Page 100 of A Wolf's Heart

Hasn’t moved.Kage was the first to answer.I’m heading to the office. Let me know when you’re ready to approach Ophidian.Of course, Kage would be running to the office instead of caring for her. At least Rain was there.

Something crunched under my foot—well, many things had, but this sounded like glass. I lifted my boot, staring at the framed dried lilac flowers beneath it. I picked up the framed flowers, careful not to wreck them as the glass fell from the picture.

I pulled out my phone, calling for a vehicle and some boxes. By the time the black SUV arrived, the team and I had a pile of belongings that survived the fire, but it wasn’t much. A few books, some pictures—the only one with an intact frame was the one with Lila and her parents. Lila was in wolf form, just an adolescent. How two humans had managed her was beyond me. Adolescent wolves were troublesome enough for shifter parents.

The fire had started in the bedroom, so no clothing remained. I quickly sent a text to Emma, explaining the situation and requesting for her to get clothes for Lila.

She immediately texted back.Of course, beta.

I got into the passenger seat of the SUV, ready to leave, when I looked back at the house. I wanted Lila to move in with us. I wanted to be part of a family. But never like this, never at her expense.

Rainor

The beast was unsettled.

He pushed and prodded at the barriers I had begun making, barriers made possible by Lila. Ever since she’d allowed me to be in my wolf form, I was becoming more confident where the beast was concerned. Demanding my time in the light, instead of requesting it. I could almost feel a trickle of respect from him.

Lila hadn’t moved from her spot by the window at all through the night. Nor did she move in the morning, and now into the afternoon.

I was making her a coffee when her soft footsteps caught my attention.

“Weylin hasn’t been back,” she whispered.

I turned to find her eyes puffy and red, her face blotchy, and her lips pressed together in… not quite a frown. More as if she was holding her bottom lip to stop it from quivering.

“He’s on his way. He was able to salvage some of your belongings.” She seemed disappointed by this. Likely, she’d wanted to pull out her stuff from the wreckage herself, but we weren’t allowing her back to her territory until Ophidian was taken care of. “Would you like him to bring your stuff here? You’re welcome to your own room or Kage’s.”

“I guess I should start looking for a place,” she said, taking her phone out of the oversized hoodie she wore. It belonged to Weylin. I’d had to raid his closet for clothes for her. Never in my life had I wished for sweatpants and cotton shirts as much as I had last night. I ended up ordering some and would have to wear them now and then, so she could wear my scent.

The sweatpants had been rolled up several times, and still, she gripped the waist, holding them in place.

“If you would like your own place, there are several condos available within the top three floors. Weylin and I live below Kage, and there is one more condo there. Emma lives below us, and there are two available there. Everyone in this building is a shifter and an executive member. You will be safe here.”

“What’s the monthly rate? Is it a lease?”

“Kage owns the building, you wouldn’t be charged.”

“I should give him something. I’ll have to talk to him about it.” She let out a small sigh, and I handed her the mug of coffee I’d prepared.

“Don’t be alarmed when he refuses. It is in our nature to take care of our mate, even for shifters like us.”

“Shifters like you?” she asked.

Lila had yet to see us within true pack settings. She hadn’t seen the way we were regarded by other leaders; she simply didn’t comprehend where we were in the pecking order. I remembered when Emma was first introduced, the looks of pity and sadness given her way when it was determined Kage would take her on as luna. Loving a mate was in a wolf’s nature, something that had been beaten out of us. The pack and others surrounding us knew this. We were different with Lila, though I wasn’t sure how long that would last.

She took a sip of her coffee, made a face, then set it down. “Did I make it wrong?” I asked.

“I’m just not in the mood.” She crossed her arms. “I don’t need you to take care of me, and I don’t mean that in a bratty way. I refuse to allow anyone to go out of their way for me and be put out. I do just fine on my own. I’ll happily pay Kage, and if I can't afford it here, then I’m fine looking elsewhere.”

She began to leave but stopped, facing me once more.

“It’s only ever been Max and me for almost a decade. Losing him doesn’t mean I give up. It’s hard. It’s like my parents all over again, and even though he was the one to bring me back to myself, I think this time, I can make it on my own.”

She left then, going to Kage’s room and closing the door. I followed her, not sure what to do or say, but the moment I heard the soft cries on the other side of the door, I backed away.

The beast, though he had settled in her presence, was back up against the barrier, claws out and growling. Did I tell her? That it wasn’t a matter of her needing us but us needing her? She might be able to survive on her own, but before her, we’d been spiraling as pack leaders. I wasn’t sure if we would be able to uphold the pack without her.

Lila

---