Chapter 26
Gray
Standing in front of a scared mage’s door, a tray of breakfast in hand, was a real déjà vu moment. Weeks ago, I’d stood in front of a different mage’s door, waiting to be invited in.
However, this time around, I wasn’t waiting for my mage to let me in, though this meeting was no less important. Nix had wanted to come, but he was still with Connie and Nick. I felt exasperation through our bond, but also fondness and a sense of pride.
Goddess, I hoped I was making the right decision by taking those boys in. I wasn’t a father. Hell, I didn’t think I was dad material at all and had never expected to have kids—and now I had not one but two teenagers living with me. Teenagers.
I shook my head, focusing back on the wooden door in front of me. Right now, Callum needed my attention. More so, he deserved it. He deserved to be properly welcomed and to be given a proper tour of the house.
Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door and waited. I knew he was in there; I could smell him. The ozone I now knew to associate with mages combined with notes that made him all him.
He was walking from right to left, turning, and then walking back. Left to right, turn, right to left. My knock had led him to increase his pacing, for his scent to spike with a bit of fear. Not as much as I’d expected.
I knocked again.
“Yes?” he called out, but his voice was barely loud enough for me to hear. As if he might not want to be heard at all. Maybe he was hoping I’d leave him be. If that was what he wanted, I’d do so—as soon as I’d made sure he had everything he needed. That was my job.
“It’s Gray, can I come in?”
Silence. I forced myself to keep calm and wait, even though my patience was quickly wearing thin.
Then, after an eternity, the steps picked up again, and a few seconds later Callum opened the door, his face full of distrust and apprehension, his eyes roaming over me, coming to a stop as he spotted the tray I was holding.
He quickly stepped aside, gesturing for me to come in.
“I brought breakfast. I hope you like it,” I told him as I ducked so that I fit through the door. “If not, tell me what you usually eat for breakfast, and I’m sure we can arrange something.”
Callum laughed, but it was a bitter, hollow sound. “My usual breakfast is stale bread.”
I grimaced.
Yeah, I hadn’t thought that one through.
Kill, my wolf supplied angrily, and part of me agreed.
We should’ve killed Otto for everything he’d done.
The welts around Callum’s neck were still red and angry, and I felt my blood pressure spiking.
How could anyone think that was okay? How could anyone look at people like Levi or Nix or Callum and think hurting them was fine?
“I’m afraid we’re fresh out of stale bread,” I said with a wink, trying to lighten the mood. “But you’re free to go downstairs and check for yourself.”
Callum cocked his head, his brows knitting in confusion. “I’m free to leave the room?”
Blinding hot rage swept through my body. “Of course,” I burst out, my wolf surging in my chest. “You’re our guest. You’re free to roam and explore. Hell, if you want to check out the local town, let someone know, and they’ll take you.”
Callum blinked at me, opened his mouth then closed it again a couple of times, disbelief clouding his face. “That… would be fine?”
I nodded emphatically, my wolf’s rage heating me up, making my blood boil until a sense of calm settled in my chest, calming not just me but the beast inside me. Nix. I took a deep breath and listened to the calmness he was projecting through our bond.
“Of course. I can give you a tour of the packhouse, if you’d like.”
For a moment, Callum stared at me, completely frozen in shock. “I think I’d really like to get out of the room,” he finally whispered, still blinking rapidly as if his mind was working overtime to work through the simple fact that he could leave his room if he wanted to.
I decided not to make a big deal out of it and just nodded. “Sure. Follow me.”
Within seconds, we were walking along the hallway to the stairs. Callum’s eyes darted around, never staying focused on anything for more than a second. His hands were shaking, his fingers tipping in some kind of complicated pattern.
“On this floor, we mainly have guest rooms. On the second floor, we have a couple of permanent residents. They’re mostly young adults who want to move out of their parents’ homes but aren’t ready to live all alone yet.
I feel like it’s a good compromise for them to learn and grow within a safe environment.
However, a couple of shifters just like living here, regardless of age. They like the community.”
Callum nodded along as I went on with my explanation. He flinched when a door fell shut behind us, and someone approached at high speed. A young wolf, barely nineteen, ran past us, throwing a quick “Morning” our way.
Callum shook his head in disbelief.
“And on the first floor, we have our common areas. A dining room slash rec room for the pack, a gaming room, the kitchen. Oh, and the offices, of course. Rhett, Paul, and I have our offices down here. Oak and Diana have their offices on the second floor… Oh, and we’re currently building Heath and Angelo’s offices on the second floor too. ”
We finally reached the bottom of the stairs and thus our entry hall. “Here’s the front door, obviously. Out front are the parking spots. Oh, and we have two trucks that are pack property. Do you have a driver’s license?”
Callum shook his head, and I bit back a growl.
Of course he hadn’t.
“Do you want to get a driver’s license?”
He blinked. “Uhm… yes?”
He didn’t sound sure, but I’d take it.
I nodded. “Okay. That’s something you have to tell Oakley. He’ll be able to arrange something for you. Basically, Oakley is the go-to guy for everything you need. I’ll show you around and then point you to his office. It’s not like I want to pawn you off, but he’s the expert.”
Also, I had a mate and two teenage wolves to take care of. Because I now had kids.
Fuck my life. I was crazy to do this, wasn’t I?
Callum bit his lip, turning his head as he looked at the stairs. Did he want to stop our tour and head back up? Was he getting overwhelmed? His scent hadn’t changed, but maybe he was just hiding his change of emotion somehow?
I’d have to ask Nix if that was even possible.
“Okay. Uhm… the other mage. Uh… Nix? Your mate, right? Is he around too?”
“He’s in my rooms with Connie and Nick. The pups from your old pack.”
Callum flinched. “They’re not my old pack. I’m a mage. I wasn’t part of the pack.”
And the prize for the most insensitive asshole goes to me.
“Of course. I’m sorry.”
Callum blinked, his face turning ashen all of a sudden. “Oh no. I’m sorry, Alpha. It’s okay. It’s just…”
I held up my hand, and he immediately went quiet, watching me with wide eyes.
“You don’t have anything to be sorry for.
You were right to correct me. What I meant to say is that my mate is currently in my rooms with the two pups who escaped the pack that held you prisoner.
I’m sure he’ll check in on you as soon as he gets the pups situated.
They kind of… imprinted on him, if you will. ”
Callum quickly shook his head. “Oh, that’s not necessary. I’d just… he said something about healing me, and I…” He stopped, his fingers touching the raw skin on his throat. “I think I’d like to take him up on the offer.
“No problem. I bet he’ll be excited to heal you… or show you how to do it yourself.”
Callum stopped again, right in the middle of the doorway to our dining room.
“He… you’d allow him to show me?”
“Yes.” Taking a deep breath, I bit back most of the things I wanted to say.
There was so much, but Callum already looked like he was on the verge of passing out.
Overwhelming him with even more information would do him no good.
So I settled on a simple explanation. “He’s his own person.
He can do what he wants. Things are different here. You’ll see.”
A tear ran down Callum’s cheek as he slowly nodded. “Maybe one day I’ll believe you.”
What he didn’t understand yet was that he wouldn’t have to believe us because he’d be able to see for himself. Words were empty if actions didn’t follow.
“Come on,” I said, nodding for him to enter the dining room. “I promised you’d get the chance to check our kitchen for stale bread.”
Callum let out the smallest of laughs, his eyes widening as he set foot into the bustling dining room.
There were easily sixty to seventy pack members out and about.
Eating, talking, laughing. Pups were playing a game of catch, and a group of teenage shifters was loudly discussing the upcoming Christmas break.
Business as usual.
“This is…”
“A lot,” I finished for him, letting out a laugh as one of the smaller kids jumped me, clinging to my waist. “But they’re good people. Give it time, and we’ll show you.”
My mom came over, her eyes set on Callum, a warm, inviting smile on her lips, even though I could see the hard edges beneath. The anger simmering beneath the surface.
“You must be Callum,” she said, giving him one of her widest smiles.
“I’m Wendy, Gray’s mom. I heard him say something about stale bread.
” She levelled me with a pointed glare. “I can’t believe he’d even suggest you eat something like that.
Just follow me, sweetie. I’ll make you pancakes. You like pancakes, right?”
He didn’t stand a chance. One moment, he was staring at my mom with a frightened look on his face, and the next he was following her into the kitchen, listening as she told him all about how my dad was a cheater because he drowned his pancakes in syrup so others would prefer his over hers.
I let my eyes wander through the room, a sense of pride filling me as I watched shifters and humans interacting peacefully.
Wolves sitting next to bears. Lion cubs playing with fox kits.
This world wasn’t a perfect place by any means, but sometimes…
this place felt like a slice of heaven. And everyone was working hard to keep it that way.