The cart shook itself and didn’t leave, so Titan guessed that it had wandered into the woods and gotten lost.
There was magic in metals. It began as wisps of energy in metal ores, growing more concentrated as the ores were refined. Over time, these magic-heavy metals were turned into parts. When the metal parts of an object moved, their magic interacted, turning the object sentient. It was how locks could smile, faucets could bite, and shopping carts frolicked wherever they wished.
“C’mon, you can follow me,” Titan said. “The paths are worn flat and easier on your wheels.”
The cart gave his hand a friendly nudge, squeaking noisily as it followed him to the next shed.
“I’m looking for a stroller for my omega’s pup,” Titan said. “Because pups are heavy and my arms are hurt, I can’t help him carry his.”
His broken arm was still in a sling, so he carefully used its fingers to open the shed door. The cart nosed in after him, bumping into various things. This shed didn’t have a stroller, either. But it had spare blankets and pillows, and...
That’s right, Mathlin wants a nest.
Titan stepped forward to grab the blankets and pillows, remembering too late that he wasn’t supposed to use either of his arms. “Damn it.”
If he used his right arm, with the torn bicep... Mathlin wouldn’t know, right? His efforts had been focused on the broken bones in Titan’s left arm.
Footsteps rustled outside the shed. “Titan?” Ottis peeked through the open door, his pup cradled in one arm. “I thought I heard your voice. What’re you doing?”
“Looking for a stroller,” Titan said. “For Mathlin. But this is the fourth shed I’ve searched, and I can’t seem to find any.”
Ottis raised an eyebrow. Then he giggled. “You literally have a stroller right there.”
He nodded at the cart.
“Oh.” Titan felt kind of stupid. “We’ve only just met a few minutes ago, though.”
But it didn’t hurt to ask. He went over to where the cart was nosing at a fake potted plant, giving it a light nudge with his thigh.
“Hey, buddy. Want to help me with Mathlin’s pup? You’ll get to stay in my cabin, but no knocking things over.”
The cart began flipping its wheels back and forth to make loud squeaking sounds. Then it nudged Titan repeatedly, like it couldn’t wait to meet Mathlin and Jannie.
Titan grinned. “Aww, you’re adorable.” He turned to Ottis. “Would you mind stuffing some pillows and blankets into the cart? I want to build Math a nest.”
Several different emotions flickered through Ottis’ face. Fondness, but also wistfulness and envy.
Titan bit back the things he wanted to say.
A few weeks ago, Ottis had returned to the pack all beaten up and bruised, smelling of a strange alpha. He had brought with him a pup, but when pressed, he refused to say who had mistreated him.
Naturally, all their brothers wanted to hunt down Ottis’ abuser. They were also keeping a very close eye on him; Ottis had been exhausted when he’d returned, with bags under his eyes and his movements slow and pained.
He was doing better now, but it was difficult for Titan to rein in his protective instincts when he could still see fresh scars on Ottis’ skin.
“Don’t say it,” Ottis muttered, narrowing his eyes.
“I’m not saying anything.”
“I can feel you thinking it. I can feeleveryonethinking it.” Ottis hunched his shoulders. “I don’t want to feel stifled, okay? I mean, it’s okay if it’s just a couple of people breathing down my neck, but right now it’sthe entire pack.I knew this was gonna happen. It’s why I didn’t wanna come back.”
“You’re ouronlyomega brother,” Titan pointed out. “If you had a helpless little brother, you’d want to protect him too.”
Right after, he knew he had said the wrong thing.
“I’m not helpless!” Ottis glowered. “You taught me how to fight!”
And yet he had still ended up bruised anyway. Titan wisely didn’t saythataloud. “Fuck. Sorry. Iknowthat. But it’s hard to pull back our instincts when—”
