With one last fleeting look at Dakota, Henry left. He found his Papa in the schoolroom, which served as a makeshift office for Sam now that all the kids were done with high school. Papa gave him a giant hug when he walked into the room and Henry felt a lot of the tension and fear melt away.
“How’s my boy?” Sam asked.
“I’m okay.”
Sam huffed and grabbed Henry’s face. “Sure you are. Why don’t you make some of that ointment stuff for Grandpa and tell me what’s on your mind?”
Henry knew it was a distraction, but he didn’t care. He laid it all out: the upcoming vision quest, Sawyer’s new powers and what they’d learned. His fears and hopes. By the time he finished, he was putting the cap on the new batch of ointment for Grandpa. He turned and found his Papa watching him intently from his desk chair.
“Sorry,” Henry said. “I sort of zoned out.”
“I knew you would. That’s why I had you do it. How are you feeling now?”
Henry took a second to process. “Better. More centered.”
His Papa’s smug grin wasn’t lost on him.
“I see what you did there. Very sneaky, Papa.”
Sam rose and moved to the table where Henry stood. He pulled him into one of his famous Papa hugs, the kind that wrapped around you so tight it was hard to breathe. They were Henry’s favorite.
“Trust your mates, Henry,” Sam said softly. “When I first came into this world, everything was different. Everything was new. Just like it is now for you. But I trusted your dad. I trusted our alpha. Sawyer is your alpha now. He’s your mate. Believe in him.”
“I do,” Henry said softly.
“I know you do. But I thought you needed a little reminder.”
“I don’t know what’s going to happen. Dakota says I can control this kind of vision. But what if I can’t?”
“Then you cling to him and let him get you out of there. He is a guardian. He’ll keep you safe.”
Henry sighed and leaned into his Papa’s hug. Sam somehow managed to squeeze him tighter.
They stood there for a long moment. Henry drew strength from Sam’s hug, just like he’d done since he was a kid.
When they finally parted, Sam grabbed his shoulders and gave him a squeeze. “Take your Grandpa his ointment and tell him to quit being a grumpy old man.”
Henry snorted but scooped up the container anyway. “No way am I saying that to him. Do you think I’m crazy?”
Sam laughed and followed him to Grandpa’s room.
Grandpa was asleep and Dakota looked like he hadn’t even moved. His eyes were closed, but they popped open the second Henry stepped into the doorway.
“You ready to go?”
Dakota nodded before standing. He stretched and gave one last look toward the bed. He gave Grandpa a nod, almost like he was finalizing an agreement between them, then walked to the doorway.
Henry looked up at him and smiled. “Thanks for hanging out with him.”
“Thank you for letting me.”
Sam huffed and they both moved out of the way. He took Dakota’s place in the chair by the bed and leaned back to prop his feet up.
“No feet on the bed,” Grandpa grumbled.
“But Dad,” Sam said.
“No feet.”
