Once again, my dreamsare littered with bits and pieces of my past, still nothing as clear as the memory of my dying mother—great job on that one brain, you could’ve picked something a little less depressing to get started—but at least there’s enough context for me to put a few things together.
First, I must have lived in a rural area. There are plenty of flashes of mountains or forests or trees, but very few images of anything that look like anything close to an actual city.
Second, I’m pretty sure the teenage alpha I first dreamed about in the car is my older brother, the one my previously mentioned dying mother talked about. His name is still a complete blank to me, though, and I have no idea whether he’salive or not. The oldest image of him my mind has called up has him only in his late teens or early twenties.
And, finally, my pack might not be worth finding. There’s a sort of darkness lingering in the corner of each partial memory, one that feels more ominous. There’s no specific memory or image to explain that feeling, only instinct, but it’s a strong one, and as more and more of the puzzle pieces reveal themselves, I’m beginning to think my past might be better left forgotten.
I just hope there’s nothing hidden in my past that will negatively affect Luke or his pack any more than having a male fated mate already will. As it is, I can’t help but feel responsible for the trouble that followed me to Doc’s house, and I’m more than a little terrified it’s going to follow me here too.
Light shines in through the window, slanting across my face, and I roll over onto my back as I blink my eyes open. My hand pats at the space beside me, but Luke’s already up, his side of the bed cool and empty, but the fledgling mating bond lets me know he’s not far.
I’m still not used to the strange tug in my chest connecting me to Luke, that constant feeling of his presence, but it’s reassuring in a way I never thought I’d want. Smiling to myself, I place my hand on my chest as if I can feel the bond fluttering there.
I bask in the warmth of the connection for a few seconds, then drag my hand over my face and swing my legs over the side of the bed. The pile of Luke’s clothes I was wearing yesterday are still on the floor where I left them, so I grab the sweatpants, pulling them on, and tightening the drawstring within an inch of its life to keep the pants up on my much narrower waist.
The whole ensemble looks ridiculous, but fashion isn’t exactly a priority right now. Still, getting clothes that fit might need to get put on the agenda. I can only go so long without tripping over my own feet if my wardrobe consists entirely of Luke’s clothes.
Making my way downstairs, I head toward the kitchen, following the scent of cooking bacon. My stomach lets out a loud rumble as I cross through the doorway, but my steps falter when I realize the person cooking isn’t someone I’ve met yet.
A female beta stands at the stove. Based on her blond hair and blue eyes—and the fact that she’s more than comfortable in the kitchen here—I’m guessing she’s probably related to Julien. Maybe his mother? Didn’t Keir mention his mother-in-law last night?
She glances up from the pan and smiles at me. “Morning,” she says, setting down the cooking utensil and turning to hold her hand out to me. “I’m Rachel Matisse.”
My lips twitch into answering smile and I duck my head as I take her hand. “Ollie,” I say. “Um… just Ollie.”
She nods and turns back to the stove. “Yeah, Julien told me a little about your situation. Everyone else is out on the deck,” she says as she gestures in the direction of a sliding glass door. “If you’re heading out there, you can let them know breakfast will be ready in about ten minutes.”
“Sure. Thanks,” I say, flashing her a small smile before following the direction of her hand and making my way outside.
As if sensing my presence—which he probably does—Luke turns, his whole face brightening when he catches sight of me. “Good morning,” he says, quickly crossing the deck to come to my side. He presses a kiss to my forehead. “Did you sleep okay?”
“Yeah,” I reply, my gaze darting to Julien and Keir who are standing with another beta I haven’t met yet, this one a male who also has blond hair and blue eyes.
Keir gestures us over to the group and points at the guy I don’t know. “This is Remy, Julien’s brother. He’s the one who’s going to figure out where you came from.”
“I’m going totryto figure out where you came from, anyway,” says Remy.
“Don’t be so humble,” says Keir, grabbing Julien’s arm and pulling it over his shoulder. “If anyone can figure out what pack Ollie came from with as little as we have to go on, you can.”
Remy shakes his head and rolls his eyes, but in a friendly sort of way. “Nice to know you have so much faith in me.”
“Faith?” The corner of Keir’s mouth curves upward. “More like absolute conviction. You not only figured out what pack I came from in less than an hour, you figured out where I went when I ran from Julien based almost solely on the presence of glitter.”
“Ran from Julien?” I blurt out, unable to hide my confusion. “But… he’s your fated mate?”
“Believe me, I know,” says Keir, shooting Julien a warm look. “But at the time I wasn’t in the market for a mate and hadn’t had the best experience with Alphas.” He chuckles. “It’s kind of a long, convoluted story, but the short version would be I got kicked out of my pack, spent four years avoiding other shifters, then helped Remy out of a jam, ended up getting myself kidnapped by a not-so-great Alpha and ran into Julien when he came to ‘rescue’ me.”
The sound of a loud cry interrupts any further explanation and my gaze goes to the baby monitor sitting on the deck railing. Keir and Julien share a look.
“I took the midnight feeding so I think it’s your turn,” says Julien. “I’ll stay here and keep our guests company.”
“Fiiine,” huffs Keir with an overly dramatic pout. He links his arm through Remy’s. “Join me, brother.”
“Always happy for some baby time,” says Remy, shooting me a wave as he allows Keir to tug him toward the door.
The two of them disappear inside the house. A minute or so later, the sound of voices comes from the baby monitor, and Julien smiles then clicks it off. Luke has an odd look on his face and he stares at the speaker for a second before seeming to shake himself out of his thoughts and looking at Julien.
“Keir seems happy,” says Luke is an almost wistful voice. “I’m glad.”
