I had not been expecting a heartfelt apology from this guy. In my experience, the leaders of the pack never admitted they were wrong. These guys seemed a lot different from the wolves in my pack. Maybe they weren’t so bad? My cousins hadn’t been bad guys until they were beaten down and brainwashed by the other wolves in my pack.
Grayson stood as the basement door slammed open again and the smell of chicken drifted down to me. I perked up in excitement; it had been weeks since I had a hot meal and I was already starving. I paced back and forth in anticipation, never taking my eyes off the chicken. This was going to be way better than any scrawny squirrel that I would have been able to catch on the hunt I had planned earlier tonight.
Kannon reached for the door to my cage but Grayson stopped him with a hand. “Lori, if we open this door, do you promise not to attack?”
I gave him a quick wolf nod and licked my lips, waiting for my chicken. Grayson released Kannon so he could open the door and set down a plate piled with chicken breasts.
“I just microwaved some of the chicken we had in the freezer,” Kannon said as I started to devour his offering.
I didn’t care where this had come from, it tasted amazing. I didn’t even care when the guys watched me gobble it all down with varying degrees of fascination and worry. I finished the plate way too quickly and licked it clean before sitting back on my haunches in satisfaction. It had been such a long time since I’d eaten so much at one time that my belly was practically bursting.
“Lori, we’re going to go upstairs and give you some privacy,” Grayson said quietly. “Take your time and come up when you’re ready, we’ll leave the door open.”
Wyatt and Grayson started up the stairs but Kannon hesitated. “I can make something better for you, I just thought you would want something really quick for now,” he said, worry in his voice.
“Kannon!” Wyatt called.
I licked my lips in appreciation and gave him a nod. He seemed satisfied with that because he followed the others up the stairs.
Now that I was alone again, I laid down to enjoy the full feeling in my tummy. I hadn’t realized just how constant the ache of hunger had gotten until it had resolved. I closed my eyes and relaxed completely, waiting for the food to kick in.
After twenty minutes or so I tried to find my spark again. This time it was a little bit stronger and I was able to focus enough to use it to shift. I stepped out of the cage and stretched out my human form, cracking my back. I grabbed the clothes that the guys had left and slipped into the soft t-shirt and baggy sweats. I was a little self-conscious about not having the support of a bra or cami, but hopefully the shirt was loose enough that it wouldn’t be too obvious.
I hesitated at the bottom of the stairs before going up. They were going to be asking a lot of questions, just how much should I tell them? The last thing that I wanted was for them to ship me right back to my pack. How could I convince them to just forget they had seen me?
A wave of sadness crested over me when I realized that I was probably going to have to leave their territory. I liked the life that I was starting to build here and had been hopeful that things could get better. But realistically, I couldn’t keep going the way that I was. I couldn’t live in a cave forever, I couldn’t keep living on the brink of starvation, and deep down I realized that I couldn’t keep living alone. There was a part of me that craved being part of a pack. My former pack may have been made up of assholes, but that didn’t mean that every pack was like that.
I went slowly up the stairs, still not sure if I could trust these guys with the truth. The basement stairs led into a large kitchen where I found Grayson and Wyatt sitting at a large wooden table that looked like it could sit at least a dozen firemen. Kannon was over at one of the two stoves, making something that smelled delicious.
I hesitated at the door, unsure of myself.
“Lori!” Kannon said enthusiastically. “I knew it wouldn’t take you long. Have a seat, I’m making breakfast.”
Even though I had just scarfed down a plateful of chicken breasts a half-hour ago, I was still curious at what Kannon was cooking. I took a couple of steps closer, careful to keep the other two in my view. I smelled the glorious scents of bacon and sausage and watched as Kannon poured some pancake batter into a pan. My mouth watered; and I think that the plate of chicken had just been enough to break the dam that had kept my hunger at bay for so long.
Grayson pushed his chair back and stood. “Lori, come have a seat,” he said gruffly.
I bristled at the order but relaxed when he gave me a warm smile and pulled out a chair. “Let’s talk for a couple minutes before breakfast,” Wyatt added. “Do you want some coffee?”
I shook my head no to that one, but pulled out a chair on the opposite side from them so I could keep all three guys in my line of sight. Grayson didn’t seem insulted that I picked a different chair than the one he had offered, he just took his seat again and picked up his coffee.
Wyatt watched me closely over the rim of his coffee mug, his face completely unreadable. Judging by the interactions that I had seen so far, he was the second in command here.
I played with the hem of my borrowed t-shirt nervously. It smelled like laundry detergent and faintly of Kannon. I needed to get closer to him to really take in his scent and catalogue it. I stood up and wandered a little closer to him. “What are you making?” I completely ignored the fact that I could feel the other guys staring at me.
Kannon brightened at my interest. “Pancakes, maple sausage, and applewood smoked bacon.”
“Mmm,” I said in approval. I brushed by him and walked around the table to get the scents of all the guys. Once I was close enough to them to pick up on their distinctive scents I inhaled deeply. Wyatt smelled like the forest after a fresh rain mixed with a male musk. Grayson’s scent reminded me of sandalwood and heat, whereas Kannon was fresh pine. All of it was mixed with bacon, sausage, and pancakes, which made me drool a little.
None of the guys minded that I was obviously scenting them with a purpose, but they had probably already done the same to me while I was unconscious. Grayson waited politely until he had my attention again. “What’s your story, Lori? How did you end up here in Hollow Crest?”
I pulled out my chair and sat again. “Umm…” I hesitated, debating on whether or not to tell them the truth. I looked between the three of them and gnawed on my lower lip as I debated. The moment of silence while they waited for me to answer had extended into awkward territory.
“We can tell you our story first,” Kannon offered. “That way you can feel more comfortable sharing yours.”
Wyatt shot him a dirty look, but Kannon had already turned his back to flip a pancake.
Grayson sighed in resignation but didn’t argue with Kannon’s offer to go first. “The pack that we grew up in was attacked and taken over by another pack. We didn’t like the new leadership and they didn’t like us, so we left.”
There was a beat of silence while they waited for my reaction. I sensed that my next words were critical. “That must have been hard,” I said sympathetically. “To make the decision to go out on your own.”
Grayson and Wyatt both nodded solemnly. Leaving the safety and shelter of pack life to venture out on your own was a difficult decision to make. The four of them would be labeled as ‘lone wolves’ and it would be a struggle to find a new pack that would accept them. Males outnumbered females by quite a bit, so most packs wouldn’t want additional young, virile males to compete for the females. In order for a new male to be accepted into the pack, he would have to have a useful skill that the pack needed.
“So she can speak,” Corey said sarcastically as he stepped into the room from the garage and leaned on the door frame. His presence disrupted the quiet and I felt the mood in the room change. Grayson and Wyatt both shot him disapproving looks and he glared at them defiantly before they all turned their attention back to me. There was a moment when I felt bad for Corey, because I saw the fli
cker of dejection in his eyes when his two friends turned away from him.
“We’re thinking about joining the military,” Kannon offered. “That way we can get skills to make us attractive candidates to another pack.”
Corey groaned. “Not this again.”
“We are not joining the military,” Grayson stated slowly as if this was an old argument. “We decided to build a business here instead.”
“Kannon, we talked about this. There’s no guarantee that one pack would accept all of us or allow us to stay together. This is the better plan,” Wyatt added.
Kannon just shrugged and went back to his pancakes.
“What about you, Lori?” Wyatt asked me. “What pack are you from?”
“I’m…” My heart started to beat faster as they all stared at me expectantly. “I’m from a pack that I’m not going back to,” I finally said.
Grayson nodded in understanding but Wyatt narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Is your pack going to come here looking for you?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think they would be able to follow me here. I was careful.”
“How careful?” Wyatt asked with a frown.
“I hid in the back of a truck for a couple hundred miles, then traveled on foot for a few weeks. I only stopped to get food in places that didn’t have security cameras and I only used cash.”
Grayson’s eyes widened and even Wyatt looked surprised.
“That’s pretty hardcore,” Corey admitted. “No hotels or anything?”
“Nope, I just slept outside when I could find a safe spot,” I told them. That had been the most difficult part of my journey. How could I ever relax when I was outside, exposed, and on the run? I hadn’t really slept until I had found my little den, and even then, I never really slept for more than a couple hours at a time. My anxiety about someone sneaking up on me made me too nervous to ever fully relax. I had gotten some really good catnaps in the children’s section of the little library here in town until the librarian caught on and kept an eye out for me. After that, it was just my cave that gave me sanctuary.
“What about your family?” Kannon asked. “Won’t they miss you?”
I shook my head and tried to hide the tears that came to my eyes at the thought of my mom. “I don’t have any family left.” I cleared my throat to try and hide how my voice had cracked at the end of my statement. I definitely didn’t consider my two cousins to be family; they would betray me to the pack in a heartbeat just as they had done so many times before.
“We can be your family now,” Kannon offered with a smile as he walked over to lay his hand on my shoulder. “We always stick together, no matter what,” he said earnestly.
“Kannon…” Wyatt said warningly.
Corey laughed. “Sure, let’s just invite all the strays to join the family,” he said bitterly.
Grayson cleared his throat. “Lori, I think maybe we need to get to know you a little better before we make any decisions like that.”
I nodded but gave Kannon a smile. He squeezed my shoulder before going back to the stove and humming to himself. Kannon’s offer had warmed my heart. He didn’t know me at all, but he was willing to let me into his world. A small spark of hope lit inside of me. Maybe I could make a home with these guys. They didn’t seem like they had the mentality or rules of my old pack and my gut said that I could trust them. And even though Corey seemed like an asshole, I was starting to pick up on the fact that it was just an act.
“So, Lori,” Wyatt started cautiously. “We couldn’t help but notice that you seem to be living in… less than ideal conditions.”
I laughed. “If that’s a polite way of asking if I really live in a cave in the woods, the answer is yes. But it’s just for right now. I’m going to figure something else out soon.”
“Where’s all your stuff?” Wyatt asked with a frown.
“Oh, I have a locker at the Y.” I turned bright red in embarrassment as they all exchanged glances.
“And you work at the ice cream shop?” Grayson asked.
I nodded. “I just started, so I only get twenty hours a week. But if I work really hard, Mr. Reaven might give me more hours.”
“Uh, huh.” Grayson and Wyatt exchanged looks again.
“And I’m guessing that you get paid cash under the table?”
I nodded again.
“Less than minimum wage?”
“Well, yeah. But once I prove myself, I’ll probably get a raise.”
Wyatt grimaced. “How do you even afford to buy enough food for yourself?”
I blushed again and stared down at the floor. “Well, I only work twenty hours a week, so that gives me plenty of time to hunt.”
Kannon set down a plate of bacon in the center of the table and the uncomfortable questioning stopped for a moment. Even Corey joined in on the bacon eating festivities.
Before we had even finished licking our greasy fingers, Kannon was already handing out plates with sausage and pancakes. I smothered everything in syrup and went to town, fighting the urge to lick my plate when it was all gone.
I leaned back at the table and groaned at how full my belly was. They were going to have to roll me away from this table so I could sink into a food coma.
“That was so good,” I moaned. “Sorry I ate so much, but if you all want to come up to the ice cream shop one day, I can hook you up with some awesome sundaes. My treat.”
Kannon smiled at the praise. “If you stay here with us, you can eat like that every day.”
I looked at him in surprise. “Um…”
“Kannon, why don’t you take Lori upstairs?” Grayson suggested before turning to me. “It might be good to get some sleep indoors today, you probably haven’t been able to fully relax out in the wilderness.”
I nodded, that was definitely the truth. “If that’s okay with you guys?”
Wyatt gave me a nod but Corey studiously ignored me. Whatever.
I heaved myself to my feet and practically waddled after Kannon. He led me through the door that Corey had come through earlier and then up a metal spiral flight of stairs. “The living quarters are up here,” Kannon explained.
We walked into what must be considered their living room, which had a few couches and an empty spot on the wall where it looked like a TV used to hang. Kannon followed my gaze. “They left a lot of furniture here, but took the TV,” he told me with a bashful grin.
I followed him curiously as he led me back into a second large room. This one was lined with beds and must have been where the firefighters had slept. Most of the twelve bed frames had mattresses, but only four had bedding.
“You can sleep in mine,” Kannon offered. “I have to finish painting the garage, but I can wake you up for lunch.”
“Are you sure?” I asked doubtfully. “I just ate a ton of your food. Maybe I should help out?”
Kannon laughed. “Believe me, food is one thing that we don’t skimp on. We have more than enough to share with a female.”
I sighed. “It shouldn’t matter if I’m female or not. I’m sure you guys have a ton of stuff to do to get this place ready.”
Kannon just shrugged. “Maybe later after you get some rest. The showers are over this way, I’ll grab you a towel.”
I grimaced at the thought of what I must look and smell like. Huddling in a cave in the middle of the woods got a girl all kinds of dirty.
Kannon piled two towels and another stack of his clothes in my arms. “My bed is the blue one.” He pointed to it with a grin.
“I can sleep in one of the unclaimed beds,” I offered. “I don’t want to invade your space.”
He shook his head. “I want you to. After what you’ve been through…” He shrugged again before his eyes glazed over and I could tell he was using his pack bond. “I gotta get back down, do you need anything else?”
I shook my head no and he took off, leaving me standing there alone. Kannon was beyond sweet, but it was obvious that the others had asked us to leave the room so
they could talk about me. I hugged the pile of stuff that Kannon had given me and inhaled his scent. Maybe a shower would help me think through everything that had happened in the last few hours.
I carried everything into the room he had pointed to and looked around in surprise. The bathroom had a row of stalls off to the left with toilets, but the shower heads were just arranged circularly in an open room. It reminded me of my high school’s locker room that no one ever wanted to use.
I was glad that I was the only one up here, but I didn’t like showering in such an exposed area. Anyone could wander in. I showered as quickly as I could but made sure that I got all the dirt and grime off me. I hurriedly dried off and slipped into Kannon’s clothes but wrapped my hair up in a towel while I went in search of a brush or a comb.
I didn’t see anything lying out and I didn’t want to get caught going through everyone’s drawers, so I finger combed my hair the best I could before braiding it into a tight bun again. I walked back out into the bedroom and eyed Kannon’s bed. I could take him up on the offer and get some sleep in a real bed. But could I really trust the guys? They could be downstairs selling me out while I was up here snoozing away. I needed to investigate a little more before I could really relax around here.
I gave the bed one last regretful look and walked back to the stairs. The first task of my investigation was going to be finding out what they were all saying about me when I wasn’t there. Were they planning on helping or hurting me?
I hesitated at the top at the top of the stairs, but couldn’t hear anything so I decided it was safe to go down. I listened at the kitchen door, but only heard silence so they must not be in there. I tapped my bare foot on the ground. What next? They had either left me alone in here or were out in the garage working.
I walked through the kitchen and pressed my ear up against the door that led to the garage. Finally, I heard muffled voices. I tapped into my stronger wolf senses so I could listen in.
New Beginnings: Hollow Crest Wolf Pack Book 1 Page 6
