Page 21 of Ensnaring Their Rabbit (Heat, Prey, Love #7)
CHAPTER 21
REEVE
My hands curled around the tiny piece of plastic. It was so fucking unassuming, but it meant everything. This piece of plastic was my new identity, and along with the manilla folder full of documents, was my new chance of life. Reeve Barlowe. I didn’t love the last name, but it was the most common wolf shifter surname so I got why Laurent chose it for our new identities. I was glad he didn’t give us new first names. It would’ve been confusing, and we were lucky that our names were generic as fuck in the shifter world. I went to school with four other Reeves. The twin thing would be harder, but Laurent insisted this was all a formality anyway.
The best part about the new names was Brynn’s. I grinned as he stared dumbfounded at his new ID Brynnmawr Barlowe . Laurent gave him our last name. It was such a human thing, taking the last name of their partner, but I secretly loved it. Not only would he wear our bites, but he shared our name.
“Everything you need to know is in there,” Laurent gestured to the envelope, “Reeve and Riven, you start next week working at the construction company I told you about. The address and information are also in the folder. I figured with your experience that was the easiest call. Brynn, I wasn’t sure what you wanted to do, so for now I got you a job at the coffee shop on the shifter side of Pearl City. But if you hate it, we’ll find you something else.”
Our poor mate looked like he was about to collapse. “N-no, that sounds good, at least for now. Thanks.”
It had been almost three weeks since we found our cabin, and we’d just been lying low and waiting for Laurent to show up so we could start our new lives. He had told us there were some complications, which was why it took so long. Food had showed up after two days though, delivered by a young kid who had no idea what was going on and was pretty freaked about delivering to a cabin in the middle of the woods. Still we were grateful, because we were nearly out of the non-perishables Uncle Zeke had stocked in here. And Riv and I may have been wolves, but we’d lived all our life in the city and then in jail, hunting wasn’t our specialty. Plus Brynn couldn’t eat anything we hunted. We needed real food. We were on the verge of braving a trip to the nearest city, Pearl City, for supplies when the food showed up. Like everything that had happened since Brynn showed up in our lives, I couldn’t help but consider the Goddess had a hand in it. If she had been meddling, it was to our advantage, and I was grateful.
Laurent hadn’t explained what the complications were, or how long he’d be, but after the food situation was handled, the three of us took advantage of every minute of those three weeks just getting to know each other and solidifying the bond. I never had so much sex in my life.
It wasn’t just about sex, either. We took long walks through the woods surrounding our home, just holding hands and talking. We found some paint in an old shed behind the cabin, and Brynn took it upon himself to paint the plain white walls in each room. Except the nest. He still hadn’t braved checking that one out yet.
We also spent a ton of time in our animal forms. After being locked out of them for so long, Riv and I needed the time to reconnect, and spending it with our little rabbit only made it better. We went on runs, exploring the property, or sometimes just cuddled up, scenting and snuggling.
Every night the three of us climbed into the bed in the main bedroom, with Brynn in between us, naked. That first night we were here when Brynn latched his perfect lips around Riven’s nipple and began sucking, it took us all both by surprise. When Brynn woke up he seemed to have no idea what he did and was shocked and embarrassed by the swollen and red skin around Riv’s nipple.
After Riv reassured him he was okay with it, and spent the night very hard, it became a thing. Sometimes it was Riv he sucked on, sometimes me, sometimes he switched in the middle of the night. None of us seemed to know why he did, but just knowing we could provide that comfort for our mate was enough.
Once a week, more groceries were delivered, but that was the only contact we had. The number we had been given on the burner phone for Laurent had been disconnected, and he didn’t reach out.
Despite that, we fell into a rhythm over those times, and I stopped looking over my shoulder every second or wondering if and when Laurent would show up.
Then the man himself appeared out of nowhere, about twenty minutes ago, unannounced, and had been dropping bomb after bomb since then.
“And it’s safe for us to do this? I know Pearl City isn’t Ashbrook , but it’s not that far. Surely they can find us here?” Riven asked, not for the first time since Laurent introduced us to our apparent new lives. I didn’t blame him. I needed reassurance, too. I kind of expected to be forced to be hunkered down in our cabin, hunting in our animal forms for most of our food, and only sneaking into the city for necessities we couldn’t manage while shifted. But Laurent made it seem like we could live freely.
“Yes. I’m not saying that there is never a chance that they may come for you. But that was part of the reason it took me so long to get here. Let’s just say it’s within the warden’s great interest not to pursue you.”
I frowned, “But it’s not only the warden that has a say. What about the cops or the government? They don’t just usually let fugitives go.”
Laurent smiled, but it was cold and gave me the chills. “They do when someone threatens to expose an illegal trafficking and kidnapping ring that had been going on with the permission and involvement of not only the mayor of Ashbrook, but the chief of police and the governor. I allowed them to keep their jobs, and they let the three of you go and shut down the ring. As far as the world is concerned, Reeve and Riven Balthazar died during a prison riot, and no one has seen Brynn in well over a month. Word on the street was that you finally got the nerve to leave. Or you gave in and went in with one of the pimps. It seems pretty divided.”
Brynn snorted. “Of course.”
“Either way,” Laurent continued, “You should be safe to live your life. I’d still keep your head down and try not to get into any trouble. But I truly hope the three of you get the fresh start you deserve.”
I met Laurent’s eyes, overcome with emotion. I would never understand why he did this for us. He said this was just what he did, trying to save omegas and others in bad situations, but still, he didn’t have to take a chance on Riv and me, and he did. Whenever I dared to imagine being free, I never pictured this.
He smiled softly, like he understood everything that was going on in my brain. Riven, who had been pacing the living room of our cabin suddenly stopped, grabbed Brynn around the waist and dragged him to the couch to sit on his lap. His hands were shaking and his knee was bouncing up and down.
Ignoring Laurent’s curious looks, I sat next to my brother and squeezed his nape in a gesture so familiar, we both immediately relaxed. “We’ll be okay.” I told him, squeezed again. I wanted to bite him, leave my mark and help settle him. It wasn’t something I’d done in my human body since we were kids, but suddenly, I was overcome with the desire to do just that.
Riv met my eyes, feeling the change in the air. Evidently, so did Laurent.
“Alright. I’ll leave you three to it. The bag on the table has some more clothes and necessities, as well as three cell phones. The plan is covered, so don’t worry about that. My number is programmed in all of them. My real number, not the one I gave you earlier. If you need anything, call, but try to leave it to emergencies, eh?”
“Sure,” I said, once again feeling overwhelmed. It was becoming a familiar sensation since we escaped. “Thank you for everything.”
Laurent smiled sincerely, his bright eyes glowing. “Of course. It’s nice to see the happy sometimes. Anyway!” he said too enthusiastically, “There will be one more food delivery. After that, you should be good to get your own food and supplies. You’ll see the information for your new bank account as well as debit cards in the folder. Your jobs already have the direct deposit information, but there should be enough to hold you over till you get paid.”
Brynn stood up, and we all followed. “I don’t think we could ever repay you for all this,” he told Laurent sincerely.
He waved away the thanks. “You don’t need to. That’s not why I do this.”
“Why do you?” I asked. I’d been wondering that since the beginning.
Laurent’s expression shuttered. “That doesn’t matter.” Oh, okay.
“Well if you don’t have any further questions, I’ll be taking my leave,” he said, suddenly stiff. Message received. Don’t ask anything personal.
We all said goodbye, Brynn giving Laurent a really awkward hug, and then he disappeared. Literally. He waved his hand, and then he was gone, leaving us all alone and only with a pile of paperwork and new licenses that proved any of this was real.
“So that happened,” Brynn whispered, still staring at the spot.
I wrapped my arms around him and kissed over his mating bites. “It’s hard to believe any of this happened,” I told him honestly.
“Do you think we’ll ever get used to it?” Riv asked, joining us by wrapping his arms around Brynn’s front and resting his head on my chest. “I mean, I keep waiting for the cops to just burst down our door every second. Can we really trust that this is real? Do we really get this?”
I kissed the top of his head and then Brynn’s. “I’m not sure we’ll ever get fully used to it, but yeah, I think we can trust it’s real. After a life of being shit on, I think all three of us deserve this, don’t you think?”
Brynn snorted. “Can you never use that phrase ever again, please, cause eww.” We all laughed before he continued, “But gross images aside, we definitely deserve this. I never thought I’d ever get any of this. Not just a house and a chance at a real job and future, but mates…love.” The last word was practically whispered, but I heard it and by the way Riv’s eyes widened, so did he. We hadn’t used the ‘L’ word yet, even if I’d felt it since we were still in jail. Brynn was always the most hesitant out of all of us, and we wanted to give him time to adjust. A lot of the whole situation was beyond his control, and he needed the chance to come to his own decisions. So we stayed patient. But now…
Riven backed up enough just so he could tilt Brynn’s face up to meet his eyes. “What was that? We couldn’t hear you.”
Brynn rolled his eyes. “Oh, shut up. You heard me just fine. I love you. Both of you.” Before either of us could say anything he added, “Don’t make a big deal about it.”
I grinned. Feisty little mate. “No big deal at all. But I love you too, sweetness.”
“Me too,” Riven added quickly. “We both love you.”
Brynn couldn’t help the smile even if he tried to look grumpy. Eventually he gave up and threw himself at us, and that was how we spent our first day as Barlowes, wrapped around each other and showing just how much we were in love.