Page 17 of Planet Wolf

Leader tilted his head to the side, in that considering way he did. “I’m here for you, of course.”

“For me?” I didn’t honestly know if anyone had really wanted to be anywhere for me before. “You… you came here? To Earth. To the governor’s house. For me?”

He cupped my cheeks. “Yes.”

“How did you know I would be here?” It wasn’t the most important question, but it was like my brain got stuck in a loop. It was possible I was hallucinating this whole dang thing.

“When we got to this city earlier today, we heard some people talking about how your family was going to be here tonight. I don’t know who they were, but they happily sold us their tickets to come. A small woman and a dark-haired man and a blonde…”

I blinked. “Us.”

“Yes…” His smile was big. “I’m not alone.”

“No, he’s not.” I was in Hunter’s arms then. He squeezed me tight. “I knew I would find you. I am the best tracker in the universe. No one takes what is mine away. Took a little bit, because you weren’t supposed to be at the meeting, so I had to dig harder, but here you are.”

“And she’s okay,” Doc said as he took me from Hunter. “We have been so worried.”

They all wore tuxedos—all of them looking so real, so alive, so exactly what my eyes had wanted to look at right then. It was like my insides could take a deep breath.

“How?” I was still so confused, and I found myself even blinking back tears.

“Esther.” Doug was suddenly there. “Who are these people? What are you doing?” He spoke through gritted teeth. Were we making a scene?

Leader lifted his eyebrows as he assessed my cousin. It wasn’t a friendly glare. Doc still hadn’t let go of me, which made introductions even more awkward than it needed to be.

“Doug,” I managed to get out. “These are…them. The ones I told you about. The men who rescued me on Planet Wolf.”

He paled. “These are the shifters? Here? On Earth?” He lowered his voice. “It’s illegal.”

Hunter snorted. “They can try to remove us. Idaresomeone to try.”

It was Leader who spoke again. “And you are who to Esther?”

“Her cousin. We grew up together.”

Leader nodded as if it all made sense. “The one running for office that needs the money to fight the Union. Right. Your family. Fine.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Let’s try this again, I’m Jadon Haiges.”Jadon!His name was Jadon. “And these are my cousins, Carl Miles.” Hunter wasCarl! “And Alfred Haiges. You are her oldest male relative, so please, come with me. We can discuss our mate someplace else.”

Leader… no, Jadon… stormed forward. Doug scampered after him like he’d just been given a command he absolutely couldn’t disobey. Carl rolled his eyes and walked after them, his pace fast as he stayed very close on my brother’s heels.

Alfred sighed. “It’s Alfie to people who matter. Obviously, that’s you.” His embrace was gentle. “Are you okay to walk?”

I blinked, trying to process it all. “Did he say mate?”

I knew I was a day late and a credit behind, but I was trying hard to keep up.

“Ah, yes,” Alfie smiled. I did always love his smile, and seeing it after missing him for so long lit fireworks inside me. “That’s not a thing you do here, so there are likely questions to answer.”

My mind swam. “But you—he—you think that’s what I am?”

We walked slowly after the others, more like a stroll. “I don’t think it, I know it. I realize you can’t tell, because your nose doesn’t work like mine does. You don’t have a Wolf, but we know what we know. You were and are such a surprise to us.”

I shook my head. “I’m mated to all of you?”

He nodded. “You are.” We made it outside, and the hot humid day had turned in a sultry, oppressive night. The sun going down hadn’t helped with that discomfort, it only made it darker.

“How does that even work?” Marriage on earth was one person to one person. It had been that way… always, so even imagining more baffled me. “And we don’t even know each other.”

He lifted his eyebrows slowly. “I think you know us.”

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