Page 115 of Scent of Home

“Lay down.”

I glance at him and then lie down. A few seconds later, the others join me until we’re all side by side, lying on our backs.

The stars shine brighter in the dark. The sound of the forest is deafening. But I can’t look away.

“This is where I come when things get hard,” Shane says, and his hand finds mine. I reach out and thread my fingers through Locke’s.

“It makes all the problems that I have seem so insignificant. We’re all under the stars, all of us. Small, busy, alphas, betas, or omegas. And somewhere out there, whether they are our scent matches or not, someone, maybe a person we don’t even know, is thinking about us, loving us.”

I grip his hand harder. “Is that from one of your books?”

“No,” Shane says quietly. “My mother used to say it to me when I was sad.”

“Who would you come out under the stars to love?” I ask him.

“I’d think about my sister, my parents, the people in town. But most of the time, I thought about Bray. And you, Finn. I’d dream about an omega that I never knew existed, and sometimes, a woman who was as strong as my mother. As kind as my father. Who had the heart of a tiger and the soul of a warrior. A woman who was fire and beauty, who would look at me and see my soul.”

“Let me know when she appears. I’ll get rid of her,” I tease.

Shane snorts and turns his face to me. “I dreamed about you guys under the stars. I loved you all for so long.”

“Write that in your next book,” Bray says.

“Bray!” Finn growls. “We love you, too, Shane.”

Locke sighs. “I dreamed of you, too. I dreamed of you even when I hadn’t seen stars in years. In the dark, I dreamed, and I wrote songs for you.”

“It’s not dark anymore, Locke. The world is awash with light, and we won’t let it go out for you.”

“What she said,” Bray agrees.

We fall silent, into our own thoughts, but together until it gets too cold. The night drags on, and I fall more in love with each passing minute. Movies and popcorn and doing nothing but existing.

I’ve never had this before, but I’d go to war to keep it.

Briefly, I hear the question, but it’s muted, faint.What are you prepared to do, Erin? How far are you prepared to go?

Chapter thirty-four

Finn

We have to getsupplies. It’s been another four days, and we’ve run out of food. I’ve bullied everyone into the car and driven us into town. Locke and Erin are curled up against each other in the back seat. No one wants to go back to our realities. We want to stay in this dream, getting to know each other.

Erin wanders at night. I will often wake and find her not in bed, but she’ll be on the porch or standing at the window looking out at the forest. She asks the deepest questions, and we talk, sometimes until dawn.

Locke sings all the time. He doesn’t even realise he’s doing it, but Shane has taken to writing his lyrics so none of them get lost.

Shane can cook. That surprised the hell out of me. But he’s fantastic at it. He told me his mother taught him. When he does, he smiles and dances around the kitchen.

And Bray, well, he’s more playful than I ever imagined. He’s the one who pinches your butt or tackles someone for tickle fights. The lighter side of Bray is enchanting.

And me? I’ve discovered that I miss hiking. I’ve taken Locke on a couple of trips with me. I’m teaching him how to navigate so I never have to worry about him getting lost again. He asked me why I’m not taking tourists on walks. I’m already on the rescue team. Why not teach and train?

It got me thinking.

I shake myself free of my thoughts as we pull into town. Locke sits up, his eyes sweeping over the main street and finding the diner. As soon as I stop the car, he’s out and bounding over to snag Eustice in a hug.

I’m not sure how he’s managed to make such an impression, but the town is in love with him. And he’s slowly spreading his affection to other people outside the pack.

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