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ChapterThirty-Three
SAVANNAH
Carrying my uncle’s bag, me and Will headed outside to my truck and I loaded it up with his things. I wheeled him to the other side, helping him into the passenger seat, before loading the loaned wheelchair into the back.
Doctor Rose had been amazing, but once Will had got through the worst, she was more than happy to take me up on my offer of taking him home with me and she’d continue with home visits.
He didn’t want to come back with me and Donovan though, claiming he was sick of my fussing. Instead, after Ulrich had helped out me and Rose with regular visits to Will, they’d played cards, found they had booze and poker in common, and Ulrich had offered Will a place to stay while he recovered. I wasn’t sure who was more grateful. Will or Donovan considering my mate hadn’t had his hands on me for a while, aside from tending to me to make sure I ate and slept among the worry.
Once all was packed up tight, I drove us toward the town to Ulrich’s home, and asked Will, “Are you sure you don’t want to stay with me?” Seeing him take a bullet for a man he didn’t know so I wouldn’t end up devastated, still played on my mind.
“Savvy, I love you. But if I don’t get away from your fussin’ I’m going to end up dunking your head in the tub. A man needs his bottle. And his pastimes.” He backtracked before I could start to nag him some more. “In moderation.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“Don’t I know it? But stop feeling guilty. You owe me nothing. If it weren’t for me involving you in all this, you wouldn’t be feeling bad for shooting a man dead.”
“I don’t—”
“Don’t give me that. I know you. And you need to stop it. Gideon Fletcher was more poison alive to you than dead. The things I’ve heard that man has done makes my blood go cold. I played it down for you. My fear of him. But my foolishness got you knee-deep into shit, and I’m sorry for it.”
“Well, that’s true,” I scoffed. “But I can be a little grateful for your stupidity. It brought me here to this place. To Donovan.” I hesitated. “Have you thought any more about what you’re going to do once you’re fully healed?”
“I dunno. Go back to Idaho, I guess.”
I wasn’t sure if I was hurt or relieved. But Will was his own man who went his own way. If he wanted to go back to Idaho, then nothing would stop him.
We continued in silence until I got as close as I could to Ulrich’s house in the woods. It had a pathway from the main road, so I at least had access to get Will there safely.
“And here we are,” I sighed, preparing myself to let him out of my sight and to try and repress the worry. There were also some things I wanted to say. Things I might never have got the chance to say if that bullet had hit differently.
“You took me in when you didn’t have to,” I told him, not caring that it made him uncomfortable. “And even though you struggled with a fourteen-year-old kid in your care, you did your best. You always had my back. And yes, you’ve pissed me off these past few years, letting your life swirl down the drain, and, on this occasion, almost taking mine with it. But I love you. And I owe you.”
“You owe me nothing,” he grunted.
“Let me finish. If you want to stay here, in this town, to make a life for yourself, know that I’ll welcome it, and Donovan would sanction it, I’m certain. However, if you need to go back home then I will give you some funds on the proviso that if you ever tell anyone about this place, about the wolves, then I will personally hunt you down and permanently gag you. Understand?”
He chuckled. “I understand. And I won’t be telling anyone about men who turn into wolves. Trust me.” The smile dropped from his face and he dared to look my way. “I screwed up with you, Savvy. Big time. Because you’re right. When I took you in, I had no clue. But there was no way in hell I could let you go into care. I couldn’t do it. But I think sometimes you’d have been better off. I fucked up many times. I know that. But even though I could have done better by you, something I’ll regret for the rest of my days, I like to think we found a rhythm at some point—especially when we worked together. And I know that’s bullshit. You missed out on so much growing up. But I can only hope you can get something here that makes up for that. That’s why I couldn’t let your man die. Not when I saw how he was with you, how he wanted to protect you. Finally, I did the right thing by jumping in front of that bullet. And I’m glad of it. It can’t right some of the wrongs I’ve done, but I hope that makes its way toward it.”
“You’re not going to stay here, are you?” I knew him too well.
“No. I’m not. I like my trailer back home. My life. And with Gideon out of the way, I no longer have to think about running.” He tentatively reached out and stroked my cheek. “I’m not taking a cent of your money either.”
“But—”
“Not a cent. That’s yours. And I’m done having you bail me out. But I hope I can visit here from time to time. And maybe you could come see me? I want to think that if you have kids in your life, I can be in their lives, too.”
I nodded. “I’d like that, Will.”
He smiled, blushing. It stunned me to see such vulnerability in him, but I appreciated it.
“Ah,” he said relieved, breaking the silence, “Ulrich is here to save the day.”
I looked out the window to see the older wolf approach. I got out of the truck and smiled in welcome. “Hey, Ulrich. I hope you’re ready for this nightmare.”
Ulrich laughed. “Oh, don’t worry, Savannah. I’ll make sure to nag him a little each day on your behalf.”
“Hey!” Will said from the passenger seat. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”
