Everyone wanted to turn over a new leaf. Why not let the witch do it, too?
* * *
We movedwhat little we owned into the house and found it rather empty still. I suggested thrift shopping for tables and chairs. Ryder didn’t look convinced. In fact, he cringed. I figured he must have been a spoiled rich boy back in Colorado.
I grabbed the front of his shirt and tugged him close, leaning my head back so I could smile up at him. “Trust me. It will all work out.”
Before he could answer, there was a knock at the door. The scent of pack drifted in from the open windows. I shared a look with Ryder. He shrugged and went to answer.
Outside, several trucks had pulled up to the house. Members of the pack stood on the front walk or the lawn. From the wide grins on their faces, it seemed they could barely contain their excitement. The truck beds were packed to the brim, but covered with protective tarps.
Dad hopped onto the back of his truck and untied the first corner of the tarp. When he peeled it back, I noticed a mattress and the pieces of a wooden bedframe. My jaw dropped as others pulled their tarps away to show a dresser, a table, and a pair of nightstands.
“What’s this?” Ryder asked quizzically.
Dad jumped down from the back of the truck and came over to put a hand on Ryder’s shoulder. Dad’s expression was soft yet proud, a look that I had not seen in years. When he turned it on me, I damn near cried.
“This is what it means to be pack,” Dad said.
He lifted his hand and motioned toward the front door. People launched into action. Haylee and Kelsey carted the nightstands inside, where they stopped and looked back questioningly. I ran inside to direct them to the master bedroom.
Cerri, Vi, and Addie showed up as well. They each brought a box of food. Cerri supplied coffee syrups. Everything Addie brought was homemade and carefully wrapped or canned. Vi hefted a box of junk food and boxed meals with a feral grin.
In no time, the house was filled to the brim with furniture, kitchenware, and food. There was almost nothing that we would need to buy ourselves other than décor. All the bases had been covered, we just had to put our touch on it.
I rocked on my heels as I fought off tears. Watching everyone come together for me made everything I’d gone through worth it in the end. I hadn’t expected this. I’d thought they would all ignore me while their wounds healed. That would have been the easiest way for them to recover from what Alvin had done to them.
The pack chose another route. They came together to tend to each other’s wounds. Their support helped mend my shattered view of the future. This proved that nothing would be what I thought. It would be better.
Until the house shook. Everyone stopped as the walls trembled. A roar filled the air, deafening me. Dust rained from the ceiling. I tensed, waiting for it to come crashing down around our heads.
Ryder glared up at the ceiling. His face paled ever so slightly when his nostrils flared. I lifted my nose to scent the air. The familiar aroma of ozone and smoke began to fill the house.
Since Ryder wasn’t in his dragon form, I knew that it couldn’t have been him. That could only mean…
Ryder rushed outside. I lurched after him, hot on his heels.
On the lawn, Ryder spun. A chill raced down my spine as a predator set its sights on me. I knew what I would see when I turned, but I almost didn’t want to.
A stormy black dragon with horns on the sides of his head that curled forward menacingly glared down at me. His talons dug into the roof shingles. Behind him, his tail lashed and tore branches from the tree behind the house. His eyes weren’t filled with storm-light like Ryder’s. Instead, they were red-hot and swimming with hatred.
Before Ryder or I could say anything, Vi piped up.
“Get off the fucking house. You’re not a cat.”
I gaped at my friend. There was a giant dragon shifter on my roof, and she was talking to him like he was a petulant pet. I reached for her arm, a hush on my lips.
Vi jerked away from me and pointed her finger up at the dragon. “This is a good day, and you’re not going to ruin it. Do you hear me? Save your shit for another day.”
The air around Vi wavered with heat. Her anger was spilling over faster than I’d ever seen before. Soon, she would tip into her demonic side.
Soon, Morgan would tire of Vi and immolate her on the spot.
But Morgan didn’t attack. He slithered forward and dropped off the roof of the house. His form shrank, shifting back to human, before he hit the ground. Dark hair curled around the corners of his jaw. He had a dark beard, trimmed close. He stalked towards Vi, the full force of his wrathful glare upon her, before his attention flicked to Ryder.
“We have a score to settle, brother.” Morgan’s voice was deep and resonant.
Ryder shook his head. “No. This isn’t a score to settle. You need to sit down and listen.”