Wyatt came over to the fence to greet the pups, and I stepped away to give him space.
Caleb leaned against his desk, and I walked over to the wall of monitors to get a closer look. “I’m guessing it was you?” Caleb asked casually.
My heart stopped for a beat as I spun to face him. I could pretend that I had no idea what he was talking about. After all, he didn’t have any proof that I had hacked into his system, and his question was so vague he could be talking about anything. Wyatt nodded at me, and I knew he’d have my back regardless of what happened next.
Caleb raised a brow at me when I didn’t answer right away.
“I initially thought it was Emerys because he’s the only one that gets through all my defenses,” he said curiously. “But you have a unique style that’s distinctive.”
I let out a breath and decided to be honest. “Yeah,” I admitted. “We were being held by the lamia and desperate to find a pack that might take us in.”
Caleb nodded. “You wanted to check us out before approaching Austin.”
I shrugged. “Wouldn’t you?”
“What else have you done?” James interrupted again. “I need to know if your past is going to make problems for us here.”
Wyatt took a couple of steps closer to me and crossed his arms over his chest, making it clear he was watching out for me. I appreciated the gesture, but the two Seaside wolves weren’t threatening me.
“Outside of what I said in the interview, nothing,” I told him honestly. “I checked out a few other packs, but no one else had any real security to stop me.”
James grunted. “Evaluate him,” he said gruffly to Caleb before striding out of the room.
Caleb looked at me apologetically. “You get used to him after a while.”
“I get it,” I said with a smile. “His job is to protect the pack, and he takes it seriously.”
Wyatt snorted. “He doesn’t have to be such an ass about it.”
I gave him a pointed look. “We’re the outsiders here.”
“Hopefully not for long,” Wyatt said with a hint of wistfulness behind it.
I don’t think he meant to let his longing for a home slip out, but I knew we were all feeling it. We’d spoken about how important it was to find a safe place for Lori, but this was something that we all needed.
“Come have a seat,” Caleb said in a friendly tone. “I’m overwhelmed with work right now, so I’d like to see what you can do. It would be pretty sweet to get some help.”
I pulled up a chair next to him and stretched out my fingers. It was time to show him what I could do and earn my spot here.
Chapter 37
Lori
I reunited with all my guys, and we had a chance to freshen up before we were taken on a tour of the property. My eyes were wide as I took in all the amenities that these wolves were used to. Our trip ended on the beach that made up the eastern border of Austin’s property.
The guys were socializing with our new pack mates, but my eyes were drawn to the waves crashing against the shore. I’d seen the ocean on television, but it hadn’t prepared me for this moment.
The air was cold, but it carried the salty scent of the sea as it tousled my hair. A seagull cried out in the distance, and a sharp breeze caused tiny particles of loose sand under my feet to sail through the air.
Before I realized I was moving, I had already taken several steps to the water. White foam lingered on the shore as the water receded to prepare for the next wave, and I kicked at it in fascination.
“Your feet are going to get wet if you don’t move quickly,” Anna said with a smile.
I looked down to see that the water moved a lot quicker than I realized. I ran several steps back up the shore, but I wasn’t fast enough. Ice cold water swirled around my feet and sank into my shoes. I shivered at the icy sensation, but a smile spread over my face. Is this what it felt like to be completely free?
I looked back at Grayson to see him watching me with a smile. The tension from his shoulders was gone as if a heavy weight had just been lifted from him. Grayson had carried the burden of responsibility for the rest of us during our whole journey here. Now he could relax and start living life again.
“Do you have surfboards here?” I asked Austin.
“The twins have a couple you could borrow,” he said with an amused tilt to his head. “I hadn’t pegged you as a surfer.”
“I’m not,” I said with a blush. “But the other guys are. This is my first time at a real ocean.”
“We should find a momento for you,” Anna said kindly. “There’s a little alcove over this way where some interesting shells can wash to shore.”
Grayson nodded at me, and I happily followed Anna down the shoreline. My feet were damp and frozen, but I didn’t care. I wanted to take in every second of this experience.
I had to walk quickly to keep up with Anna’s long legs, but once she realized I was falling behind, she slowed her pace.
“It’s weird walking on sand,” I told her as an excuse.
Anna shrugged. “I didn’t mean to rush you. I’m sure you want to look around and explore.”
My eyes caught on a pretty pink shell half-buried in the sand, and I crouched down to grab it. I huffed in irritation when I got it out of the sand only to realize it was just a fragment of a shell, not the whole thing.
“Let’s wade in a little,” Anna suggested.
I shrugged and followed her lead. The water was still freezing, but she didn’t seem to mind as the water swirled around her ankles and then disappeared back into the ocean. As the wave receded, it washed away a layer of sand, and I saw why she’d suggested doing it this way. It exposed another layer that contained shells and pebbles.
“You and Grayson seem close,” Anna said casually as we sorted through the ocean debris in search of treasures.
“Yeah,” I murmured as I hurriedly straightened to avoid getting hit in the face with a wave of water.
Anna smiled. “I can sense the bonds you have with each one of your pack mates, and I’m impressed that they’re so strong.”
I looked at her suspiciously, but there was no deceit in her eyes – she seemed genuine. “We’ve been through a lot together,” I explained.
Anna nodded. “I wanted to take you apart from the others so we could have a female-only talk.”
“About what?” I asked with narrowed eyes.
A light laugh escaped from Anna, and her eyes sparkled. “Nothing bad, I promise. I just want us to be friends.” Her smile faded. “I want the females in this pack to be just as close as the males.”
I smiled shyly at Anna. “I’d like that. It could be like a sisterhood.”
“Yes!” Anna said enthusiastically. “I can’t wait for you to meet Sam.”
“You and Sam are the only female wolves in the pack?” I asked curiously.
Anna grinned at me. “Actually, you and I are the only female wolves. Sam’s a black panther.”
My jaw dropped. “A cat shifter? In a wolf pack?”
Anna nodded, but her eyes were sharp. “We’re very inclusive here, and we don’t tolerate any type of discrimination or prejudice.”
“That won’t be a problem,” I said earnestly. “I’m just used to always being the odd one in any group I’m in. It’s nice to belong somewhere that I’m free to be me and not have to worry about changing myself into a cardboard cutout that fits someone else’s expectations.”
I triumphantly held up a perfect shell that was a beautiful dark color. Anna laughed and held up one that was its perfect twin.
“You definitely don’t have to worry about that here,” Anna assured me.
Anna and I chatted as we excitedly found more shells. It was almost a half-hour later when we walked back down the shore with our hands filled that I remembered how cold the water was.
“That’s weird,” I mused. “I don’t really feel the cold anymore.”
Anna looked embarrassed. “There’s a lot you need to lea
rn about our pack, but I’m sure the guys are getting antsy without us.”
I giggled when I looked up to see Austin had the same look on his face as he watched Anna come closer as Grayson did as he watched me. It was relief, happiness, but most of all – love.
The smile on my face only grew wider when I saw the other guys break out of the tree line and walk towards us. Kannon and Caleb had their heads huddled together over an iPad, and I was impressed with their ability to walk through the sand when their concentration was obviously elsewhere. Corey had a huge smile on his face as he carried an acoustic guitar towards our group. Wyatt was walking alongside Cody, listening as he told an embarrassing story about Mason and Jason. Anna’s twins didn’t seem to mind being the topic of discussion as they laughed along. One of them dropped the pile of firewood he’d been carrying, ran up to Anna, and then swung her around. She laughed as he twirled her around, and the others watched with amusement.
“We thought it would be a good night for a bonfire,” Cody called out to Austin.
Austin waved a hand in agreement and then leaned in to say something in Grayson’s ear before squeezing his shoulder and stepping away. Grayson came over to me and wrapped me in a hug. “You’re not cold?” he asked in concern.
“Nope,” I said as I embraced him in return. “And I’m sure the bonfire will be more than enough to keep me warm.”
Grayson chuckled. “You have to let me have an excuse as to why I need to keep you in my arms.”
I chuckled and leaned my head on his chest. “You don’t need one here. Just say that you want to.”
Grayson leaned back to look me in the eyes. “You’re right. This is a good place - I can feel it.”
“Let’s help them set up,” I said with a grin as I tugged him by the hand. “We can go grab some stuff from the house, and I can change into shoes that aren’t soaked in ocean water.” I wiggled my toes in my wet socks, noticing that I was starting to get cold again.
It didn’t take long for the large group of us to start a bonfire. Anna had brought out marshmallows we could toast over the fire, and Corey and Wyatt were entertaining us with songs from their old band. I was snuggled up on Kannon’s lap as Grayson was sharing some of his fighting moves with Mason and Jason.
Emotion bubbled up inside of me as I looked around at my new pack. It was so intense that it took me a couple of minutes to realize what it was.
This is what true happiness felt like.
I had the wolves I loved by my side. We weren’t running from our nightmares or trying to survive through a life-threatening ordeal. We were surrounded by good wolves who had accepted us into their home and their pack.
I had finally found somewhere I could call home.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
This book is fiction, but PTSD is real for Veterans as well as other survivors of trauma and abuse. At times the darkness may seem overwhelming and situation hopeless. Reaching out might seem like
an impossible task when you are the deepest in it, but please remember that you’re not alone. There are others who will stand by your side and battle the darkness and despair alongside you.
Each one of us has dark moments in our lives that we sometimes wish we could erase or forget. Yet sometimes it’s the pain and struggle that we have gone through that gives us our inner strength.
For me, writing started as a way to confront some of the demons of my past so that I could put them behind me forever. Most of my characters have a dark or troubled past, and my books follow their progress as they emerge from the darkness that has held them down for so long.
As the darkness fades, hope for a better future starts to emerge (like the sun after a storm). A piece of my soul goes into each one of my books, and my hope and faith in a brighter tomorrow are reflected in each one of my characters.
Books have always been a source of escape and enjoyment for me, so I hope that my work can help others in the same way
-C.C. Masters
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
C.C. Masters lives near Virginia Beach with her two furbabies, the inspirations for Tigger and Eeyore. She enjoys long walks on the beach and loves to run through the forest under the light of the full moon
www.SeasideWolfPack.com
Books by C.C. Masters
Seaside Wolf Pack Series
Book 1: Finding Somewhere to Belong
Book 1.5: Finding Anna
Book 2: Finding the Fire Within
Book 3: Finding the Power Within
Book 4: Finding Truth Beneath the Lies
Book 5: Finding My Breaking Point
Book 6: Finding Hope (Coming Soon)
Hollow Crest Wolf Pack Trilogy
Book 1: New Beginnings
Book 2: The Struggle
Book 3: A Place to Call Home
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A Place to Call Home (Hollow Crest Wolf Pack Book 3) Page 22