Chapter Forty-Nine
Grace
We entered the feed store. I couldn’t find a hardware store close to us that sold chickens, but this was just as good.
Taking Brennan’s hand, we wandered around until we found the chicks, which were in big galvanized tubs with heat lamps. While sure, I could probably buy some really fancy chickens, I just wanted hardware store chickens.
“I didn’t think we were actually getting chickens.” Brennan peered at the tub.
“Yes. They put out the new chicks today.” I looked at the cards on the tubs listing the different breeds. Some of the breeds were a little different here, but I'd done my research.
“Where are we going to put the chickens? Are we allowed to have chickens? Oh, they’re so tiny,” he gushed.
“I know, right? We can have six hens. Spencer got me a chicken coop. It’s not here yet, but we’ll need to keep them in a brooder for a bit, anyway.” I got my phone out and showed Brennan the picture of my custom coop.
Brennan blinked. “It’s a tiny version of our guest house.”
“Since you thought coops weren’t attractive, Spencer got one to match the house.”
“Oh. That’s very thoughtful. I’m not against chickens, I’ve just never had them. But if they make you happy, why not? So do we just… pick them?” He put his hands behind his back like he was afraid to touch them.
“We will. But you know, we should look at brooders first.” Taking his hand, I pulled him along, grabbing a cart, and noting things I also might want to get.
I eyed all the cute seedlings. “Can I have a little garden?”
“That sounds nice. Chickens. Who will take care of them when we’re gone?” Brennan asked me.
“A company called Chicken Tenders. They’ll take care of Spencer’s hedgehog, too. But we haven’t gotten him yet.” I studied small portable heated homes for the chicks to live in while they were too small for the main coop.
Brennan laughed. “That is an amazing idea. Chicken Tenders. Ha! Wait, Spencer’s getting a hedgehog?”
“It’s my present to him. Do you want a dog? You want a dog, right? You like big dogs who need lots of exercise, right?” Picking a brooder, I put it in the cart, Brennan helping me.
It came with bulbs, but we needed bedding and food.
“We could never have pets. Though for a bit Katie had fish that she won at the school carnival,” he shared.
“Oh.” I hugged him. “If you want a dog, we’ll get you one for your birthday.”
“Let’s start with chickens and hedgehogs. I might want some bunnies,” he replied.
Hmmm. Could the chicken coop place make us a matching bunny hutch? Jett mentioned bunnies, too. I could get them each a bunny.
I found the bedding and food and put it in the cart along with some other things, then headed back to the chickens.
“Um, Little Butterfly?” Brennan said softly as we watched the chicks.
“Yes, Bren?” Hmmm, did I want all six of the same breed, or two each of the three different breeds? I took some videos and sent them to Riley so that she could help choose.
“How are we going to get all this back on your motorcycle?” Brennan’s arm slid around my waist.
My heart fell. “Oh. I was originally going to take my truck, but then I decided to bring you and thought my motorcycle would be more fun and forgot that even though I joke about it, it’s probably not safe to bring chickens on a motorcycle.
Well, maybe one in your jacket around the block so she can have a ride but not taking a whole box any distance. ”
“Can we come back tomorrow?”
“But the chicks were put out today. Tomorrow’s chickens are the leftovers,” I pleaded. We could wait until next week, but…
“Okay, how about if we see if we can pay for everything and ask Jett or Evan to bring them home?” he asked. “Um, where are we keeping them?”
“We can just keep them in the kitchen until they’re big enough for the coop,” I replied. “Though sometimes I’ll probably put the brooder outside on the porch.”
Brennan nodded. “Okay, we actually have hawks, but if the chickens are in their little house they should be okay. We might need a net or something if you have an area for them to play outside the coop.”
“Oh. That’s a good idea,” I replied.
“Why don’t you pick out the chickens, and I’ll see if we can have them hold everything for pickup, okay?” Brennan gave me a kiss.
“Okay.” While he left, I watched the chicks, noting which ones looked healthy and active and were eating, drinking, scratching, and joining in with the other chicks, but not too bossy.
An employee came over to me. “Would you like to get some chicks?”
“I would.”
I asked some questions and then told her which ones I wanted as I carefully selected some from each group, until I had five, using some of Riley’s suggestions.
“I’ll let my alpha pick out the last one,” I told her. My mouth shut. Why did I say that?
But he sort of was. Brennan was mine. Even if he wasn’t ready, which I respected, I’d claimed him in my head.
“I get to pick?” Brennan beamed. “Oooh, what about that big one?”
“In my experience, the big bossy one ends up being a rooster, which we’re not allowed to have.” I put my arm around him, keeping him close. He heard that? Shit.
Brennan picked one, and she took them to the counter so we could pay.
Anxiousness shot through me. “I slipped and called you my alpha, I’m sorry.”
“Grace, I am yours.” Brennan kissed me. “I want to be yours.”
He did? My heart danced.
“I want you to be mine, too.” I kissed him back. “Now let’s go pay for our chicken army.”
“I meant what I said,” Brennan said softly over the coms in our helmets as we drove back to the house.
“I was so afraid when you arrived here. The last time that someone came into our life, they tried to ruin it. I was so convinced that you would do the same that I refused to see there was a chance that you wouldn’t.
Um, I’m sorry for the damage I caused because I was blinded by the past. I don’t think I ever properly groveled for that night when you got sick because of me. ”
“You don’t need to grovel, Bren,” I soothed. “I really don’t understand why it’s a big deal. If anything, I feel bad undoing all of Evan’s hard work.”
“Sometimes I forget that you’re not from here. Also, Wes and I are used to being more hands-off than a lot of alphas because that’s what Evan needs. We’re having to learn how to take care of you the way you need. I’m glad we have Spencer and Jett to help us, and Evan, of course,” he added.
“Evan’s very good about knowing what I need before I do,” I replied.
Brennan was quiet for a moment, and I let him compose his thoughts. It felt like he needed to say things, so I’d let him.
“One thing that my mother said when you first arrived was that yes, you wanted something from us, but that didn’t mean what you wanted was a threat to us.
It really didn’t take long to realize that you didn’t want our money.
But what you wanted from us was far more terrifying.
You wanted our love and acceptance. Evan once said that opening up your heart means opening yourself up to the possibility of heartbreak… ” His voice grew ragged.
The stoplight changed to red, and I came to a stop. I reached over and squeezed his hand.
“Bren, I’m not going to break your heart. Also, you’re allowed to be wary of bringing strangers into your pack. After all, I was hiding something.” It meant a lot that he was saying all this, even if I already understood it on some level. The light turned green, and we started moving again.
He chuckled. “Yeah, that was a lot. For a moment I was so mad. That night Wes and Spencer told us where you were from, I ranted to Jett. And you know what Jett did?”
“What?” I didn’t know much about what happened on their end after I was taken other than they went to the cabin and Evan had his heat.
“He held me tight and said, If she’d actually come to us and told us that, would you have believed her, especially after everything that’s been between you so far?
It made me realize that it was unfair of me to expect you to confide in me something so private when I’d been shitty to you.
After that, I was more confused than anything.
Scientific theories are not my area of expertise,” he confessed.
“I’m glad that Jett stood up for me. He’s such a calm and supportive presence. I enjoy doing things with him, like going to the boxing gym and watching movies with him and Evan,” I replied as I turned the corner so we could enter our subdivision.
“Jett’s my rock. He has such a big, fucking crush on you.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, I like him too. I understand how you fell for him.”
“He’s the one who told me that I’ve been courting you without realizing it.
I hope it’s not unwelcome. I want to be with you, Grace.
Obviously, I don’t want to overwhelm you, but at some point, I…
I would very much like to bond with you, Little Butterfly.
You very much belong not just in my pack, but with me. ”
He wanted to bond with me? Awww. His words made me want to explode with happiness. Not just because they were heartfelt but because of how far he’d come.
“I would like to be with you, too, Bren.” We were nearly home, and the house should be empty. Maybe we could be together a little bit? I’d never been with him alone.
“You still confuse the fuck out of me. But a lot of that is me figuring out how you need to be loved and cared for, given it’s different from what I’m used to.
You’re different from what I’m used to, though it’s not a bad thing.
No, it’s a good thing. I never realized that I needed to be loved the way you love me.
I never thought I’d want to be cared for the way you care for me.
Grace, I need you in a way I never considered that I’d need anyone. ”
His heartfelt words melted my core. Yeah, I was dragging him into my room and kissing the shit out of him.