Thomas' Heart (Judgement Of The Six Companion Series Book 4)

by Melissa Haag

  “Good morning,” she said softly, meeting my gaze. I’d waited days to see a soft look in her eyes.

  “Did you sleep at all?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  She sat up and winced. The scrape on her face wasn’t as red and had scabbed over. But a light blue tinted the skin from underneath. I wondered how long she would be sore and almost suggested she rest some more. I wouldn’t have minded if she’d stayed in bed longer and just talked to me.

  “Well, what should we do today?” she asked.

  I chuckled. Charlene never seemed to sit still for long.

  “I was about to ask you that.”

  She smiled slightly.

  “I know. That’s why I asked you first. How close is the nearest town?”

  “Further than you’d walk in a day.” Further than I’d want to take her with her face looking like it did. She would draw too much attention.

  “Where did Mary and Gregory go to find everything?”

  “Town.”

  She gave me a look of disbelief, and I knew it was because it hadn’t taken them a day.

  “We’re faster than you are.”

  “Ah. I see. When will Winifred arrive? Perhaps she could take me in the truck.”

  “I’ll take you,” I said, standing. Not in the truck, but in my arms if she would let me. When she healed.

  “But, first, let’s feed you.” I held out my hand. She walked toward me but didn’t take it.

  I didn’t mind. I was good at being patient. Turning, I went to the hall and waited there for her to dress. When she joined me, I led the way downstairs and listened to the sound of her steps as she followed me. It seemed I couldn’t ignore even the smallest detail related to her anymore.

  The door was open in the main room, allowing a cool breeze into the already too warm room. Mary had a pot of water on the stove, and Gregory had a pheasant roasting. Charlene’s stomach growled at the admittedly mouth-watering smell.

  “Do you think instead of killing them, we could catch a few?” she asked as she took two plates down from the top of the new cabinet.

  “Pheasants? What for?” I watched her set the plates on one of the tables.

  “Eggs. It would be handy in winter.”

  “And tempting,” I said, moving to the fire to remove the skewered bird. Especially to hungry wolves.

  “It would be worth a try,” she said. “They would need some sort of coop, though.”

  I watched her for a moment before moving to the table.

  “The way you think...I can’t seem to guess what you’ll say or do next,” I said, setting the bird on a plate. She seemed to constantly be thinking of the next way to improve life here. Using my fork, I pulled off some breast meat and set it on her plate.

  “Neither can I,” she said with a grin. “But I can explain the eggs. I was thinking that I miss regular breakfast food like cereal, oatmeal, and eggs. And since you seem to be able to kill a pheasant easily enough, why not just keep them alive once you catch them?” She took a bite of the pheasant and looked at me expectantly.

  I didn’t care what we did as long as we did it together.

  “There are several meadows and a marsh nearby. They like the tall grasses. Perhaps, instead of walking to the junkyard, we could go there today.”

  Her gaze grew distant as she ate. I watched her, wondering what she might be thinking. Likely building or fixing something in her head. Some of her hair fell forward and she absently brushed it back. In the daylight, it looked like the noon sun. Shiny, bright, and pale yellow.

  She stood and took her empty plate to the sink.

  “A trip to the meadow might be a bit premature. We should have a coop ready first and food for birds. What do they eat in the wild?” she asked, moving to the stove.

  “We eat them,” I said, grinning. “That’s all we’ve needed to know.”

  “If we want to try to raise a few, we’ll need to find out what they eat. If it’s something we can gather, it could work; but if we need to purchase something, we might be out of luck.”

  A sound by the door alerted me that we were no longer alone.

  “They eat seed,” Anton’s familiar voice said, “from the grasses, insects, and other things. Keeping them should be no problem if we build a pen in the meadow.”

  Charlene’s smile was dazzling as she turned toward him. Bitterness burned my gut as I stared at the wolf she’d picked before me, and I wondered why he’d returned.

  “Welcome back, Anton,” she said. “There are clean plates over here if you’d like some pheasant.”

  “I didn’t come to eat. I came to help. I heard what happened yesterday.”

  Mongrel. I didn’t like the way his gaze lingered on her face.

  “Well, I’m glad you came back. Thomas and I were just talking about the junkyard, too. I’d like to go there to see if we can find anything else useful, but it sounds like it might be too far for me to walk in a day.”

  “I could carry you and run it,” he said. “It would take an hour.”

  I fought not to growl at his suggestion. He knew I wouldn’t allow him to touch her.

  Winifred, Charlene is considering a trip to the junkyard. I’m concerned she might reconsider staying if she’s around other humans.

  Agreed. She should stay at the sanctuary.

  You might want to let Anton know that.

  “Run carrying me for an hour? You wouldn’t get tired?”

  He gave her a cocky grin. “No.”

  I cleared my throat to get Charlene’s attention.

  “Winifred would like you to stay here until she arrives. She’s concerned about your safety after yesterday’s attack and feels this is the safest place for you.”

  Some of the joy left her eyes as she nodded.

  “Then I suppose I’ll find something to do around here,” she said, rinsing the plate and setting it aside to dry. “What is everyone else working on today?”

  “Bine, Zerek, and most of the others are still working on wood. A few are fixing things in the other building,” I said.

  “Anton, if you’re willing, can you help me with the windows?” she asked, walking toward the door.

  “Of course,” he said. He moved to follow her, and I sat at the table, stunned at how fast she was willing to leave me. She paused at the door.

  “If you want, you can join us when you finish, Thomas,” she said.

  Keeping my angry gaze on my plate, I nodded.

  Mary’s father was right. I needed a bigger pack. Not just to hold this place but to keep an eye on the wolves coming and going. Had I known Anton was here, I would have made plans with Charlene while she was still up in her room.

  Grey, it’s time to expand the pack. Do you have any recommendations? He’d been spending most of his time in the trees, keeping an eye on things.

  Standing, I put the bird in a pot so it wouldn’t go to waste then put the dish in the sink.

  Bine and Zerek have been watching you. How you treat others and how you interact with the females. I think they would have asked to join the pack in a few days. Start with them.

  I walked out the door and made my way to the men cutting wood.

  * * * *

  How does it feel? Grey sent me, watching me closely.

  Like when I’d accepted Mary into the pack, the sensation of being full eased after a few minutes and Bine and Zerek’s links settled in with the rest. My mind still felt clear and able to hold more.

  Fine. Do you have other suggestions? Do you think Henry and Paul would be interested?

  No. They left last night after Mary joined. They said goodbye to her before that. But, I noticed Hem and Anton speaking to Bine and Zerek several times. And Carl’s been helping with the wood since the beginning, like Bine.

  Not Anton, I sent immediately. But I’ll speak with Hem and Carl.

  Hem was working inside the tool building. He had several pieces of wood stacked to the side and was carefully using a saw to cut them to
length. I recognized him as one of the few who went inside for meals.

  He looked up from his work when I entered.

  “Thomas,” he said, respectfully. “Do you need something?”

  “Just wondering what you’re working on in here.”

  “Charlene wanted the windows boarded, but I didn’t think that would make them as air and water tight as she needs. I saw a cabin well north that had frames that fit over the windows for winter. Kept the cold out. I think they wanted to keep the animals out too but…” He grinned.

  “Spent a lot of time in the woods?”

  “Yep. My father didn’t trust humans. My mother died at birth, so there was no one curious to influence him to study them, like your mother.”

  I frowned. “Why do you think my mother was curious about humans?”

  “Your name. You can tell a lot about a wolf’s family by his name. Hem is short for Hemlock. Named after a tree. You have a human name. Grey was probably born shortly after their Mating. It’s not a tree, river, or landmark, like most. But not human either.”

  “For staying away from humans, you seem okay with Charlene.”

  “I am. We complain that humans are dangerous, but I’ve rarely seen their young in the woods with guns or traps or saws. She’s young. She’s not here to ruin anything. I think she wants to leave behind what the adults of her race have planned for her. She wants to build her own future. If we help her, we can influence what that future is.”

  I liked how Hem looked at things.

  “I agree. That’s why I’d like to ask you to join my pack. After that last attack, I know the right to hold sanctuary will be challenged eventually.”

  He looked up from his work to study me.

  “You’re young,” he said. He had several years on me. “I’ll consider joining your pack if you can tell me what will happen to the female with you as the leader.”

  “The pack will protect her and help her make this into a place where she can live.”

  “If that changes, I will leave.”

  I nodded.

  “Good. Then, will you accept me as one of your own?” he asked.

  “I will. You’re welcome in my pack,” I said, opening myself to him. A new connection pierced my mind. I was careful not to wince or show any discomfort as the link settled into place. When it did, I smiled at him in welcome.

  “Keep me posted on those frames and if you need any more wood.”

  I left him to his work and went to Carl. He was just as willing to join.

  Grey walked from the woods as the newest link settled into place.

  I’m concerned, he sent me. I think you’re adding to the pack too quickly. We don’t know how adding four new members within hours of each other might affect you.

  The initial connections were becoming increasingly uncomfortable, but any discomfort left within moments. He was right though. I needed to slow down to ensure there wouldn’t be any bad reactions as the day continued.

  Fair enough. I’ll wait to add more.

  He looked relieved as he walked beside me.

  Are you sure more are necessary?

  How many males came from the woods when Charlene was hurt?

  Fourteen, he sent back. But they weren’t a pack. The majority Forlorn.

  With a common goal, they might consider forming a pack.

  Eight is a large number. I’m worried about the strain.

  There is no strain, I assured him. Everything felt calm in my mind.

  You haven’t asked them to do anything.

  I understood Grey’s concern. There’d been nothing to test their loyalty to their new pack. However, the males who’d joined had done so because they trusted and agreed with my purpose for staying here. Anything that would test them would involve giving a command that I wouldn’t agree with in the first place. All I could do was watch them like they were watching me.

  Tonight we eat inside as a pack, I sent to everyone.

  I waited for reactions but felt nothing more than a wedge of concern that came from Mary. Satisfied, I started toward the building to see why Mary was worried. Grey followed.

  Stepping inside, I found Mary and Ann at the table, working on the unusable clothing. She looked up when I entered.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “We don’t have anything started for dinner, and Charlene’s still working with Anton,” Mary said, glancing at the stove.

  “Gregory will help you cook. We’ll hunt.”

  Mention of Gregory brought a smile to her face. Ann, who was watching her, smiled too.

  “I still feel like that when Leif is near me,” she said to Mary as we left.

  Grey and I found Gregory near the coop with Anton and Charlene. He had a pheasant under his arm. He didn’t look too happy about holding its feet and covering its eyes.

  What are you doing? I sent to him.

  Trying not to let this thing scratch me to death.

  Why are you holding it?

  Your Mate asked me to.

  My grin at his disgruntled reply quickly disappeared as I saw how closely Charlene was working with Anton. Heads bent to inspect the wire enclosure, their arms touched.

  “Go hunt with Gregory,” Grey said, cutting though my slowly boiling anger. “I’ll hold the pheasant.”

  I didn’t wait for Gregory to hand over the bird. Stalking off toward the woods, I struggled to contain my anger. That mutt should have stayed away.

  The run through the trees cleared my mind, and Gregory and I managed to catch a few squirrels.

  “Game’s moving off,” he said as we dressed. “Her idea about the pen isn’t a bad one.”

  “I agree. I just wish someone else were helping her.”

  Gregory nodded but didn’t say more. He knew me well enough to understand nothing would calm what I felt. While he brought the game inside, I went to help with the wood. The activity passed the time until I saw Charlene walk through the clearing. Leaving the work, I followed her inside.

  “We have water heating if you want to wash,” I heard Mary say before I reached the door.

  “Thank you.”

  Charlene didn’t look back as she closed herself in the bathroom. Mary saw me, though, and starting cleaning up the bits of cloth.

  “Winifred says she’s almost here if we want to wait for her to eat,” Mary said.

  “No. We’ll start eating if it’s ready. There aren’t that many bowls to feed everyone at once.”

  “Then you can call them. It’s done.”

  Come eat, I sent to the pack.

  There was some resistance. Most likely a few who wanted to finish what they were doing. But they didn’t fight the command for long. My hold remained steady and strong.

  I can feel you resisting, Grey.

  And?

  My hold is strong and stable. So stop being a pain in my tail. Adding a few more shouldn’t be a problem.

  The first of the group came inside and went to the stove where Mary handed out portions of the meal she’d made. The males sat near me and started eating. Their scowls deepened with each bite. It wasn’t until I took my own first bite that I understood why. The pack was fine; the food was not. It tasted like iron and char. The males were smart enough not to say anything to Mary, though.

  Outside, the rumble of the engine announced Winifred’s arrival. Mary quickly left her post and went to the door and offered to help Winifred bring in the supplies.

  “That can wait,” Winifred said. “How is Charlene? Did she sleep well last night?”

  I could feel Mary’s nervousness.

  “I think so.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I wasn’t with her. Thomas was.”

  Winifred’s gaze found mine, and her eyes narrowed before she turned back to look at Mary. I had no doubt Winifred was quietly asking Mary what she meant by that. It didn’t matter. Who protected Charlene wasn’t Winifred’s concern as long as Charlene was being protected.

  Charlene s
tepped out of the bathing room just then and moved toward Winifred.

  “Hello, Charlene. Mary was just telling me about the changes—”

  “Winifred,” I said, standing. “Could I have a minute?”

  The information Mary was sharing didn’t need to be shared with Charlene. Winifred knew it too. Why was she trying to cause trouble? I stared at her until she agreed to speak with me and could feel her anger as I approached her.

  Unwilling to leave Charlene with so many males, I used my link with Winifred while Mary got Charlene her dinner from the stove.

  Mary is uncomfortable with the way you obtained Charlene’s agreement with the change. She wants me to make sure Charlene understands it isn’t Mary’s choice.

  You and I both know, after what happened yesterday, Mary wasn’t enough protection for Charlene. I wasn’t about to risk one of my own in an effort to protect what is my responsibility to protect.

  Have you Claimed Charlene since I left? she sent.

  I didn’t like the reminder of my failed attempt.

  No.

  Then how is she your responsibility?

  I hold sanctuary. If she chooses to live here, she is mine to protect. I used Mary’s interest in Gregory to gain Charlene’s cooperation. She would not have allowed me in her room otherwise.

  Then perhaps that means you shouldn’t be there.

  Your purpose is to protect our race. Not to interfere with how I run my territory.

  “Enough,” Winifred said. Her anger rolled off of her like the heat radiating from the oven. Tangling with an Elder was dangerous. But I wasn’t about to let Winifred make a mess of what I’d worked to achieve.

  “Winifred. You started this,” I said. Privately I sent, you brought her here and wanted us to accept her. We have. Aloud, I added, “Now let it go.”

  She waved me away and turned toward Charlene. The males who’d quieted during our confrontation, quickly stood, took their bowls to the sink, then fled. I didn’t think less of them.

  “As soon as you’re done eating, I’d like to look at your stitches,” Winifred said. “Perhaps we can take them out.”

  I went back to my seat at the table and Winifred went to the medical supplies. While Charlene took another bite, I studied her face. Her cheeks were pink from a day out in the sun. The long fall of her hair looked slightly tangled from the wind. But what I was really interested in was her eyes. I needed her to look at me. I needed to see if she still had interest in me after spending the day with another male.