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Brynn put her hand gently on Dani’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry, hon. What happened?”
“I hid in the tree. The coyotes knew I was there, but they ignored me. I was terrified. I clung to that tree, all night, crying. I climbed down later that morning. The coyotes had caused a lot of destruction, but one of the tents survived. I stayed there for a few days, hoping someone from the herd would come back, and when they didn’t I started walking. I don’t know how long I walked, maybe a day or two, before I ended up in Oakville. Fayar, the king bear, found me, and his mate Gloria took me in while they tried to figure out where I came from. Then Row’s mom Alice adopted me. She loved me from the start, and so did Row.”
“You were so young. It’s a miracle you didn’t die from the elements or get caught by another predator. I’m surprised you don’t hateallpredators.”
Her brows rose. “I know they were natural coyotes running on instinct. I don’t look at shifters as being same as their natural counterparts. Shifters have a consciousness, a humanity that allows them to make choices. Natural animals don’t have that.”
“Did you ever find any evidence of your people or other herds?”
She shook her head. “Not of my herd. Just recently, though, we’ve learned that reindeer like to stay off the radar. Mom hired a private investigator to look for them, and it’s taken years to find a herd. Row was on his way with me to meet them when we got sidetracked here.”
“Fate is a funny thing, isn’t it?” Brynn asked. “You were on your way to one destiny and found a different path.”
“I’m glad we stopped.”
“Me too. It’s nice to see Adam happy. He deserves it.”
Brynn and Dani carried the food to the kitchen table and filled glasses with iced tea. “Adam said you weren’t going to go meet that herd. Aren’t you curious about your people?”
Dani shrugged. “A little. Reindeer are nomadic, so the herds don’t stay in one place for long. If I’d found a herd when I was younger, I might have been more willing to go and meet them, but Mom and Row are my family, and now so is Adam.”
Brynn smiled and sniffled, coming around the table to hug Dani. “I’m sorry your family is gone.”
Dani smiled. “It’s really okay. I know that my parents would have wanted me to be safe and loved, and I was. I think family doesn’t have to be about what you shift into, but who you love.”
Adam and Acksel came into the kitchen, both looking concerned. Brynn turned from Dani into Acksel’s arms and said, “Her story is sad but has a happy ending. You know happy endings always make me cry.”
Acksel chuckled and hugged her. “I know, baby,” he murmured.
Dani held out her hands to Adam and he linked their fingers. “Itisa happy ending,” she said.
Adam smiled.
Brynn’s stomach growled loudly, and everyone laughed. “The boss has spoken,” Brynn said, patting her stomach. “Let’s eat.”
Adam pulled out Dani’s chair and pushed it in as she sat, joining her in the next chair. Acksel leaned over and kissed Brynn’s cheek. “Everything looks great.”
“You can thank Dani for saving the gravy.”
“It was my pleasure.”
As the meal progressed, they talked about the differences between the pack and the sleuth, and how strange fate was that both Dani and her brother had found their truemates after stopping for gas.
Adam cleared his throat. “I’d like to talk to you about me and Dani becoming stewards,” he said, looking at Acksel.
“Oh?” Acksel leaned back in his chair and put his arm around Brynn.
Adam nodded. “It makes sense. Dani can work with Honey on the household things for the retirees, and I can work with Jeremiah on the outside things. Right now Dade is assigning a lot of young teens, but there’s a lot of work to be done, and since they’re still in school, it’s eating into their productivity. We’ll be coming into spring soon, and that means gardening and lawn care, which are a lot of work.”
“I can’t make Dani a full pack member because it’s against our laws, but I can make her an honorary steward. It’s no problem to assign you as a steward if that’s what you’d like. You’ll need to talk to my dad because he’s in charge of them, and of course make sure that Jeremiah and Honey want the extra help, but I’m sure they will.”
“I think you need to change that law, Acksel,” Brynn said as she ladled gravy onto her third helping of pot roast. “Why can’t the mates of pack members be pack members?”
“Pack membership is for wolves only,” he said.
“Iknow, but why does it have to be that way? What’s the point of being alpha if you can’t change the laws?”
“I’ve changed a lot of laws since you came around.”
