I’d ever known.
Pack dynamic fascinated me, and at the same time labeled me an outcast. Especially now that my secret was out.
“What’s wrong?” Trevor asked. “Something I said?”
“No.” I looked down and realized I’d misaligned the buttons on my white blouse, leaving an extra one at the bottom.
A knock sounded at the open door. “Sorry, didn’t know you had company,” William said.
I liked William. I’d once told Lexi he reminded me of a naughty pirate with those loose curls of short hair that sometimes obscured his eyes.
Trevor’s chair squeaked when he sat up straight. “What’s up?”
William leaned on his left shoulder, his gaze drifting about the room. “Say, a little bird told me your birthday was last week.”