Ellen slid the necklace on and tucked it inside her shirt, pressing her hand over it. “I’m fine now,” she whispered, pushing out of his arms and moving toward the cabinet.
“You can sit.” His hand covered hers. “Let me bring the next drawer to you.”
He watched the way she pressed her hand against the wall, staying anchored, as she moved to the table. Unsteady or not, he saw the determined gleam in her gaze as she waited for him to bring her the next drawer.
“Oh…” Her voice wavered as she stared inside. She seemed to wilt before his eyes, her skin draining of color and her eyes filling with tears. Pinned to the lining of the drawer was an intricately embroidered blanket. Her fingers hovered, her hand shook, but she refused to touch the items inside. “I can’t.”
The name “Isabel” was stitched into the intricate ribbon and flower border.
“Ellen,” he ground out, reaching for her. “You don’t have to do this now.” He pulled her up, against him. “We can come back tomorrow. Take it piece by piece. There’s no rush.”
“Mal wants to go home,” she reminded him.
Which was true. Mal was chomping at the bit to get back to the refuge. The longer he went without shifting, the bigger an asshole he became. As far as Hollis was concerned, there was no reason to have Mal and Olivia here. Especially now that Ellen was his mate. Knowing that eased some of the tension from his neck and shoulders. His wolf snorted in irritation—he knew Ellen would never leave them. Making Hollis feel like an ass for still having doubts. He ran a hand over her hair. “I’ll talk to Finn.”
“We should talk to him in person.” She rested her head against his chest. “I know he has questions. Now that he is my Alpha, I owe him answers.” She would respect the pack hierarchy even when she was barely capable of standing on her own two feet.
“Do you want to go back to the refuge?” he asked, anticipating her answer.
“No, not yet.” Her hand pressed against the shirt. “Please. I’d rather not leave yet.”
He nodded. “We can arrange a teleconference—that’s easy.”
“I can’t leave them, not yet,” she whispered.
Her words sliced through his heart. “There’s no rush on this, Ellen. When you’re ready, we’ll contact him.” He held her until her heartbeat slowed and her breathing steadied.
She pushed a
way from him. “There is one thing. The chest?” She clutched the necklace tightly.
He nodded, watching her struggle.
“There’s a book… A book hidden in the base.” Her fingers worried the brown, green, and earth-toned beads as she stared blindly around the vault. “A false bottom inside.”
He’d gotten caught up in the trunk’s contents and researching each item before he could dismantle it to find any hidden treasures. “I’ll get it.” He waited for her to sit before unlocking one of the larger storage closets. The chest was old but still sound. He pulled it from a storage case and set it on the table, his curiosity kicking into overdrive.
She stood beside him, leaned in, and pulled what looked like a loose wooden dowel in the far corner. The bottom popped up to reveal a thick, leather-bound book.
“What is it?” he asked.
“The voices,” she said. “This is the story of my pack.” Her voice broke and she looked at him. “You must believe in magic now. How else would you have known?”
He nodded, too moved to speak. His wolf pushed, wanting to be close—needing her touch to ease him. Hollis touched her cheek.
“Thank you.”
He shook his head. He should be thanking her. Through her eyes, the world was changing into a place he wanted to be.
…
The last four days had been exhausting. She and Hollis spent every waking hour cataloging the vault and making notes. Pressure still built inside her chest until she felt light-headed, but she could stand on her own two feet now. It was progress. I’ll come back. It was a promise she made every day—to her ancestors and herself. She had so much to learn, so much to remember. Things to share with Finn and his pack.
When Hollis wasn’t helping her in the vault, he was driving her to distraction in their bed. She wasn’t sure what her favorite part of the day was—waking up in his arms or falling apart in them.
She finished packing away the drawer they’d been working on and turned to find him watching her. Those green eyes searched hers for a long time, as they did every time they left the vault.
She loved the concern on his face—and hated how he sensed her weakness. His hand brushed her cheek, his smile taking the lingering edge off her nerves. Oh, how she loved this man and his timid wolf. He was so worried about her—about their pack. And it bound them even closer together.