Page 110 of Locke

I stared back at the packhouse. The outside was finished, but now there were smashed windows with burn marks up the side, and the third floor was completely missing. Even if the bear shifters worked their asses off, it would take at least two weeks.

With a link established, those who had never had a link before would have trouble filtering out thoughts. Their minds will not have learned to pull certain ‘communication wires’ in the brain. Especially with Emm, when her wolf has not yet surfaced to help guide her. She will need to stay away from the packhouse so she doesn’t hear everyone’s thoughts.

I needed her to be resting and to mourn the loss of her grandmother, and reestablish our own connection.

“I’ve got a place where we can go. I’ll need some supplies, though.”

“Anything,” Hawke said, glancing at his mate and pup. “You know, your mate ordered mine to get out of there. Delilah was in such shock. I don’t think she would have moved away and who knows what would have happened to her.”

I gave a smirk and rubbed my nose into Emm’s hair. “That’s what she’s here for, to protect everyone.”

“Just like you, huh? Crazy bastard.” Hawke shoved my shoulder. “Even though you don’t act much like one anymore.”

I raised a brow. “Trust me, the crazy is still there. I’m just showing my best self for her.”

“And I’m not good enough for you to show your best self?” Hawke ran his hand down his bare chest.

I glanced at Grim who was scowling at us and crossing his arms. “No, Grim is the only one that matches my vibe.”

Hawke rolled his eyes and flipped me the bird. “You guys have a weird relationship, I fucking swear. You barely talk to each other but act like you fuck each other in the dark.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Don’t knock it till you try it.”

Hawke stepped away. “Fuck you, man.” Hawke walked past Grim and stopped to stare at him.

Grim wiggled his eyebrows and Hawke gasped.

I threw my head back and laughed. Then laughed some more, thinking how ridiculous I probably looked standing in my lycan form laughing at some sick jokes.

Grim stepped up and jutted out his chin. “I stocked the cabin, after you switched back to being human.”

While I was rabid and had to seek shelter from snow and rain, now sometimes I would wake up in the old cabin Grim and I built out of a scrap of logs when we first moved here. It wasn’t much at first but we had a king bed, blankets, a kitchen and such, while we’d fixed up the bar.

From time to time there would be meat, and clean blankets for me to make a nest, while I was rabid. It calmed me enough smelling his scent, even though we were not blood brothers—we were brothers. He was the closest thing to my sister that I had.

I smiled, grabbed his forearm and shook it. “Thanks, brother. I owe you.”

“Nah, I think I owe you. You helped give me a second chance. I’m just glad you got yours.”

I nodded and grunted in agreement. “It’s far from over. We have to help everyone else. Are you still in for that?”

Grim gazed around the scene, with every male and female helping each other.

“Never thought it would get this big, but yeah. I think so. Journey wouldn’t have it any other way.”

I huffed. “Yeah, neither would I.”

We departed and I let my inner circle take care of the mess. I felt like an ass for leaving, but taking care of their luna was my priority. She’d been through hell and back today, and I would take care of what was mine.

So, I took the long trek up the hill, closer to the bar, where our old cabin sat. The forest was quiet besides the soft rustle of the leaves beneath my bare feet. I was grateful for the silence because could hear the small murmurs of my pack trying to understand how to use a link again.

As I neared the cabin, my eyes fixated on its weathered state. In my wolf form, I had never truly observed it from the outside. Time had not been kind to it, evident in its deterioration, yet it remained strong. Drawing closer, I observed the slithering vines, like serpents, coaxing through the broken windows, filling the gaps and weaving in and out from each other.

I shook my head and chuckled. Shhkuk was a saint, but I think he was going to get on my fucking nerves one day trying to help out my mate when it was my fucking job. The vines weaved inand out of the windows, giving me enough light so I could see inside. When I stepped in, dried leaves and dirt were scattered about, but the bed was clean with fresh linens and blankets.

I tilted my head in question, laying my mate’s body on the bed and wrapping her body with the blankets. An envelope sat at the base of the mattress with a golden scale, a feather on one side, and gold coins on the other.

I hadn’t seen an envelope like this since we had rescued Journey. Before I started having PTSD from seeing the damn thing, I snatched it up and ripped it open with my claw, to see neatly written scripted writing.