Past the introductions, the meeting was a blur of discomfort, harsh breaths, and whispered explanations. Afterward, she couldn’t remember much of what was said, but Otto assured her that she’d done beautifully. She explained who she was, what was done to her, what she and others like her were capable of.
Lee backed up her story with charred evidence from her father’s lab and Otto did the same with his own experience. Every face in the room went starkly pale when he described his struggle to shift, and that he had no doubt in his mind that others may not be able to.
Her only clear memory of the meeting, unblurred by adrenaline, was when Otto admitted that the only reason he believed he was still able to was because of the matebond. Speaking with the utmost solemnity, he said, “The bear knew she needed him and refused to die. If not for her… No, I don’t think he’d still be here.”
There was some heated speculation from the assembled alphas as to whether or not a were might be able to regain their animal if a matebond was formed after infection, but Josephine had no answers for them. When the subject ran up against a clear lack of evidence one way or another, discussion turned to who was responsible.
Again, she had no answers. Lee backed up her description of the patron, who’d escaped via m-gate with his lone surviving guard after setting the house on fire, presumably to cover his tracks. Without a name that information was almost useless. The trail was further muddied by her father’s death and the Wyeth family’s frequent moves from city to city, territory to territory. A decision was made to question Evangeline, awaiting trial in a tiny cell far from Lee’s home, but Josephine doubted they would get anything useful out of her.
Most of the alphas seemed to believe that the Orclind must be behind it, seeing as the homestead was firmly in Orclind territory, but others raised questions about why her father was stationed in Washington prior to that, and how they’d managed to slip across the Packlands to get to the homestead undetected.
Her part in the conversation clearly done, Josephine had allowed Otto to pull her into his lap, improper as that was, and did her best to block out the debate by tucking her nose under his chin. After they returned to their room, he stripped them both naked, dragged her into bed, and held her for hours as he murmured praise.
“So brave,”he’d told her, deep voice rumbling with approval. “You faced a room full of alphas today and held your own. I’m so proud of you, my mate.”
She continued to tremble even hours later. Recalling the packed room and the loud, terrifying world outside, Josephine found herself asking, “Can we leave soon?”
Tracing her spine with his rough knuckles, he replied, “I thought you would like the city. Are you so eager to leave?”
Josephine nodded. “I used to miss the city but I— I think there are too many people now. Too many eyes.”
Besides, had she ever really known the city as she thought? Even before she’d been locked in the house, Josephine had never truly been allowed to wander freely. Her world had always been seen through the picture frame of a window.
Otto had taken her out to some of the less war-ravaged parts of the city, treating her to sweets and a few new dresses. She thought that she would love finally stepping out into the hustle and bustle, but Josephine quickly found herself overstimulated, frustrated, and anxious as people brushed by her, gawked at her eyes, spat things in the street, and so on.
“I will go wherever you lead me,” she told her mate, “but… I would prefer it if we lived somewhere quieter than a city. Perhaps not as isolated as the homestead. A town, maybe?”
Otto let out a gusty sigh. “I am glad you feel that way. I agree.”
“So we’ll leave soon?”
“Yes,” he answered, rubbing the underside of his bearded chin against the crown of her hair. “Lee is working on assigning me to a town a few days’ travel from here. Away from the ‘Riik’s border. It will be small, but not like the homestead, where you were completely isolated from the world. How does this sound?”
Josephine swallowed thickly, overcome by the idea of living in a quaint small town with her mate. For the first time in her life, she would be free. She would be safe. No more experiments, no more Harrod, no more pins or scalpels. She could just… live.
Nowhere was truly safe from the war, but with Otto, she didn’t fear that dark cloud on the horizon. She had discovered that living meant taking risks and seizing joy when it came to you. After everything, she intended to wring every drop of joy from the life she’d fought for, whether the war came for them or not.
Together, they’d make something strong enough to endure even the most violent storm.
“Sounds like paradise,” she finally answered, voice thick with tears.
Otto tightened his arms around her. “It does, doesn’t it?”
ChapterThirty-Four
Their cabin was barelybig enough to fit the both of them, needed its roof patched before the snow began to stick, and had a small family of mice living under the floorboards, but Josephine fell in love with it instantly.
Situated on the edge of Lake George and nestled amongst tall, stately pines, it was a fifteen-minute walk from a small farming town. In his animal form, Otto could cover that distance in less than half the time, allowing him to share perimeter rounds with the other dominant shifters with ease. It was far enough away to soothe her mind but also not completely removed from civilization. In other words, it was perfect.
Unfortunately, when they pulled up to the cabin laden with her charred trunk, supplies, and Otto’s personal possessions, few as they were, her mate was visibly upset at the condition of the old hunting cabin.
Josephine assured him she was delighted by it — her own home! — but he could not stop huffing and puffing as he unloaded their things from the wagon and onto the old, rickety porch. He spoke quickly in his rich, accented voice, outlining all that he intended to do to make it a den fit for her.
Before he was a soldier, he’d mainly been a traveling carpenter, so it didn’t necessarily surprise her when he immediately began inspecting windowsills, beams, and squeaky boards. While she set about sweeping and cleaning the interior, he’d pulled out his tools and began to circle the cabin with a feverish light in his eyes.
My bear needs to set his den to rights,she thought, peering at him through a small, bubbled window in the kitchen. He was stooped over, inspecting the little well nearly overgrown with moss and muttering to himself.
Shaking her head, she finished her cleaning, gently escorted the mice outside, and then descended on the cast iron stove with her brush and pail. By the time the sun began to set, snow drifted lazily down from plum-colored clouds and a fire roared in the hearth.
