Page 15 of Wrestling With Werewolves

“I wanted something for myself, even if it was only a few minutes,” she whispers, eyes brimming with fresh tears. “But it turns out I can’t have even that. Papá beat my best friend Leo for helping me. And then he demoted Nuñez and sent me here for safekeeping.” She jerks her chin out of my hand. “I didn’t get to say goodbye to anyone.”

Surprised and sensing she needs space, I take a step back and lean against the sofa’s low side arm. Marco beat someone for helping her? That’s…not right.

Frustration for the situation fills me, most especially for the crying omega in front of me. I keep my tone even and helpful as I try to reassure her. “You can contact anyone you want to from here. I know that won’t ease the pain you feel over how things went down, but there’s a comm disk in the kitchen that you’re welcome to use.”

She shoots me an incredulous look. “Papá didn’t tell you to hide it or something? He made it seem like he wasn’t telling anyone about me coming here.”

I shrug. “He won’t tell anyone you’re in Ever, but if you have a few trusted friends, I don’t think it’s a big deal for you to call them.”

She lifts her chin, leveling me with a serious gaze. “Do you think there’s risk in me calling them? I wouldn’t want to put Leo or any of my packmates in a bad way due to another poor decision.”

I shake my head and reach for one of her elegant, long-fingered hands, bringing it to rest over my heart. I’ve found over the years that the steady beat tends to calm even the flightiest of wolves. I suppose that’s an advantage of being my pack’s alpha. The ways I can comfort and soothe are almost too numerous to count.

Lola’s near-black eyes drift to my chest and back up as she bites her lower lip.

I clear my throat. “Your father told me about Eliel. I’m aware of that threat. But I can’t see a reason that chatting with Leo would be unsafe. There’s no way for Eliel to even get to Ever without coming through the portal, and we guard that. You’re safe here, Lola.”

She grits her jaw, a muscle working overtime as her fingers dig into my shirt. After a long, quiet moment, she continues. “I’d definitely like to check on him since he was hurt because of me.”

I cock my head to the side, admiring the innate strength that’s so clear in her. Like any good packmate, she worries for others before worrying for herself. She hasn’t asked me a single thing about the safety of Ever in comparison to Santa Alaya. About her safety.

“There’s only one thing I want to be clear while you’re here,” I say softly, drawing her attention once more.

When she gives me a curious, guarded look, I smile.

“I want you to have fun. I want you to decide how to spend your days and who to spend them with. Do whatever the hells you want, Lola. Okay?”

Her dark lips part into a big smile. “Don’t tease me with a good time, Richard. I haven’t chosen my schedule since I was a pup!” The smile falls a little, turning into more of a smirk. Her tear tracks are drying, and she doesn’t look ready to cry anymore.

“What can I help with while I’m here?” Her question is soft, but there’s steel in her tone.

It doesn’t surprise me that she’d insist on helping. It’s the shifter way. Family first.

I grin. “There’s a welcome dinner for you at Bad Axe tonight, if you feel up to it.”

“Of course,” she says with a playful laugh. “I’m always down for a politics-free party.”

My grin grows bigger. “Well…I’ve got a pack leadership meeting tomorrow afternoon if you miss the politics after a day without it.” I slip my hands into my pockets and wink at her. “Technically, you’re the highest-ranking wolf here. If you feel like dipping your claws into tiny haven leadership, the door’s open.”

She cocks her head to the side and purses her lips, seeming to consider it. Finally, she returns my smile. “Yeah. I’d like to know how other havens work. I have so little context outside of Santa Alaya. I don’t even remember a time when Papá wasn’t the king.”

“He won the crown when you were so young,” I murmur, remembering his challenge like it was yesterday.

Lola wraps both long arms around her torso. “I remember Mamá being gone and Papá being crowned, but it’s all mashed together,” she says, turning a soft smile up at me. “I can’t remember what she looked like anymore.”

Which gives me an idea. I’m pretty sure I have some pictures of Marco, Maria, and me from way back in the day. I make a mental note to find them so I can give them to Lola at some point in the near future. I won’t promise her I have them unless I’m sure, though, so instead I push off the sofa and point to the kitchen.

“There’s a manila envelope there on the countertop. It’s got an Ever comm watch in it as well as our typical new-resident packet. Ever’s got a short but rich history.”

“Oh, I’ve heard all about it,” Lola says with a ragged laugh. She crooks one brow upward. “Is that whole welcome packet Evenia-approved?”

That pulls the same ragged laugh from my throat, and I shrug noncommittally. “Evenia hasn’t personally approved welcome packets in a long time. To be honest, I’m not even certain who’s technically responsible for the Ever welcome packet. Just that it seems to magically be updated every time we gain a new resident.”

“How curious,” Lola deadpans, her grin huge.

I lean in close. “It’s Catherine. Catherine does it.” Our resident succubus is the only one who could make such a change without getting approval from Hearth HQ, the monster world’s ruling body.

Lola leans in conspiratorially. “Obviously. Sometimes I think she does things just to mess with the Hearth.”

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