“Shit,” he said, eyes wide with confusion. “This is some heavy shit, bro.”
“I know. I’ll be back in a bit, just make sure she’s okay. I trust the doc, but at this point, no one else gets in to see her. Got it?”
Sebastian nodded. “Yeah, yeah, we’re good.”
On the drive home, I went over the multiple ways the conversation with Javi could go. The scenarios in my head ran the gamut from intelligent adult negotiation that ended with a resolution we could all deal with to disaster that ended with shouts, screams, blood, and everything in between.
When I pulled into my house and saw the car sitting in the driveway, I sighed. It was not what I wanted to see. I loved my mother, but I wasn’t really in the mood to have the conversation I knew was coming.
I found her in the kitchen.
“Nico? What is going on? Everyone is running around like chickens with their heads cut off. All over the pack compound. Is something wrong?”
With everything that had happened, I hadn’t had time to let my family know about the situation. I rubbed my face and let out an exhausted sigh. “Mom, call Dad and everyone else. Have them come over. I’d rather explain it once instead of four or five times. I need to go clean up the spare room. I’m going to have a house guest.”
My mother’s eyes glittered with worry, but she did as I asked. I heard her on the phone with my brothers and dad while I was in the back room. The bedroom had mostly been used as my own personal storage area. It was full of boxes, bags of clothes, and books. I spent twenty minutes hauling items into the attic and garage before the room looked suitable for a guest. I grabbed some spare sheets and blankets from the linen closet in my bathroom and had just finished making the bed when I heard the rumble of conversation coming from the kitchen and living room. The Lorenzos had all arrived.
When I walked out, I saw my entire family sprawled through my house. Diego and Mateo were sitting on the hearth of my fireplace in quiet discussion. Rafael was with my parents at the kitchen island, it seemed like they were arguing, which was usual for them. My baby brother, Gabriel—the youngest of us all—was on the couch, scrolling through his phone, looking the least concerned out of everyone.
Dad glanced up and saw me standing in the hallway. “Nico?” Everyone else stopped what they were doing and turned to look at me. “What’s going on here? I can’t get any of your guys to give me a straight answer. I’ve called everyone. Why has the guard around the neighborhood been increased?”
I held my hand up. “Hang on, Dad, I’ll get to that. Can everyone give me a second to explain?” I took their silence as agreement and launched into my story. I explained about finding Maddy half-dead and being attacked by shifters, recognizing them as members of Javi’s pack, the second attempt on her life, the nurse-and-husband issue, and my offer of security. I left out the strange feelings I’d been having toward Maddy since I first scented her blood. That seemed like information that would muddy the waters, and I had no time for that.
Unsurprisingly, Mom was the first to speak once I was done. “Nico, why are you involving yourself in this? It seems like this should be between this girl and the police. You’re putting yourself and the entire pack in danger.”
Dad chopped his hand down through the air like a knife. “Julia, you know what it means to be an alpha. Nico is a true alpha, and any alpha worth his salt helps those in need. He can’t turn his back on this girl. This Maddy girl needs help, regardless of the pack. It’s the right thing to do.”
Diego cleared his throat, and we all turned to look at him. “And this could be a way to weaken Javi. Right, Dad?”
Dad nodded. He looked at me, and I noticed the calculating look in his eyes. “True, this could be the chance we’ve been waiting on to finally bring Javi down. Especially if we have something he wants. We can use that.”
Mom’s eyes blazed in fury as she turned on Dad. “Carlos, you’re talking about war! Is that what you want?” She turned her gaze back to me. “Nico, you’re being reckless. You can’t put the entire pack in danger for one single human. You need to think this through. You’ll understand that you can’t?—”
“Do you trust me as alpha, Mother?” I asked, my irritation turning to anger.
The room went deathly quiet. Gabriel turned back to his phone, averting his eyes from the uncomfortable situation. Mateo put a hand to his eyes, and Diego and Rafael looked on in greedy anticipation, ready to watch the fireworks of a fight between Mom and me. Dad looked like he was waiting to see how I’d handle the situation before chiming in.
The question seemed to be a slap in the face to Mom. I knew it would and didn’t feel bad about it. She needed to understand. After staring into my eyes for several seconds, Mom finally lowered her gaze, face going red.
She nodded. “I trust you, Nico. Implicitly. You are the pack alpha,” she murmured, sounding adequately chastised.
I sighed. “Then trust me on this. Can you do that, Mom? Dad does.” I swept a hand across the room. “All my brothers do. Can you?”
Mom nodded again, managing to meet my eyes. “Yes. I trust you. I’m sorry. I…I’m just worried.”
“I understand, Mom. So am I,” I said.
Dad stepped over and patted me on the shoulder. “You’re doing something here, Nico. I’m proud of you for this. Few would sacrifice so much for an innocent. The pack will followyou. I guarantee it. Come on, Julia, let’s let Nico get the house ready for his guest.”
Mom followed him out the door after giving me a hug goodbye. My brothers all seemed content to hang out where they were. The front door closed, and all four of them shared a glance with each other. I frowned as they all shared some unspoken conversation I wasn’t privy to.
Diego stood and crossed his arms. “So, what’s really going on? You’re hiding something.”
I groaned and hung my head. I hated how easily my brothers could read me. I’d really thought I’d done a good job keeping things hidden during my explanation. I gritted my teeth and kept my mouth shut.
Mateo chuckled. “You might as well spill it. We aren’t going to let up. Unless you want us to tell Mom you’ve got a secret.”
My eyes snapped up to his face. “You wouldn’t fucking dare.”
