Page 31 of Wolf Reborn

Miles gave him a bright grin but didn’t bother responding.

“Okay, Dez.” Gavin stood and motioned toward the kitchen in the back of the cabin. “Go heat up some water for tea or something while we rectify the lack of pants.”

Dez complied, and Miles sighed. He really didn’t want to put the pants back on.

Gavin, seeming to read his mind, ran a hand through his hair. “You don’t have to wear them forever. Just long enough to get us home.”

The words hit Miles in the chest and lodged there. Long enough to get us home.

Us.

Home.

Just like all the previous additions to the Second Chance group, suddenly Miles was one of “us.” He was both thrilled and saddened that this was what it took for that to happen. He’d had to almost die, to be bitten and become one of “us,” in a very real, very physical way.

He couldn’t hold a grudge over it; they weren’t wrong to worry about non-werewolves or to defend themselves. Miles didn’t think he’d have truly been able to understand from the outside.

Hell, he still didn’t understand the entire situation, but a huge part of him was champing at the bit to gohome, and not just because it would be the first time he’d ever truly belonged anywhere, including his childhood home. There was something instinctive about it, something in his very soul that leaned hard toward home and safety andpack, that wanted to hop and prance in place, so thrilled he couldn’t help himself.

He was an excited puppy, waiting for Gavin to throw the ball so he could chase it, and somehow, he didn’t feel the least bit ridiculous about it.

Just as he finished buttoning the few buttons remaining on his uniform shirt, Dez came back in, chocolate snack cake hanging out of his mouth. Gavin raised a brow at him, and he took the cake out, offering a defensive, “What? I’ve been plowing for hours trying to rescue your ass. I’m hungry.”

“You couldn’t wait half an hour to get home and eat something that’s not made of corn syrup and hydrogenated vegetable oil?”

Dez shrugged as he bit a piece off the cake. “I promise, I can eat twice. I’d never disappoint Graham, and he’s at home stress baking, so it’s gonna be a hell of a breakfast.”

They drove through town, and the only other vehicles on the road were those with plows, trying to make roads other than just the highway passable, and struggling with the task.

When they pulled into the huge circular drive of the house, Miles started to worry again. What if the others didn’t accept him like Dez had?

Dez had always seemed the most standoffish, sure, but Miles was pretty sure that was just his personality. He didn’t actually dislike Miles. What if the others simply didn’t want another pack member? Worse, what if they thought he wasn’t good enough for Gavin?

Gavin practically pulled him out of the front of the truck, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and tugging him along. He leaned down and nipped at Miles’s earlobe, then whispered, “It’s okay, sweetheart. They already love you. They’ll be thrilled.”

He must be completely transparent if he’d been that obvious. He tried to swallow down his fear and walk more confidently into the house.

The second they were inside, they were beset. Before Miles even understood what was happening, he and Gavin were at the center of a group hug. They were both squeezed tight, touched over and over again, on the face, the neck, the shoulder. Baby Paige was shoved into his arms, and instead of screaming at the near stranger, she cooed happily and reached out to smack his cheek.

Scenting. He was being scented by a baby, who officially knew more about being a werewolf than him.

“Yeah,” Dez’s voice came from off to one side, speaking into the phone. “I’ve got him, sheriff. He doesn’t seem too hurt, mostly just rattled. You were right, it was an accident. I guess he slid off the road to one of the cabins.” He came over to stand in front of Miles and paused, a question in his eyes. Miles nodded, so he added, “I’ll let you talk to him.”

“Is that you, Miles?” the sheriff asked as soon as he traded the baby for the phone.

“Yes, sir,” he agreed, and his voice came out rough. “I’m afraid my car is on a back road outside the last cabin I checked.”

“Who gives a damn about that?” the sheriff asked, warming his heart. “We’ll take care of it when the snow dies down. What matters is you’re okay. You are okay, right? Do you need me to send an ambulance?”

“No sir, I’m okay. Just some bruises and scrapes, mostly.”

There was a long pause, then a deep breath. “I’m glad to hear it, Parker. We’ve been worried since you went incommunicado yesterday. You’re supposed to be off today anyway. Take tomorrow too. And Sunday. It’s not like we’re going to be too busy, what with half the phone lines down and more than half of the locals snowed in. It’s all fender benders.”

Miles knew that wasn’t strictly true. There were a lot of extra issues that cropped up during times like this to replace the lack of streakers and drunk-and-disorderlies. Lots of search and rescue, for instance. Still, Miles wasn’t sure he was up to handling that, at least not until he’d figured out this whole werewolf thing. Maybe then, he’d be even better at it.

He handed Dez’s phone back to him in a daze, and Dez handed him the baby once again. She squealed in delight at this clever game. “Are we sure this is a good trade for you?” Miles asked Dez. “I mean, the baby’s probably the better deal.”

His eyes went round as he realized how inappropriate the joke had been, but Dez laughed. “Only a lopsided deal if you got to keep the baby, but eventually you’ll have to give her back to her mom, since you can’t feed her.”

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