Chapter Five
Charlie
“Thank you, Dr. Malcolm, for coming by and helping us figure out what was wrong.” My mate shook the doctor’s hand and led him to the door. “We will call you if any other issues arise.”
“I’m happy everyone was healthy, and we could quickly flush their systems and rid them of the side effects.
Everyone can now shift, and the families have been notified.
” Dr. Malcolm shook his head. “I’m just glad the authorities were able to apprehend those two men and that it was just two wannabe traffickers and not an actual organized unit coming through our town.
It was still a horrible experience for these omegas, so make sure to call me if anyone seems to need help. ”
I split my attention between those two at the door, Foxy and his wife quietly discussing something in the kitchen of their cabin, and Isaac calmly speaking with the other omegas who had been abducted.
It had been a long day, and I just wanted to crawl into a bed and cuddle my newfound mate under a mountain of covers.
The doctor left, and Jamie came over to the couch and sat beside me, pulling me to his side.
His scent of pine and citrus filled my nose, calming my nerves.
The last several hours were hard to get through, speaking with law enforcement, hearing about how the men who abducted us were found and being held in the next town over, the doctor needing to do a full examination and detoxifying our bodies—it was a lot to process and deal with. I was tired.
“You okay?” Jamie whispered in my ear. “Do you need me to get you anything? Water? Coffee? A blanket?”
“I’m good for now.” I leaned into his body. “I just want to go home with you and go to sleep.”
“I would love that too.” Jamie squeezed me. “I think we just need to figure out what to do with Andrew, Brian, Daniel, and Matthew. Their parents are heading here, but we need to get them situated for the night at least.”
“We have talked it over, and you four can stay here in the cabin tonight.” Foxy entered the living room and sat down with his wife.
“We have the extra room, and if you feel safe here, then you are welcome to stay. There is a hotel in town as well if you would rather stay there. We can help with the cost since all your belongings are still locked up at the rest stop.”
“I can take you all to the rest stop tomorrow to pick up your things.” Isaac nodded to the four young men. “Or if you have the keys and tell me the locker number, I can pick it up for you. You don’t need to go back there if it will be overwhelming for you.”
“Thanks.” Daniel had been chosen as the group’s spokesperson, it seemed. The others remained silent but alert to everything going on around them and handed over the keys to Isaac. “I would appreciate it if you’d go. Here are the keys.”
Isaac had quickly gained all their trust. There was just something about my alpha friend that made people place their trust in him almost instantly.
A sense of calm radiated off him, mixed with confidence and kindness.
He was in tune with his instincts and could read the room better than anyone else I ever met.
After ensuring I was well taken care of with Jamie, he’d recognized the other omegas needed a strong comfort person and became that for them.
“As for where we’ll stay tonight,” Daniel continued, “If you’re sure we would be of no trouble, we’d love to remain here.”
“That’s wonderful.” Angela beamed. “Let me fix you all something to eat, and then I can show you to your rooms.”
It was great that their cabin was near the rescue.
After dealing with the sheriff, they had closed early and had their overnight staff come in to watch over the foxes.
Dr. Malcolm followed us as we drove down the road to their cabin.
It allowed us all a bit more privacy as we had the examinations and tried shifting back to our human shape.
If we had to do that out in the open, I would have felt even more vulnerable.
Instead, we were able to be here, surrounded by warmth and the smell of cherry pie and hot cocoa.
“I think we are going to get going.” Jamie stood and helped me off the couch. “We can come by in the morning, but right now, I want to get my mate home.”
“I should probably be leaving too.” Isaac stood from the floor, the other omegas still sitting close together near the fireplace, but looking up at him like lost little foxes, even in human form.
There may have been four young omegas falling in love with my best friend.
“Can you stay?” Andrew spoke for the first time since we shifted. “I think we all would feel safer if you stayed.”
Isaac looked over at Foxy, who nodded. “That’s fine with us. We have the room.”
“Okay.” Isaac sat back down near the others. “I will just call my sister and let her know I won’t be coming home tonight.”
“Thank you,” Andrew whispered, leaning into Daniel’s side.
The omegas would be safe with Isaac; everyone knew he was the biggest green flag there was in an alpha.
“We’ll be going, then. We’ll see you tomorrow.” Jamie held me close to him as we left the cabin. He tucked me under his arm, pressed me to his side.
“Is your cabin far from here?” I buckled my seat belt once we were both settled in the truck. “Do you share it with anyone? A roommate? Family?”
“No, babe.” Jamie pulled out of the driveway and began down the road. “It’s about a five-minute drive from here, and I live all alone, except for my pet turtle.”
“You have a pet turtle?”
“I do. I made my parents get me a wood turtle for my ninth birthday.” A short snort erupted from my mate. “I didn’t know at the time that if they have proper care, they can live past fifty years, so my little Woody is now living the good life at my place and isn’t even middle-aged yet.”
“That is a long commitment,” I teased. “I guess I can trust you to stick around, huh?”
“Babe, you are my fated mate. I’m not going anywhere.”
After a short ride, we pulled up in front of a cozy cabin hidden within the woods, surrounded by large pines that promised privacy and a peaceful living. I could imagine us sitting on the bench swing on the front porch at night, enjoying a cup of tea and listening to the sound of nature’s music.
I love this place already.
“Ready to head in?” Jamie unbuckled his belt and helped me with mine.
“Let’s go. I can’t wait to see the inside.” I exited the truck and ran up to the cabin. A part of me felt like a little kid, excited to see his new home.
Jamie just shook his head at me.
“You’re adorable when you’re excited.” With a smile plastered on his face, he opened the door. “Welcome home.”
The inside of the cabin didn’t disappoint.
Large windows in the front that allowed natural light in, but blinds installed to block the outside world if wanted.
A large, stone chimney was surrounded by comfortable-looking, cushiony, dark-brown couches, accented with teal throw blankets and pillows.
I just knew that it would be soft and wonderful to lie on during a chilly winter night with the fire blazing.
In the corner of the room was a giant glass tank, where I spied Woody.
In the other corner was a small area with oversized, colorful beanbag chairs and a furry rug.
Bookcases lined the walls, filled with books, board games, and movies.
I looked back toward the couches and noticed the television above the stone fireplace.
This place looked exactly like the dream home I’d always craved.
“Wanna check out the bedrooms and out back?” Jamie led me down a short hall to the side of the living area. “We have three bedrooms and two full bathrooms, one of which is an ensuite attached to our bedroom.”
“You’re already saying it’s ours, huh?” I opened a door to my left. “What’s in here?”
“Of course it’s ours. You are my mate, everything that is mine also belongs to you now.” Jamie flicked on the light switch on the wall. “This is the guest room, for now anyway. We can figure out another use for it in the future if you wish.”
The room was bright and welcoming. Yellows and whites against dark wooden furniture. Large enough to be made into an amazing home office or even a nursery.
Yes. Mate. Babies. My fox was anxious for kits of our own. I smiled.
Jamie showed me the other guest bedroom, which was similar but in greens and blues with light wooden furnishings. The second bath had a glass-walled area with double shower heads and a double sink counter. But I really couldn’t wait to see the main bedroom.
“Ready to see our room, mate?” Jamie’s hand was on the doorknob, but he waited for my nod before opening. “Remember, we can redecorate if you want.”
The first thing my eyes fell on was the large king-sized bed with a black and gray comforter.
The next was the mahogany dresser and nightstands.
Third was the large windows that lined one wall and overlooked the forest. An owl was just outside, and I imagined the future nights I would spend looking out into the night and watching the animals, or even a snowfall.
“The bathroom is through there. It has a huge tub that we can explore one day.” Jamie hugged me from behind and kissed my neck. “I think for tonight, though, we should just do a quick washup and get some sleep. It’s been a long day.”
Although part of me wanted to explore more tonight, including that tub and the muscled body of my mate, I knew that Jamie was right, and I needed to sleep more. “That sounds like a good plan.”
Afterall, we had forever together to explore. Tonight, we will just sleep.