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“What? How?” That wasn’t what I had expected.
“Your uncle didn’t have any kids of his own. He planned to leave everything to you. But he changed his will the night he died and left everything to us. He knew presenting as an omega meant you lost your rights to hold any assets in your name. Your mom witnessed his new will, and he mailed a copy to us and his lawyer before he and your mom left the city that night. Our parents got it a few days later. We were still underage, and we’d already left for military school, so they became trustees until we were old enough to claim it.”
“Oh, wow.” I was speechless, and my mind was whirling. I was grateful for Wolf’s steady purr. It was the only thing keeping my head from exploding.
“We wanted to have a safe space for you when we got you back. We finally figured out living on the run forever wasn’t a healthy life for you,” Ryder added. “So we bought up the land surrounding your uncle’s place, mainly other small hobby farms, and turned it into a larger farming compound. Then we made it a family trust with our parents, combined with their land, while we were still in the military. We didn’t want anyone to take it when we went AWOL and technically became criminals.”
“We actually own all the land that runs right up to the edge of Damon’s farm, finishing just over the ridge behind us,” Ryder said. “Ours doesn’t extend into the forest the way Damon’s property does. He owns that, but we own everything between the road, the river, and our parents’ house when you head north from here.”
“We borrowed a truck and went and checked on our parents this morning while you were out touring the farm with Wolf,” River said. “We wanted to make sure everything was okay before we take you there. Our farming setup isn’t as innovative as Damon’s. But our dad came and visited his grandfather a few times and they talked a lot about sustainable farming being the future. We weren’t completely off grid, but it seems they’ve been doing alright since the Crash.”
“Our parents helped us build a cabin away from the main farm. We were going to bring you to live there eventually, after we got you out. Kind of hide you in plain sight once everything died down,” Ryder added. “It’s actually closer to here than to your uncle’s farmhouse. So if you want to stay here we can, but we also have a home we built within walking distance of here that we could move to. There are tunnels in the caves that connect to here. Few people know about them. Riv and I stayed in them sometimes. We could also move to your uncle’s farmhouse if you don’t like the one we built. We know you have wonderful memories there.”
“We just want you to know, as a pack, we have options,” Ryder finished in a rush. Then they were both silent as they watched me.
“You built me a home?” The words came out choked and those tears I’d swallowed earlier came rushing out with them.
They both watched me nervously as they nodded. I flung myself out of Wolf’s lap and onto the other couch with them. All those years of silence and the whole time they had been single-mindedly working to secure our future.
“You were so mad at me, yet you still built me a home?” I asked Ryder.
He groaned and shook his head as he tucked me more snuggly between them. “I was more scared than mad,” he admitted. “I wanted our future so badly, but there always seemed to be so much against us.”
“Not anymore,” I said. “I want to see it.”
“We can go after the meeting. But if we don’t hurry, they’re going to send someone to drag us there.”
“Too late,” came a sassy voice and a flash of pink hair from the front door we’d left flung open. “And where the hell do you think you’re going?”
forty-eight
Ijumpedupfromthe twins, clambered over the back of the couch, and launched myself at Lexie next. She grabbed me with a surprised “Oof,” as I wrapped her in a bear hug that almost knocked her off her feet. I felt like the tiny metal ball in a pinball machine, spinning and getting pushed around by my emotions today, but it was heaven to have so many people to love on.
“Missed you, too,” she whispered in my ear. “Don’t go getting yourself kidnapped again anytime soon. I couldn’t take it.”
An elbow in my side, a blonde head pushing up between our arms, and a shaggy one pushing in between our legs had me giggling.
“Let me in, too,” Maia complained. We opened our arms and Maia happily snuggled into my side, as Lexie’s giant dog, Bear, pushed into our circle with a happy whuff. I could see Hunter and Sam standing behind them.
“Thanks for coming for me,” I said to them. They both nodded solemnly. There were no words for what had gone down that night.
“Where’s Angel?” I asked, looking around and feeling anxious about her continued absence. Maia had left notes during Cary’s heat to say Angel was with her, but she wasn’t here now.
“She’s fine. Angel was with us until this morning. She’s been keeping my guys on their toes, but I figure it’s good practice for when this little one comes,” Maia said, as she rubbed her stomach. “She’s with GG now, baking cookies.”
“Okay, thank you,” I breathed, trying to shake off my sudden anxiety. I trusted my friends, but I needed to see her for myself and make sure she was okay.
“So, what’s this talk about leaving? Are they trying to talk you into it? Because I’m going to have a big problem with that,” Maia asked while shooting daggers over my shoulder at my mates. “This baby needs both her aunts.”
“I’d have a problem too. I just got my brother back,” Hunter said, with a frown marring his face as he looked through the door towards Wolf.
“Relax, guys,” I said, as I gave Maia a squeeze. “If we go anywhere, it won’t be far.”
I explained to them what the twins had told me as my mates filtered out onto the porch behind us. Wolf immediately ambled over to Hunter and hugged him, making Hunter grin. Wolf was incredibly tactile, but Hunter seemed to eat it up. Sam seemed surprised when Wolf hugged him too, but relaxed into the hug after a moment.
I let the girls go as Cary handed me my boots, and Bear sniffed each of my guys in turn. Wolf gave him a friendly pat, while River watched him with a raised eyebrow. Ryder got down on the ground and gave him scratches behind his ears, letting Bear get up in his face.
“Hey, boy,” Ryder said. “Do we pass your sniff test?” Bear whuffed in approval before he turned back to Lexie. I’d been nervous around Bear at first, due to his size, but he was just a big, protective fluff ball once you were in his pack.
