Chapter Two
S ullivan tried to behave as if he was doing nothing wrong, and technically, he wasn’t. Right now, he was just walking down the hallway. He could be going anywhere—the living room, the kitchen, his room, or one of the rooms the mages used as offices. They had to share, but that was nothing new for their coven, and Sullivan was used to it. Only the coven leaders had their own workspaces, and sometimes, Braden allowed Sullivan to work in his office. They had to be careful that the other leaders didn’t realize the two of them were closer than they expected, though.
Sullivan and Braden were friends. They’d grown closer recently because of everything happening and because they’d been trying to find a solution. Technically, there was nothing the other coven leaders could do to Braden because he was a leader, but they could hurt Sullivan, and Braden wouldn’t be able to stop them. He was only one man against four, and that was without counting the people who followed the other leaders.
Not everyone in the coven was happy with what they were doing, but some people were. They wanted more power, more money, more everything. They wanted to destroy anyone who wasn’t like them. They didn’t think anything of taking advantage of people who’d never hurt them and hadn’t even known about them.
The coven was hidden for a reason. It was easier to attack by surprise that way.
He stopped in front of the door and looked right and left. He was alone in the hallway, so he quickly knocked and shifted his feet as he waited for someone to answer. The door creaked open, and Lana peeked out. She looked nervous, an emotion Sullivan shared and understood.
She opened the door wider, and Sullivan slipped through.
The room was similar to his. It was big enough to contain a bed, a dresser, and a few other things, and while in Sullivan’s case, it was more than enough, in this case, it wasn’t. Lana was married and had two young children, and the room was overcrowded.
Her baby was strapped to her chest while her son was quietly playing on the floor by the window. He looked up when he heard Sullivan, but Sullivan clearly wasn’t interesting enough because he went back to his toys almost instantly.
“You’re sure no one saw you?” Lana asked.
“I checked. We’re fine.”
“Richard went to the kitchen to get something to drink. He’ll be right back.”
There was only one chair for Sullivan to sit in, and he accepted it when Lana gestured at him to use it. She sat on the bed, cradling her baby against her chest. She looked tired, but then, everyone in the coven did, and she also had a baby. Nothing in this situation could be easy for her to deal with.
They stayed silent until Richard returned, carrying a bottle of water and a juice box. He looked as tired as Lana. Sullivan already knew he wouldn’t be asking them to join him and the others in the fight. That wasn’t why he was here.
“You said you wanted to talk about our leaders,” Richard said cautiously.
This was a risk for him and Lana. Sullivan might be here to ask for their help, but he might also be spying on them for the coven leaders. People knew he was friends with Braden, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t working with the other leaders. Sullivan would have to be the one who reached out, which was fine. Even if Richard and Lana decided to betray him to the coven leaders, he didn’t have a lot to lose.
Just his life.
That wasn’t exactly true. He had parents and siblings, and he didn’t want anything to happen to them, but he’d already talked to Chance, and they knew what to do if anything was to happen to Sullivan. They’d leave the house and rush to pack territory, where they would be welcomed and protected. That was the best Sullivan could do, even though he wanted to do more.
“I do,” he said. “As you know, a lot of people aren’t happy with how things are going. I don’t know about you, but I never wanted anyone to get hurt, and attacking a dragon clan wasn’t something I agreed with.”
“Yet you were there.”
“As were you. We both know we didn’t have a choice and what would have happened if we refused. I did my best not to hurt anyone that night, but I will never forgive myself for what I did do.”
“What do you need from us?” Lana asked.
“Just to stand back. I know you don’t want to be involved. You have your children to think of, and I respect that. The only thing me and the people I’m working with are asking is that when the leaders order you to fight us, you don’t.”
“You’re thinking about fighting the coven leaders?” Richard asked.
“I don’t think there’s another way out of this. Talking to them won’t work. Braden has tried to stop them, but he’s one against four. Even if he manages to convince another leader, they’ll still be in the minority.” Which meant that no other leader would be stupid enough to move to their side. Braden was the only good one. The power had gone to the head of the others.
“We can’t help you fight, but we can stay away from the fight,” Richard said. “I have to protect my family. I hate what the leaders are forcing us to do, but if I have to choose, my kids will always come first.”
“I never expected anything different from you. I would never ask you to choose or fight over your children. Besides, they’re who we’re fighting for.”
Richard opened his mouth to say something, but a scream made all three of them jump. Sullivan was on his feet in seconds, rushing to the door, pausing only to check that no one would see him coming out of Richard and Lana’s room.
There was no one in the hallway, but he could hear a scuffle, and he needed to know what was happening. With one last glance inside the room, he slipped out and closed the door, then started running in the direction from which the scream had come.
He turned the corner, and there it was. A woman was clinging to the doorframe of one of the bedrooms. The door had slammed so hard against the wall that its handle was embedded into the drywall. Two mages were trying to get the woman back into the bedroom, but she was fighting them with all she had. Her eyes were wide, her expression scared, and Sullivan desperately wished he could help her. Stopping what was happening would put him in the spotlight, though, and he wasn’t ready for that. He had more work to do.
“What’s going on?” he asked one of the few mages who was standing there watching the fight.
“She’s one of the dragons. She tried to escape.”
That was a surprise. There were spells on the dragons that meant that they couldn’t escape. It was possible for them to break those spells, but not without the help of a mage. After Lester had escaped with one of the dragons, the leaders had ensured it wouldn’t happen again.
Sullivan sucked in a breath at the sight of one of the leaders stalking down the hallway. Deborah looked pissed, and as soon as she stopped in front of the dragon, she slapped her.
It was enough to break the dragon’s focus and for the two mages who’d been trying to pull her back into the bedroom to do just that. The dragon screamed and tried to catch Deborah’s arm, but Deborah stepped back, looking disgusted.
“What’s going on here?” she bellowed.
Physically, she wasn’t much to look at. She barely reached five feet and was so thin that it looked like a good gush of wind would snap her in half. She wore glasses, and her graying hair was tied behind her neck. Her clothes were always some shade of gray or brown, including today. She looked unassuming and like she couldn’t hurt a fly.
But there was hatred and anger blazing in her gaze, and Sullivan pressed against the wall, not wanting to find himself in her sight. It wouldn’t do him any good to become a target.
“I apologize, Leader,” Trevor said as he stepped out of the bedroom. “She got away from me.”
Deborah’s eyes narrowed. “You’re supposed to keep them under your control.”
“I’m really sorry.”
There was nothing else Trevor could say. Deborah wouldn’t care about whatever explanation he had. He’d allowed one of the dragons to wreak havoc, and he would pay for that.
* * * *
M atty was happy that most of his friends had found love since they’d moved in with the pack, but the fact that they were all coupled off meant that when he wasn’t at work, he didn’t have anything to do. Before, he’d spent all his time with his ragtag family, but most of them were either at work or with their significant other. Those who didn’t have a significant other, like Seth, were working, which left Matty on his own, staring at the ceiling of his bedroom and trying not to think about Sullivan.
That wasn’t going well. He wasn’t sure what it was about the guy, but he really liked him. He didn’t know much about him since he’d never talked to him, but at the very least, he could be sure that Sullivan was a good person. He was working against his leaders and putting himself in danger to do the right thing. He should have done it sooner, but Matty wouldn’t berate him for not having the guts to stand up to people who would kill him with a smile if they knew what he was doing.
With a sigh, he rolled onto his stomach and grabbed his phone. He doubted any of the coven mages were on social media, but maybe he could look anyway. At the very least, it would give him something to do for a few minutes.
He poked around for a bit, but just like he thought, there were no signs of Sullivan on any of the social media he used. He was about to throw his phone back onto the mattress when he noticed he had a message. He didn’t often use social media, either, but he’d had this profile since he was a teenager and still lived with his parents.
He clicked on the message icon. His eyes widened when he saw his sister’s name. What was Sabrina doing messaging him?
She was about to turn eighteen. Matty hadn’t thought of that, and his stomach dropped as he opened the message.
Sure enough, it was what he’d expected. Their parents were kicking her out because she was turning eighteen, and they didn’t have to take care of her anymore. Shit.
He sat up and reread the message. He was tempted to call her and promise that everything would be okay, but first, he had people to talk to. He didn’t want to leave her on read , either, so he quickly typed that he’d take care of everything and hopped off his bed.
He didn’t bother with a jacket. He shoved his feet into his shoes and rushed out of the house. He’d been the only one home today, so there was no one to worry about.
He ran to Theo and Chance’s house. They were the ones who would have to agree to have Sabrina brought into the pack. It was the only solution Matty could think of. He earned a bit of money at his job at the coffee shop in town, but he was expected to help the pack. He didn’t mind. The pack had given him a home, and he knew they’d have his back if he ever needed them. It only made sense for him to contribute.
But he’d only been working his job a few weeks, and while it paid decently well, it wouldn’t be enough for him to help his sister. He needed the pack.
He wasn’t sure they would give it to him. Theo would no doubt push for it, but he didn’t have the last word. Chance did, and considering everything that was happening, Matty wouldn’t be surprised or offended if Chance decided they couldn’t afford to take in Sabrina. He prayed that wouldn’t be the case, though. He didn’t want to leave the pack, but he also couldn’t abandon his sister.
His phone felt like it burned a hole in his pocket as he ran. He felt it vibrate a few times, and he wondered if it was Sabrina. He didn’t stop to check. He didn’t want to answer until he had good news, or at the very least, news.
He was out of breath when he reached the house Theo shared with Chance, but he didn’t slow down. He bounded up the porch steps and knocked on the door, only now taking the time to breathe properly.
He was still panting when the door opened. Theo blinked at him, then frowned. “What’s going on? Why do you look like you’ve been running?”
“That’s because I have. I need to talk to you and Chance.”
“Has something happened? Is it the coven?”
Matty shook his head. “It doesn’t have anything to do with them. It’s a personal matter.”
Theo relaxed, but not by much. He might know that the pack wasn’t in danger now, but he was still worried about Matty. They were family, and that was what they did—worried about each other.
Matty left his shoes in the entrance and followed Theo to the kitchen. Chance was in front of the stove, flipping something in a pan, but he paused and turned to face Matty. “I didn’t expect you. Are you staying for lunch?”
“I’m not here for food. I need to talk to you about my sister.”
Chance and Theo exchanged a glance. They’d reached the point in their relationship where they could communicate without saying a word, something for which Matty was jealous. He wanted that kind of relationship with someone, too, dammit.
“Why don’t you sit down?” Chance offered.
Matty flopped into the closest chair and took out his phone. He placed it on the table, not surprised to see he had several messages from Sabrina. “Theo already knows this, but I don’t think I ever told you how I ended up on the streets,” Matty explained. “The day I turned eighteen, my parents told me that they didn’t have any duty to take care of me anymore. They kicked me out. They didn’t worry about whether or not I’d have a place to stay. They barely allowed me to take anything with me because they’d paid for all of it, including my clothes. They took my phone, my computer, everything. I was only allowed to take a backpack filled with a few necessities, and that was that.”
Theo had already heard the story, but he still reached over the table to take Matty’s hand. Matty was glad for the touch. Every time he thought he’d gotten over what his parents had done, he realized that wasn’t the case and that he was still hurt over the fact that they clearly didn’t love him. He’d thought it would be different for Sabrina, but clearly, he’d been wrong.
He cleared his throat. “Anyway. I ended up on the streets because I turned eighteen, and that’s what’s happening to my sister. It’s her birthday tomorrow, and our parents told her that she needed to get out of the house by tomorrow evening.” He was surprised that their parents had given her a heads-up, but it wasn’t enough. She wouldn’t be able to find a place to stay. She didn’t have any money or anything like that.
“Where does she live?” Chance asked.
“A few hours away from here. Obviously, I don’t have a car, so I can’t go pick her up, but I can’t abandon her.”
“That won’t be a problem. You can take one of the pack’s cars, but I’d feel more comfortable if someone went with you. With the coven targeting us, I don’t want anyone out there on their own. It would be best if you could convince one of the mages to accompany you.”
“What about Sabrina?”
“What about her?”
“You said I could go and pick her up, and I will, but where do I take her?”
Chance’s frown cleared. “I thought that was obvious. This is your home, Matty. Where else would you want to take your sister?”
“So you’ll welcome her into the pack?”
“If that’s what she wants, we will. She’s family to you, and you’re family to us. She has a place with us.”
Matty almost started crying. He’d thought this was how Chance would react, but he hadn’t been a hundred percent sure, and it had worried him. He should’ve known better. Even if Chance had said no, Theo would have stood up to him and fought for Sabrina to come here. Luckily, he wouldn’t have to. Matty didn’t want to get between the two, and he was happy he wouldn’t.
* * * *
“W hich one of you is responsible for this?” Deborah asked.
Trevor looked back into the bedroom. Sullivan wasn’t sure who between him and Drew had been supposed to keep an eye on this dragon, but either way, it wasn’t going to end well for Trevor. He was the one standing in front of Deborah right now.
“I was,” Trevor said, looking down at Deborah. His voice trembled slightly, which wasn’t a surprise. He knew as well as everyone else what was about to happen to him.
Deborah’s anger seemed to vanish, but she was even scarier now. Her expression was set, her body tense, and her tone cool when she spoke. “You were responsible for her, yet you allowed her to wake up and attempt to escape. You know what that means.”
“I have to be punished,” Trevor whispered.
“We need to make an example out of you so that everyone knows what will happen if they don’t do their job.” She leaned closer and stroked her fingertips up Trevor’s shoulder. “Will you come willingly, or will I have to drag you to my office?”
Sullivan swallowed. He wanted to scream and run, and he wasn’t in Trevor’s place. He could only imagine how Trevor felt, and he hated that he couldn’t do anything to help him.
“What happened?” a voice whispered from behind Sullivan, making him jump.
He turned and glared at Michelle. “One of the dragons almost escaped,” Sullivan whispered back. “Deborah isn’t happy.”
“Shit.”
“Pretty much. Trevor is in deep trouble.”
“You think Deborah will kill him?”
Sullivan hoped she wouldn’t, but sometimes, it happened. When the coven leaders punished a coven member, they weren’t always careful. The coven had lost several members that way, and Sullivan prayed they wouldn’t lose Trevor. He was a good kid, too young to have to live like this and to have to die for something like this. If there was anything Sullivan could do to stop this from happening, he’d do it, but unfortunately, he knew that if he intervened, he’d end up next to Trevor in Deborah’s office.
“The coven needs mages,” Sullivan told Michelle. “Deborah knows that. She wants to make an example out of him, but I don’t think she’ll kill him.” And if she did, Sullivan would feel even guiltier than he already did.
He wanted to protect his people, the people he considered his family, but he was too weak. He’d have to watch what happened to Trevor without doing anything. The thought made him want to throw up, especially as Deborah gestured at Trevor to follow her, and Trevor took a step forward. He hesitated, which Deborah noticed.
She glanced around the hallway, smiling when she saw two of her supporters. “Make sure he doesn’t vanish on the way to my office,” she ordered.
They stepped forward. Trevor’s eyes widened, but there was nowhere for him to go. He allowed the two to grab his arms and drag him forward, glancing back only once. Sullivan had to bite his lower lip so he wouldn’t say anything when he saw the expression on Trevor’s face. Trevor was so pale that he looked like he was about to faint, and his eyes were wide with fear.
“I hate this,” Michelle muttered.
“You’re not the only one.” Far from it. The problem was that it still wasn’t enough to stop the council members from hurting their coven.
The hallway slowly emptied. Michelle walked away after patting Sullivan’s shoulder, but Sullivan didn’t leave right away. He peeked into the bedroom, not surprised to see that the dragon was back on the bed, unconscious. Drew stood next to her, wringing his hands and looking like he might cry.
His head snapped up when he heard Sullivan, but he relaxed when he recognized him. “She’s going to hurt Trevor,” he whispered.
“She is.” Sullivan didn’t lie. They both knew what was happening.
“It’s my fault. I was the one who was supposed to keep the spells on her steady. Trevor just happened to come by and check in on me.”
So Trevor took Drew’s punishment. That wasn’t a surprise. If Sullivan had been in Trevor’s place, he would have done the same. He’d do anything to protect the people he cared about, and clearly, he wasn’t the only one.
“I should tell Deborah,” Drew continued. “She should punish me, not him.”
“Don’t. What do you think will happen if you do? She’ll just punish you and Trevor, and both of you will be in pain. This isn’t what Trevor would want, Drew. He protected you because he wanted to, not because he was forced to.”
“Will you check on him? Please?”
“I’m not sure what Deborah will do once she’s done with him, but I promise I’ll try.” Hopefully, he wouldn’t be checking in on Trevor while he dragged his body outside in the woods. He’d done that way too often. Some days, he thought it was a miracle that the coven had so many members. Too many had died because the leaders were unhappy with them.
Before leaving, Sullivan checked the spells on the dragon, just in case. He wished he could wake her up, but now wasn’t the right moment. After what had just happened, Deborah would make sure no dragon could escape. Going against her wishes would only land Sullivan next to Trevor, which wasn’t something he could afford. He knew too much information on what was happening with the pack and their alliance.
Drew was still freaking out when Sullivan left him. Sullivan had promised he’d check in on Trevor, but he wasn’t sure where Trevor would be taken. He couldn’t stand outside of Deborah’s office and wait for her to be done, so instead, he decided to wait in the kitchen. It was where everyone gathered, so he was sure he’d hear about whatever had happened to Trevor.
The mood was somber when he walked in. Several people were working at the stove, getting lunch ready. Normally, they would’ve been talking, or maybe there would have been some music on. With one exception, the leaders never visited the kitchen, so the other mages were always a bit more relaxed here. The only coven leader who came around was Braden, and everyone knew that he wouldn’t care about them singing while they cooked.
There was no singing today. There were only somber glances, and everyone jumped at every noise. Sullivan sighed and slid onto a stool at the counter, reaching for a carrot and a peeler. Since he was here, he might as well get to work. He wasn’t one of the cooks, but he didn’t mind doing his part.
He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, but it was enough for him to peel a bunch of carrots. Eventually, someone came in with information. Ridge’s expression was grim as he nodded and glanced around the room. “He’ll live.”
Sullivan released his breath. There was no way to know how Trevor was, but he hadn’t died. He might wish he had, but his being alive meant that there was a possibility for him to have a good life. That was what Sullivan would focus on, and he hoped Trevor would do the same.
“How is he?” he asked as he slid off the stool.
“Not in great shape, but he managed to walk to his bedroom.”
“Drew asked me to check in on him. I’ll do that now.”
“You should bring him food. I don’t think he’ll be up to coming out of his room anytime soon.”
The cooks were already putting something together into a container. Sullivan grabbed silverware from the drawer and accepted the food with a smile when it was handed to him.
He walked past Ridge, who stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Don’t be scared when you see him. He’s pretty bloody, and he didn’t want any help cleaning up.”
“I’ll stop in the bathroom to grab a few wash clothes.”
“I hope he’ll let you in. He wouldn’t allow me to do anything for him.”
“I’ll tell him that Drew sent me. He’ll want to know that Drew is fine.”
Ridge nodded and let go. Sullivan couldn’t say he was looking forward to finding out how hurt Trevor was, but he owed it to Trevor and Drew.
What had happened today joined the long list of things Sullivan held against the coven leaders. He didn’t need that list to get even longer, but it did—every day.
And there was nothing Sullivan could do about that.
* * * *
K nowing that he had Chance and Theo on his side made Matty feel better. He even had the go-ahead to take one of the pack cars, something he’d never done. He’d had his license since he was sixteen, but he hadn’t driven a lot. He hadn’t had a car after his parents had kicked him out, and he didn’t have the money to buy one now.
He knew he could take one of the pack cars whenever he needed it, but even though he was a pack member, he always felt like an outsider. He shouldn’t. Not only had Chance welcomed him and the rest of his family into his pack, but Matty was a bear shifter. He should feel closer to the pack than the other members of his family, but he wasn’t sure he ever would.
None of that mattered now. He got to his feet, ready to leave, but Theo put a hand on his arm and got him to sit back down. “Do you have to go now? Is Sabrina already out of the house?”
“No. Her birthday is tomorrow, so she has a little time to pack her things. Our parents aren’t going to allow her to take much, though.”
“We’ll provide for her,” Chance said without hesitating. “She’s a pack member. She should have everything she needs.”
“She’ll probably have to finish high school,” Matty said cautiously.
“I’ll call the school and let them know. Will you be okay with her living with you? I know that with everyone coupling up, the house I assigned you initially is almost empty.”
“There’s enough space for her to have her own bedroom, so I don’t think that will be a problem.”
“Are you sure? Because I could assign you and your sister another house if you want privacy.”
It was overwhelming. Matty had gone from only having a few members of his ragtag family to having an entire pack, and while he knew that not every member cared about him, it was clear that Chance did. Maybe it was because Theo loved Matty, but it didn’t matter. Chance was doing everything right and saying all the right things, and Matty had to resist the urge to hug him.
Instead, he cleared his throat. “I haven’t seen her in four years. I don’t know how she’ll react when she sees me.”
“She contacted you, of all people,” Theo said softly.
“Because I don’t think she has anyone else. I mean, I guess she could go and stay with friends, but they probably still live with their parents, and we don’t have any other family.”
“Yet your parents still kicked both of you out.”
Matty shrugged. He’d made his peace with that, but he knew it wouldn’t be easy for Sabrina. “I don’t think they ever actually wanted to become parents.”
“Why did they have kids, then?” Theo shook his head. “I will never understand those kinds of people.”
“It was what was expected of them, I guess. Get married, have kids, things like that. They were young when my mother got pregnant with me, and I don’t blame them for not being ready to be parents.”
Theo’s expression was uncompromising. “There’s a difference between not being ready to be a parent and being a bad parent. Did they even try? Because to me, it feels like they did the bare minimum until you and your sister turned eighteen, and they could finally kick you out of the house. It shouldn’t be like that. Even if they didn’t want kids, they had two, and they should’ve done the decent thing and tried to be good parents.”
It wasn’t anything Matty hadn’t thought of before, but it felt weird to hear it coming from someone else. He liked that Theo was standing up for him, though. He kind of wished Theo would come with him when he picked up Sabrina.
Matty knew he’d have to confront his parents. He didn’t know if they would care, but he’d been waiting for four years. He’d always told himself that as long as they treated Sabrina right, he wouldn’t complain about what they’d done to him, but they were kicking Sabrina out, just like they had Matty. It was obvious that they had never wanted any kids, and the fact that they’d had two made Matty despise them a little bit more.
Maybe if it had only been him, he would have understood. He knew he’d been an accident and that his parents hadn’t meant to get pregnant. They’d been forced to get married because of him, so he could understand why they disliked him and didn’t want anything to do with him once they could avoid it. But Sabrina? They’d known better then. If they didn’t want her, they’d had options. Instead, they’d decided to have her.
Just like they’d decided to kick her out as soon as she turned eighteen.
If there were two people who deserved to be miserable, it was them. Unfortunately, Matty suspected that the fact that they didn’t have any responsibilities anymore meant they were happy. It was what they’d always wanted, wasn’t it?
“Matty?” Theo said cautiously.
Matty blinked and realized that Theo had probably been calling him for a while. He forced himself to smile, even though there was nothing to smile about. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not, but that’s okay. You don’t have to be fine. You don’t have to deal with any of this alone.”
“Thank you.” He looked at Chance. “I don’t know what I would have done if you’d refused to welcome Sabrina.”
“You won’t ever have to find out. As far as I’m concerned, she’s a pack member.”
This time, when Matty started getting up, Theo didn’t stop him. He looked worried, but Chance took his hand, and Theo relaxed again.
“I’ll leave tomorrow morning,” Matty said. “But I’ll call Sabrina to let her know what’s going on. She’ll be relieved to know that she won’t end up on the streets like I did.”
“Make sure to tell her that she’s welcome here,” Chance said with a smile. “I know this might not be what she wants or even what you wanted for her, considering the coven and everything else, but I’m happy to give her a place to call home.”
“Thank you.” Matty didn’t know what else to say. He was overwhelmed, but he had things to do. He wanted to call Sabrina and check in on her to make sure she was okay. He wanted to tell her everything that had happened and reassure her that no matter what, she’d be okay. He wanted to call his parents and yell at them for what they were doing.
Instead, he left the house and headed straight for the forest. As soon as he was out of sight, he stripped and shifted, abandoning his clothes at the base of a tree. He had too much energy, both from happiness and the prospect of seeing his sister again and from grief. He’d always known that his parents didn’t care about him and never would, but they’d seemed happy with Sabrina.
But they’d done the exact same thing to her as they had to him. He hated that his little sister had to live through that, but he was glad she’d thought of messaging him. He was even more glad that he could bring her here and that he hadn’t lived on the streets in months. She didn’t have to know what he’d gone through. She just had to know that soon, they would be together again and that they’d be safe and loved.
Matty ran until his energy finally dropped. He felt pleasantly tired when he got back to where he’d left his clothes. He quickly shifted and put them back on, shivering a few times. Spring wasn’t quite here yet. He was eager to see how the forest changed when it finally arrived. It felt like it would be a rebirth for him and maybe for his sister, too.
As soon as he was dressed, he grabbed his phone from his pocket and opened the app to the messages Sabrina had sent him. He could see she was still online, so he grinned and started typing his number. This would be easier if she could call him. Whatever happened, they were doing this. Matty was going to pick up his sister and bring her home.
To a real home, this time, a home where no one would ever kick her out.