4. Cherry
Cherry
Islept through the rest of the day and into the next morning, only woken by the smell of bacon.
It’s when I’m seated at the table in my wolf form, chomping on my last piece of that chewy goodness, that Maddox tells me our plans.
“We’re moving to Starfall Haven. Today.”
I blink at him. Today? I knew we were going soon, but I didn’t expect it to be now.
“Before we go, if you’re up for it, we’d like you to shift, with our help, of course,” Maddox says as he looks at me across the table. I nod, feeling both nervous and excited to touch them again.
“I was thinking we do it in bed. It will be easier for us all to stay close and keep touching you.” I nod and he smiles. “Okay, good. Let’s clean up breakfast and then head up. Everyone have everything packed?” Maddox asks, looking at the others.
Everyone confirms they’re ready, and I jump off my chair and head to the back door. Bain follows me and takes me outside, staying a little too close the entire time.
When I glare at him, he shrugs his shoulders. “Not letting you out of my sight, angel.”
I can appreciate where he’s coming from. Blaze is still out there somewhere, and there is also Dr. J and his lackeys who could still be looking for me. Although Blaze is possibly working with him since he knows what they called me at the facility.
When we get back inside, the others are finishing up as Gage explains he’s selling the kitchen with everything included, so they don’t need to pack it all.
“Hey, Cherry?” Chase says, throwing a smirk my way. “I’ll race you to Maddox’s bed.” I don’t wait for the countdown; I just take off running to the stairs, and he laughs, following close on my heels.
“No running!” Bain yells, but we ignore him as we make it to the second floor, and I run into Maddox's room and jump straight up onto the bed. I turn back to watch Chase’s face when he sees he’s lost, but he tackles me onto my side.
“You’re getting really fast,” he chuckles, his tackle turning into a belly rub, which I relax into gratefully.
The other four take their time joining us until everyone is in the room, staring at me. “What are you waiting for?” Chase asks, thankfully, asking what I’m thinking.
“We need to figure out how to arrange her,” Maddox explains.
I quickly roll to my feet, realizing what he means. I’m gonna be naked when I shift, and won’t be able to move around too much, just like before. I move close to where Gage stands and sit on the bed in front of him, lifting my paw.
His eyes grow wide as he looks down at me. I’ve had the chance to hug or be held by all the others, and I want to make sure I get a chance to be in his arms this time.
Chase laughs. “I guess it’s your turn, Gage. You better take off some clothes, it will make it easier.”
Gage nods, his eyes returning to me as he pulls his T-shirt off then pulls it down over me in one smooth motion.
He smirks as he pushes my head through the neck hole, then helps me move my legs into the sleeves.
I take a moment to appreciate his tattoo-covered chest. Then he pulls off his pants, leaving him in just a pair of dark blue, tight-fitting boxers.
I try not to glance at the bulge between his legs as he climbs onto the bed beside me and moves to lean against the headboard.
“Come on, then,” he says, motioning for me to sit between his legs.
I start to walk over to him, but my back legs get caught in the shirt and I stumble. Chase chuckles as he helps pull up the slack in the shirt, allowing me to move into Gage’s lap.
Everyone settles close to us, Chase and Hunter holding my back legs and Maddox holding one of my front ones. Gage wraps his arms around my middle, over the T-shirt, as I look at Bain.
He nods at me, then reaches out to grab my free leg. I close my eyes and sigh as my body shifts to my human form. When I open my eyes, they connect with Bain’s beautiful blue ones. He squeezes my hand, and I smile at him, squeezing back.
“Hi,” I say before biting my lip, feeling a little nervous and shy.
“Hi, angel.”
“Does shifting tire you out?” Maddox asks. I feel his thumb stroking my other wrist and turn to him.
“I don’t think so,” I say as I try to assess how I’m feeling.
“A lot has happened lately, hasn’t it?” Gage asks near my shoulder.
Suddenly remembering I’m finally in his lap, in my human form, I glance at him over my shoulder before looking back at Maddox and Bain. “Can you two, maybe touch my legs so I can hug him?” I ask, gesturing over my shoulder with my chin.
Gage gives my waist a little squeeze as Bain and Maddox carefully move their hands down to my calves. I turn my upper half toward Gage and smile at him before wrapping my arms tightly around his neck and letting out a deep sigh as he hugs me back.
“I’ve been dying to do this for so long,” he whispers.
“Me too.”
Nobody talks for a few minutes, and I appreciate them letting us have this moment.
As I start to pull back, Gage brushes my cheek with a small kiss, making me blush.
I look at him and bite my lip as I turn back to face the others.
I settle my back against his chest, and he rests the side of his face against the top of my head as I start to relax.
When nobody speaks and they all just stare at me, I whisper, “You guys are being weird.”
Chase snorts, and I look at him with a grateful smile. “Sorry, pretty girl. We’re just trying to memorize your face.”
“Oh!” I say in excitement. “Next time, can you bring a mirror so I can see what I look like?”
“I hate that you don’t know,” Maddox says with an angry frown.
“I’ll do you one better,” Hunter says with a smile as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a phone. He shuffles closer to my side as he presses something on it then holds it out in front of me.
My eyes widen when I see a woman staring back at me. “Is that me?” I gasp as I reach out and take it from him. With my free hand, I trace the features on my face as I turn side to side, trying to take it all in. “I look like Scarlet.”
“Is that your sister?” Gage asks, and I nod. “My eldest sister, yes. My other sister is Ruby, and I am the youngest. I was the youngest.”
“You all had red fur, then?” he asks, our names obviously giving it away.
“Yeah, slightly different shades, but all five of us were red.”
“I’m sorry you lost them,” Hunter says, squeezing my leg.
“It was a long time ago,” I say, still studying my face.
“And you’ve been captive ever since,” Maddox says, and I nod.
“Until I escaped.”
“Do you want to tell us about that?” Gage asks.
“There’s not much to tell. The guards tried to make me shift and stabbed me in my side. They thought I was dead, so I used that chance to run.”
“Why did they want you to shift?” Bain asks, his eyes flashing with something dark.
I swallow the lump in my throat and shrug, which makes him narrow his eyes at me. Somehow, he can tell I know the answer and just don’t want to tell him.
“Were none of the doors locked?” Gage asks. “Or closed?”
I stare at the phone as I try to remember that day.
“When they thought I was dead, they left me alone in the lab. I knew that the doors opened with a key card, and sometimes there was one sitting on the table. I managed to find one and grip it in my teeth, through my muzzle. When I held it to the door, it popped open a few inches, enough that I was able to pull it open. I found some stairs that led me up, since I had a feeling I was underground, and at the top was a door marked exit. The card worked, and the door opened. I ran across the open clearing into the forest.” I shrug as I glance at Gage. “Then I just kept running.”
“What did the key card look like?” he asks.
“It was dark blue with a yellow symbol on it. But I can’t remember what it was now. I was just focused on getting out of there and running.”
“How long did you run for?” Bain asks.
“Umm. Three weeks? I think. I was a little delirious by the end, so I’m not really sure.”
“You ran for three weeks with a muzzle on and a stab wound?” Bain asks angrily, and I lower the phone to look at him fully.
“I didn’t have a choice.”
“He’s not upset with you,” Maddox clarifies. “He’s upset that you had to do that.”
“I’m proud of you,” Bain says, surprising me. “I’m proud that you did what you needed to do to get away from them.”
I feel my cheeks heat at the compliment, and, unsure what to do with the praise, I lower my eyes to where their large hands grip my legs.
“You know you’re pretty cute when you blush,” Chase says, making me look at his handsome, grinning face.
“Cute?” I ask. “Is that a good thing?”
“Definitely.” He nods, his smile growing bigger.
“Is there anything you want to ask us?” I turn to Maddox, and he offers me a soft smile. “I imagine there are a lot of questions you have for us? I think we kind of took over last time, and I want to make sure you have a chance to ask before we leave for Starfall Haven.”
I did have a long list of questions, but now that I’m face-to-face, most of them have disappeared. “I was wondering about your pack,” I tell him.
“Our pack,” Gage corrects, squeezing me a little.
“Our pack,” I say with a nod. “I didn’t know they could be all alphas. I thought they needed betas in them too? And how is it that you have a pack inside another pack?”
“Ah,” Maddox says in understanding. “That is confusing, even for us,” he says with a soft chuckle.
“My father used to be the Westgrove alpha, and ever since I was born, everyone knew I would take over as alpha of the pack one day. But he died when I was too young to lead, so my uncle, Marcus Kane, led in my place. When I turned eighteen, he never handed it over, but I also never asked to take it.”
“Why not?” I ask, thankful I’m finally able to speak.