Chapter 5
VANCE
Isat in my office across from Axel, the lion Alpha who lived a few miles away. Tentatively, I’d say we were friends. Lions were antisocial fuckers, but Isla, his mate, was the sweetest. She also didn’t take any of their shit.
I liked her.
“You know how you showed up on my doorstep, accusing me of doing some horrific shit like kidnapping and selling cubs for execution, and I told you to fuck off?”
I nodded. “You mean when Isla shifted then ate dirt at my feet? Yeah, I remember.”
Isla gave me the finger. “For that, I’m going to eat all your snacks.” She stood up and went to raid the small jar of chocolates I kept on my desk. She gave me a glare as she unwrapped one and chewed it spitefully.
Axel looked at her like she was the best thing ever—they were a cute pack—then he looked at me.
“Well, when Archer picks up the scent of a dead Omega wolf and it leads straight to your den’s door, I feel like I should pay you the same visit.
” His lion flashed in his eyes, and my bear surged up to meet it, but I pushed him down.
Axel was a friend, not a threat. “I don’t know how bears feel about Omegas, but my pride and I take a pretty strict stance on their abuse… on abuse of anyone, actually.”
I shook my head at him. I knew he’d seen some shit.
You couldn’t be a strong Alpha lion and not see some stuff.
“On that, Pink Panther, we thoroughly agree.” I frowned, not sure how much I could trust them despite how friendly we were.
“The wolf is known to us. A… friend from long ago. I gave her a plane ticket once upon a time. When she didn’t use it immediately, I didn’t think she ever would. ”
“And now that she has?” Wyatt asked. He was a levelheaded kid, or at least the most even tempered of the lions. Even Isla was more hot-headed than Wyatt.
“We’ll protect her as much as she’ll let us, and give her the help she obviously endured hours of pain to seek out.”
I knew that was why she was here. Something was wrong, more than the fact that she was grievously injured. She wouldn’t have come all this way unless she needed help for others. That was the nature of Omegas, but more than that, it was Dawn’s nature.
Axel nodded his head. “Okay. Let us know if we can help.”
I didn’t laugh at him, because how could he know? The Cold River Sleuth didn’t need any help. We were the ones you called when shit went bad and you needed backup.
Still, I gave him a warm smile. “Thanks. I’ll keep it in mind. Now, let’s eat.” I looked past him at Isla. “If you have any room left, princess. You’ve already eaten your weight in chocolate.”
She swiped the back of her hand across her mouth. “That’s what you get for having that fancy Belgian shit that is better than sex.” At the distinct lion growl of disapproval, she grinned. “Almost better than sex.” She laughed, leaning down to kiss her mates.
The lions often stayed for dinner with the sleuth.
We tried to have big family dinners in the dining hall, with several long tables and lots of conversation.
I knew the lion cub, Bohdie, loved it. Isla and the cub had spent much of his young life isolated, while they were on the run from the sociopathic regent from their former pride.
Having this many people around him now soothed his lion, and having kids his own age to run with was healing.
Axel probably enjoyed mountain dinners the least, but he put up with it to make the rest of them happy.
Later, despite the fact that I sat with my sleuth as we ate, my mind kept wandering back to the broken wolf in the infirmary.
Talbot was still there, watching her sleep and making sure she was okay.
Franklin would swap with him during the night, and I’d take over in the morning.
I didn’t know why we felt like there should be one of us there at all times, since it wasn’t like anyone could get into the den without us knowing, but it seemed necessary.
My bear thought it was necessary anyway, and I wasn’t going to argue with him today, which was why, when everyone drifted away and the pride went home, I didn’t fight the urge that had my feet moving toward the infirmary.
The hallway was dark, the lights dimmed so everyone could sleep.
I slid the door open manually so it wasn’t too loud.
Franklin was asleep on the floor in his bear form, which explained why he wasn’t at dinner.
Talbot was in the recliner, his head back and mouth wide open, also completely passed out.
The only person awake in the room was Dawn herself.
Those blue eyes sparkled despite the dim lights, and I smiled softly at her.
I walked around Franklin’s huge body, because there was no way I could step over his bear form, then sat on the edge of Dawn’s bed.
She looked a little better, even in the low light. Less like death.
“Are you doing okay? Do you need anything?”
She shook her head. “No. Thank you.”
God, she was beautiful, but also so fucking fragile. “Are you ready to tell me what happened?”
Her entire body went rigid, and for a moment, I wondered if I’d pushed too soon. My bear was riding me to kill the fucker who maimed her so badly.
She sucked in a shuddering breath. “You should wake the guys. This is a long story, and I don’t know if I can tell it twice.”
I wanted to soothe her, to tell her to wait and take it at her own pace, but I wasn’t sure I could.
It made me feel like shit, but I needed to know.
My bear needed to know. I pushed it down and went over to Talbot, nudging him awake, then toed Franklin in the ribs on the way back. “Get up. Dawn wants to talk.”
Franklin snapped into a standing position so fast, it made Dawn flinch.
I laid a soothing hand on her calf muscle, pushing the safety of my Alpha at her.
She didn’t move away, and warmth flooded my chest. Trust. She was giving me trust, and I might not know her story yet, but I knew it was bad.
I’d seen my fair share of beaten and broken people in my line of work, and some people never came back from that.
Talbot came over, handing her a remote to her bed. “Do you want a drink or something to eat first? You can make the bed go up and down to whatever level you feel comfortable with. Some of us are worried about your comfort,” he said, shooting a glare at his twin.
“What happened?” I asked.
“Franklin kissed Dawn without permission. I booted him out, but he must have snuck back in.”
I glared at Franklin, who had the good sense to look ashamed. I’d deal with him later.
I lowered my head at Dawn. “Apologies, Omega.”
She swallowed hard. “Don’t call me that. Just call me Dawn. Being an Omega has never brought me anything good.” She shook her head. “It isn’t a point of reverence. It’s a curse.”
Her body vibrated with tension, and I nodded. “Of course, Dawn. I’ll make sure Franklin watches where he puts his mouth from now on, unless he wants my fist in it.”
Franklin looked abashed again, and while I was pissed, I understood. Franklin had pined for the wolf. I suspected there was something more than instantaneous lust between them, but I never asked.
They would work that out in their own time, or not at all.
Dawn’s face was a little pink. “It’s okay. I… Well, it wasn’t bad.”
Talbot grinned. “Wasn’t good either. Franklin kisses like a sucker fish on the bottom of the ocean. All lips.” Talbot sucked his cheeks in and made a fish face, and Franklin tried to whack him in the head.
They just never grew out of some shit.
When I looked back at the bed, Dawn’s lips were curled into a smile, and I forgave them once more.
Her smile gradually fell, like the setting sun, until the world settled back on her shoulders.
“I should probably start at the beginning.”