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Everyone is here, I know immediately.
Rill and all his alphas. Stella. Isolde. Marcus and Joanna.
Suddenly, my heart beats faster, and a cold sweat breaks out on my back. I glance over my shoulder at the way we came. We could turn around now, and no one would even know we were here. Go back to our giant tree and stay there forever.
“Maybe this was a bad idea?” I glance up at Noah worriedly, but he doesn’t look down at me. He’s focusing on something up ahead, his mouth set in a grim line as his hand tightens around mine.
“I think it’s too late for that,” he grumbles, his voice scraping the back of his throat.
My heart sinks when I see what he’s looking at.
“Well, well, you’re back just in time,” a scratchy voice calls out loudly. Too loudly.
It’s Rill and Elizabeth, stomping through the trees hand-in-hand and wearing matching toothy grins.
Elizabeth breaks away from her mate as soon as they reach us, and I’m forced to drop Noah’s hand as she wraps her arms around me, murmuring in my ear.
“We were so worried about you,” she says tearfully. “I’m so glad that you’re here.”
Feeling a bit guilty that I wanted to run away and not look back just seconds ago, I pull back and smile nervously. Moving closer to Noah, I blindly grasp for his hand. He grabs hold of my fingers immediately, squeezing three times.
“You look good, brother,” Rill says, smacking him roughly on the shoulder. “Mated life agrees with you.”
“Thanks.” Noah winces. “What were you saying when you walked up? We’re back just in time for what?”
Rill smiles big. “We’re leaving tomorrow for Crescent Rock. I was going to send someone to find you and let you know.” He shrugs. “But now you’re here, so you can just come with us.”
“Crescent Rock?” I look between them curiously. That sounds vaguely familiar. “What’s that?”
“It’s a town,” Elizabeth says, her smile held firmly in place. “Kind of like Goldenrod. Rill’s lived there for years. It’s … fine.” Her smile flutters briefly, but she recovers quickly. “You’ll love it.”
“You don’t want to stay here?” I’m a bit disappointed. Living so close to the lake was one of the perks of returning. “I like it here.”
“Nah,” Rill says, looking around and frowning. “Crescent Rock is safer and more familiar to us. And now that there are so many more of us, we need a place we know. A place we trust.”
“So, everyone’s here then?” Noah presses. “From Goldenrod?”
“More or less,” Rill replies, the smile dropping from his face. “There were some who couldn’t be convinced. I’m not sure how long they’re gonna last—”
“What about the betas?” I interrupt Rill, and he tilts his head curiously. “Did you get them out?”
Slowly, he nods. “Sure did.”
“But just like the alphas and omegas, some wanted to stay behind,” Elizabeth interjects. “We did the best we could, Hetty. I wish you would have been there.”
I shrug. “After everything that happened at the end … I’m not sure having me there would have been much good.” I scrunch up my nose, thinking of those moments in front of town hall.
“Stella told me what happened with the Catmints,” she says perceptively. “Will you be okay having him here? It sounds like it was a terrible business in the end.”
“I think so,” I mutter, my eyes downcast. Noah squeezes my hand again, and I lean into him gratefully.
“I’m surprised you were able to get Marcus and my mother out of there,” Noah says gruffly.
Rill barks out a loud laugh, and I can’t help but jump at the sound. “It wasn’t easy! I was prepared to leave them behind, but Stella and Marcus’s daughter teamed up to convince them. Just about knocked ’em over the head to get them to agree.”
“I worry what will happen to the ones left behind, though,” Elizabeth sighs, chewing on her lip. “I can’t imagine how long…”
Rill reaches down and clasps hands with her. “They made their choice, Liz.”
