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NINE

Dillon

“Morning,” Mabel greets me as I enter the kitchen.

“Morning,” I rasp, still rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “What time is it?”

“Um”—she cranes her neck to see the clock on the microwave—“almost nine. Why?”

“Are Miles and Jensen back?”

“No, not yet. They probably got caught up with Pack business. I’m sure they’ll be home any minute.”

“Yeah,” I agree, but I have a bad feeling in my stomach.

“Are you hungry? I can make some breakfast.”

“Not really. I’ll just have toast.”

Mabel nods and moves to the fridge to grab the orange juice. “Want some?”

“Sure.”

We move around the kitchen, making our breakfasts.

Mabel smiles. “It’s kind of crazy, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“This. A week ago, we were following our plan to leave Idaho and move to Los Angeles. Now, we’re living in this small town. We have mates. We know about shifters. So much has changed so fast.”

“Yeah, it’s crazy. I think it may be time for us to come up with a new plan.”

“I guess.”

I raise an eyebrow. “We’re staying here, right?”

“Yeah, I want to. Do you?”

“Yeah. I know we were both against small towns after our childhood, but it’s different here.”

Mabel laughs. “Very.”

“We need to find jobs.”

“I haven’t heard anything back from the postings I applied to the other day.”

“Me either.”

“Are you staying here?” she asks. “Or moving in with Jensen?”

“He hasn’t asked me.”

“He wants you to. He loves you, and I know you love him.”

“I do,” I admit.

It’s scary to say it out loud and make it real. But what I feel for Jensen is real. He makes me feel safe and worthy. He’d do anything for me. He wants to do anything for me. He’s meant for me, and I’m meant for him.

I smile at Mabel. “Yeah, I’ll move in with him. If he asks.”

My gaze strays to the clock, then the front door, as if willing it to open.

The toaster pops, and I grab my toast and slather it in butter. Mabel finishes cutting up fruit to put on top of her yogurt and sits on one of the barstools. I join her, and we eat in silence, each knowing the other is anxious about her mate.

“It’s getting pretty late,” I say as we clean up and wash the dishes.

“Maybe we should call them,” Mabel suggests.

“Yeah.”

Mabel grabs her phone, and I watch anxiously as she calls Miles.

She sighs. “No answer.”

I dig in my pocket for my phone. Jensen added his number last night. I hit dial and hold my breath as it rings.

“Dillon,” an unfamiliar voice answers.

I blink. “Who is this? Where’s Jensen?”

“I’m Ryker. We haven’t met yet.”

“You’re an Alpha.” I remember Jensen telling me about Ryker and Griffin taking over their pack.

“Yeah. Listen, Jensen and Miles are in the hospital right now, but they’re?—”

“The hospital!” I gasp.

Mabel sucks in a sharp breath and takes off.

I rush after her, pulling on my shoes.

“We’re headed there now,” I tell him.

“Okay, see you soon. Third floor, room 317.”

“Room 317,” I tell Mabel as I hang up.

We rush out the door and down the street to the hospital.

To where it all began.

I just hope this isn’t the end of our story.