“Liam got shot.The vet removed the bullet and gave us antibiotics, but he spiked a fever overnight.Jules is watching him while Kitto gets some rest.”
A low growl hummed in Sienna’s throat at the unfamiliar name.Jules?Who was that?She’d feel better once she saw Liam herself.
“Pa, Jago, and Jamie went to the camp to grab equipment.Ma and I packed.Now we have to figure out how to get out of the village.”
“We have a vehicle,” Calan said, grinning as he took the water bucket from Sienna.
“A vehicle?Big enough for everyone?”
His grin widened.“You know the mayor’s campervan?We have it.”
Sienna gasped.“He’ll have you arrested for stealing.”
“Nope.Jules said her father left for France yesterday morning—took the family car with her mother and sisters and told Jules to follow in the campervan.She’s supposed to meet them there but decided to help us first.”
“You told her where we’re headed?”
“No, but Kitto trusts her—they’ve been friends for ages.I think we can too.”
“I don’t know—”
“Judge for yourself,” Calan said.
“Where are they waiting?”
“Near the old campgrounds.We didn’t see any hunters down there.From the gossip we picked up, they searched near the mayor’s rental home.”
“They came to the house, but I refused to let them inside.”
Calan wrinkled his nose.“They’ve been out all night.I kid you not.I didn’t get much sleep either.”
“Since you’re here, is there anything you need to take, bearing in mind we won’t have much room, even in a campervan?”
“This one is large,” Calan said.
“We’ll need to drive via the back roads.Navigating some country roads will be difficult if the vehicle is too big.”Sienna led the way into the cottage.
When her mother spotted Calan, she gave a glad cry, engulfing him in a crushing hug even though he towered over her.Sienna busied herself making coffee because she expected her father to arrive soon.
“Calan, can you help me stow the camping equipment inside the cottage?We mightn’t be able to take it with us, but there is no sense in leaving it to get damaged outside,” their mother said.
Calan busied himself following their mother’s instructions, and by the time her father, older brother, and Jamie arrived, they had packed everything away.
They had a quick coffee, did a final clean, and prepared to leave.
Papa moved through the cottage slowly, his fingers trailing along the wooden mantelpiece he’d carved when Jago was born.In the kitchen, Mama paused at the window overlooking her herb garden, her hand pressed against the glass.
“Ready?”Sienna asked, compassion welling inside her.Leaving was difficult, but it had to be so much harder for her parents, who’d built their lives here and raised a family.
Her father nodded but didn’t move, years of memories anchoring him here.Slowly, he shuffled to the door, the last to step outside.His weathered hand lingered on the frame, tracing the worn marks that measured his children’s growth.
“We’ll be back,” Tamsin whispered, her voice faltering.
Hedrek closed the door with a soft click, final and heavy.
Jamie appeared at Hedrek’s elbow without being asked, shouldering the heaviest pack before any of her brothers could protest.“I’ve got this,” he said, and Hedrek’s grateful nod said everything.
Without speaking, they hastened away from the village, taking the less-traveled path down to a gravel road.Each of them carried a pack and had to ensure the contents didn’t rattle and reveal their location.
