“This is a wonderful breakfast, Danny. Thank you.”
“Can’t have you living on bagels and microwave meals,” Daniel muttered, picking at his own food.
“There’s no denying I eat far better now that you’re here. I love your food, Danny. But I don’t love you for your food.” Thorn needed to know that Daniel understood the distinction.
“I— I’m not really hungry,” Daniel said suddenly, standing up and hurrying from the room.
Thorn watched him leave, trying to hide his dismay.
“Daddy?” Sammy called after him, a puzzled look on his face.
“Daddy’s just tired, Sammy. Come on, let’s finish up our breakfast.”
He put Daniel’s plate in the oven to keep it warm and made sure Sammy ate the lion’s share of his breakfast. Then, once Sammy was happily playing with some toys, he went to talk to Daniel.
The omega was sitting on the edge of their bed, staring at the wall. Thorn took a seat next to him.
“I didn’t think I’d be back here,” Daniel admitted.
“You’re not happy to be home?”
“No, I am. I think I am. I—” The tears came hard and fast, and Thorn wrapped an arm around Daniel and tugged him close.
“I want to be here,” Daniel promised through muffled tears.
“And I want you here,” Thorn rumbled. “But it’s okay if you don’t feel happy and ecstatic about everything. That’s not going to happen overnight. You’ve been through so much, Danny.”
Daniel huddled closer to him with a sob.
“Can I tell you how I feel?” Thorn asked.
The omega nodded against him.
“I’m relieved and very happy to have you home. I’m sad about everything you’ve gone through, but I’m proud to have you as my mate, to know that you trust me to be here for you, to take care of you and our babies. And I’m excited, Danny. Excited about us, our future, and our kids.”
“You are?” Daniel asked with a sniffle.
“I am.”
“I want to be excited too,” the omega whispered.
“You will be,” Thorn promised. “Give it some time, let reality sink in, and all those good feelings will come.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
When Thorn said they were going to the packhouse for the first time since Daniel’s return, he wanted to say no. He came very close to begging Thorn to let him stay home, in their house, where he could hide from the world. But Sammy was so excited, and Thorn kept smiling at him, and he didn’t want to disappoint them. So he showered and dressed and tried to look his best even though he felt like he was headed for his execution.
The pack must hate him, now that they knew the truth. All the time he’d been there, he’d been lying to them. Lying about who he was, about where he came from, about who he and Sammy belonged to. He’d put their pack at risk and forced Thorn to risk his life to save them. However things had been between them before, they were irrevocably changed by all the terrible things he’d done.
“Ready?” Thorn asked, helping Sammy put his coat on.
“Sure,” Daniel said lightly, trying to hide his fears.
“Then let’s go.”
Sammy ran on ahead of them, and they had to hurry to catch up, Thorn taking the cub’s hand as they trudged along the forest path. The closer they got to the packhouse, the more nervous Daniel felt. Even though he’d been home for days, he wasn’t ready for this.
They went in through the front door instead of the back door, which was the first inkling that something wasn’t quite right. Maybe the pack didn’t want them acting like they were part of the family anymore? Daniel had certainly proved that he wasn’t.
“I think everyone is in the living room,” Thorn said as they hung their coats up in the quiet hallway.
He gestured for Daniel to lead the way but Sammy hurried on ahead, eager to play with his friends.
The closer Daniel got to the living room, the more his stomach churned with nervousness. There was no getting away from the pack now. He was Thorn’s mate, his true mate, for life. He just had to get this over with.
He pushed open the door to follow Sammy, Thorn right behind him, and slammed to a stop.
“Welcome home, Daniel!”
He stared into the room in shock, the whole pack looking back at him. Taking a step back, he walked into Thorn, who wrapped an arm around his waist to steady him.
“What’s going on?” he asked the alpha, taking in the banner and balloons and all the people smiling at them.
“It’s part welcome-home party, part baby shower,” Oliver said, rushing over. “I knew a surprise party was a bad idea. You look terrified.”
He tugged Daniel into a hug, squeezing him tightly. “We’re so glad to have you back, safe and sound. And we’re excited for you and Thorn to have a family of your own.”
Daniel glanced over his shoulder at Thorn, but the alpha looked as surprised by the party as he did.
“Come on,” Oliver coaxed. “Come inside. There’s food and cake and presents.”
He let himself be guided over to a couch, sitting down and looking around again in disbelief.
“I don’t get it,” he said finally. “Aren’t you angry?”
There was a collective hush in the room as all eyes turned to Brax.
The alpha stepped forward, crouching down in front of Daniel.
“We were upset at first, but then we understood. The only people we’re angry at now are Harrison and his pack. None of this was your fault, Daniel. It wasn’t a situation of your making.”
“But I lied, to all of you.”
“Because you were scared,” Oliver said kindly. “Not because you were trying to cheat us or betray us. You just wanted to keep Sammy safe.”
Daniel nodded slowly. “And you’ll let us stay now, because I’m Thorn’s mate.”
If things had been different, if their relationship hadn’t progressed to the point of mating, he doubted they’d still have him here.
“You are far more than just Thorn’s mate,” Brax said. “You are part of this pack.”
Daniel shook his head. “I’m not like the others. Oliver’s a Defender and Josh is your Keeper but I’m…” It was on the tip of his tongue to say ‘nothing’ but Brax got there first.
“You’re Thorn’s Anchor. Every Sentinel needs one eventually. You are the bridge between him and the pack. Without you, Thorn would just be pulling further and further away from us. And a pack without a Sentinel is a pack that’s vulnerable. You, and your love for Thorn, keeps us safe.”
Daniel glanced at Thorn in disbelief. It couldn’t be true, could it? That he was a part of this pack. A real part, like the other omegas?
Thorn squeezed his hand. “That’s exactly what you are. Before you got here, I was miserable and alone, weeks or months away from cutting ties with the pack and setting off on my own. Then you and Sammy turned up and… the pack became a home for me again. You did that, Daniel. Things changed for the better because of you.”
“You brought Thorn home to us,” Brax added. “That means more than you know. You will always be welcome here, you will always have a place here. You are part of our pack.”
“You’re home, Daniel,” Oliver added softly. “You’re home.”
The first tears fell, and Daniel did his best to wipe them away.
“Don’t be sad, Daddy,” Sammy said, climbing into his lap.
“I’m not sad,” Daniel told him, hugging Sammy tightly to him. “I’m happy.”
The pack crowded around them, everyone wanting to welcome Daniel home in their own way. He got hugs, kisses, hands patting his shoulder.
“I think this calls for cake,” Josh said, handing him a piece.
That seemed to be the cue for everyone to go in search of food and soon every chair in the room was filled as people chatted and laughed and ate.
There was a sense of happiness in the air, of completeness. It wasn’t the awkwardness or anger Daniel had been expect
ing.
He leaned into Thorn, resting his head on the alpha’s shoulder.
“I didn’t understand before.”
“Understand what?”
“What a pack really is. It’s like a family only… bigger. Better.”
“It is a family,” Thorn agreed. “And a community and a society, all wrapped up in one.”
“If everyone lived in a pack… the world would be very different, wouldn’t it?”
People wouldn’t be so self-absorbed, so interested in looking after themselves if they lived together like a pack did.
“It would be. Maybe someday, it will be,” Thorn mused.
It was a happy thought. A world of packs like theirs. Where they took care of each other, where their place in the pack had meaning, fulfilled a need of the pack and wasn’t just something used to keep them down.
“That would be something to see, wouldn’t it?” Maybe that would be the world their kids got to live in.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Now that he understood better the origin of Daniel’s fears, Thorn knew that it wasn’t enough for him to be the strong, silent alpha standing by. Daniel wouldn’t recover from trauma like that by pretending it never happened. So he talked to Kira and Oliver, and they made some calls.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
Daniel watched him anxiously across the breakfast table, having barely taken a bite of his food.
“Yes, I’m sure. And so is Kira. Oliver says that Benn is one of the best omega therapists he’s ever met.”
“But therapy is expensive. And I don’t have a job.”
They’d talked this through already, but Thorn could see that Daniel needed the extra reassurance.
“Your job right now is to look after yourself and Sammy. And you’re doing just fine.”
“But that doesn’t make money to pay for therapy.”
“I’ve got it covered, Danny. You don’t need to worry about it. Benn will be here in half an hour. I’ll drop Sammy at the packhouse and hang around in case I’m needed.”
He didn’t think he would be, but Daniel was still skittish and distrusting. That Benn was an omega would make things easier, but Thorn knew that after Jaxon, Daniel’s trust issues weren’t restricted to alphas.
“I just hate causing so much fuss and bother.”
At Daniel’s words, Thorn took a deep breath and let it out slowly. There was no use getting frustrated. Daniel’s fears would lessen with time.
“That’s not what this is. This is you doing what we agreed on. We work on ourselves, we work on Sammy, and we work on our relationship. But you have to start with yourself, Daniel. If you don’t look after yourself, how can you care for Sammy and me?”
Since getting him home, he’d had to stop Daniel from running himself ragged trying to be the ‘perfect’ mate to atone for his perceived sins. Thorn had almost lost count of the number of times he’d woken in the night to find Daniel up cleaning or cooking. Like he had that second night, he’d taken to just picking him up, carrying him back to bed, and holding him close.
“You should try to eat some more,” he encouraged, watching Daniel mull over his words. “Little eyes are watching.”
And Sammy was very attentive to all the goings-on these days. If Thorn or Daniel didn’t eat, he wouldn’t either.
They finished breakfast, did the dishes, and then Thorn dropped Sammy over at the packhouse, returning just as Benn arrived.
“Good to meet you,” he said, shaking the omega’s hand. “Oliver spoke highly of you.”
“Oliver has sent plenty of troubled souls my way over the years, though I’ve only worked within a pack once before. If there’s anything you think I should know, now is the time to tell me.”
Thorn shook his head. “I’m just glad you’re here. I’m worried about Daniel. He’s been through a lot.”
“So I gather. He’s inside?”
Thorn showed Benn in, calling for Daniel as he did. The omega appeared in the kitchen doorway, flour dusting his hands and sleeves. “Sorry, I was just making some bread for later.”
“There’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked bread to make a kitchen feel like home,” Benn said warmly. He stepped forward and shook Daniel’s hand, not bothered by the flour. “I’ll stay a couple of hours, if that’s okay? I’ll be out of your hair by lunchtime.” He glanced back at Thorn. “Have you got plans for the morning?”
Thorn shook his head, pleased when Benn turned back to Daniel. “Would you rather have some space, or would you like Thorn within shouting distance while we talk?”
Daniel considered that, sneaking a glance at Thorn. “Don’t go far?”
“I’ll be in my workshop,” he said. “Yell if you need anything.”
He walked away, hearing Benn say something softly to Daniel before their footsteps retreated into the kitchen. For the next hour, he busied himself working on his latest project, sanding down the coarse wood in preparation for staining it. He heard the door open and stopped what he was doing, turning around to find Daniel hovering there.
“Benn and I are going for a walk, through the woods. We won’t go far, just out toward the creek and back.”
“Sure. Bring a coat, it’s cold.”
Daniel gave him a shy smile as he slipped out.
Thorn was just heading outside when they returned over an hour later. Benn said a few quiet words to Daniel, then waved goodbye to Thorn as he got in his car. Daniel hurried to Thorn’s side, unzipping his jacket as he did.
“How’d it go?”
Daniel hesitated, then smiled. “It was hard, at first. I couldn’t… I couldn’t get the words out, not just sitting there like that. But then Benn suggested a walk and it made it easier. My mind was too busy watching where I was stepping, and it was so peaceful out there that it was easier to talk, even… even the hard stuff.”
Thorn pulled him into a hug. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Benn said he’ll come back next week, and we’ll walk again. Is that okay?”
“That sounds good, so long as you’re happy with it.”
“Benn was nice. He said some things that made a lot of sense. I think this will really help.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Danny. But remember, one day at a time. This isn’t going to fix itself overnight. It’ll get a little better every day, and some days it might even get a bit worse.”
“I know. I wish I could hurry it up, if only because the babies are coming.”
“We’ll be ready for them. And the pack is going to help us out. We’re not alone, Daniel. We’ll never be alone.”
The omega’s hand grasped his tightly. “I’m never alone when I have you.”
They hugged again, Thorn breathing Daniel’s scent in deeply. He’d agreed to spend one evening a week talking to Kira, sorting out his own thoughts and feelings on everything that had happened. It wasn’t an easy thing for him to do, but he was sure it would be worth it.
Brax came to the house out of the blue a few days later, while Daniel and Sammy were over at the packhouse on a playdate.
“I know that look,” Thorn said on catching a glimpse of Brax’s face. “What’s up?”
“Got a call from a detective from Daniel’s county. He wants to interview him.”
Thorn set down the tools he was working with, giving Brax his full attention.
“What about?”
“A series of omega abductions. Turns out Daniel wasn’t the only one Harrison’s pack snatched off the street. Most of the omegas are keeping quiet, but one or two others have admitted they were taken by force and have asked to go home. There are kids involved, so the whole thing is a complicated mess, but the police are doing their best to sort it out. The omegas and their kids have been separated from the pack for now.”
“Too little, too late, if you ask me.”
“True enough,” Brax admitted. “But it would go a long way if they had another witness to corroborate their stories. Seems like Dan
iel’s abduction was actually caught on camera.”
“Shit, seriously? How did the police explain that in their decision to dismiss him as a runaway?”
“Seems like they buried that little fact, kept it from Daniel’s family, and closed the case as soon as they could.”
“Bastards.” The people who were supposed to keep everyone safe, omegas included, and they just turned their backs.
“Yeah. But they’re doing something now. Do you think Daniel would talk to them?”
“I can ask,” Thorn said. “But I’m making no promises. If he says no, I won’t push.”
Daniel was only just starting to work through things with Benn. Thorn wasn’t going to make him run before he’d learned to walk.
“Why don’t I kick the can down the road a bit? This investigation isn’t going anywhere in a hurry. There’s no reason they can’t wait until after the babies are born before they interview him.”
“If they can wait that long, it might be better. But let me talk to Daniel about it first, see what he says.”
Even as he said it, Thorn knew they weren’t alone.
“See what I say about what?” the omega asked from the doorway. He ducked his head shyly when Brax turned to look at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”
“You weren’t eavesdropping,” Thorn said, crossing the room to him. “I wasn’t expecting you back so soon.”
“I forgot to put the stock on for dinner. It needs to simmer for a few hours.”
Thorn slung an arm around Daniel’s waist and nudged him a few steps into the room.
“Brax has some news for us. Nothing bad, but we should sit down and talk about it.”
“I’ll leave you two to it,” Brax said. “See you later.”
Thorn ushered Daniel over to the couch. He hesitated, unsure how to begin.
“If it’s nothing bad, then just tell me,” Daniel said.
“It’s not bad, but it’s not easy either. Do you remember how you told me that Harrison and his pack grabbed you off the street?”
Daniel huddled closer to him, and Thorn tightened his hold.
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