Page 28 of Those That Are Lost

“They won’t hurt us. Can you trust me?” I place my hand out for her to take. She hesitates for a second but slips her gloved fingers into mine. I don’t ask her to remove any of her outdoors wear as I lead her into the property. I keep mine on too, thinking Aurora will feel too vulnerable if she’s made to take it off right now.

“Is that true?” Ash asks, not even pretending he didn’t hear our conversation.

“Yeah,” I tell him. “The pack in Froan are pretty barbaric.”

“Clearly we have some catching up to do,” Ash mutters. “Let’s get you settled first. This is our main house for pack meetings but it has a few bedrooms for guests.”

My eyebrows raise at that.

“I’m clearly in need of updating myself too. What would a banished wolf-pack that’s meant to be cut off from the rest of society need with guest bedrooms?”

“There’s time for that. Come on.” He gestures for us all to head through the archway, and the remaining wolf trots along with us.

A short hall opens up into a large rectangular space. More timber and rectangular windows line one wall, and an L-shaped kitchen is fitted against the far corner.

“This is the main meeting room. It’s used for pack stuff mainly but it’s also a place to hang out. We eat dinner together here most days. The doors we just walked past are to the offices my parents share with the other pack alphas,” Ash informs us as he leads us diagonally through the space to another archway, dodging several heavy wooden tables. “Through here are the bedrooms. All have ensuites. There’s four in total, and no one else here currently, so feel free to take one each or buddy up.”

He gives mine and Red’s clasped hands a curious look but doesn’t make any assumptions. He’ll know we aren’t bonded through our scent.

“Do you want to freshen up before we eat? It’s not a full pack dinner tonight but I normally do the cooking for my family in the evening.”

“A hot shower would be fantastic,” Henry pipes up.

“Great, you should find towels and stuff already in there but come grab me if you need anything else. I need to start the food or I’ll have a bunch of hungry wolves whiningat me.” He chuckles.

“Thanks,” I tell Ash. “Shall we join you after you’ve all eaten?”

“No, come sit with us. And don’t worry, I’ve not forgotten. No food for the vampires. I’ll get my family fed though so you can drink,” he says like it's an everyday occurrence and walks back the way he came, taking the other wolf with him.

“Drink?” Red looks at me confused. “They’ll have blood packets?”

“No, we’ll be able to drink straight from them.” Red’s eyebrows practically touch her hairline. “Sorry, we should’ve explained that better. Most of the wolves are fine with being drunk by us, at least Theodora and her family will be.”

Matching expressions of disbelief face me.

“I forget you were turned during the war and haven’t known anything different either,” I say to Henry. “The wolves were always the most accepting of us. They know the blood we need to take won’t affect them, so most are willing donors. It's part of the reason they got persecuted so much alongside us.”

“Fascinating, and not well documented,” Henry muses. “Let’s unpack that later. I wasn’t lying when I said a shower sounded fantastic. What are we doing, a room each?”

“Sure.” I gesture at him to have the first pick.

He’s quick to disappear into the nearest one.

I look to Red. “Do you want the next pick? Although I have no idea if there’s any difference.”

“Can we share?”

Her words take me by surprise. I assumed she’d want her own space. She’s been reluctant to share her bed with me. Maybe she realised last night that both of us sleep better when we’re together.

“Yeah, of course.” I gesture to the doors surrounding us. “Which one?”

She goes for the one sharing a wall with Henry instead of the opposite side. Pushing open the door, she reveals a rich and cosy room. It's still wood panelling but this time they’ve been treated so the panels are a more natural looking rich deep brown. The rugs on the floor are thick furs. The bed is a king and has a carved wooden frame with a large headboard. It's covered in a rich burgundy duvet and several throws and cushions.

My brain immediately conjures images of Red cosied up in that bed, naked beneath the sheets, hair fanned over the pillows. Gods, I want nothing more than for that to be my reality later.

I pull my gaze away from it and take in the fitted wardrobe and desk space taking up the near wall. There’re also bedside cabinets with matching lamps that I missed on my first glance. And a velvet overstuffed armchair in the corner next to an empty fireplace. A door is squeezed between it and the end of the bedside cabinet, I’m assuming the ensuite is beyond.

Red strips her coat before shrugging out of her jumper and placing it on the bed.