Anna turned around once I was dressed in leggings and a hoodie that was much too large for me. She laughed when she saw me, and I narrowed my eyes. I was sensitive about my height because I was too short to be a purebred wolf. My small stature indicated I had human blood.
Anna waved a hand at me. “Sorry, I’m freakishly tall, so I had to order extra-long leggings online. I’ve been around the guys now for so long I kind of forgot what a giant I am.”
“Most females are your size,” I said in confusion.
Anna shook her head and gave me a sad smile. “I grew up with humans, so I’m self-conscious about my height.”
“Huh,” I said in surprise. “I have an inferiority complex about being too short for a wolf.” Anna and I looked at each other for a moment. On the outside, we were complete opposites. I was short with dark hair, and she was tall and blond. But maybe we had more in common than I would have guessed.
“I’m fine with my height,” Kannon interjected into the silence.
The three of us laughed, and the ice was broken. Anna exuded warmth and friendliness, so I felt comfortable with her after only a few minutes of chatting. We walked back to find that Anna’s pack mates had set up an impressive buffet for all of us. Gray and the others already had plates piled high and had started feasting without us.
These wolves hadn’t been joking when they told us that they had plenty of food because we’d stuffed our faces with all kinds of deliciousness. Corey and I had snuck away for a few minutes so that I could feed on him, so I was in good shape for what was coming next.
I sat outside Austin’s office, waiting for my turn to be interviewed. Grayson had gone first and assured us that Austin and his crew were trustworthy. I’d come to the same conclusion after spending most of the day with them. This pack was made up of hardened warriors, but they were crusaders for good, they didn’t fight for selfish reasons.
I rubbed my thighs nervously as I waited for Kannon to finish. I was the last in the pack to be interviewed, and I almost wished I’d volunteered to be first. Waiting on the unknown was its own unique brand of torment.
Austin’s door opened, and Kannon stepped out with a smile. “Your turn,” he said cheerfully.
I took a hesitant step forward, and Kannon paused to hug me. “Be honest,” he murmured into my ear. “They’re cool and will understand.”
After giving me those words of wisdom Kannon disappeared down the hallway. I took a deep breath and pushed through the door.
Austin was sitting behind a large mahogany desk with Anna by his side. James was leaning on the wall to his left, and Cody was seated in one of the chairs in front of the desk.
“Have a seat,” Austin offered kindly.
“Thanks,” I murmured as I sat.
“We’ve already heard from the rest of your pack mates, but I’d like to hear you speak for yourself,” Austin said as he leaned forward. “We want to get to know you, but also learn where you came from and where you see yourself headed.”
I nodded. “I met the guys in Hollow Crest.”
“Let’s start before that,” Anna suggested. “Where did you grow up?”
I grimaced but started my story at the very beginning. I told them about the pack I’d grown up with, about how my mother had been desperate to get us away from there. I teared up when I got to the part where I had lost my mother, and Anna came around the desk to give me a tissue and a hug. I usually wasn’t comfortable with strangers touching me, but Anna radiated warmth and a sense of goodness that was difficult to describe but impossible to resist.
Once my tears were wiped away, I explained how I had met the guys and how they’d changed my life for the better. My story took a darker turn when I had to delve into our issues with the university and the town of Hollow Crest. As I spoke, I could feel James weighing my words. There were a couple of points where he stopped to ask pointed questions when I would have preferred to gloss over the details, but I powered through it. Austin listened carefully, and I worried about how he would judge me. Would he think I was a worthy addition to his pack? Anna and Cody were the supportive ones in the room. Anna coaxed me through some of the more painful memories that were essential to my story.
I paused, unsure of how to explain the last week of captivity my pack had spent at the university. How much was safe to confess to these wolves, and what should I keep to myself? My eyes darted towards James. What secrets would I be able to keep from him?
Austin cleared his throat. “Arminius forwarded us copies of your medical records from the university.”
I flushed and sank into my chair. They already knew the worst of my secrets. Why would they still allow me to come here if they knew what I was?
Anna leaned forward. “I’m not a full wolf either,” she confided in me. “My father is a fae in the Winter Court.”
My jaw dropped. I had sensed she was different, but I hadn’t been able to discern how. “I thought we were all supposed to be fae?” I asked shyly.
Austin smiled at me. “Our race may have started with the fae, but we’ve changed into our own species over time.”
Anna nodded. “I’m still struggling to learn about my fae side and how I fit into this world. It’s not easy being different.”
I let out a breath. “You’re telling me this to make me feel better about what happened to me.”
Cody patted my hand. “Dr. Green’s notes were filled with frustration at how you lacked a ‘killer instinct.’ He couldn’t understand why you were unwilling to feed on humans and terrified to harm anyone.”
My blush only grew deeper. “Just how detailed were his notes?”
“Very,” James said bluntly. “They watched your pack closely the entire time you were in Hollow Crest.”
“They manipulated events and the humans around you to make your lives more difficult,” Austin explained. “They were testing your responses to various stressors.”
I looked at him in horror. “Was anything real?”
Anna nodded. “Your strength in the face of adversity was admirable.”
“And the bonds you formed with your pack mates,” Cody added.
I blinked, still in shock at the revelations they had just exposed. Dr. Green had used the town as nothing more than a test environment for us. We had been kept in a glass observation cage and hadn’t even been aware of how thoroughly we were manipulated.
Knowing they already had access to Dr. Green’s side of the story, I opened up about my own experiences. I stumbled through my spotty memories of my transformations but was completely honest about my struggle with the new hunger the lamia had given me.
“Do you have their abilities?” Austin asked curiously. “Compulsion or quick healing?”
“Um, not really?” My answer was more of a question. I hadn’t considered what I’d gained along with bloodlust. Were there advantages that I hadn’t yet explored?
Anna smiled at me. “I’m still scratching the surface of what I can do with my fae abilities. Maybe we can work together?”
I nodded. “I’d like that.”
Austin clapped his hands together. “I’ve had more than enough time to look through your extensive records, and after meeting you, I’m confident you would make a good addition to my pack.”
I inhaled a quick breath. “Really?” I’d expected this to be much more difficult. I frowned when I realized he hadn’t mentioned my pack mates. “I couldn’t join your pack without the others,” I said with a stubborn lift of my chin.
James took a step forward. “Even if we offered you everything you could ever want?”
I scowled. “All I want is my pack mates. I don’t need anything else.”
James held my gaze with his intense stare. My heart thumped as he weighed my answer and judged me. Everyone else in the room was absolutely still as they waited to hear what James would say. Finally, he took a step back and gave me a slight nod. Anna beamed at him, and I realized that was as close to approval as I would be getting from him.
>
“Of course,” Austin said with a smile. “We have every intention of inviting all of you to join us.”
“And we can stay together?” I asked suspiciously.
“We wouldn’t want you to be separated,” Anna said seriously. “It’s obvious that you love each other.”
“Now that we have that out of the way,” Cody joked. “Let’s find out where you’re going to fit in.”
“Everyone works here, no exceptions.” Austin’s words were firm, but his eyes were kind. “What kind of skills or expertise do you have to offer that would benefit the pack?”
I just stared at him. I didn’t have an education - I hadn’t even graduated from high school yet. I wasn’t a genius like Kannon, a fighter like Grayson, or even good with my hands like Corey. I didn’t have the business experience that Wyatt did, and I could hardly call my experience with Four Guys Auto a success.
What could I offer the Seaside wolves?
I was here because I needed protection from the lamia, and I would need the pack to provide me with food, shelter, and clothing. I hadn’t brought any money, and I didn’t own anything of value. Tears filled my eyes when I concluded that I was utterly useless. I’d be nothing but a burden to them here.
Anna noticed me struggling. “You’re still very young, Lori. You have plenty of time to figure out what you want to do in life. Why don’t we start by giving you some experiences to get a feel for what you might enjoy doing?”
Austin nodded. “That’s a great idea,” he murmured to Anna. “You should have Lori help you set up the clinic.”
Anna brightened immediately, and her eyes shone with excitement. Her enthusiasm was so infectious that I couldn’t help but smile with her.
“I’m starting a women’s clinic,” Anna explained. “I want to help female shifters survive pregnancy and giving birth, and I think I can use the magic I inherited from the fae to do it.”
“That sounds great,” I said doubtfully. Everyone knew that getting pregnant could be a death sentence for a female shifter. Most of the full-blooded females in my original pack had died while I was growing up from complications related to bearing pups. Anna sounded like she had good intentions, but her task was impossible.
Austin leaned back in his chair. “I think you’ll be surprised at what Anna can accomplish.”
Anna smiled, but I could see that she was holding something back from me. She and Austin gazed at each other, and it was obvious they were using their pack bond to discuss something. I tilted my head, wishing I could overhear.
Anna stood and smoothed her top down nervously. “Lori, being half-fae means I can use magic that other wolves don’t have access to.” She held her hands in front of her with a look of concentration on her face. A second later, a glowing ball of blue light floated above her hands.
My jaw dropped. “I’ve never seen magic like that, not even from the witches.”
“That’s just a small demonstration,” Anna said with a faint smile. “My focus is on healing magic, which is why I want to start a clinic.”
I nodded. “You want to use magic where medicine has always failed us.”
“Exactly,” Anna said brightly. “I’ve only had one patient so far, but I know I can make a difference.”
I felt buoyed at the thought. Pregnancy was such a stressful time for females. Giving your life for your child meant that you were abandoning them to make their way alone in the cold world. Death stole mothers from their pups and left them to be raised by the pack. Giving them the gift of life could change our entire world for the better.
“Have you told anyone outside of your pack?” I asked excitedly. “You’re going to have tons of wolves asking for your help.”
Anna sighed. “The rest of my pack is already aware that I can use magic due to my heritage, and I don’t want to hold anything back from you. I plan to use my newfound skills to help others, but not everyone is accepting of what I am. Austin resigned from the council because they saw me as a threat.”
I tilted my chin up. “I’m different now, too.” I kept my voice steady, unwilling to let my voice waver. “I’m still the same person that I was before, but I know that others won’t see it that way. They’ll label me as an enemy without giving me a chance. I can see you’re a good person, and I’d be proud to call you my pack mate.” I hesitated for a second, and then a little softer I added, “If you’ll have me.”
“Give her full disclosure,” James growled from his post against the wall. “These kids aren’t walking into a utopia.”
Austin sighed. “James is right. Right now, we’re on the brink of war. I’m sure you’ve noticed how the world is falling apart since the humans learned of our existence.”
I nodded. “It seems like you’re doing well here.”
“We’ve worked hard for what we have,” Austin said seriously. “But we’re going to have to fight to keep it. The state of the world is going to get worse before it gets better, and we need pack mates we can count on to stand beside us. Do you think you can do that?”
I raised my chin. “You’ve read the files from Dr. Green. You know my pack has experienced what it’s like to have the odds stacked against us. We’ve struggled, we’ve fought, and we’ve become better for it.”
Cody laughed. “She gets it.”
James shrugged and strode out of the room as the others stood and offered me congratulations on passing the interview. I thanked them genuinely, but I was eager to get back to my guys. We had a lot to talk about.
I had bared my soul to the Seaside wolves while I was in that room, but I’d learned a lot too. Anna’s desire to help others was genuine, and I could see that she was hurt by the council’s rejection and persecution of her. I knew that I wouldn’t fare any better if my secrets were revealed to our community. The Seaside Wolf Pack was already harboring a half-fae. What better place would there be for a mutated wolf/lamia hybrid?
Chapter 36
Kannon
I let out a breath of relief when Lori came out of her interview with a thoughtful smile. None of us had wanted to leave Lori to go through their questioning alone, but Anna had promised to put a stop to it if Lori was struggling. Grayson had been the first to go through the interview process, and he had made it clear that we would either stay or go as a pack.
I hadn’t planned on revealing what little I knew about Lori’s past during my interview, but something about Anna told me that she’d understand. I’d told them about some of the abuse Lori had suffered from her last pack and asked them to be considerate when they evaluated her. I wanted to spare her any pain that I could.
I hugged Lori and then stepped back so the others could do the same. “I like them,” she murmured in Grayson’s ear. “I think we should stay.”
Grayson smiled. “We’ll talk as a pack, but I think the rest of us feel the same.”
I felt a dark shadow pass over us and frowned when I looked up to see James watching us. “Kannon,” he said coolly. “I’d like to introduce you to our technology expert.”
I nodded and looked over at Grayson. Austin had mentioned they could use someone with my skills in the pack, but I’d need to be evaluated by James for security purposes and by Caleb for my technical skills. They hadn’t explained much about Caleb’s position in the pack, but I knew some from when I hacked into their servers. I blushed, wondering if I should confess.
“I’ll go with you,” Wyatt offered. “Corey and Gray can stay with Lori.”
“I can show you to your rooms,” Anna suggested. “I’m sure you’d like to get cleaned up and have some time to yourselves.”
We all murmured our agreements, and Anna led Lori and the others away. Lori seemed comfortable with Anna, and she’d be safe with Gray and the others.
James shrugged and motioned for Wyatt and me to follow him. He paused in front of a closed door and pounded on it a couple of times before turning back to us. “You may have passed Austin’s interview,” James said with a scowl. “But you didn’
t pass mine.”
My eyebrows rose, but the door opened before I could think of a response. “Hey,” a guy with wavy brown hair said awkwardly. “I’m Caleb.”
James strode past him into the room without a word, so Wyatt and I introduced ourselves. Caleb invited us inside, and my eyes widened. He had an entire wall covered in HD monitors, and a partially disassembled drone was sitting on a table to the left, but his computer system was deceptively small. There was no sign of the servers that he would need to house the massive amount of data that I knew he had access to.
Two small barks came from a fenced-in area on the opposite side of the room, and I peered over curiously.
“Those aren’t wolf pups,” Wyatt said with a frown as he got closer.
“They’re Shih Tzus,” Caleb said with a shrug. “Anna brought them with her when she moved in.”
“Huh,” Wyatt said in confusion. Wolf packs didn’t adopt little dogs as pets, but I liked it. This pack was breaking all kinds of rules and stereotypes.
“Can I say hi?” I asked curiously.
“Sure!” Caleb said with a grin. “They love attention.”
I leaned over the fence to see two little faces looking up at me eagerly and reached down to offer them my hand. After all, it was only polite to let them get used to my scent.
“Their names were originally Tigger and Eeyore,” Caleb said conversationally. “But we started called the black one Loki, and the gold and white one Thor. Anna let us get away with it because they seem to like those names better.”
I chuckled and stroked their silky coats. “Who wouldn’t?”
“If we could get back to business?” James interrupted coldly.
I laughed when the two little dogs got even more excited by the sound of James’ voice. Their reaction told me more about James than anyone else could have. If he were truly a bad guy, they would have cowered. James might not be affectionate with them if anyone else were around, but I would bet he slipped them treats when no one else was looking. The big, bad hunter was a softy.
The tension that I’d been holding deep inside slowly relaxed. My reservations about this pack were fading. These were good wolves down to their core.
A Place to Call Home (Hollow Crest Wolf Pack Book 3) Page 21