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VANESSA

“ C an I get you something to drink?” I asked, trying to sound casual as I poked my head into my own room. It was hard not to believe I was dreaming as my eyes settled on Leo’s worn figure.

He’d only been a prisoner for a week and five days, but the effects of the experiments on his body were visceral. He’d lost so much weight in that time I couldn’t help but wonder if they ever fed him. I had hypothesized before that starvation was a pretty good weapon against shifters, and it definitely looked like I was right. Most of Leo’s muscle was gone. His cheeks were gaunt and hollow, and his eyes looked sunken in. What would have happened if it had taken us another few days or a week to rescue him?

I didn’t need to go down that rabbit hole. He was safe. He was here. In my bed. Hopefully, his body was quickly burning through the remnants of the drugs they had given him.

“Do you have more of that iced tea you made a week ago?”

The tea he was talking about was something I’d made him a month earlier, but I didn’t correct him. I figured being a little confused about the timing of things was perfectly justifiable given everything he’d gone through.

“The hibiscus ginger tea for nausea?” I asked.

While his smile was sallow, it was so damn sweet as it spread across his features. He was still handsome. Still my Leo. Sometimes it was hard not to see the way his body had been ravaged and feel entirely responsible.

It had been incredibly reckless and stupid to think the three of us could waltz into some secret lab and come out unscathed. We’d only managed to do that with the party at Chadwicke’s estate because I had a special skill, there were lots of other people to blend in with, and a whole bunch of other mitigating circumstances lined up at once. Leo had quite literally paid for my hubris, and I wasn’t going to let that happen again.

It embarrassed me that it took until Ricky and I had the honest-to-God agreement to come up with a plan for me to come up with the oh-so-brilliant idea of “let’s find help”. Yeah, a real Einstein moment there.

Both Ricky and I had gotten used to being on our own, although in very different ways, and we’d forgotten that we didn’t have to do everything within our own little bubble. That night I had reached out to America while Ricky went on runs to see if he could find any other allies. He’d ended up running into one of the escapees that Leo had somehow managed to free when he was captured. According to them, after we’d escaped, almost the entire lockdown staff had been focused on trying to contain Leo. And of course, the alpha being who he was, he’d used every opportunity to damage or break cages. Apparently, nearly a dozen different experiments managed to get out of their holding area, but only the one Ricky found, and another, had managed to go the full distance.

They were starving and still very weak when Ricky brought them to me, but I did my best to fill their bellies and treat them however I could. A difficult thing to do considering I didn’t know everything that had happened to them, but I figured I could help with the headaches, the nausea, the pain, and the bone-crushing fatigue.

“Yeah, that’s the one,” Leo said, still smiling, although his eyelids were beginning to flutter. He’d pretty much been asleep since we brought him back, but that was fine with me. Sleep meant he was healing, and it gave me time to adjust to him being back.

For so long I’d been terrified that he’d never come home. I’d spent so many nights lying in bed, replaying everything that had gone wrong, worrying that would be the last time I’d ever see him. Thankfully, I’d been given a second chance.

I wasn’t going to take it for granted.

“I’ll get that ready for you right now. And perhaps some toast?” Although I would have loved to fill him up with some roasted rabbit or even fresh greens from the garden, I was pretty sure those would be a little harsh on his stomach. After all, he’d only been back for a little less than a day. He still needed some time on the B.R.A.T diet before I moved him onto richer solids, but that would happen soon enough. He was a shifter, after all, and I had no doubt the more calories we got into him, the faster he would heal.

“Sure, I can take a slice.”

“Sounds like a plan.” I hurried downstairs, stepping over the two shifters who had made makeshift beds for themselves on my living room floor. I felt bad that I didn’t have more room to accommodate them, but they seemed more than happy with the arrangement. It was likely a marked improvement from their cells at the facility or the forest floor.

If my presence bothered them, they didn’t so much as stir. Like Leo, they needed a lot of rest so their bodies could heal properly. When I entered the kitchen, I wasn’t surprised to see Ricky washing dishes from the night before. Normally, it was no problem for me to keep up with my own stuff, except when my depression got really bad, but with all the guests I currently had, I really appreciated his help.

“I’m going to make some tea and toast for Leo. Do you want some?”

“Nah,” he said, wearing the same grin he’d had on ever since we’d gotten home safely. It hadn’t been a straight shot from the lab. We’d driven quite far on the highway before getting off at a random exit, hopping onto another highway, then going through back roads until we reached the interstate. I’d held onto Leo the entire time, even when my eyes fluttered closed somewhere around two in the morning. We’d arrived at America’s soon after that. The rest of the rescue vehicles had beaten us there. As far as I could tell, we’d all managed to get away without being followed. Pretty impressive, if I had to say so myself.

I wasn’t a shifter, but even I could tell that shifters had pack rivalries and inner tensions, so they didn’t often work with each other, and that sort of assumed separation was the best thing we could take advantage of. Eventually the brothers would catch on that we were all uniting, but the longer we could stop that from happening, the more likely it was that our plans would work. Because as much as I would have loved for all the drama to end, we still had a whole lot of pack numbers to recover.

Not to mention a whole lot of brothers to deal with.

That thought was daunting, so I pushed it out of my head, and just in time, too, because I realized Ricky was still talking to me. Whoops.

“—hunting again. I’ll have to go a bit farther than usual, but I’m pretty sure there’s an issue with deer overpopulation a couple of hours away from here. I want to help curb those numbers before it gets bad. I imagine with all of us shifters going missing, there’ll be more and more issues like that cropping up in the tri-state area.”

Oh. I hadn’t even thought of that. Naturally, shifters, with their high needs for protein, would eat a lot of meat. It would likely make all of them go bankrupt if they had to get it from the store, and I got the impression that their wolf side needed the enrichment of the hunt as well. So, with all that considered, it made sense that they put a dent in the local wildlife population. Man, I very much doubted the brothers cared that they were disrupting the ecosystem, which just showed how their insidious greed disrupted everything right down to the way nature was meant to work.

“Be safe, okay? Leo would kick my ass if anything happened to you.”

Ricky let out a good-natured laugh and gently elbowed at my side. “Please, we know Leo would never lay a hand on you. In fact, I’m pretty sure he’d cut his own arm off before doing something like that.” Then he wiggled his eyebrows. “Except for, you know, in a fun way.”

“All right, that’s enough from you. Off you go,” I said hurriedly, feeling my face heat. What he was saying was true, and I did like the intense bite of Leo’s fingers when he held my hips while fucking me, but that didn’t mean I wanted to talk with Ricky about it.

“But I’m not done with the dishes.”

“I’ll do the rest. Go on. Those deer won’t hunt themselves.”

Ricky was still laughing as I ushered him out. I couldn’t stop the grin that formed on my face. The moment might have started on an awkward note, but it had certainly ended on a fun one. I liked that I could mess around with Ricky. We still had a ways to go in getting to know each other, but I could understand why Leo made him his righthand man. He had a good head on his shoulders.

Once he was gone, I put some water on to boil and finished the rest of the dishes. Not having Ricky here for dinner eased some of the issues of not having enough food, because I wasn’t sure how much pasta my two additional guests could tolerate. While they weren’t on the same B.R.A.T diet that Leo was, it wasn’t like they’d been eating well in the wild, so I still tried to be considerate to their healing digestive systems. That was becoming increasingly difficult to do with the last few dollars I had. I really needed to get to work, but how was I supposed to go back to stocking shelves full time when I was trying to save an entire pack?

That was something I would worry about later. Right now, I needed to take care of Leo.

So, that was what I did. Once the tea and toast were ready, I took them up to him and made sure he drank and ate before falling asleep again. I tried to spend most of the day at his side, which was definitely easier to do since my cats were also lingering on the bed. Except for Goober, who seemed to have decided that Leo’s chest was his territory. The Maine Coon lived on it pretty much every time Leo fell asleep, purring away like there was a motor in his chest.

It was a sure sign that my cats accepted him, and it made my heart swell. If they could accept a wolf shifter as part of their colony, surely there was nothing too weird about a wolf shifter pack accepting a human as one of their pack members?

Was I getting too far ahead of myself? Leo and I had made promises before everything had gone to shit, but what if something had changed? What if me letting him get captured had changed the way he felt about me? What if he had PTSD and that changed the way he felt about me? A million and one questions all flew around my head, but as much as I wanted them answered, I wouldn’t be selfish and trouble Leo with them. No, he needed to concentrate on getting better. Once he was solid on his own two feet, then we could worry about my massive insecurities and fears.

Easier said than done, of course, but every time the urge to word-vomit on him grew too strong, I would look at the peaceful expression on his face while he rested, and that would give me the fortitude to hold on a little longer. Leo was my top priority. Even if his feelings had changed, I still wanted him to be his best. To be happy, healthy, and whole.

So, my day passed with relatively little drama. The biggest discomfort I endured was sleeping on a pile of blankets on my bedroom floor. I was sure Leo would be more than happy to share the bed with me, but that would make me far too anxious. I was an active sleeper, often tossing this way and that, so the thought of my nighttime antics making Leo lose even a few moments of sleep was simply too much. No, I could sacrifice a few nights of sleep to ensure Leo healed properly.

Ricky arrived at about noon the next day, hauling two deer carcasses. My mouth watered at the thought of so much fresh venison.

“Please tell me you know how to process that?” I said as he made his way past my greenhouse.

Thankfully, he did know, and by dinner that night I had a whole venison roast in the oven, and Ricky went into town to buy potatoes. It required the last of the cash I had on me, but I took comfort in the fact that my bills were paid, and I still had a hundred dollars in my bank account thanks to the money I had deposited from my time gardening at Chadwicke’s estate. Was that enough for the coming month? No. But I still had time. And once Leo was on his feet, I would go back to working full time at the grocery store. Hopefully, I’d also be able to pick up one or two extra shifts. The overtime would definitely help me.

Just before dinner, Leo sat up in bed, his nose in the air. “That smells delicious. What is that?”

It was the first time he’d commented on smelling anything or shown much interest in food since we’d brought him home.

“I’m roasting some venison. Ricky brought two deer back from his hunt.” Thanks to his huge haul, I was pretty much set on protein for at least the month if I was smart about it, even with four shifters in my house. Granted, if it was only me, two deer probably would have lasted me nearly a year.

“Venison?”

I swear to God, Leo actually licked his lips. If it were any other moment, I had no doubt my eyes would greedily follow his tongue, but considering the situation, I managed not to be a complete hornbag.

“I can’t even remember the last time I had venison in my human form...”

The sterner, more anxious part of me insisted he was still in far too delicate a position to handle something with butter, so many spices, and the thick gaminess to it. But that part ultimately lost out to the mother hen inside me.

“You know, as long as you have some water with it and chew very thoroughly, I don’t see why you couldn’t have a small piece.”

The smile that spread across Leo’s features made my stomach flip. “Well, if the doctor says so.”

And there I was, grinning back at him like a buffoon, but I didn’t care. Because only a couple of days earlier, I’d wondered if I’d ever joke or laugh with him again.

Then Leo’s smile faded ever so slightly.

“What is it?”

“I… I don’t want to push things, but I would like to sit at the kitchen table with everybody else.”

I hesitated. While I knew it was quite beneficial for humans to have positive interaction during the healing process, I worried about pushing things too far too soon. But really, since wolves were pack animals, what if that healing effect was even more exaggerated?

“I’m a little concerned about the stairs,” I answered honestly. If Leo had earned anything at that point, it was honesty.

Leo grimaced, and I was relieved that he understood where I was coming from. “You’re not wrong on that point. I think I could get down them, but I don’t know if I could get back up.”

While I appreciated that he took my objection seriously, his crestfallen expression made my heart ache. He asked for so little, I had to find a way to accommodate him.

“I’m sure Ricky would be more than happy to help you down and up the stairs, if you’re comfortable with that.” I said it gingerly, because even though Leo and Ricky were close, I would understand if the alpha’s pride was a little fragile. Leo took pride in being a large, strong man who could take care of others. While I liked to think he could trust his beta enough to help him up and down the stairs, I’d understand if it was too much for him right now.

To my relief, Leo’s smile returned full force. If only all of our troubles could be resolved by leaning on a friend.

“As long as he doesn’t drop me, I’m game.”

“I’ll go ask him. But first, I need you to promise me that you won’t push yourself too hard. If you feel yourself starting to tire out, if sitting up becomes painful, I need you to tell me immediately. Will you do that?”

“I sure will. Scout’s honor.”

“I’ll go talk to Ricky, then. He’s out watering the plants.”

I’d told myself that this was the year I got sprinklers for all the parts of my garden, but my unexpected guests and their considerable dietary needs had pretty much postponed that until the next growing season. However, it was quite difficult to be resentful of that when they were more than happy to water my garden for me. Hell, it certainly saved me a lot of time.

“Sounds good.”

I hurried down the stairs and outside. While I definitely felt plenty of trepidation about Leo leaving bed and eating solid food so soon, I was ecstatic that he actually had an appetite. That was definitely a good thing. Besides, I could serve him some plain chicken stock and tea to soothe his stomach, along with his small piece of venison. It was a win-win all around, as long as he didn’t push himself too far.

“Really?” Ricky said in surprise when I told him what Leo wanted. “He wants to eat?”

I didn’t miss the excitement in his tone. It was the same excitement thrumming through me. “Yep. He sure does, and it’s all thanks to you hunting down those deer.”

Ricky flushed slightly and looked down at the ground. “Nah, I’m pretty sure it’s the way you’ve been cooking it. Smells so good, it’s been torturing me for the past hour.”

“Ah, so that’s why you’re watering my garden.”

“I’m afraid you caught me red-handed.”

I chuckled. “I suppose I can forgive you this one time. When you’re done, will you go get Leo? I’ll set the table and rouse our two guests.”

“They sure do sleep a lot, don’t they?”

“They do, but they’re healing just like Leo. I don’t think we’ll ever know everything they went through, but it doesn’t surprise me how much they need to recover from.”

Ricky’s expression turned grim, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if it mirrored my own. I tried not to think of the horrors of the lab very often, but it was hard not to. Every time I looked at Leo, I was reminded that the world was quite a cruel place, and sometimes it was our own people who made it that way.

I understood there was a difference between shifters, wizards, and whatever a mindwalker was, but in the end, they were all magical people trying to hide from humans. I would have thought they would be more united, but from what I’d seen so far, that wasn’t the case.

However, that was something I could worry about another time. Right now, I had to get the dinner table ready.

I woke our guests first, standing a good distance away at the entrance of the room and gently calling to them, slowly increasing my volume until their eyes cracked open. I wasn’t stupid enough to approach a sleeping shifter who had escaped a very dangerous situation. The scent of the roast did the job, though, and I was free to set the table.

I knew if I asked, my guests would set it for me in an instant, but I rarely ever had company, and I wanted to make it fancy. So, I broke out the nice set of plates I’d never used, as well as the matching cutlery and teacups.

For the first time since I moved here it felt like I had a real home, and I couldn’t help but be entirely delighted as it all came together. Twenty minutes later, I was pulling the roast out of the oven and setting it on a couple of dish towels on the kitchen table. As everyone gathered around it, it kind of felt like we were a family. A family who barely knew each other, but a family all the same.

The escapees, Jason and Miranda, weren’t the most talkative pair, but I had learned a little about them in the few days we had known each other, and I wanted to know more. Ricky was feeling more and more like a sibling or best friend that I’d known my whole life. And Leo? My heart fluttered every time I saw him, and I often found myself daydreaming about the different futures we could have together.

I lost myself in those daydreams while we all ate, joining the conversation when I had something to say. Everything was quite chill, and it felt so completely normal.

At least, it did until Jason spoke up.

“So, are you open to taking new pack members?”

I didn’t say anything—it wasn’t really my conversation to have—but I did listen intently. I got the impression I had been accepted into Leo’s pack by default because of our relationship, but I had no idea how it would work for the two shifters he had saved, and who had saved him in return. It all seemed pretty complicated.

“Do you not wish to return to your own packs?” Leo asked.

I didn’t miss the caution in his voice. I worried he wasn’t up to having this conversation when he was still recovering, but I bit my tongue. Leo was the alpha, and I needed to trust him on whether he could handle this or not. He’d promised he would tell me if anything got to be too much, and I had to trust that he would.

“Ain’t never had one,” Miranda said.

It was only the third time I’d ever heard her speak. She wasn’t standoffish, just not very talkative. Understandable. I’d read a lot about selective mutism after trauma, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she had something akin to that. Or perhaps she was simply the quiet type. There wasn’t anything wrong with that.

“And mine’s dead,” Jason said. “We were small, only a dozen members, living up in the mountains about a four-hour drive away from here. We ran afoul of one of them brothers. He wiped all the adults out and took all the kids.”

My eyebrows shot up. While Jason did look younger than me, he certainly didn’t look like a child. “How long ago was this?”

“About four years.”

Moments ago, I had resolved not to get involved, but I couldn’t help the curiosity sizzling through me. “But you’re not...?”

“A kid? No. I ain’t. But most of the kids didn’t go to the lab. They took me and my brother because we were twins.”

“Twins?” Ricky exclaimed. “I didn’t know that. Don’t you want to be with your brother now that he’s out?”

“Aye, I would have liked that, but he never got a chance to escape with us. Died about two years back.”

“Well, shit.” A very apropos statement from Leo, because honestly, I couldn’t imagine it. Yes, I’d lost my mother, but even that couldn’t be as bad as losing a twin. That was a bond I truly would never understand. “Look, I have no problem with either of you joining our pack, but before you do, you should know what you’re getting into. This isn’t an easy road we’re on, and honestly, I can’t promise all of us will survive. Me, Ricky, and Ven here are working to recover the rest of our pack from the brothers’ clutches and break the curses holding them.”

Miranda and Jason looked at us with wide eyes.

“You really want to go up against them? Some of the most powerful warlocks the world has ever heard of, and probably the most powerful ones on this continent?”

“I do,” Leo answered firmly.

“And I do, too,” I said, surprising myself. “I know I’m only a human and a gardener, but I will do my best to break the curses on whoever I can and help on the sidelines like I did with the breakout.”

“Unsurprisingly, I’m dedicated, too,” Ricky finished. “We’re going to get our pack back, one way or another. And it’s completely fine if you don’t want to join us, but our alpha is right. If you want to be a part of our pack, you have to be a part of the fight.”

“I…” Jason took a deep breath and pushed his food around on his plate. I took no offense to it, as to me it seemed like he was taking the entire situation very seriously. “I reckon if we’re going to do something like that, we should also try to find as many allies as we can. I haven’t been out long, but I’ve heard whispers about a shifter pack that’s taken down a few brothers.”

Leo shot him a wolfish grin. “We might have had a hand in that.”

“I figured as much.” With that, Jason stood, and Miranda followed a beat later. “If that’s the case, I pledge my loyalty to you. You will be my alpha, and I will be your follower. Through war, through famine, we are stronger together than apart.”

I could practically feel the crackle of energy in the air as Miranda repeated those words. I definitely got the impression that Jason wasn’t simply saying it off the top off his head, but rather that it was an oath passed down over generations—one that held more weight and meaning than I could understand.

Leo stood. I jolted, but thankfully Ricky was beside him in an instant. “Then, you, Jason, and you, Miranda, are now our blood. I am your alpha, and you are my pack. I swear to protect you, I swear to guide you, and I will keep you safe.

“So mote it be.”

“So mote it be.”

While there was no crack of lightning at the end, no boom of thunder, the air still held a heavy finality, like it had stilled itself to respect the moment. While I made no such pledge, my heart was full of happiness. Yes, there was a lot of evil in the world, but in our own way, it felt like we truly were fighting it.

After all, someone had to stop the brothers.

Why couldn’t it be us?