Page 3 of Homecoming

Raine started peering into her boxes. “Looks like you have a decent start. Where do you want me to work?”

Wheredidshe want her to work? “Um, I don’t even know. Maybe let’s work in the kitchen.”

They moved into the kitchen, and when Angela handed her dishes, Raine wrapped them in newsprint.

“How are you feeling,” she asked the younger woman.

Raine grinned, and her cheeks lifted. Her thick golden hair was plaited in a braid that hung over her shoulder, and her blue eyes glittered with happiness. “I feel pretty good. The nausea seems to be easing. Donna helped me out one day because it was so bad. Noah was about to lose his shit. He just doesn’t know what to do for me.”

Angela nodded her head, so appreciative that Donna was on their side now. Donna Frame, formerly known as Belladonna when she was forced to work with the former senator, had the ability to sense maladies and heal. Angela knew without a doubt that Fallon wouldn’t be here if Donna hadn’t helped her out with her own pregnancy.

“Stay close to Donna,” Angela said. “The woman is amazing.”

Raine nodded, her grin tipping up on one side. “And now that she’s with Haven, I can’t get over the change in her.”

Donna used to be incredibly uptight. She’d been abused by the company and by Senator Hall as much as any of the men they’d taken in. Possibly more so. Senator Hall had kept Donna’s daughter away from her, and under threat if Donna didn’t do exactly as the Senator wanted. One of Donna’s first abilities was being able to tell which men the drug was going to work on. She’d weeded through the test subjects, letting the doctors know which ones were salvageable. It had been a terrible situation, and she carried a lot of guilt for working for them, even under duress. Many men had died at the shake of her head.

Since she’d fallen in love with Haven, though, her demeanor had completely changed. She was more open, and she smiled easily. They even teased her sometimes, and her cheeks wouldturn pink. She showed a vulnerability and an openness that she’d never shown before. It was like she was relearning how to be a woman.

Angela glanced at Raine, alarmed to see tears swimming in her friend’s eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m not gonna lie. I’m gonna miss y’all.”

“Oh, Raine,” she breathed, and leaned down for a hug. “We’ll keep in touch, and at some point, you may have to come down with us.” She nodded at Raine’s tiny baby bump. “Noah’s baby will probably be enhanced as well.”

Raine swiped at her cheeks. “I know. I’m trying to prepare myself for that. I just remind myself how much I love Fallon, and most of my worries go away. I love my job here, but I’ll be happy to get out of the city when the time comes. I’m a farm girl at heart.”

Angela grinned, pulling back. “At some point, most of us may be down there. This building isn’t getting any bigger, and if we keep finding men like we have, they’re going to require care. And space!”

They both fell into a thoughtful silence until Raine looked up with a grin. “If you have thermal underwear, you’d better be packing them. And I doubt you’ll take them off for the next four months. You and Aiden are gonna have to find new ways to get busy.”

Angela cringed. “I really hope you’re wrong.”

Raine shrugged as she put another plate in the box. “Just in case I would pack everything warm you have. And hand and toe warmers. Tea. Blankets. Anything to fight the cold. You may be in a shed in the woods.”

Angela didn’t hate the Elton building, but a long time ago she’d decided if she had a chance to leave it, she would. And this was her chance. She just might have to rough it a little.

Her baby would be safe, though.

TWO

December 2024

Owen Black knewhe was being stared at, but it didn’t bother him. He felt no feelings of animosity. Just curiosity. And it wasn’t invasive curiosity, just a mild interest. His was a newer face, and he could feel more feminine attention than anything. He tipped his cowboy hat to several people on the street. It didn’t hurt to be polite.

Elizabeth Terberger and the Dogs of War group had chosen well when they’d picked the mountains around Whisper Hollow, North Carolina, to build the refuge for the men. The town was nestled at the base of the mountain range they’d bought, and it was big enough to support an influx of business, but not so big that it would be hard to get anything done. There were several cafes and restaurants, a coffee shop, two hardware stores owned by contentious brothers, a gift/card store, a flower shop, and several smaller, privately owned businesses. The downtown area was quaint, and he could tell that people took pride in their town. Everything they needed was right here. It was thestorybook kind of place where neighbors helped neighbors and crime was an anomaly.

Giant holiday wire shaped candles and bells and holly forms had been wrapped with lights and hung from the lampposts. Strings of lights spanned the width of the street between the posts. It was kind of disgustingly cute. His gaze zeroed in on the candle three posts down. It needed another Zip-tie to tighten it to the post, and the fourth bulb was out. But it would be pretty at night. Most people wouldn’t even notice the dark bulb.

The display made him think of his childhood. His family had been poor as fuck, but they’d always attended the Christmas parade at the beginning of December, and his dad would always make sure they took several driving trips around town to look at the lights at night. He missed those innocent days. Missed his dad, especially. And his little brother.

There was some kind of commotion going on ahead. He paused at the corner to take in the details, hands in his jeans pockets, as he watched Grace Lane yell at a much taller man. Grace was on the shorter side, with thick, dark chestnut hair, but she was a burst of color. She was bundled against the cold in a long, heavy-duty looking dark red coat, her hair trailing in glossy curls most of the way down her back. And there was some kind of ridiculous headband on her head. It was hard to tell from the back, but he thought it was a set of fluffy ears. The man being yelled at was struggling not to laugh. His eyebrows were raised and his chin tucked, like he was trying to listen to her seriously.

Black could feel frustration building in her, and he was curious what she would do. Trying to be nonchalant, he pulled out his cell phone to pretend to check messages and leaned against a lamppost.

“I don’t care if you have to go down the valley to Brighton to borrow some of their lights,” Grace said, her voice a whisper hiss. “You’re not putting white lights on the rest of the reindeerwhen the first six are colored lights. That would look ridiculous. This is the most important display for the square.”

“Come on, sis,” the man said, his own voice exasperated. “The kids aren’t going to care what color the damned reindeer are.”

---