“Congratulations,” Charlene said, woodenly.
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her back against my chest.
“Liar,” I said softly near her ear.
“Don’t worry, Charlene,” Mary said. “I’m not leaving. Thomas is staying, so we’re staying.”
Charlene nodded, eased out of my embrace, and went to sit at the table with her oatmeal. With my head clearer, I watched the way she played with her food and wondered what had happened to change her playful mood. I glanced at Mary who shrugged.
“I was wondering if one of you could talk to Winifred for me,” Charlene said without looking up. “I’d like to know if she’d be willing to extend an invitation to families who might like to stay here.”
I doubted Winifred would extend that kind of invitation until there was an Elder living here to help protect everyone and keep the peace.
“Maybe we’ll find a few Elder candidates that way or get a second pack in here that agrees with what we’re doing.” She took a small bite of her oatmeal.
“Packs typically don’t share territory,” I said, sitting beside her.
“Oh.”
Her dejected mood put me on edge. I didn’t like her looking, sounding, or smelling so unhappy. I struggled to think of something that would cheer her up.
“Aren’t Leif and Ann their own pack?” she asked, finally looking up at me.
“They are. Small packs of two to three generally don’t hold a territory. It’s too dangerous in such a small group, not from our own kind, but humans.”
“Where is Ann?” She frowned as she looked around.
“She had her cub last night and is sleeping.”
The news surprised me as much as it did Charlene.
“What? Why didn’t you tell me?” she said, staring at Mary.
Mary shrugged. “I didn’t think you’d be interested. She is really cute, though.”
“She?” I said.
Winifred, Ann had a female cub. Will they be safe here?
Mary said you sent the troublemakers away for a month. She should be fine. I know you’ll help Leif keep her safe.
I would try, but my control over those here was limited.
Did Grey reach you?
He has. We’ve begun training. I don’t like the idea of training someone so young; but we seem to be lacking any older serious candidates, and he’s very determined.
I know. Take care of him for me.
Everyone knew the risk of taking the Elder oath. If the trainee’s intentions weren’t in the best interest of preserving and protecting our kind, he would die as soon as he tried to accept the responsibility of being an Elder. If his intentions were honest and right, that didn’t mean he was safe. If, at any time, that changed, he would die instantly.
Winifred, what would happen if Grey finds his Mate after he takes the oath?
When she didn’t respond, I knew the answer.
I stayed in the kitchen to keep an eye on Charlene while Gregory and Mary slipped away. It relieved me that she finally said yes to Claiming. Who knew what would happen to the pack when the others returned?
Although I stayed close to Charlene throughout the day, she remained quietly distracted and when she went to bed, she didn’t invite me to lay next to her again. She told me to get out.
With Mary already moved back into the room next door, I sat on the floor in the hallway and wondered why Gregory and Mary’s pairing had upset Charlene so much. She’d known they were interested in each other, and our kind didn’t choose randomly. Without answers, I dozed in the hall and hoped the sun would bring more clarity to Charlene’s mood.
The next day, she seemed unhappier. I reached out to Winifred to ask for suggestions. She had a few theories but thought the most likely was that Charlene was homesick.
Hearing that Charlene might be missing home sent a jolt of panic through me. Humans who missed home tended to return home. So I put extra effort into finding ways to make sanctuary feel like home for her.
We covered more of the windows and replaced a few missing pieces of glass. Then, Anton showed me an overgrown garden by the lake just north of the building. Yet, I wasn’t sure a garden would be enough to stop her from wanting to leave. I needed something more. Something familiar.
Late Thursday, I asked Gregory and Mary to keep an eye on Charlene and ran to the junkyard to search for coins to purchase some human food for breakfast.
I found just enough for a box of cereal, which Winifred assured me Charlene would like, and some milk. Not knowing how else to keep milk cool, I set it outside.
I’m heading to sanctuary after I dismiss my students, Winifred sent me as I sat in the hallway outside Charlene’s door. Recycling the metal gave me enough money to stock up on some provisions. Hopefully that will help her feel more secure there.
Thank you. I hoped it would too.
Restless and worried, I stood and let myself into her room. She lay curled in her bed, a frown pulling at her lips. Even in her sleep she looked sad. Wanting her to not feel alone when she woke, I slipped into bed beside her.
She sighed and leaned against me. I closed my eyes and dozed, feeling relaxed for the first time in days. She didn’t move much as the hours passed, except to roll toward me. Her breath tickled my arm, and I drifted back to sleep.
I felt the change in her breathing and opened my eyes just after dawn. Wanting to spend the day alone with her, I reached out to the pack members still at sanctuary and gave them all something to do. Hem would make sure Anton stayed out of the way as well.
I heard Gregory and Mary moving around in their room then steps in the hallway.
Charlene stayed still for several more minutes before she stretched and opened her eyes. I was laying on my side so I could watch her.
Her gaze narrowed when she saw me.
“I warned you.” She pushed me off the bed with her hands.
I hit the floor with a thud and sat up to scowl at her.
“I didn’t sleep in your room,” I lied. “I came to wake you up.”
“You were in my bed without permission,” she said, leaving the covers. She leaned over the bed and started to make it. Each movement was an angry jerk.
“You’re unusually upset. Didn’t you sleep well?” I asked. I’d slept great.
“I slept fine,” she said, turning to study the dresser. She stood there stiffly for a moment before her shoulders slumped. Slowly, she turned toward me. “Thomas, I’m… bored.” Her pulse changed ever so slightly with that word.
“You just lied.”
With a sigh, she sat on the bed. The dejected way she looked at me and the way she clasped her hands worried me.
“I’m lonely,” she said softly.
Fear had my gut clenching painfully. She wanted to leave. If I were honest with myself, she’d wanted to leave the entire time she was here. Yet, if she hadn’t left yet, I doubted she would now. Still, I hated knowing she would stay somewhere she was miserable.
I sat next to her and looked down at my hands.
“Do you miss your family?” I asked.
“I try not to think about them,” she said. “But when I do, I miss them so much it hurts.”
“Will you go back to them?”
“No. Never. I love them too much.”
“I’ve been trying to figure out why you stay. You have family out there and miss them. Here, you’ve been attacked repeatedly, are resented by many, protected by few… why stay?” I looked at her. She focused on her hands. “I think you’re hiding here because of what you can do.”
When her pulse started to race and panic flavored her scent, I knew I was right and nudged her.
“None of that,” I said. “No one is going to make you leave because you’re different. In fact, that’s a strong reason to let you stay. You’re not just human. You’re more. Don’t be afraid to show that you can move things with your mind.”
She seemed to relax slightly. Her stomach growled just then, a perfect chance to try to make her smile.
I cleared my throat and stood.
“I have a surprise for you. But it means spending the morning with me. I’ll feed you first,” I said.
She looked up at me with hope in her eyes. I playfully nodded toward the door.
When she stepped into the bathing room downstairs, I grabbed two bowls, cereal and the milk and set the table.
“Milk?” she said in surprise when she walked out.
“It is. Did you know after we are weaned, we typically don’t drink milk again? It’s not necessary. We seem to get what we need from the animals we eat. Winifred believes it’s because in our other form, we tend to eat it all.”
She made a face, and I regretted my choice of topic and changed it back to humans.
“So I was a bit surprised to learn humans drink milk their entire lives. And tend to eat more vegetables than meat,” I said.
She sat at the table and looked in her bowl.
“Cereal?” she asked in disbelief. Excitement lit her gaze, and I nodded and handed her the milk.
With a smile, I watched her dump milk into the bowl and start spooning the mess into her mouth.
“Mmm.”
She made that sound with each bite. I forgot to try mine and just watched her enjoy herself.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” she asked when she’d devoured half her portion.
I reached for the milk, neatly poured a bit into my bowl, and took a bite. It was awful. Had she not been watching me, I would have spit it out.
“You don’t like it?” she asked.
It was a struggle to chew it enough to swallow.
“It’s different,” I said finally.
She grinned.
“Haven’t you ever had honey? You’ve had to come across honey bees out there.”
“We’re wolves not bears.”
She laughed, and I smiled.
“If you don’t want to finish it, I will. Where did it come from? Is there more?”
Willingly, I pushed my bowl toward her.
“I made a few trips to the junkyard, collecting coins from the seats of old cars. When I had enough, I went into town.”
“Like that?” She eyed my bare chest, and I shook my head.
“Winifred warned me that I’d need a shirt and shoes. Why would anyone want to wear those things on their feet?”
“Shoes protect our feet. Humans aren’t as sturdy as you are.”
“I’m learning,” I said.
“You are.”