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“You know why,” said Dredge, giving me a glare over his cup. Dredge was older than all of us. Dad found him and Mom one night while trying to find his place in life. They’d been skin and bones. Dad immediately fell for Mom and took Dredge in as one of his own. He was the best big brother any of us could have asked for.
“How can you be so calm when it’s Pac?” I yelled, wanting to punch him for even agreeing with Dad to bring in Pac intact.
“Because I know what’s at stake.” Dredge stood up and towered over me. “You know as well as I do that Pac escaped us once before. Now that we’ve finally found him, Dad wants to know why he was betrayed after everything he did for him. And you know Dad, he won’t let it go.”
“Tell us how you found him,” Bruno said, sitting down on the other chair as though getting ready for a story.
I groaned, but everyone ignored me, so I plopped down on a stool at the kitchen counter.
“It was easy,” Dredge began. “We waited in the hospital parking lot until we smelled him coming out.” He looked over at me. “He really looks different. Totally would have fooled me except for his scent, but there is no mistaking that smell.”
“Like following a basket full of potpourri, no?” Jacob said.
We all howled with laughter. It was always the running joke amongst us brothers that Pac smelled like he had bathed in a pond full of gardenias and autumn spices.
“Anyways,” Dredge said, always the first to sober up. “We followed him to the building downtown that Jacob had followed him to and ambushed him before he could get in the building. He clearly did not want to make a scene, so he followed us to our car, and we escorted him to Dad. Easy peasy, and everyone stayed alive and unhurt.”
“I smelled multiple wolves near or in his building. You didn’t encounter anyone else?” Jacob said.
“Nope, just him. I smelled them, too, and we were on high alert, but no one else jumped out at us or tried to save him.”
“He came calmly?” I asked skeptically. Pac was not known to be calm.
“He did.” Dredge gave me a stern look. “I know who I smelled, Luc. My nose isn’t damaged or anything.”
“Of course not.” I held up my hands in surrender. “I would never imply such a thing.”
“Good.” He gave me another stern look and went back to nursing his drink.
* * *
Dredge ended up staying for dinner, then left with Jacob and Bruno.
“You don’t seem content,” Brandon said when we were alone.
“Something isn’t sitting well, but Dredge said he caught him, so I’m relieved. Pac’s off the streets at least.”
“What are you going to do about Jill?”
I was silent for a moment, contemplating what I was going to tell Brandon, but he beat me to it.
“I know you’re into her,” he said, giving me a nudge.
“I’m pretty sure I’ve scared her off.”
“You won’t know until you ask.”
“What? Just go visit her with some flowers and ask for a do-over?” I laughed, wondering what fruit punch Brandon had been drinking.
“Hey, you said it yourself, you found your mate. You weren’t like this with Kit. I should know, I had to watch that train wreck.”
This time I punched him hard. There was no reason for him to bring that up again. But he had a point. It couldn’t hurt to try. My wolf had been upset all day. I thought he’d be better after knowing Pac was captured, but the calm that came over me after deciding to go chase after Jill was something else. Maybe I’d go pay her a visit tomorrow.
Jill
The next dayI insisted Becca not join me at work; I was going to be just fine. After Brandon shared the news that Rich had been captured and he was no longer a problem, the relief that ran through me was exhilarating. I felt freer than I had ever felt before and would never take my freedom for granted again.
However, at work, Ray refused to let me do the big order of the day—six dozen roses of all shades and colors, liberally sprinkled with lilies and lavender. Instead, I watched Ray throughout the day as she picked, trimmed, and potted and wished that someone would give me flowers like that. One day, maybe that would happen.
