I grab a towel before walking out the back. Andrei, Mateo, and Ezra are standing in the backyard talking away as I make my way over to them with the towel draped over my arm. Moments later, we hear rustling in the forest, and Andrei instinctively turns before jogging off toward the tree line on the right-hand side. Halfway across the long backyard, Angie’s wolf steps out of the trees, looking around nervously before seeing Andrei walk toward her. Her wolf seems cautious of him before stopping like she is paralyzed on the spot.
“Is she going to run off?” I wonder out loud to Ezra when her wolf sniffs the air before racing towards him. Her wolf tackles him, but he seems to be expecting that as he grabs her. I rush over with the towel, knowing Angie will want it so she can shift back. Her wolf is all but mauling Andrei, licking his face, and jumping all over him as he sits on the ground with her thrashing in his arms.
“Alia, I want to meet your human,” he tells her wolf, who is excitedly attacking him.
Her wolf is not listening to him, but he doesn’t seem to mind as he keeps pushing her face away, trying to get her to shift back. “Little wolf, your human. Shift for me,” he commands her wolf, and she whines, but I can tell he isn’t commanding her to hurt her because I barely feel his aura, and she doesn’t look pained. He is just getting her wolf’s attention. I hand the towel to Andrei before hearing bones snap as Alia finally listens to him. Andrei wraps the towel around Angie, pulling her onto his lap.
“I am so sorry about her,” Angie apologizes, clearly mortified over her wolf.
I wander off back to my mates, giving them space. It would be awkward to meet your mate naked in front of others.
“Well, that’s one way to get rid of Angie,” Mateo muses, slapping Ezra’s shoulder, who chuckles.
“If she wants to go with him,” Ezra corrects, making coffee.
Marge is making sandwiches, and I swear she is like a ghost. You never hear her come in or hear her leave, she suddenly pops up out of nowhere. “I will make extras since we now have two extra guests,” Marge offers, and Ezra gives her a nod. “Thank you, Marge.”
The next week passes by in a blur, Andrei stays here most days, so he can be with Angie until she decides to go back with him. Every day we have been trying to get me to shift, and I am over it, nothing we try to do works, and I am frustrated with the constant arguing with everyone, and just want to be left alone.
Ezra has been distant and has barely said two words to anyone and has been running pack runs most nights instead of returning home, which would always end up with Mateo and me arguing with him for working too much. It has been two days since I last saw him, though Mateo did find him passed out on the border when he went looking for him yesterday, only to be ordered to go home. Mateo also won’t let me leave to go get him, said I was too hot-headed right now and not to cause an argument.
We also heard word back from our scouts that they noticed trucks coming to and from Jackson’s pack. Supplies are being brought into town instead of him sending his men out to get them. Which leads us to one conclusion: he knows our packs are watching his, which was no surprise, he should have expected it, but it has left Ezra on edge, wondering why he hasn’t let a single pack member leave the town.
Andrei also offered to let go of my father and return him, but I told him to keep him for the time being. I am tired of all the lies, and I’m not going to trust anyone until what is left of my family decides to start telling the truth.
Over the last few days, Mathias also translated the scrolls, and it is exactly what Andrei told us, which is a relief because as excited as I am about having a new family member, it is hard to trust him. So knowing he is telling the truth gives me a sense of relief that not everyone is out to get me, but still I will only trust him as far as I can throw him, he said so himself not to trust anyone but my mates, and I am doing exactly that.
“I am leaving and heading home today,” Andrei announces, making me open my eyes to look at him where we sit on the grass. I find this meditating crap pointless, but he insists every goddamn day that we do it.
“Is Angie going back with you?” I ask, and a slow smile spreads across his lips, he does it every time someone mentions her name.
“Yes, I will be picking her up in an hour, but I wanted to let you know I am leaving. That’s why I stayed last night, I was hoping to let Ezra know, but once again he isn’t home.”
I sigh at the reminder. “It’s fine, she can leave. I will tell him if he ever comes home,” I grumble.
“So you are happy if we call it off early today?”
I chuckle at his eagerness to see Angie. “Yes, go get your mate,” I tell him, getting up off the ground. I am relieved, my ass is going numb, and I am getting nowhere. I have zero energy.
After saying goodbye to Mateo and Marge, Andrei leaves. Going to the fridge, I grab a bottle of water out.
Mateo comes in, his hands cupping my hips. “I like your brother, but damn, it is good having the house back to ourselves,” Mateo says, and I agree. Maybe Ezra will come home now that Andrei has left, but I doubt it because every time we try to mindlink him, he shoves us back out.
“He will be home when he gets home, stop stressing about him,” Mateo scolds.
“I know, but it still pisses me off. He can at least tell us why he won’t come home,” I complain. “Do you know if he has at least let Maddox out since?” I ask, worried because he has refused the last two times I asked him to, and I haven’t even been able to contact Maddox since Ezra locked him away.
“Not sure, but I don’t think so,” Mateo answers as I put my now half-empty water bottle in the fridge.