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“When can we see him?” I ask quietly.
* * *
“He’s incredibly skittish around men right now,” the social worker’s voice is barely more than a whisper. “I think it’s best if Mrs. Beaumont speaks to him alone first.” Soft growls meet her statement, and she quickly works to reassure us. “He’s not dangerous at all. He’s just a scared kid who won’t even tell us his name. And I think Blake will make him feel safe.”
I nod, knowing she’s right. “I’ll be fine, guys. He needs somebody in his corner, and that somebody is going to be me.” My voice is firm and steady as I look at my pack. Ace is the first to nod, and Hades quickly follows, their bond ensuring they almost always vote the same way. D may be the most overprotective of any of them, but he has a soft spot for hurt kids, just like I do.
Turning to the most stubborn of the five men, I face down Rook and the twins. Kai is the first to concede, giving me a peck on the cheek before moving to stand behind me, pulling me into his arms for a brief hug. “It’s so sexy when you stand up to us,” he whispers before nipping my earlobe.
My face is flushed when I look up, but Kas and Rook have identical scowls on their faces. I roll my eyes at them, walking up and giving them each a peck on the lips.
“Trust me?” I whisper.
Their faces soften immediately and when they glance at each other, I feel in the bonds the second their minds change.
“Of course we do, Princess. Be careful,” Kas whispers, gently kissing my cheek.
Rook pulls me into a deep hug. “You’re going over my knee later for your defiance, Angel,” he growls. I shudder before pulling out of his hold and turning back to the social worker and nodding. “I’m ready.”
I don’t feel anything but calm walking into the small room. I know in my gut this is exactly where I need to be. A shuffling sound pulls my attention to the corner where a tiny boy is curled up in a ball underneath a table.
“Hello,” my voice is as soft as possible when I speak. “My name is Blake.” I drop quietly to my knees and shuffle over slowly, encouraged when he doesn’t move away. Stopping maybe a foot from where he’s lying, I mirror his position. “What’s your name?”
His eyes are wide and terrified, his nostrils flaring as he takes me in. His body visibly relaxes when he catches my scent, and he scoots the smallest bit closer.
“My name is Oliver,” he whispers. He’s dirty and has cuts and bruises all over his body, but he has the most brilliant blue eyes and shaggy, dark hair. “Do I have to go back there?”
My eyes water as my heart breaks for this precious boy. “Oh honey, no. Absolutely not. You willneverhave to go back to a place like that again,” I say gently. “Can I hold your hand, Oliver?”
He thinks about it for a few minutes before silently reaching his tiny hand out and gripping mine tightly.
“Do you know how I got this scar?” I ask, moving my neckline to show him my shoulder. He shakes his head, tracing a finger over it lightly and shuddering before tracing a scar of his own on his arm. “I was like you.” His eyes dart up to meet mine and I smile softly. “When I was your age, somebody took me and locked me up in a cage for a really long time. And I didn’t get out until my pack saved me a few years ago.”
“Did they hurt you?” he asks quietly.
Nodding, I tell him a bit about the things I went through, and by the end, we’re both crying.
“But you’re okay now?”
I smile and squeeze his hand gently, feeling the cuts on his palm. “I am now,” I say. “Because of my pack.”
He nods like he expected that answer. “They hurt me too,” he whispers. “And I want to be okay.”
“Oliver? Would you like to meet my pack?” He looks terrified, so I keep talking in the same quiet tone. “They look a little scary at first, but I promise you, Oliver. They’re the good guys.” Nodding slowly, I catch the smallest glimmer of hope in his eyes. “If you meet them and like them, would you like to come live with us?”
His eyes go wide as saucers, and he launches himself at me, wrapping his arms around my neck and squeezing as tight as he possibly can. I hug him back, noting how skinny he truly is. This boy and I are one and the same and I know without a doubt he’s meant for us.
ONE MONTH LATER
Owen
London, England
“What do you mean youlost the damned signal?” Silas growls from behind me.
I roll my eyes. “Exactly what I fucking said,” I growl back. “This person is insanely skilled, and they’re blocking me at every turn. I’ll never be able to hack into Vitali’s auction system unless we find out who he has running his tech.”
Grayson and Beckett are in the kitchen video-chatting with Blake about their foster son, Oliver, who’s been living with them for about a month now. The whole family was supportive when they told us they wouldn’t be having children. When they told us about Ollie, it was the happiest I’ve seen the parents in my life.
