“What would you all think of moving permanently to fox territory?”Jerome, the fox alpha and Mackenzie’s uncle, apparently, suddenly asked, stopping every conversation in the room.
Everyone appeared surprised, including Mackenzie’s father, who’d been talking to the alpha.Mackenzie had no idea what to think of the offer or even if it was possible.Would he want to move here permanently?It all depended on his family.Dean lived here now, and Mackenzie wouldn’t want to be away from the rest of their family, but even though he was hesitant, he could see it happen.Now that his first encounter with shifters had gone well, he wanted to get to know them and this place better.He was curious, and it wasn’t like he loved his dead-end job back home.He didn’t have a partner, and he was renting.It would be easy for him to move, maybe too easy.
He understood how big it was for Jerome to offer this, though.He was the alpha, and his word was law, but that didn’t mean that his people would be happy to have a bunch of humans suddenly living with them, even though they were related to Jerome.They didn’t even know if the two sides of their family would get along in the long term.Mackenzie wanted them to, though.This felt like an opportunity for a fresh start, and he desperately needed that.
“That feels a bit rushed,” Mackenzie’s father said.“We’re not saying no, but it’ll be more complicated than just us deciding to move.”
“I understand that.But from what I know, your government has been talking about permanently moving humans into the forest.”Jerome glanced at Dean.
“They have,” Dean confirmed.“But I haven’t heard anything specific yet.I can certainly look into it, but I don’t think anyone should hold their hopes up just yet.Even if the government does want more humans here, they might not choose us.”
“They haven’t said anything about you and your team settling here permanently,” Jerome said.
“Because it’s one thing to have a trained team do so, but an entirely different thing to have civilians do it, even if they are related to some of the shifters here.I agree it would be a good idea for the first humans to move to be related to some of the shifters here, but I’m not the one who makes decisions.”
“Fine.”Jerome didn’t sound happy.“What would you all say if this was an option, though?”
“I wouldn’t mind moving,” Mackenzie said.
“I’d move in a heartbeat if I could,” his grandmother added.“We’ve already lost so much time.I don’t want to lose any more of it, especially not at my age.I don’t have that many years left, and I want to spend those years with my family.”She gestured around the room.“All of it.”
Mackenzie grinned.If she moved, they all would.There was no way the rest of the family would let her do this on her own, or even with Mackenzie.They just needed to be allowed to do it.
Chapter Two
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MACKENZIE EYED HISbrother.He hadn’t looked good when he’d let Mackenzie into the apartment, which was worrying.Maybe it was a good thing that they were all currently in the forest.Dean wouldn’t have told any of them if he was sick.Hell, hehadn’ttold any of them that he was sick.The only reason Mackenzie knew was that he could see it with his own two eyes—and hear it since Dean had thrown up twice since he’d arrived.
He knew his brother, though.Dean would deny it until he couldn’t.That didn’t mean Mackenzie wouldn’t ask.Dean would’ve been able to get away without answering his questions if they hadn’t been together, but they were in the same room, so there would be no escaping Mackenzie’s questions.
“You should go home,” Dean groaned from the couch.
He’d pulled a pillow onto his face when Mackenzie had tried talking to him.He hadn’t said he wasn’t feeling well, but he didn’t have to.Mackenzie was pretty sure that he was hiding, but it wasn’t working.He knew his brother.He didn’t have to see Dean’s face to know something was wrong.
“I really think you should see a doctor,” Mackenzie said.
“Healer,” Dean grumbled from under his pillow.
“What?”Mackenzie pulled on the pillow.The way Dean was trying to hide was ridiculous and made Mackenzie worry even more, even though Dean glared at him.He didn’t care.Dean could glare and bitch all he wanted.If something was wrong, Mackenzie would drag him to a doctor or a healer himself.
Dean sat up, looking a little green.“Healer.There are no doctors in the forest.”
Mackenzie blinked.“Right.I hadn’t thought about that.Would they be able to help you?”
“I don’t need a healer.I’m fine.”
Mackenzie arched a brow because that was blatantly a lie, and they both knew it.“Are you?Because I wasn’t aware that puking every five minutes meant you were fine.”
“I’m not throwing up every five minutes.”
Mackenzie sighed and grabbed Dean’s legs.Dean was stretched out, and he tried to sit up to give Mackenzie space, but Mackenzie didn’t let him.He sat, then pulled Dean’s legs on top of his legs.Dean flopped back down, grabbed his pillow again, and pressed it against his face.
He definitely wasn’t doing well.This wasn’t like him.Normally, he’d have pushed Mackenzie away and would’ve told him to fuck off.
“You really need to see someone,” Mackenzie said, squeezing Dean’s ankle.“I know you want to appear tough and everything, but no one will expect you not to see a healer when you’re so sick.Or if you’d rather see a doctor, I’m sure we can find someone outside the forest.”
“I’ve already seen a healer, and I’m fine,” Dean said, his voice muffled by the pillow.
