“Yeah, I got it. We’ll take turns staying with her until we know it’s safe.”
I blew out a deep breath and unbuckled my seatbelt. “Come on. Let’s go tell her the good news.”
We climbed out of the car and I unlocked our motel room door for us. As soon as we stepped inside, Mom’s voice reached us.
“Well? How’d it go?”
As my eyes adjusted to the dim room, I was able to see her better. Her dirty blonde hair hung in lifeless waves past her thin shoulders, but her light brown eyes were bright. I tried to not wince at the sight of the rash that was still spreading across her face, but I didn’t know if I was successful or not.
“We got in!” my brother yelled before I had the chance to answer.
Mom’s eyes filled with tears as she clasped her hands in front of her. “You’re kidding! Really? Oh, that’s such good news!”
I walked over and gave her a kiss on the head before sitting next to her and taking one of her hands in mine. “The alpha’s giving us a house on his land just for us. He took us by it today and it was really nice. There’s even a little fenced in yard out back where you can plant a garden if you’re up for it.”
Her eyes lit up. “A garden? I haven’t had one of those in so long.”
When we were growing up, she’d spent most of her free time out in the garden. She had the greenest thumb of anyone I’d ever known. It seemed like she could make anything grow anywhere.
When she got sick, she had to cut back on her sun exposure and her garden had been left unattended. I always regretted that I hadn’t stepped up to keep it going for her and hoped I could rectify that now.
“Yeah, a garden. Wes and I can help you set everything up. And hopefully, this new doctor can help you with some of your symptoms and you’ll be able to spend time out in the sun again.”
“New doctor?”
I squeezed her hand. “There’s a doctor in this pack and the alpha said he’d be more than happy to treat you.”
A single tear fell from her eye and my chest clenched at the sight. “That sounds wonderful. I’m so proud of you two,” she said before leaning over and kissing my cheek.
I listened to her praise but felt completely unworthy of it. It shouldn’t have taken us this long to find a stable place to live. Truthfully, we never should have stayed in our old pack as long as we had. I think Wes, Dad, and I had all become complacent at some point. We’d allowed them to treat us and our mother like garbage because we were used to it. I could only hope things would be different in this new pack.
“When do we get to move in?” she asked.
Wes walked over and grabbed her other hand. “Tomorrow morning.”
Mom did her best to stand up without a fuss, but I could tell her joints were bothering her again. She’d never complain though. “Oh! We have so much to do before then!”
I watched her with a small smile on my face for a while. It had been a long time since she’d had a reason to be excited like this and it felt good that I could be a part of it.
I stood up and wrapped my hands around her frail shoulders. “Relax, Mom. Wes and I are gonna take care of everything. You just get some rest, and tomorrow, the new doctor can check you out and hopefully get a plan in place for you.”
She waved me off and spun out of my hold. “I’m feeling fine, Wyatt, don’t worry about me.”
Little did she know that was easier said than done.
***
“You must be Nora Carter. I’m Abraham McCoy. It’s so nice to have you here.”
The alpha wrapped both his big hands around one of our mom’s small ones and shook it gently. There was a wide, genuine smile on his face, and I breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
We’d arrived on pack lands around eight that morning and Beatrice had been waiting outside with a key for us. She’d given our mom a similarly warm welcome and that set my mind at ease as well. Since then, we’d been unloading me and Wes’ vehicles and trying to set things up the best we could.
“Abraham, thank you so much for giving me and my boys a place to stay. You’re a good man,” Mom said.
His smile widened. “It was my pleasure, Nora. Can I come in for a moment? I know you all must be busy unpacking, but I’d like to get to know you a little better.”
She quickly stepped aside and waved him in. It was strange seeing the two of them standing next to each other. Mom was so thin and frail, while Abraham was broad and robust. It proved again how far her health had declined and made me even more anxious for her to meet with the doctor.
“Can I get you some tea or water?” she asked as Abraham took a seat on the couch in our new living room.
Thankfully, this place had come furnished because we’d had to leave most of our big stuff at our old house. Our move had been abrupt, and we’d only been able to pack the essentials before we had to be off pack lands. Just thinking about the way we had to leave made my hands clench into fists.
“No thank you, Mrs. Carter. I’m not here to trouble you. I just like to get to know all the members of my pack.”
I heard her sniff from across the room and knew hearing herself being called a pack member affected her as much as it had me yesterday. She hadn’t belonged anywhere in a really long time, and now she finally had a chance at that. I knew I’d forever be in Abraham’s debt for giving her that opportunity.
She sat down with him and they began talking as Wes and I continued to lug stuff into the house and drop it off in the appropriate rooms. I caught snippets of their conversation here and there but didn’t pay close attention. It surprised me how quickly I’d come to trust Abraham with her, but I had.
When we finished unloading the vehicles, Abraham was just saying goodbye to Mom.
“It was so nice meeting you, Mrs. Carter.”
“Nora,” she cut in.
He smiled down at her. “Okay, Nora. Well, I’m glad you’re here and I hope to see you again at the pack barbecue this Sunday.”
I wiped the sweat from my forehead and leaned a hip against an empty bookshelf. “Pack barbecue?”
“We have one every Sunday. It’s my way of keeping the pack together and giving us a chance to socialize. I’ll be calling a mandatory meeting before this upcoming barbecue to introduce you all to the pack.”
I shot Wes a look and could see he was thinking the same thing I was. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
Abraham frowned. “Why not?”
I stood up straight and crossed my arms over my chest. “I don’t think I want to expose her like that.”
Abraham’s eyes softened as he glanced between us. “I told you, you won’t have those kinds of issues here.”
I didn’t want to be contradictory this soon after joining his pack, but when it came to my mother’s safety, I refused to compromise.
“I know what you’ve said, and I hope it’s true, but until we know that for sure, I can’t risk her safety. I think it would be better if we kept quiet about her for a little while. At least until we know more about your pack and they know more about us. Maybe we can start introducing her to other members slowly over time, but bringing her out in the middle of a crowd of wolves we don’t know is out of the question.”
Abraham’s eyes flicked between us before he finally sighed. “I understand. I’ll make sure no one knows about your mom until you’re ready.”
I let out a small breath of relief. “Thank you, Abraham. I’d appreciate that.”
He waved my words away. “Anything to make sure she’s safe and you’re all comfortable here.” He took a step toward the door before turning back around. “I hope the both of you will be at the barbecue at least?”
I shot Wes another look and he shrugged. “We’d love to. We’ll be coming one at a time though, as we don’t feel comfortable leaving her alone yet.”
The corners of Abraham’s eyes creased with concern. “How about I send Bea over to stay with her during the meeting so I can introduce the two of you together? It mig
ht look suspicious if only one of you shows up. Afterward one of you can go back and stay with her during the barbecue.”
Wes met my eyes and we both nodded. “That sounds great. Thanks, Abraham.”
“Good.” He gave Mom one more warm smile. “Again, it was nice meeting you, Nora. I’ll be sure to stop by again sometime soon and take you up on that offer for a cup of tea.”
She stood up a little straighter, the smile wide across her face. “I’d love that.”
“If you’re ready for him, I can send Doc Monroe over here after I leave.”
“That would be great,” I said.
Abraham nodded again and gave us a little wave before leaving our new house and closing the door behind him. As soon as he was gone, Mom spun to face me, a small fire in her brown eyes.
“I can’t believe you! Why were you arguing with your new alpha like that?”
I sighed. “Mom. You know I have my reasons.”
She huffed. “You don’t need to baby me, Wyatt. I’ll be just fine. And we don’t need you causing waves here before we’re even settled.”
“He understands I’m just trying to protect you.”
“If the alpha says his pack won’t care that I’m human, you should believe him. He seems like a very nice man.”
I tipped my head back and stared at the ceiling. “I know he’s nice, Mom, but we don’t know anything about the rest of this pack. And as far as I know, he’s never had a human live here before, so he doesn’t really know how they’ll react. I’m not taking that chance. Wes and I will get to know them, and when we think it’s safe, we’ll introduce you. I’m not willing to negotiate on that.”
She huffed again and threw her hands in the air. “You’re impossible. Just as stubborn as your father.”
I cracked a small smile as she stormed out of the room. Being compared to one of the best men I’d ever known was something I’d take as a compliment. Even if she hadn’t meant it that way.
Just as I was about to follow her, there was a knock on the door. I walked over and tentatively opened it to find the woman who’d let us into the lodge yesterday. I think her name was Audrey or something like that.
“Hello?” I said.
Her smile was wide as her light brown eyes raked the length of my body. I was in a t-shirt with the sleeves cut off and I knew it was covered in sweat from the move. I felt a little self-conscious at being seen like this and a lot self-conscious at the way she was looking at me. Like I was an ice cream sundae or something.
“Hey there. Wes, is it?”
“No, I’m Wyatt.”
Her smile grew. “Even better. I was just coming over to say hi and welcome you to the pack. I live right over there,” she said, pointing to the next house over. “If you ever need anything, feel free to come ask.”
“Um. Okay. Thanks.”
“And if you’re not doing anything later, I’d love to cook you dinner. I’m sure you’ll be tired from your move and could use a good home cooked meal.”
“Oh. Um. Thanks, but I think I’ll just figure out something here with Wes.”
“He’s welcome too. The more the merrier.”
I was pretty sure she was talking about dinner, but the look in her eyes made me feel like it might be something else she was referring to. Either way, I was uninterested.
“Oh. Um,” I said again, stalling for a good way to get out of this invitation. I didn’t want to offend one of the first people I’d met in my new pack, but I wanted to have dinner with her even less.
The sound of a door closing from the house on the other side of us caught my attention and I turned to find a lanky man with strawberry blond hair making his way toward us.
“You must be one of the Carter’s. I’m Doc Monroe, it’s nice to meet you,” he said as he approached with a hand held out toward me.
“Yeah, I’m Wyatt. Thanks for stopping by.”
“It’s my pleasure.” He cast a quick glance at Audrey before turning to me again. “Shall we?”
“Yeah, of course.” With a glance back at the over-eager woman, I pasted on the most sympathetic smile I could. “Thanks for the offer, Audrey, but I’m going to have to pass tonight. Maybe some other time.”
Her smile dimmed the smallest bit. “It’s Aubrey.”
“Right! Sorry, Aubrey. Thanks again. I’ll see you around.”
With that, I ushered the doctor into the house and closed the door behind me. It was less than convenient that her house was right next door, but I guess that was a small price to pay for getting to live here.
“Mom, this is Doc Monroe, the one Abraham said he’d send over to take a look at you. Doc, this is my mom, Nora. Thanks again for coming to see her.”
He reached out and shook Mom’s hand gently, the smile wide on his freckled face. “It’s my pleasure. Nora, let’s have a seat and talk a little bit about what’s going on with you. It’s been a while since I’ve treated someone who doesn’t turn into a giant wolf on the full moon, but I did go to traditional medical school and I’m positive I can help.”
My shoulders slumped with relief as Mom and the doctor headed into the kitchen to talk. It was like another load had been lifted off me and I felt lighter than ever. This really felt like the start of something great. Like Wes and I might get to relax for once. Like our mom might have an opportunity to get better finally. It seemed like the Asheville pack was exactly where we were meant to be.
Chapter 4
Wyatt
I stood in front of the mirror in my room as I analyzed myself. Unsatisfied with what I saw, I growled under my breath and pulled the shirt over my head. I turned to my closet and began the search for a suitable replacement when there was a knock on my door.
“Hey, I thought you’d be ready by now,” Wes said as he walked into my room uninvited.
“I’m just trying to find something to wear,” I called, my head still in the closet.
“Looks like you’ve gone through half your clothes already, Barbie. What’s the deal?”
I pulled my head out and shot him a narrow-eyed look. “Mind your business.”
Wes crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against my dresser. I shook my head and turned around again to grab another shirt off a hanger. I pulled it on and started buttoning it, doing my best to ignore my annoying brother, but that was hard to do when I could still see his reflection in the mirror.
“This,” he said, pointing at the pile of discarded shirts, “isn’t like you. What’s going on?”
I shrugged. “Abraham’s introducing us to the pack tonight. Don’t you want to look nice?”
Wes scoffed. “I always look nice.”
I rolled my eyes and did my best to ignore him again, but I could feel his dark gaze on me.
“There’s something more going on here. I don’t know what it is, but I’ll find out eventually.”
I shook my head. “You do that.” Wes continued to watch me until there was a knock on the front door. “That’s probably Beatrice.”
Wes pushed off the dresser and strolled out of my room. “I’m not done with this conversation.”
I rolled my eyes again. He was so dramatic sometimes. As soon as he was gone, I shut the door behind him so I could concentrate on what I was doing.
Wes was right. I wasn’t usually like this. Normally, I barely gave any thought to what I wore no matter the occasion, but for some reason, I did today.
Okay, it wasn’t just for some reason. It was one reason in particular. One woman in particular.
I hadn’t seen Callista again since we were introduced to her after that first meeting with Abraham and I’d barely been able to stop thinking about her. I’d all but convinced myself that I’d imagined how powerful that first encounter had been. There was just no way someone who’d only made eye contact with me for a few seconds could have that kind of effect on me.
I was determined to see her again and prove to myself that she was just like everyone else. That there was nothing special abo
ut her and I’d made it out to be so much more in my head.
But just in case it was real, it wouldn’t hurt to look my best, right?
With a sigh, I realized the plaid button-up shirt and decent-looking jeans was about the best I was going to do. It wasn’t a secret that money had been tight in the past and that meant luxuries like new clothes had been far down on the list. Things like affording Mom’s prescriptions always came first, and in the past, that had taken most of our income to do. Hopefully, things would be different here, though.
A couple days after we moved in, we’d finally gotten the chance to try out for the enforcers and thankfully, Beatrice had welcomed us both onto the force. It was a relief to know that, not only would we be doing something we both loved, but that we’d have the kind of income we’d only dreamed about. That we’d finally be able to afford to take care of Mom like we wanted and even have some left over to put into savings at the end of the month. It took a huge load off our shoulders and we were both feeling lighter than ever.
I rearranged my gelled hair once more before letting my arms drop with a thud against my thighs. I needed to get the hell over myself and just get this meeting done with.
I stalked through my room and flung open the door, purposely avoiding the mirror and the last glance I wanted to give myself. When I made it to the living room, I found Mom already entertaining Beatrice with a tray of tea and cookies.
My mom loved guests but unfortunately, they’d been few and far between in our old pack. I was holding out hope that things would be different here in that regard as well, but only time would tell.
“Hey, Beatrice. Thanks for coming by.”
She shrugged as she took a tentative sip from her teacup. “Don’t mention it. We just want you guys to feel comfortable here.”
“As happy as I am to have you here, Beatrice, I really don’t need a babysitter,” Mom said, her eyes on Wes and me.
Beatrice pursed her lips and stared into her cup, leaving this response to us. I sighed and went to run my fingers through my hair when I remembered the gel I’d slicked onto it. “It’s just for a little while, Mom. Please don’t make a big deal out of this.”
Chasing Callie (Southern Werewolf Sisters Book 1) Page 3