Home…
In my half-awake state, the word sounds almost foreign. Then again, I suppose to me it kind of is, since a home is something I’ve never really had. ‘Home’ sounds like stability and safety. Two more things I’ve never really had.
We trudge inside and go directly upstairs to the shower. After rinsing off the blood and dirt and who knows what else, Julien and I tug on some clean clothes, then head downstairs into the living room to find Remy and Rachel waiting for us, along with Dante and Brody. I guess Doc wasn’t inclined to delay his departure.
Good riddance.
Rachel embraces Julien, while Remy does the same to me. Then they switch, Julien’s mom hugging me tightly as if she’s assuring herself I’m really here.
“We were worried sick about you,” she says.
“You were?” I ask, not able to help the note of surprise in my voice.
She releases me and leans back to look me in the face. “Of course. You’re family.”
“Thanks,” I say softly, warmth filling my chest. My stomach lets out a loud noise.
Rachel chuckles and throws her arm across my shoulders. “You must be starving since you didn’t get to eat your dinner. Thankfully, I saved some lasagna for you.” She leads me toward the dining room table, calling back over her shoulder, “You too, Julien.”
Julien takes the chair beside me as Rachel goes into the kitchen and returns with two plates. She places the plates on the table, then hands each of us a fork. We do as instructed and dig in.
The lasagna is every bit as delicious as Remy said.
At some point, Luke is also ushered to a seat at the table and provided with his own plate and fork. He looks just as flustered by everyone’s easy acceptance of him as I probably did before. I suppose he’s never had much of a home or a family either.
The others settle around the table as we eat, and the conversation picks up around me. I catch snippets of chatter about how to handle the hearing, what to do about William’s death, and what Luke plans to do now, but I ignore it all.
My brain has had enough problem solving for the day. No, for theyear.
Once I’ve cleaned my plate, Julien leads me upstairs and practically pours my exhausted body into the bed. I’m asleep before my head hits the pillow, content with the knowledge that, for now, everything is perfect.
We can deal with all the rest of the BS in the morning.
Sixty-Seven
Keir
Thenextfewdayspass in a whirlwind of activity. The hearing is—of course—canceled. Now that Luke is Alpha, he’s not trying to force me to be part of his new pack or contesting the idea of me staying here with Julien. In fact, the two of them actually signed an ‘official’ mating alliance. It’s not much more than a piece of paper with signatures on it, but it appeases the elders of Julien’s pack.
Well, for the most part.
They weren’t too thrilled to hear about William’s death, but since it didn’t happen by Julien’s hand and the guy who killed him is already dead, there’s not anything they can do about it. They can, however, do something about Everett who’s still complaining to anyone who will listen that Julien is not fit to lead the Madison pack.
So, on the fourth day after, well,everything, I wake up snuggled in Julien’s arms and am actually looking forward to visiting the elders. I cuddle with my half-awake mate for a few minutes before hopping out of bed, pulling on some clothes, and going downstairs.
Julien follows not much later and the two of us sit together in companionable silence at the kitchen table as we sip at our coffee. The contented simplicity of it is a novelty to me even after over a week with my mate. Eventually, I’ll probably take moments like this for granted, but right now, there’s nothing I enjoy more than basking in the little everyday things I’ve missed out on.
About an hour later, we arrive at the building where Julien and I met with the elders before. The semi-polite woman from before—whose name I don’t remember—is now sitting in William’s chair and she directs a kind smile at Julien and then at me.
This is already shaping up to be so much better than the last time I was here.
A red-faced Everett is waiting off to the right, his mouth set in a scowl as he watches me and Julien take our place on the left side of the space in front of the elders.
The woman doesn’t waste any time. “Everett, is it true that you attempted to challenge our Alpha while he was already injured, which is in direct violation of our pack laws?”
“And the laws of common decency,” I mutter under my breath.
“Yes,” says Everett. “The boy has lost his head over that—”
