He beamed at Liam. “I can help you when it happens.”
“And if it never does?” Liam’s expression took on some worry.
“Then it never does. I know, and that’s enough for me. And I guarantee you, when our baby shifts the first time, you’ll know too.”
“You’re too good to me.” Liam finally turned off the water, then got a couple of big towels to dry them off and wrap aroundthem since they had to go back to their rooms. “We need to make some lists, huh?”
“Like what?” Theo tilted his head.
“Well, I need to get the grid working right up there again. Then a good tankless water heater. A better shower. They lived pretty off the grid, and we’ll have to as well, but I know a bit more about modern conveniences. And to be fair to them, for decades, the old pack wouldn’t let them come down the mountain.”
“Oh, wow. Were they afraid the dragons would eat them?” How sad!
“No. No, I think it was because they said that the dragons couldn’t look completely human, and they were afraid they would draw attention to them as werewolves and get them all killed.”
“Ah.” Theo pondered that. He supposed he understood to a certain degree. Especially if the dragons moved into the mountain area as westward expansion really took off, then paranoia about humans had to be huge.
“Yeah. I guess it sucked all the way around. Jameson and Keegan are tight-lipped, but Loyal has mentioned a few things about abuses inside the pack, and about how they finally banished the old alpha and his supporters.” Liam took him and led him back to their room.
“I wonder if it’s the nature of big packs to implode. Ours sure did.”
“Maybe. I sure hope not for Jameson and Keegan’s sakes. Then again, they sent some wolves up here and we’ll be bringing some up with us, so maybe the key is expanding.” Liam pulled him down on the bed, holding onto him. He loved spending time right here in Liam’s arms, enjoying their privacy, skin to skin.
He loved Liam, period.
“I love you too, baby. So much.” Liam kissed the top of his head. “And I love Gael. And this new little one.” Liam put a hand between them on his belly. “You make me happy.”
“I’m so glad you aren’t mad or freaked out.” He’d been so scared that Liam would just— He didn’t know what. Just run.
“I’m right here. I’m not running anywhere but to you.”
He sighed, happy, leaning against Liam’s chest. “Should I go help Niall, do you think?”
“With cookies or with Loyal?” Liam teased.
“Good point. I can help him make cookies after they’ve made up.”
“Good idea.” That warm chuckle was so sweet and kind. He was so lost. Liam was it for him.
And he knew his trust was well-placed. He really did.
Now he just had to deal with how awful coffee smelled.
Chapter
Nine
Liam grunted, twisting the wrench as hard as he could, trying to get the stubborn pipe to move. The plumbing was caught up with some rust and some sheer stubbornness, he thought, and he needed to get it working so he and Theo and his brother Ryan didn’t have to come up and back every damn day. Which was what they were doing right now.
“Hey, bro, what you doing?”
The words startled him so badly that his hands jerked up, the bolt letting loose, the wrench hitting him in the chin and knocking him back on his butt.
“What the fuck?” he roared. The sound huge and loud and sharp.
In the house, the baby began to cry.
“Dude, chill! Oh you’re bleeding. I came to help. I brought stuff.”
