I throw a look her way, which makes everyone laugh.
“But I’ve cried too damn much this week. So we’re going to eat, and then, because a little bird told me Toby misses homemade ice cream, I have a surprise for him.”
Excited murmurs fill the room, yet my heart swells. “Homemade ice cream?”
She beams. “Chocolate and vanilla. Nothing too fancy, since it’s my first time trying it. And there are toppings too. A full sundae bar. You’re welcome.”
Everyone moves to the dining table, as Jasmine and Neal dish up the stew to pass around. I stay with Rowen, not quite ready for something heavy.
Soon, but not yet.
I glance down at my arm again, at the faint scar where something dark once manipulated me. Controlled me. Owned me. The design doesn’t look like much now, not even full lines. But every inch of it is proof that I survived. Proof that I chose my way out. Proof that I fought for it.
Rowen’s thumb grazes the mark, his voice low. “You really are free, Tobias. Even if it doesn’t feel like it yet.”
I lean into him, eyes burning. “I want to believe that, but it doesn’t feel real.”
“Then start here,” he whispers, pressing a kiss just below my ear. “Start with now.”
I kiss him.
The smell of stew fills the air again, rich and grounding. Someone laughs too loudly from the kitchen. Maybe Rowen’s right. Maybe freedom starts small—one breath, one heartbeat, one quiet night in a house full of people who refuse to let me go.
And maybe that’s enough. For now.
“Tobias?”
I look up to see Forest standing near the hall. “Would you follow me, please?”
I swallow hard.Oh, no.
Rowen joins us. We enter Forest’s office, and he closes the door, gesturing for us to sit down. Forest sits across from us.
“I’ll keep this brief as I know we’re all exhausted, but I wanted you to know as soon as possible.” He slides an envelope across the desk to me. “This came for you today.”
My heart sinks at the Prodigy Memorial Hospital logo in the return address corner. The seal of the envelope is broken, but I don’t even care.
“I think the coven wanted to hurt you one more time,” Forest says gently. “Their letter says an anonymous tip reported your whereabouts, and, well, as you can see, Rip never paid a cent of your outstanding bill.”
Rowen curses. But I’m not even a little surprised. I knew from the moment Rip trapped me in that club that he’d tricked me. He never intended to help me.
My hands shake as I pull the paper out, and acid crawls up my throat. The amount is astonishing. Hundreds of thousands of dollars.
I cover my mouth.What am I going to do?
“Our pack emergency fund covered almost all of it.”
I whip my head up. “What?”
Forest smiles. “I’ve also spoken with the hospital today. The rest will be paid off in about a year.”
“Forest,” I breathe. “I can’t—”
“It’s done.” The alpha leans forward, eyes warm. “We’re a pack, Toby. It means we have funds set aside for things like this.”
“Let me pay the last of it off. Please. After all you’ve done for me—”
“If you insist, sure. I can respect a man of honor. But from here on out, you’re one of us. You hear me? Figuratively and literally. You’re an official member of the Clearwater pack.” His eyes soften.
