Page 46 of Redeemed Wolf

“Melissa?” I choked. “She’s alive?!”

“I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t think it would be safe to mention her name over the phone in case they were looking for her. She was more than happy to give us information about the lab’s layout, the guards’ schedules. And she got us in touch with Mr. Thompson who is luckily still employed by the lab. He’ll give us a heads-up about anything he hears.”

“You sly dog,” I said, shaking my head.

“Hey, watch who you’re calling a dog,dog.” Joe’s feline eyes flashed with humor.

The remaining pack members had made their way out of the cabins, introducing themselves to Amelia, Andy, and Carter. I noticed something strange, though. Damon and Stuart were wearing matching stunned expressions, their heads swiveling as though looking for something. It wasn’t until I heard Isaac cry out that I figured out what that could be.

Isaac had finished with his shower, and he was now dressed in some of Jude’s clothes, though his feet were still bare. He’d dropped to his knees in the grass, clutching at his chest. He wasn’t hurt that I could tell, but his gaze was locked on where Damon and Stuart were standing. Their scents combined, threading together until there could be no doubt—they were mates.

“Well, shit,” I muttered.

If this wasn’t fate telling us that we were making the right moves, I didn’t know what was.

There was another round of hugs and tears, with Jesse reuniting with his youngest son and the massive surprise of Isaac meeting his mates—both of them. I heard Stuart saying, “It all makes sense now. I felt a connection with Damon, but it felt like there was always something missing. It wasyou.”

Carter stood back watching wordlessly. I couldn’t guess what he was feeling based on his facial expression alone, but inside the thin tether anchored in my chest, it felt like he was… lost. Maybe even more now that he’d started to find himself.

As Shan got a celebratory bonfire started, Vesta came shuffling out of her cabin, and Pax ran over to help her—as much as a young child could, anyway. She looked tired, bowing under the weight of the world, leaning heavily on her walking stick. As if the present weren’t enough for someone, she had the knowledge of the past and future too. As much as I wanted to talk with her about what she’d seen, thank her for the herbs for Carter, it wasn’t the time.

“Come with me,” I whispered to my mate, wrapping an arm around his waist to pull him with me.

“Where are we going?” he asked, though it was clear he would follow me anywhere. He leaned into me.

“Shower first, then bed. Sound good?”

He sighed and nodded.

I’d intended to find him clothes while he was in the shower, but when I tried to leave, he panicked. “Stay,” he said, and so I had.

I peeled off my torn and bloody uniform and threw it in the trash before turning the water in the stall on. As soon as steam had begun to curl, I backed under the spray and brought Carter in with me. We stood there chest to chest until the water ranclear, then I lathered him up with soap, massaging my thumbs into his tense muscles. He finally began to relax.

“So, I’m one of them. A shifter.” His whisper echoed off the tile.

“One ofus,” I said, specifically highlighting the most important word. “Half man, half wolf. Shifters come in all shapes and sizes—tigers, elephants, mice, birds.” Cupping his jaw, I brought his gaze up. “Don’t be afraid of what you can do. You’re stronger, faster, have better healing and immune system. No matter what your dad said, not all shifters are monsters, no more than all humans are.”

“Except he wasn’t my dad.”

“No.”

“And I think… he might’ve been one of the monsters. He did things, didn’t he? To those people we rescued and… to me?”

It hurt me to say it, but I refused to lie in a misguided attempt to protect him. He was strong enough to handle it. “Yes.”

He nodded once, accepting that it was true. I could feel him tracing a finger along the edges of my scars. “So, when you said this was from a wolf…”

“It was. Another wolf shifter. He was my old pack Alpha, and he was one of the bad ones. It was too deep for me to heal without scars, though it would’ve killed a human.”

“Where is he now?” he asked, though I was sure he already knew the answer.

“Dead. Shan killed him.” Carter nodded, sending a tingle of relief and satisfaction through the link. “He deserved it,” I assured him. “His death saved countless lives, avoided a war between packs.”

Carter nodded again, growing quiet. He had more than enough to think about.

I grabbed one of the folded towels from a stack on a shelf in the corner and dried him off, and since neither of us had clothes, wewrapped the towels around our waists and walked hand in hand back to the cabin.

A few of the others were still sitting around the fire talking, though I noticed that Isaac was absent, along with his new mates. I saw Amelia leaning her head on Jesse’s shoulder, speaking softly. Perhaps they were talking about the past, but I thought it more likely, they were planning for the future. This was the moment they could finally begin to heal. Shifters could heal from physical wounds, often without scars, but the emotional trauma would take time.

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