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Archer grabs several freshly washed mugs from beside the sink, glancing over his shoulder at us. “I do. We can return to my pack.”
Trystan’s brows furrow skeptically. “What can the East Pack do for us?”
“If you’ve forgotten, my father’s dying,” Archer replies, an uncharacteristic note of irritation in his tone.
It’s a tone I understand when dealing with Trystan, who sometimes has a cocky, holier-than-thou attitude that makes him a bit abrasive. I remind myself of him smiling and carefully setting my orange juice before me. I wish that version of Trystan had the floor more often.
Archer pulls the full carafe from the brewer and begins filling each of the four mugs. “The East Pack is well-stocked with medical supplies because of the intense level of care my father needs. We also boast some of the most excellent healers in the area. We’re set up for major injuries.”
“Not to mention, the East Pack lands are the closest,” Ridge says, nodding his agreement. “I highly doubt Dare can be on foot for long. If at all.”
Trystan accepts a full mug of coffee from Archer, his gaze sliding to me before bouncing between the two other men. “Ridge took a lot of shit for bringing Sable into the North Pack. Bringing an outsider into shifter territory is against our laws—and that’s ignoring the fact that she’s also a witch. What makes you think we won’t get the same treatment if we take her to the East Pack?”
In the beat of silence after his declaration, Archer sets a mug in front of me. I thought I was too sick to my stomach over current events to want it, but the moment the heady aroma teases my nose, my mouth waters a little. I upend the sugar jar over my cup.
“I don’t want to cause any problems for the packs.” I keep my gaze on the thin line of white crystals pouring into my coffee as I speak. “You’ve all done so much for me. I’d never forgive myself if I put any of your people at risk.”
“Dare’s more of a risk than you are right now,” Archer says with a shrug, setting a third coffee mug in front of Ridge. “Nobody even knows you’re a witch except the four men in this cabin.”
Ridge wraps his large hands around the steaming cup. “Your circumstances are extenuating. We all know that. You had no idea witches even existed before I dragged you into this world. So nobody lives under any assumption you knew about the witch inside you. You aren’t the enemy, Sable.”
Archer nods vehemently as he takes his place beside me, sandwiching me between himself and Trystan. All three men are looking at me with such kind faces that tears sting my eyes.
“None of you asked for this.” The words come out thick, and I bite my lip.
“No, maybe not. But we’re all in this together.” Archer’s gaze catches mine, his expression serious.
“And I’m not willing to leave you behind,” Ridge adds, looking at the other two shifters pointedly. “I’m damn sure these assholes don’t want to either. You’re a part of us now.”
Despite my reservations, I let myself feel the tiniest glow of happiness. I may not have grown up in a family of protective wolf shifters, but I somehow found one of my own anyway. For all I know, this is the universe’s reward for that fact that I had to live through eighteen years of hell.
Look at me now, Uncle Clint. I survived, and I found this, no thanks to you.
Ridge gives a sharp nod, as if he considers the decision made. “Okay, so we head to the East Pack. While there, we conceal the fact that Sable is a witch and get Dare fixed up. Then we’ll figure out where to go from there. What to do next.”
“I really don’t like the idea of hiding the witch,” I admit with a grimace. “You guys shouldn’t have to lie to your packs for me.”
“Honestly, Sable, we have no choice.” Archer shakes his head, reaching over to place his warm hand over mine. “And the truth is, we trust you.”
“Yes, absolutely,” Ridge adds. “We know now that you’re a witch. And we’ll have to deal with that—figure out what it means. But we also know our mate bonds with you haven’t changed. Right?” He looks around at Archer and Trystan for confirmation.
Trystan sighs. “Yeah. My wolf is still sure Sable belongs to him.”
“Same. My wolf is more convinced than ever that we’re meant to be together. Because you haven’t changed.” Archer smiles at me and squeezes my hand. “Not in any way that matters to us. Just because you’ve got a different kind of magic in your blood than we thought, that doesn’t change who you are.”
I flush and avoid catching a
ny of their gazes by taking a long drink of my coffee. They’ve already done so much for me, and I feel like all I’ve done is bring turmoil to their lives.
“We’ll let Dare rest for a little while.” Ridge leans back in his chair a little, craning his neck to look toward the living room. “Maybe thirty minutes? Long enough for the painkillers to set in. The rest of us can pack up the cabin in the meantime. Sable, do you feel strong enough to pack up in the bedroom?”
I nod vehemently. “Of course. Absolutely.” At least if I join in the packing, I won’t feel like a useless lump. Just one more thing they have to worry about.
But as the men take their mugs and move off into the house, the three of them still discussing our plans in low voices, I remain hunched over my coffee for a few more moments, considering what Archer said about me.
There’s a part of me that doesn’t believe his words.
Just because you’re a witch, that doesn’t change who you are.
