Page 80 of Ascendant Moon
“Why don’t we go back to the house and get something to eat? After that, we’ll play a little word game to find out who you areand then have our doctor take a look at you. How does that sound?”
By this time, Lincoln realized he could probably trust these people. They only wanted to help him, and that was the whole reason he’d come here in the first place. He stood, yipping softly at his new friends, and followed along as Evan told him more about Gladstone.
Chapter 41
Once they cleared the forest, Lincoln couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The place was amazing, with beautiful buildings, homes, and grounds in every direction. It was nothing like any packlands he’d ever visited before, and he’d only reached the central complex. What other wonders might be discovered if he had time to explore? Right now, they were headed into one of the underground homes and… Lincoln suddenly dropped to the ground, whining in distress.
The overwhelming scent of an Alpha had released a wave of memories, paralyzing the poor Omega. Lincoln knew that Richmond wasn’t anywhere nearby, but the thought of being trapped inside with a powerful Alpha terrified him. Evie and Jonah lay down on either side, allowing their scent to do its job while they licked Lincoln’s ears.
Evan surmised that whatever happened to this Omega must have involved an Alpha, and he opened the mind-link with Ben.
“I need your help, love. Our guest isn’t reacting well to your scent. Meet us outside the front door, but don’t crowd him.”
“Got it. Be right there.”
Meanwhile, Evan crouched down so he wasn’t towering over the frightened Omega, and reached into his mind with gentle assurances.
No one here will harm you.
Our Alpha is a good man.
This is a safe place.
Lincoln stopped fussing and shook his head in confusion as the worst of his distress faded into the background. Just then,a muscle-bound Alpha approached with a friendly smile on his face. Lincoln should have been scared shitless, but this man wasn’t giving off any frightening vibes at all. He went down on one knee next to Evan and spoke softly.
“Hello, friend. I’m Alpha Blair, but you can call me Ben. I’m glad you’ve come to Gladstone. I think you’ll like it here, and I promise to keep you safe. You’re probably hungry, so why don’t we go inside and see what Cody can make for you?”
Lincoln cocked his head but remained where he was until Evan intervened—enhancing his natural curiosity and hunger. That did the trick, and Lincoln stood to follow Jonah and Evie through the open door. Inside, Lincoln noted the lovely home, detecting the scents of five other children and an adult male in the kitchen. Whatever he was preparing smelled wonderful, and Lincoln cautiously approached as an apron-clad Beta met him in the dining area.
“Hi there! I’m Cody, the Blair’s chef. Since you’ve been traveling, I bet you’d enjoy some human food for a change.”
Lincoln nodded his agreement, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.
“Great! I’ll let you know when it’s ready.”
Lincoln, Jonah, and Evie were then led to the living room where Ben sat down on a large leather sofa to observe while Evan picked up a stack of cards with letters and numbers on them. He laid them out on the floor in order—numbers on top, letters beneath. Lincoln assumed this was the word game he’d heard about earlier, and Evan explained what it was all about.
“First, why don’t you tell us your name? Just use your paw to touch each letter in sequence, and then touch theSTOPcard at the end.”
Lincoln got up and began spelling it out for them. It wasn’t the easiest way to communicate, but it was better than having no voice at all. L-I-N-C-O-L-N.STOP. Evan smiled at him.
“Lincoln! And your last name?”
With only four letters, this one was faster. H-A-R-T.STOP.
“Lincoln Hart. Now we’re getting somewhere! I’d like to know where you came from, if you’re willing to tell me.”
Lincoln shook his head and growled. Evan wasn’t surprised.
“That’s okay, I understand. Just remember that we won’t do anything to compromise your safety. Do you have any family or friends that we should contact?”
There was only one person who qualified, and Lincoln spelled it out. M-E-L-V-A.STOP. W-I-N-C-H-E-L-L.STOP.
Evan made an assumption based on his dreams and visions.
“Was Melva supposed to follow you here?”
Lincoln nodded, yipping excitedly as Ben pulled out his phone to text Caleb Vogel. Evan had warned security that someone would be coming, but having a name would speed up the process.
