They still looked for Richard Collins. And Osmond. And Robert Livingstone. They never found them.
And I think they were still looking for Joe too. Because he was an Alpha that had fallen off the grid. It wasn’t so much about bringing him home as much as it was keeping tabs on him.
Robbie assured me he didn’t relay pack business to anyone who wasn’t pack.
I believed him because I trusted him.
He wouldn’t lie to me. Not about that.
I was sure.
But others came again.
Jessie, who had always been a strong woman, refused to ever be the damsel in distress again. She threw herself into the training with the others, soon surpassing the other humans. The look on her brother’s face the first time she swept his feet out from under him with a well-timed swing of a wooden sparring staff was proud and shocked and slightly angry all at the same time. She’d stood above him, grinning, the staff resting against her shoulder, a light sheen of sweat on her forehead.
“Who’s next?” she’d asked as Rico and Tanner tried to quietly leave without getting noticed.
They were noticed.
Ten minutes later, they were both in the dirt, Jessie crowing above them.
So when others came, we were ready.
But they weren’t Omegas.
The first was just a man.
And he brought news of Joe.
I WAS at the shop late, filling out order invoices for the next month. Chris normally took care of this, but I’d let him off the hook as he’d had a date with a girl from the next town over. It was casual, he’d assured me. At least for now. I didn’t want to think about what would happen if it became more than that. Jessie assured me that it was fine, that she was nice and sweet, and to stop worrying about things that hadn’t happened yet.
It didn’t work that way, but it was a nice thought.
I was contemplating packing up and finishing the rest of the invoices the next day. There were already three threatening texts on my phone, one from Mark, the other two from Elizabeth, telling me that if I didn’t get home within the hour, they’d be coming for me. They weren’t idle threats, so I decided to head out.
Just as I switched off the light, there was a knock at the front door of the shop, a sharp rap against the glass.
I paused.
Whoever it was, they weren’t one of mine.
It was after nine. It probably wasn’t someone looking for an oil change.
I picked up my phone and hesitated just a moment. But it was better to be safe than sorry. I pulled up our group message and sent a single word.
standby
I got responses from everyone within twenty seconds. Even Chris. I was pleased, even as I felt the bonds between us all flare. I pushed as much CalmPeaceLovePack back as I could, hoping it’d be enough.
Because it was nothing.
Well. It was probably nothing.
The knock came again.
Whoever it was seemed persistent.
Gordo’s wards were still up.