Page 72 of Starting a New Life

“What’s his name?” He deserved to be named, not to be talked about as the mage.

“Callum,” Nick supplied, shifting from one foot to the other.

Callum. I nodded. One more mage suffering needlessly due to the greed of shifters. I wouldn’t forget about him. Or his name.

Nick and Connie exchanged looks, probably trying to figure out a way to get out of here. The air was heavy with tension, with guilt, and I couldn’t fault them for feeling awkward. Hell, I felt awkward. But it also didn’t feel right to just… dismiss them and send them off.

It’d been nice of them to come and thank me.

“Uhm… how do you like it here?” Lamest question ever. But it wasn’t like I was used to making small talk. Apparently, it showed.

Connie snorted a laugh, biting his lip. “It’s okay. No, it’s good. Just… different. Very different.”

Nick nodded, plopping down on my desk.

Why did no one use the chair? It was right there.

“It’s overwhelming,” he said quietly, as if admitting something bad. “Everyone is so kind and wants to talk to us, and is offering us food and clothes and drinks and books and…” He shook his head. “It’s nice, but also… too much.”

Oh god. I could just imagine.

My face must’ve shown my horror, because Connie immediately focused on me.

“Is that why you’re up here?” Connie asked, cocking his head at me, his eyes studying my every reaction. “Or are you not allowed down there? Are you in trouble because of us? They said you were hiding. And they found you because you helped us. Are you in trouble? I asked, but no one told me anything.”

“I’m not in trouble.”

Probably.

I might be because of the stealing, but that wasn’t their fault. Just mine.

“So, you just… don’t like people?”

I couldn’t help but snort. “I don’t like shifters.”

“Oh.” Connie nodded. “That tracks. I don’t like most shifters either.”

“Connie!” Nick chastised.

“What? It’s the truth. Think about the shifters we know. My dad was horrible. My brother is even worse. His enforcers are fucking awful. Most of our old pack supported his actions or were complacent. Our old pack keeps a slave, Nick.” Connie threw his hands up. “Those are the shifters we know. I don’t like any of them.”

“There are good shifters,” Nick insisted. “My family. And this pack. I like the shifters here.”

Connie nodded, walking past his friend to the windowsill where I often found myself sitting too. Looking out at the wide forest was calming. Seeing the wide spread of nature ahead made me feel free after being caged for most of my life.

The way his face morphed as he eyed the tree line… maybe we had more in common than I’d thought.

“I think I’m gonna like it here too. When things quiet down, you know?” He was looking at me, not his friend.

“Yeah. I do.” I nodded, a smile tugging at my lips just as a cold shiver ran down my spine, an alarm going off, blasting in my mind, but silent to the wolves around me.

I stared out the window, eyes searching for signs of the intruders even though they were far away.

A second later, a wolf tore over the lawn, sprinting westward, followed by a lion and… Gray. I watched my mate running out, shifting midway across the lawn, clothes tearing as his human body shifted to that of a ginormous black wolf. My heart skipped a beat, but not from fear, not exactly. More… recognition.

A howl ripped through the peaceful and quiet afternoon air, and answering howls soon filled our ears. Downstairs, wolves got busy, their calm auras not necessarily agitated, but aware, careful.

“What’s going on?” Nick asked as he stepped up to Connie and looked out the window before pulling his friend against him, protectively wrapping his arms around him. “Is it our pack?”