Page 82 of Starting a New Life

Gray

Waiting was not my strong suit.

I sighed, casting another glance at the fucking spreadsheet on my computer telling me everything I didn’t want—but apparently needed—to know about pack finances.

It’d been three days since Nix had connected the second wave of pack members to the barrier, and he’d set up everything in a way that made it easy for him to enforce it to a point where it’d keep the intruders in should they cross the barrier again. If he managed to get to the barrier in time, that was.

It was a gamble, but there was nothing we could do about it. Aside from letting Nix camp next to the barrier. Which had been a big no for me, Rhett, and basically everyone else out there.

“Are you okay, son?” my dad asked, peeking into my office with his brow furrowed.

“I’ll be better once those fuckers are dealt with.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “They upped the frequency of their attacks a lot over the past few weeks, but now that we want them to get in here… nothing.”

My dad entered the office, his eyes scanning the room, a smile tugging at his lips whenever he found little things he recognized. Like the photo from my graduation. And the small wolf he’d carved out of cedarwood. I’d loved playing with it as a kid, and it still sat on my desk to this day.

“You need to be patient.” He was calm, at peace in a way he hadn’t been as the Alpha. I hadn’t seen it back then, but since he wasn’t responsible for the pack anymore, I could see the change. He seemed younger, and his smiles came more easily. He really looked like a weight had been lifted off him—and I got it. The responsibility was a lot. It was an honour to be the Alpha, but it came with a hefty price tag.

“Try being patient when your mate flinches every time a shifter walks up to him,” I growled, and ran a hand through my hair again until I found one of the tiny braids the teens had given me. “Try hearing him wake up gasping, eyes wide in terror every fucking night.”

I hated it. The few seconds it took Nix to remember where he was and what was happening. Two nights ago, he’d flinched away from me, scrambled all the way to the end of the couch, and then fallen over the armrest. Hitting the hardwood floor in my room had snapped him out of it.

Last night, after Nix had fallen asleep on the couch, I’d placed cushions on the floor, just in case he fell again. He hadn’t, but he’d woken up with a smile and a small laugh this morning. Which yeah, hadn’t been what I’d been going for, but if it made him smile, I’d happily do it again.

“I know it’s hard…” my dad started.

“No. You imagine it’s hard. But you don’t know.”

And adding to all that shit, we’d gotten a letter from Connie’s brother demanding he be handed back to him. Hell, he’d threatened to call in the human police and have me charged with kidnapping.

Paul was working on it, but he wasn’t positive there was much we could legally do. If Connie’s brother did involve the human police in shifter matters, he’d be able to get the council to put a stop to it, but as it was, it was a grey area in the worst possible way.

“Sorry, son. You’re right. I can only imagine. But that’s not why I’m here. I came to let you know I’ll be taking over driving duty for your mate. Paul was called to work for some kind of emergency. I told him not to worry, that I’m perfectly able to drive an ATV and know our territory well. I can get your mate to the barrier fast.”

I nodded, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Thanks, Dad.”

“Don’t worry about it. It might give me a bit of time to bond with him. He seems… wary.”

I snorted. Understatement of the year.

“Yeah, he’s not…”

I didn’t finish; the words died on my tongue as an alarm pushed to the forefront of my mind. A blaring siren, quiet on the outside, but impossible to ignore for me and everyone else in this pack. An intruder.

Finally

By the time I registered it was go-time, I’d already found myself hurrying through the corridor. Faces flew by as I ran for the door. I heard encouragement and the faint sounds of cell phones ringing, but I had my eyes set on the prize—the door leading outside.

My dad was behind me, hot on my heels until he needed to take a turn to the left to get to the entry hall, while I only had eyes for the glass doors leading outside.

Plates clanked, chairs scraping as they were pushed back. Someone rushed to the door and opened it for me. A wave of cold air welcomed me, spurring me on, and I jumped over the threshold, letting go of the reins I usually had on my wolf. With a snarl, the beast inside me tore free, letting out a snarl.

Hunt, he shouted. Maim.

We jumped from the patio, dodging the lawn chair Nix liked to curl up in, and dashed across the lawn.

Maim, my wolf snarled, and I let out a loud howl.