“Can I stir, Thorny?”
“Sure. Scrambled eggs it is.” There wasn’t much else he could successfully cook.
He lifted Sammy into his arms and carried him to the kitchen, closing the door after him. He was just helping Sammy plate the eggs when Brax arrived, Oliver with him.
“He’s in the guest room,” he explained as Sammy turned shy, hiding his face against Thorn’s side. “I locked the door, just to be safe.”
“We’ll go see what we’re dealing with,” Brax told him. “You stay out here with Sammy.”
Thorn was grateful they were there and relieved to be able to keep Sammy out of it for now. If this stranger really was Sammy’s father, then it raised a lot of questions.
“Hungry, kiddo?” he asked as he added the last of the scrambled eggs to the plate. And here he’d thought today was going to be an easy day.
Chapter Eight
Daniel woke warm, which was how he knew something was wrong. The basement was always cold, his bedroom in the packhouse not much better. He peeked his eyes open and looked around. He was lying on a bed in a small room, covered up to his chin in blankets. The door creaked, and he surged upright, gasping when pain bloomed across his chest. He grabbed his side, crying out as he struggled to breathe through the agony.
His gaze darted around the room, but it was empty. He subsided against the pillows with a muted sob. Where was he?
The sight of a figure in the doorway made him jump. It was the alpha who’d chased him. He was easily Harrison’s size, tall and angry and…
Pressing back against the headboard, he searched for an escape. Maybe the door… but no, the alpha was between him and it. He’d never get past.
“Take it slow.”
The alpha’s deep voice drew his eyes back to the doorway. He watched in horror as the man approached.
“Try not to move around too much. You’ve got broken ribs.”
It took a moment for Daniel to understand what the alpha was saying. That explained the pain. A few vicious kicks from Harrison had done it. He tried to look but found his ribs tightly bandaged.
“The bones need time to knit. The doctor says another day or two in bed, and then no heavy lifting for a few weeks.”
Daniel raised his head and stared openly at the alpha. His heart was thumping hard in his chest. None of this made any sense. Who would go to the trouble of getting a doctor for him? Why?
He huddled closer to the headboard when the strange alpha moved nearer, but all he did was take a seat at the end of the bed.
“It’s okay. You’ve had a rough time of it. You’re Sammy’s dad, right?”
Daniel pushed himself upright, hissing at the pain in his ribs.
“Easy,” the alpha cautioned again. “Take it slowly.”
“Is Sammy here? Is he okay? Can I see him?”
The alpha held up his hand at the barrage of questions. “Sammy’s fine. He’s taking a nap.”
“He’s really okay?” Daniel was afraid to believe it.
“He’s fine, I promise. You need to worry about yourself right now.”
That sounded ominous. How much trouble was he in?
“Those are some nasty injuries you’ve got,” the alpha continued.
There wasn’t much Daniel could say to that, so he kept silent.
“Maybe you’re hungry?” the alpha suggested, pushing to his feet. “I’ll bring you some lunch. After you’ve eaten, I’ll see if Sammy is awake.”
All Daniel wanted was to see his cub.
“Please.”
“Stay here. I won’t be long.” He disappeared out the door.
Daniel pushed away from the headboard and cautiously swung his legs off the side of the bed. Sammy was here somewhere. This was his chance to find him and get them both away.
But when he tried to stand, the pain from his ribs forced a hoarse cry from his dry throat. He sank back onto the bed with a soft sob. If he could barely stand, how was he going to carry Sammy? How was he going to run with his cub? He looked down, noting his bare feet. There was more than one reason why running was out of the question.
“Here.”
The alpha was back, doing a double-take when he saw Daniel sitting on the side of the bed.
“It’s just a sandwich. I’m not much of a cook.”
He approached Daniel slowly, setting the tray down next to him on the bed.
“Thanks,” Daniel whispered.
“I’m sure you’re eager to see Sammy. But try to eat something. Brax said you looked like you could use a few good meals. Oh, and these.” He set two pills down next to a glass of water.
Daniel knew his eyes must have been as big as saucers. Drugs?
“Just painkillers,” the alpha assured him.
Daniel bit his lower lip. He could see the frustration on the alpha’s face, but it didn’t reach his voice.
“How about we make a deal? You swallow those down and take a few bites of that sandwich, and I’ll go get Sammy.”
Daniel was used to Harrison using Sammy to force him to do things. But never things that were for his benefit. He couldn’t see what the alpha got out of him eating a sandwich and taking painkillers, unless they weren’t painkillers at all. But with the alpha dangling Sammy in front of him, what could he do? He so desperately wanted to see his baby boy.
He swallowed the tablets dry and took three quick bites from the sandwich, eyeing the alpha expectantly as he chewed. The stranger gave a low laugh, shaking his head as he walked to the door.
“I’m Thorn, by the way,” he called over his shoulder. “Have you got a name?”
Daniel grabbed the glass and hurriedly swallowed some water.
“It’s Daniel,” he called quietly, unsure if the alpha heard him.
He forced himself to take another few bites of the sandwich and drained the glass of water, barely taking his eyes from the door.
Hearing footsteps, he set his glass down and tried to stop his hands from shaking. What if the alpha was lying to him? What if Sammy wasn’t even here? What if—
“Someone’s here to see you, Sammy. Shall we go see who it is? See if you want to say hi?”
Daniel’s heart almost stopped at the little voice that answered.
“Who?”
They appeared in the doorway, and Daniel tried to get up, biting back another cry when his ribs screamed in protest.
“Daddy?”
His pain was forgotten when he saw his cub in the alpha’s arms. When he tried to stand again, Thorn waved him back down and set Sammy on the floor. The little boy ran right to him.
Daniel scooped him up into his arms, mindful of his ribs as he hugged his little one tightly.
“Sammy!”
“Daddy!”
“I’ve missed you so much. I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
They clung to each other, all of Daniel’s fears fading into the background now that his cub was in his arms again. His very human cub. Daniel pulled back to look him over, marveling at him. It had been months since Sammy had been in human form. That was all Harrison’s doing. The alpha was such a bully. He’d terrorized Sammy, used him to make Daniel behave the way he wanted. Daniel did everything he could to protect Sammy, but it hadn’t stopped the cub from reverting to the behavior of a younger child, spending all his time in his animal form. It was a form of protection, a way to make himself feel safer. As a leopard cub, he was smaller. It was easier to hide.
But now he was human, happy and smiling. What had happened in the few days they’d been apart?
“Well, that answers that question.”
He glanced up to find the alpha, Thorn, watching them closely.
“Daniel, is it?”
He nodded.
“And Sammy is your son?”
Another nod as he hugged Sammy to him.
“How did you find him?”
Daniel swallowed and spoke. “That farmer told me where to look. I didn’t think Sammy would still be here.”
He was surprised when the alpha smiled.
“If it had been up to me, he wouldn’t be. But those little claws of his have some grip. He had no intention of letting go.”
Daniel managed a half-laugh, half-sob at that.
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“There’s a children’s home nearby, and we’re all part of the one estate. That’s where I brought him. Technically, he’s under their care right now, but we decided it was best that he stayed with me until he settled down.”
“He looks well,” Daniel confirmed, running a hand across Sammy’s head. “I was so scared…”
“How were you separated in the first place?”
That was not a question Daniel wanted to answer. “I— It wasn’t supposed to happen that way, he wasn’t supposed to be alone. We got separated. I tried to get back to him…”
Thorn gave him a look. The alpha wasn’t buying his vague story.
“Right. Well, Daniel, you might not feel that you owe me an explanation, but I think the others are going to want more details than that before they’re happy to let Sammy leave with you.”
Daniel knew that, of course he did. But he couldn’t tell the truth. People didn’t want to interfere with packs. If he told them, he was sure they’d send him and Sammy back. He couldn’t let that happen. But if he couldn’t tell the truth, maybe he could stick with a believable lie?
“It’s my family. They… they want me to give Sammy up for adoption.”
Thorn regarded him for a long moment.
“And Sammy’s alpha father? Where does he stand in all this?”
“He doesn’t want anything to do with us.”
Thorn frowned.
“How did Sammy end up hiding in a tree with you nowhere to be seen? And how did you wind up with broken ribs?”
Daniel forced himself to meet the alpha’s eyes. “I… I had to get Sammy away before they could take him. They’d found this couple, and they were going to give him to them for money.”
It wasn’t a total lie. When he’d last asked his family for help, that had been one of their plans. Of course, they hadn’t known the baby was an omega. Not then.
“And abandoning Sammy was the best idea you could come up with?”
Daniel shook his head, rushing to explain. “No. I… I was supposed to get him somewhere safe. But it all went wrong, and they were following us. I had to go back to throw them off our trail.”
“They caught you?” Thorn surmised.
He ducked his head and nodded. It was close to the truth.
“That’s quite a story.”
He kept his head down, waiting to hear what else the alpha would say. Would he decide Daniel was lying or give him the benefit of the doubt?
“What next, then?”
“I—” Daniel glanced up. If he told this alpha he didn’t have anywhere to go, would they take Sammy away?
Thorn waited a moment, but when Daniel didn’t say anything more, he spoke again.
“I think you should stay here, for now. You need to heal those ribs, and it seems like Sammy could do with a safe, stable place to stay while you get back on your feet.”
It seemed too good to be true. There had to be a catch. But it was fair to say that, right then, Daniel wasn’t in any condition to bargain or run. Sammy beamed up at him, looking so happy. Would it really hurt to stay here for a while? For his sake?
“You’ve already taken such good care of Sammy, and of me.” He pressed a hand against his bandaged ribs.
“Like I said, this house is connected to the children’s home, and so am I. We were the closest safe haven for a cub like Sammy.”
“Thank you all the same. If there’s anything I can do to repay you…”
“Just focus on getting better and taking good care of that little one. He’s missed you.”
“And I’ve missed him, so, so much.”
He felt himself tear up but forced it back. He didn’t want to cry in front of Sammy. His cub had seen enough tears and sadness.
Chapter Nine
Thorn thought it would be tough adjusting to having not one but two invaders in his space. He’d gotten used to Sammy far easier than he’d expected, but he knew a cub was different to a grown adult, and an omega at that. Only… not so much. After a day or two, he’d expected his instincts to be screaming at him to get some distance, to carve out some space for himself. But, other than a keen awareness that he was sharing his home with a third person, it was like Daniel’s presence was set to neutral.
It probably helped that the omega slept a whole lot. Between his injuries and however long he’d traveled to track down Sammy, Daniel spent far more time asleep than awake those first few days. Now and then, Thorn would hear soft footsteps padding into the bathroom, but Daniel never ventured anywhere else in the house.
Thorn brought him drinks and food, a little concerned when Daniel rarely did more than pick at his plate. It couldn’t even be blamed on Thorn’s terrible cooking since the packhouse was supplying meals for all three of them. After every meal, if Sammy was awake, Thorn would bring him into the guest room to spend time with his dad. Daniel always perked up at that, smiling and sitting up, getting some color in his cheeks. When Thorn had the bright idea to bring Sammy in with the food, Daniel’s appetite shot up. The biggest trouble Thorn had then was stopping Daniel feeding the cub half his plate. The only solution to that was to bring Sammy a snack too, but at least it meant they were settling into more regular meal times.
“He really likes apple slices,” he said to Daniel one afternoon, watching Sammy demolish a small bowl of them.
“He definitely has a sweet tooth,” Daniel admitted. “The longer we can encourage a love of fruit and not chocolate, the better.”
Thorn felt immediately guilty. “Might be too late for that,” he admitted sheepishly. “We’ve been having a square of chocolate or some cocoa after supper.”
He was surprised to hear Daniel giggle though the omega went silent when Thorn’s eyes snapped to him.
“As long as he’s eating his fruit and vegetables, I’m happy,” the omega said softly. “I can’t thank you enough…”
Thorn held up a hand. “Yes, you most definitely can, and have. In fact, I think we’re straying into over-thanking territory as it is.”
“Oh.” Daniel mulled that over. “Sorry?”
Thorn waved that off. “Your quota for apologies has also been reached.”
Daniel seemed like he wanted to giggle again but forced himself to look serious. Thorn was almost sorry—he liked hearing the omega laugh.
“Brax says you should be up and about more. Walking around the house, gentle stretches. No use letting everything stiffen up.”
Daniel reacted like Thorn had yelled a list of instructions, throwing back the covers and swinging his legs out of bed.
“Whoa,” Thorn said, stepping toward the bed and holding his hands up.
Daniel froze, fear flashing through his eyes, his feet halfway to the floor.
Thorn stopped moving, lowering his hands slowly to his sides. “He didn’t mean right now. Just… in the next few days. To build your strength back up.”
Daniel continued to stare at him like he wasn’t quite sure what Thorn would do next. On the bed beside him, Sammy had gone quiet, sucking on an apple slice and watching them both with wide eyes.
Thorn backed away a few steps, giving both omega and cub a smile. He held up his hands again, moving slowly.
“We’ll do this on your timetable, okay? You’re the one with busted ribs. There’s no rush to go anywhere or do anything.”
He saw a flash of something else in Daniel’s eyes. Not fear this time, but a questioning, calculating look, aimed at Sammy. Thorn wasn’t planning their departure, but maybe Daniel was? That idea didn’t sit right with him, not at all. Considering the state both omega and cub had arrived in, it made sense that he wasn’t keen on seeing them back out in the world so soon.
“Maybe I could g
et up and walk around the house after we’ve eaten?” Daniel suggested slowly.
“That’s a great idea. Sammy can show you all his favorite places.”
Sammy clapped his hands at that, saying something happy but indecipherable. Daniel smiled in response, but if he understood the excited babble, he wasn’t sharing.
“You know there’s no rush for you to leave, right? You and Sammy are welcome to stay for as long as you need to get back on your feet.”
Again, there was something in Daniel’s expression as soon as he heard that. It put Thorn on edge. Daniel was in no condition to go anywhere with Sammy, not yet. And would he be taking him somewhere safe or retreating back to whatever danger they’d escaped?
“Thank you,” was the only response he got, quiet but heartfelt.
“Is there somewhere you have a mind to go? Maybe a place you’ve been before or somewhere you’ve heard about?”
He knew people leaving bad situations didn’t always get out of them in one go, and they didn’t always leave with a plan.
Daniel hesitated before shaking his head.
“Not… not exactly. I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”
“You must have left in a hurry, huh?”
Trying to glean information about Daniel and Sammy’s recent past was like trying to pry diamond from rock. He needed a chisel and a bucket load of patience.
“Yes. And no. I knew we had to go, but I guess I was more focused on the getting away part than our destination. I’m sorry, I know it’s putting you out to have us here.”
Thorn almost groaned at yet another apology.
“Like I said before, don’t mention it. I thought having visitors would turn the house on its head. Truth is, I’m enjoying the company.”
With a shriek, Sammy tossed the bowl of apple slices off the bed, spilling them onto the floor.
“Spider,” the little boy called, pointing to the wall.
Daniel looked horrified, but Thorn could only laugh.
“He’s more scared of you than you are of him, buddy,” he told Sammy, reaching out to ruffle the boy’s hair.
That night, Thorn settled Sammy to sleep on the little cot Kira had brought over. He crashed on the workshop couch next to him, keeping one ear out for Daniel. His thoughts were drawn back again and again to the omega and how skittish and jumpy he was. How did he make it clear to Daniel that he had nothing to fear from him? Was that something he should explain or just something Daniel would figure out over time?
Sentinel (The Lost Pack Book 3) Page 4