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“I guess?” He shrugged. “I was when we found him.” It was more than that, and Rory knew it, but he wasn’t sure how to explain it, so he didn’t bother. He wasn’t a wolf. But then he never heard anybody in his head like that. Only Fen.

“I suppose.” Jameson gave him another long stare. “Still. It’s interesting. Has he said anything to you about where he’s from?”

Rory shook his head. “Nope, we haven’t really talked about that.” There seemed to be a deep pain there, and Rory wasn’tgonna even start to ask about it until after Fen was feeling more like himself. It didn’t seem fair. “He was pleased that there were two alphas, that you two were running everything together. Surprised but pleased.”

Jameson shrugged one shoulder. “It works for us. It doesn’t work for everyone. But I like it.”

“Yeah.” It hadn’t worked for the people who had shot Fen. That was why they had been banished.

“I need to talk to him as soon as I can,” Jameson said as if reading his mind. “If the others are taking shots at wolves they think are ours, we need to do something about it.”

“Totally. I’m right there with you. You know whatever I can do to help.” Rory just wanted to be allowed to stay. He’d never been so happy. Now he kind of understood how Gareth felt when he went up to the dragons. Well, except for the fact that Gareth actually was a dragon. That complicated matters a little bit. Him. Rory was just a dude.

A good dude, a decent dude, and he loved this pack as much as any of the wolves except for possibly Jameson and Keegan.

But still just a dude.

That was okay. People needed dudes. Not everybody could be special. Some people just had to be normal worker bees. And that was what he was. A happily normal worker dude who lived with werewolves. In the mountains because the dragons left. So normal.

Jameson gave him a knowing look. “There’s a lot to you that you don’t acknowledge, Rory. And I’m happy to have you in the pack.”

He stood there and blinked. Was he seriously that obvious? Probably. “I just want to fit in, you know? I’ve never been happier, and there’s something about Fen. Something I don’t even know how to explain.”

“The healers say you can hear him, mentally.”

Rory nodded. “I can. Just as clear as I’m hearing you right now, you know?”

Jameson nodded, but his eyebrows lowered in a worried frown. “You do know that humans don’t hear wolves like that, don’t you?”

“I do, but… I can. I mean, I can hear him. He’s a good wolf, sad, because something terrible happened to his family. I don’t know what, but I know he’s really hurt.” Rory shook his head. “And then he got shot!”

“He did.” Jameson’s mouth flattened into a hard line again. “That’s unacceptable. I’m looking forward to being able to talk to him.”

“I want that too. It’ll be so much easier once he can shift. I know that he’s hurting less than before, so hopefully soon.” He had no idea how much better things had to be before he could shift back from a wolf.

“Can you take me to meet him? Introduce him?”

“Of course. I mean, you’ve been out to see him.”

“But I want a real introduction. He trusts you.”

“I hope so.” Rory sure wanted him to. The fact was, it was like this weird kind of ache. He just didn’t understand how on earth he could want this so badly and not even know whatthiswas.

It was like he craved just being with Fen. He wanted to sit there and stroke Fen’s ears and muzzle. Rest with him, stay with him.

It just didn’t make any sense. And even worse, Rory didn’t care. As much as he liked things to make sense, he simply didn’t care.

He wanted this to be right, natural, but he had this sneaking suspicion that if Jameson told him he couldn’t see Fen anymore? If Jamison said this wasn’t a thing, this wasn’t possible…

He had this weird conviction that if he had to choose, he’d choose Fen.

“You’re worrying again,” Jameson said, one hand landing on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. You’re okay.”

Rory felt his cheeks going hot. “How did you know?”

Jameson shrugged. “I’m the alpha. It’s my job.”

“I guess so, yeah.” He chewed his lower lip. “I just don’t want to screw up. I mean, I’ve always been the youngest, you know? The one who just did what he was told. You all make me feel needed.”