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“Let’s go upstairs and find a guest room. Leven is still sleeping most likely. Don’t let him scare you, he’s a big guy but he’s a teddy bear at heart,” I promised. We found a guest room and I encouraged her to shower while I waited out here. She kept the door cracked and I didn’t question it. While she was busy, I changed clothes. I could shower later; I didn’t want to leave her alone yet.
When she came out, she looked almost normal again. Her black hair hung around her shoulders, curlier than ever. The clothes were big, but when she started getting regular meals, she’d fill them out almost perfectly. I had a few inches on her but we were similar petite builds. Now her eyes were hopeful, losing that awful fear even if it was fleeting. I really hoped she decided to find a place here. It was safe and Callum would never let anything happen to her.
“How does food sound?” Her eyes lit up and she nodded. “We should head to the pavilion, there’s more food there.” It reminded me that Leven and I never got a chance to get our groceries from his truck. Maybe someone handled it for me while I was distracted and they salvaged them, but either way this fridge was bare.
When we got to the pavilion, Emma, Waylen, and Brent were inside. They were attempting to help her bake but failing miserably.
“Oh thank gods you’re here, Vanya. Save the pack from food poisoning and come help. My brothers are fired,” Emma said dramatically, shooing them away. They both grinned as they hopped on the far counter to watch over us.
“This is Ava. She’s new and doesn’t talk much. Be gentle,” I warned.
“Hey Ava, I’m glad to see you’re awake now,” Waylen said kindly. Her eyes went to his and I saw her cheeks tint slightly pink.
“Don’t worry, we’re nice in this pack. I know it’s rare, but it’s true,” Brent said reassuringly. Her cheeks darkened even more when she turned to him and nodded.
“You can grab a stool if you want,” Emma told her kindly. “I’ll have breakfast for you in just a few.”
She sat down on a stool, and I dove right into helping. Emma had large griddles that sat over the cooktops and they were already heating.
“Instead of the usual prep, Callum told me to do a real breakfast. So pancakes and bacon it is, which do you want?” she asked me.
“Pancakes,” I said quickly. “Bacon is not my strong suit.” We worked quickly, and the first three pancakes I pulled from the griddle, I plated for Ava. Emma was already doing the same with the first few pieces of bacon she pulled off. The girl needed as much protein as she could get.
“Someone get her some orange juice, butter, and syrup,” Emma ordered, both men jumping into action. “You’re not allergic to anything are you?” Ava shook her head, eyes wide as she watched the chaos around her. But the moment she had food and a drink, she dove in, barely coming up for air. I didn’t even ask before stuffing another four on her plate.
By the time we had huge heaping platters of food, the security team started trailing in to get theirs. Waylen lit a fire outside and everyone settled on the tables around the pavilion, talking and laughter filling the air. Ava stared, almost confused. When the others trailed out, I pulled a stool over.
“It’s weird to see, isn’t it?” I asked softly. She glanced at me; a questioning look on her face. “I mean seeing a pack like this. They’re a true family. My pack I ran away from, they were nothing like this. They loved tradition, even if it was harmful. I was lonely and barely thriving there. This is everything they should have been. I love it here, like I finally found my home.”
She nodded and chewed on her bottom lip, just observing. Eventually Waylen came back in and it was obvious he was just checking in on her.
“Do you guys need anything?” he asked.
“I need to grab food. Want him to stay with you?” She nodded once and he stepped closer.
“I’ll be right back,” I told him. My face said “don’t fuck this up” but he was already being so kind I didn’t really worry about that.
“Make a new friend?” Leven mused when I got outside. He was sitting with Nyx, Callum, and the twins.
“I did. She’s sweet,” I said evenly. “I’ll probably spend time with her today, she’s comfortable with me. But where will she stay?”
“You guys can claim a wing at my place, it’s just me,” Nyx offered. “And if you get any words out of her, find out if she needs anything else healing wise. I can’t help her if I don’t know she’s hurt.”
“I’ll see what I can do, and that sounds nice, thanks,” I told him. After I had a plate, I went inside. Waylen was talking softly to her, cutting off when I got close, a blush creeping up his own cheeks.
“If you need me for anything, don’t hesitate to call,” he told us both before walking out with a small wave.
“He’s sweet,” I noted, nudging her as I sat down. She let out a small huff but smiled into her cup as she took a drink. “Nyx asked me if anything else hurt?”
She shook her head.
“Can you talk?” She nodded yes and I sighed. “Okay. When you got here, there was a picture of you tucked into your pocket. Our tech guy found your information and there’s a ton of missing person’s report. Do you want to be found, Ava?”
“No,” she whispered. Her voice was raspy, and I didn’t think it was from disuse. She had one of those voices that just had soul to it.
“Do you want to stay here?” She nodded again. “Okay. Nyx offered for both of us to stay at his place. I’m honestly not sure if they have empty homes here or if people share, but we’ll find you your own spot. The pack has plenty of funds for necessities, so later I’ll have Callum put in an order for some clothes and essentials for you. We take care of our own here.”
A single tear tracked down her cheek as I spoke and I reached over, squeezing her hand briefly before letting go.
