Page 85 of The Thief

Lakota raked his long brown hair out of his eyes. “You’re the alpha. I’m giving you the honor, brother.”

“But you’re always bragging how you do everything better than me.” Tak jumped out. “Show me your muscles, Sky Hunter.”

Bear appeared from the left side of the house and waved when he passed by us. My tummy did a somersault when we locked eyes briefly before he joined the men to offer a hand. I wanted to linger and watch because seeing the look on his face whenever he exerted himself was… intimately familiar.

“The fence is almost done,” I informed them while crossing the threshold.

“What a relief!” Hope exclaimed. “I’ve heard nothing but talk of the fence. Tak was worried he’d come home and find his horse had run away. Isn’t that silly?”

I gave a mirthless chuckle. “Luna’s gonna be real happy to see her daddy.”

Melody dragged her bags up the stairs while Hope cut to the back of the house.

“How was your trip?” I asked her.

She headed down the back hall toward her corner bedroom. “We had a delightful visit. It’s always good to see my old packmates, but I’m quickly reminded as to why children grow up to join their own packs.”

Hope set her bags in the far corner of their spacious bedroom.

Their room layout was similar to Bear’s in that they both had a recessed wall on the far-right corner. Since Tak and Hope also had a private bathroom, their room was twice as big as Bear’s. A small sectional fit nicely in the space to my right, and the two doors on that wall led to their walk-in closet and bathroom.

Unlike Bear, they put their bed on the left wall. Wooden end tables flanked it, and a gorgeous blanket with Native patterns covered the top.

I gestured to the dreamcatcher hanging above the headboard. “Does that really work?”

Hope kicked off her shoes by the closet door. “My family believes they offer protection from negative energy and evil spirits.” She retrieved a watering can from the window and walked into the bathroom. “It’s always worked for me. If you want one, I can talk to my mother. These are special.” After the water shut off, she returned to water her thirsty plants by the window across the room. “The dreamcatchers are blessed by spiritual leaders some call shamans. That custom came from my grandmother’s people. I never knew her, but my mother tries to honor everything she was taught. My father shows me the ways of his people.” Hope smiled. “I’m Native, but I’m a mix of cultures.”

“Does it get confusing as to which one to follow?”

“No more than it would for anyone else. I love my heritage. I’m also part white on my mother’s side, and that’s why I respect the American culture here. My family doesn’t celebrate Christmas, but since Melody does, I give her gifts and enjoy her traditions just as she does mine on our days. People look at Tak and me and assume we’re the same because we’re Native. Some of our history intersects, but our languages and customs are different.”

When she finished watering a large snake plant, she set the empty can on the windowsill.

Curious, I ventured farther in to look at their recessed area past the bathroom and closet wall. Native wall hangings decorated the space, and various-sized pillows were scattered on the floor. Not everything was Native-themed. There was a touch of the boho, artistic vibe that reflected Hope’s personality.

“We use this for meditation and intimate conversations,” Hope pointed out. “Some people fill every inch of their life with furniture, but space is important. It helps clear the mind.”

They had room for children. Shifters often slept in the same room with their little ones until they were older, mostly due to lack of space in a pack environment.

“What’s this?” Hope noticed the enormous diamond on her bed that I had long assumed was a crystal paperweight.

I walked to the door and closed it. “There’s an important matter I need to discuss with the Packmaster, and this has something to do with it. I’m pretty sure I know what it is, but I need an expert opinion. You’re a jeweler. Do you have the equipment to verify what type of stone it is without a doubt?”

“Of course.” She held it up to the light and blanched. “It can be difficult to tell by looks when they’re in the raw, but…”

I drew closer. “I need your absolute confidence. No one can see this rock. Not Melody, not anyone. You can’t speak of it either. It’s the biggest secret, and Tak will need to decide what to do.”

She put her hand on my shoulder. “Mercy, you can count on my discretion. Is everything okay?”

I shook my head.

“Tak will give you guidance. I tend to overthink everything and worry, but he’s wise and levelheaded despite all the jokes.” Hope lowered her hand and gave a sympathetic smile. “Whatever it is, we’ll figure this out. Why don’t you speak with him before he hauls that monstrosity downstairs? They need a break. Tell them I said so. If he changes his mind later and wants the safe upstairs, he’ll regret having taken it down prematurely. Did everything go okay while we were gone?”

“We had a terrible storm. The men are talking about building the garage before the heat house.”

She laughed softly. “It’s always something. I’m certain if any of us goes into heat before the heat house is built, we won’t be sleeping in the garage.”

“Thanks for keeping this a secret,” I said, flicking my eyes to the diamond.

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