Page 49 of Redeemed Wolf

Though I knew it wasn’t necessary, I found my own gums aching, my teeth lengthening, as I felt him pull a mouthful of blood into his body. A piece of me would live on within him, and I wanted,needed, the same. As I bit down over the mark I’d left before, his groan vibrating through me, his knot pulsing a final time inside me. We would never be as connected as we were right this moment.

Even long after he’d slipped from my body, we remained connected. I drifted off to sleep in his arms as he laved the wound on my neck, a satisfied rumble in his chest. With each languid pass of his tongue, more of my past worked its way free. Until I felt almost whole…

It must’ve been hourslater when a gentle knock on the door roused us. The dream I’d been having evaporated into the ether. Once upon a time, I might’ve called it a nightmare, but I found I was no longer afraid. Dr. Taylor could no longer hurt me.

I blinked in the gloom, surprised to find I could see better in the pre-dawn light than I would’ve expected. The knock came again, and I tried to sit up, but Silas’s arms tightened, keeping me where I was.

“What is it?” Silas called gruffly.

“Uh, sorry to interrupt,” a muffled voice said, “but Shan is calling a pack meeting. Thought you should be there.” I heard footsteps as the person walked away.

“Who was that?” I asked, rubbing my face a few times, trying to clear my head.

“Morgan. He’s Jude’s mate, so I guess that would make him your brother-in-law. He’s our only human, but he’s a little self-conscious about that, so try not to stare.”

I snorted, poking him in the ribs. “Just because I found my wolf, that doesn’t make me some kind of speciesist snob.” I thought over what Morgan had said. “I get the need for a meeting, but why would they want us there? Neither of us live here.”

Silas stilled for a moment at my words, before giving me a quick kiss and rolling out of bed. He walked over to the dresser, searching for clothes. “Shan is all about being fair and listening to everyone’s ideas. He’ll make a decision based on everyone’s needs, not just those of his own pack.”

“Shan sounds like a good leader,” I offered, catching the shirt he tossed my way.

“The best,” he said earnestly.

By the time we got to the kitchen, the place was packed with large, overwarm bodies. There were a few new faces I hadn’t had a chance to meet yet, including Morgan. Even if I hadn’t been a wolf capable of smelling the difference in his DNA, his human status would’ve been impossible to miss because of the thick-rimmed glasses he wore.

And then, of course, there was Jesse. My dad… He was staring at me with such hope I couldn’t possibly ignore. Silas didn’t need to ask, he could feel it through the tether. He gave my hand a squeeze and left us alone for a minute.

Jesse approached me slowly, cautiously, afraid to set me off again. “It’s okay,” I assured him, meeting him the rest of the way on steady legs. “I’m feeling a lot better now.”

His smile was tight but full of understanding. “I’m fresh out of a lab myself. Trust me when I say I understand.”

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“For what?”

“For anything that was done to you. To Isaac, to Amelia, to Andy, and everyone else Silas set free. It’s not right. If I’d known…” My voice trailed off, because there were no what-ifs. No promises to be made for past deeds. I didn’t know what I could’ve done to save anyone. I was just one man, and I’d been drugged and brainwashed on top of that.

“You were a victim too,” Jesse said, without judgment or pity. He reached for my hand, and I took it, the contact igniting a long-lost memory.

“There once was a princess with hair like spun gold…”

“You used to read to me,” I blurted. “Didn’t you?”

Jesse’s eyes lightened with surprise. “Yes. You remember?”

“Yeah. It’s… a good memory.” Sifting through my nightmares, it was nice to know that something good, peaceful, existed in my past. “Thank you for that.” I almost called him Dad, like thechildhood version of me in my memory, but it was too soon. I didn’t know this man, not really, and the last man I’d called Dad had broken all trust. I wasn’t sure if I would ever be comfortable saying it again.

The door opened one last time, Tristan leading in the elderly woman I’d seen last night. There was something ethereal about her that sent goosebumps prickling across the back of my neck. She wore a loose nightgown that trailed down to the floor, her bare toes peeking out. Her silver hair was braided, hanging over one shoulder almost to her waist, her skin soft and wrinkled, but it was her eyes that drew my attention. They were a milky white, but though I would’ve assumed she was blind, the way Tristan was leading her, she turned her head, and I swore she looked right at me. My breath stuttered. I couldn’t look away.

She shuffled over to me, tilting her chin up to gaze at me. I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. She lifted her hand and cupped my cheek tenderly. “I forgive you,” she said, her voice as elusive as the wind itself. A chill seemed to blow through the room, though there were no open windows or doors.

Before I could ask what for she forgave me for, she blinked, frowning, and seemed confused about why she was touching me. She jerked her hand back. “Oh… s-sorry,” she mumbled, staggering back a step, her balance tipping.

I reached to catch her, but Tristan was already there. “I’ve got her. Thanks.” He led her over to a padded chair and helped lower her into it.

There was only one chair left, so Silas sat down and pulled me onto his lap. We weren’t the only couple doubling up. Isaac smiled shyly at me from across the table. He seemed younger now, softer than how he’d looked yesterday, all teeth and claws and splattered blood. He was still too thin, ribs protruding, but I found it astounding how much healthier he looked. Whether it was intentional or just because he didn’t feel comfortablein clothes after so long, Isaac was shirtless, showing off his matching mating marks, one on either side of his neck. His smaller omega was curled up in his lap, mostly still asleep, while the older beta stood behind Isaac’s chair leaning against the wall, lazily running callused fingers through Isaac’s hair. The three of them seemed a good match, despite the age difference.

I was surprised to see Pacey was still here, and even more surprised when he moved to stand behind Silas, just off his right side. When I looked up at him in question, he just offered me a good-natured wink.

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