Chapter Text
“We’re leaving,” Arthur announced as he pushed away from the tree he was leaning against.
Nate nodded. “Good. I’m coming too.”
“Oh fuck yes,” Rosh whispered.
Parker glanced between the three of them. “Am I… coming, too?” she asked.
“Yes,” Nate and Rosh said at the same time.
“Rhys and Danse will likely come with us. We can find a spot to settle far away from Mason’s territory. You girls can grab whatever you need from your homes before we do,” Arthur told them.
“If we leave, Richter might come too,” Nate added. “Wherever John goes, it won’t be with Mason, and he’s not going to try and attack us, so I don’t think we need to worry about him.”
“You might be able to convince John to stay with humans for a while for added protection even after we leave,” Arthur said. “But I can’t promise he won’t breed all the women.”
Rosh glanced over at her friend. “Nora? Got any ideas where we can go?”
“Remember that lake we used to swim in when we were little? We could build something over there. It’s not too far from the village, but it’s enough privacy,” Parker answered.
“You’ll have to teach us how to fish,” Nate said, his hand sliding over the redhead’s back.
“Then it’s settled. This lake, wherever it is, is where we will go,” Arthur decided.
Rosh glanced back at where they had come from. “… so, can we just… leave?”
“Not if we plan to take three others with us,” he reminded her.
“I’ll go back in,” Nate offered. “Tell Danse. Then leave. Danse can tell Rhys, and Richter and John if he wants. But if you go back in there, Arthur, there’ll be a fight.”
The younger werewolf grunted in acknowledgement. Arthur was calmer now, but it wouldn’t take much to rile him back up again, and that would only end badly, no matter the results. “Very well. I’ll take the girls to the outskirts of their village and wait for everyone there.”
Leonora furrowed her brow. “Please be careful. He could suspect something.”
He leaned down and kissed her. “I know if I don’t come back you’ll come after me and kick my ass, so don’t worry.” With that, he headed back towards the caves.
Breathless, Parker stood there chewing on her bottom lip, arms crossed over her stomach as she stared off after Nate, watching him walk away—well, watching his ass, rather.
Arthur placed a hand on Rosh’s lower back. “Lead the way, girl.”
—
Rosh had never been happier to see the edge of the village, and as it came closer, her heart started to skip. She reached for Nora and Arthur’s hands, squeezing tightly. “Arthur, prepare for questions,” she said softly.
“Wonderful,” he grumbled. “But I expected no less.”
Parker was nervous, unsure if she wanted to be back in the village. It’d never been a happy place for her, and if she were being honest, she found herself at her happiest in the damn caves with Nate. A werewolf. Her kidnapper. Which definitely made sense.
One of the lookouts was the first to spot them, and then a few of them started shouting. The first to spot them dashed off his post and came running over, clutching his sword.
“Rosh, Nora!” he gasped. “You’re alive! Well, we knew Rosh was alive, but- Nora too!”
Rosh let go of Arthur’s hand to hug Preston, squeezing him tightly. “We’re alive,” she said gently. “We’re ok.”
“What- what happened?” he asked, grasping her arms. His eyes met Arthur, and there was a long pause as he looked the werewolf up and down. “… and who’s this?”
“Arthur,” Rosh said. “He’s- well. He found us. In the woods. And now he’s… coming with us.”
The man paused, glancing between Rosh and Arthur. “Ok,” he said finally. “Ok. You’re alive, and that’s ok. You better go tell your folks. They’ve been trying to get people to go into the forest looking for you.”
Arthur was silent, his eyes stuck on the man Rosh had called Preston. But the acceptance of Arthur’s mere existence was… relieving. Granted, there was no revelation of what he was, just that he’d found them in the woods and was now accompanying them, but he still expected that acceptance to disappear once the fact he was a werewolf was revealed.
“I’ll go with you,” he said at the suggestion to see her family.
“I’m gonna… wait here. For a few minutes,” Parker said, glancing back in the direction they’d come from. But then something Preston had said hit her a bit late. “… Wait, what do you mean you knew Rosh was alive but not me?”
The man’s eyes widened. “Well, it just- she’s the more able - woodswoman, so, you know.”
Arthur snorted. Parker pressed her lips together.
“Anyway,” Rosh broke in, “Arthur, come with me to see my family. Nora,” she looked over at the redhead, “… I’ll meet you outside your parents’ house?”
Clear discomfort at the idea washed over Parker’s face. “Yeah. I’ll see you in a bit.”
Rosh leaned over and gave her a hug. “He’ll be back soon,” she promised softly, petting her hair gently.
“It’s not only that,” the smaller woman admitted while returning the hug. “You know how they are. Just… kinda didn’t want to come back.” Pulling away, she gave her friend a reassuring smile. “Good luck.”
“You both make it sound ominous,” Arthur mumbled.
“Trust me, there’s a reason why,” Rosh broke off, realising that Preston was still there, “never mind. Ok. See you in a bit.” With that, she grabbed Arthur’s hand and started heading deeper into the village.
People were… staring. She’d known about the rumours around her and Parker being too close and spoiling each other for a husband but… actually walking around with a man… was different. Not to mention people were whispering in surprise that she was even alive. She was just glad to get to her parents’ house, pushing open the front door.
“Mother?” she called.
It was quickly decided that Arthur did not like this human village. Then again, he’d decided that long ago when they’d first moved into the territory, but walking down the street and catching glimpses and glares and stares had just reaffirmed his dislike. Still, he tried not to make eye contact with anyone, keeping his head down for the most part while following Rosh. And as soon as they reached the door, he took a deep breath, unsure just what he should be preparing himself for.
“Rosh?” Someone clattered around the kitchen, and her mother appeared. “Where have you been?!” she demanded, grabbing her shoulders. “Nothing! For a week! And you drag your friend off into your mistakes for what?! To make the whole village sick looking for you?!”
“Hello, mother,” Rosh sighed.
Arthur felt out of place. He was intruding on a situation of a mother displaying worry over her daughter having gone missing for a week, and it was uncomfortable. But he was asked to be here. No, ordered. He cleared his throat.
The woman glared up at him. “And who’s this?” she snapped. “Who did you drag home with you, silly girl? Who’s the pale boy?”
“Mother, this is Arthur,” Rosh said, pushing her mother’s hands off her shoulders. “He found Parker and me in the woods. We would be dead if he hadn’t helped us.” It wasn’t a lie.
Well that was a change in behavior. The woman had went from fussing over her daughter to nearly accusing Arthur of doing something. His brows raised as he glanced at Rosh, then back at her mother. “I did my best to take care of them,” he assured her. Which, he had.
The woman was still glaring. “And where is your silly friend? Did she make it back too? Or did you finally see sense-”
“ENOUGH!” Rosh snapped. “I just came back to get my things. We’re leaving.”
“We?” the woman demanded.
A small door opened at the back of the house, and a man stepped through. “Rosh,” he breathed, and immediately ran to her, almost ignoring the woman as he wrapped his arms around Rosh and held her tightly. “I thought- you had us so worried, darling.”
“Sorry dad,” she mumbled.
There was so much happening at once. Arthur winced when Rosh yelled, and was ready to follow her to wherever she needed to go to grab her things or to protect her from her mother, if necessary—until a man entered. Which complicated things, of course, because she was receptive of him, unlike her mother. “Is this your father?” he quietly asked.
“Who’s this?” the older man asked.
“Dad, Arthur, Arthur, Dad.” Rosh couldn’t really step back. “Um, can you let me go?”
“Let you go? You’ve been missing for a week, darling, I don’t think so.” He held her tighter.
“He found us in the woods. Saved us.” Rosh returned her father’s hug.
Finally, the man loosed his grip, looking at Arthur. “Thank you,” he said softly. “Where are you from? I don’t recognise you.”
“I was just passing through the area and had set up a small shelter in the woods for the night just before I found them,” the werewolf lied.
“Well, they must have been in bad shape if it took a week to recover them enough to get back,” Rosh’s father sighed.
“Oh please, Rosh isn’t stupid enough to get hurt, Ted,” her mother muttered.
Ted glanced over at her. “Maya, there’s no need to be rude.” He looked back at Arthur. “Please, come sit. We’ll feed you.”
“We’re leaving,” Rosh blurted out.
The house went silent. “… Leaving?” Ted finally asked.
“Yeah. Um. I… well, Arthur and I…”
The man’s dark blue eyes fixed on Arthur. “So you saving them was for selfish reasons.”
Arthur was being backed into a figurative corner, unsure where to go or how to proceed. If he continued to lie, that would only deteriorate the situation, but if he told the truth, that would… well, that would also deteriorate the situation. And at this point, he had no idea what to do. “No, I…” Pausing, he glanced between the two parents, then at Rosh, then back between her parents. “Rosh,” he warned.
“We’re leaving,” Rosh repeated, stepping out of her father’s arms.
“You… really want to go?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said firmly. “Now can I please get my things?”
“He’s a stranger from the woods, you can’t really want to go!” Maya protested.
“Well, I do!” Rosh snapped back. “We won’t go far. Just to the lake nearby. You can come see us if you want.”
Ted looked between the two of them as Rosh stepped around him, grabbing Arthur’s hand. “You’re making this decision? Not him? You aren’t being forced?”
Rosh shook her head. “I should have done it sooner. With Parker. But I didn’t want to hurt you. I’m sorry.”
Ted sighed. “I… will come and see you,” he promised.
“What?! No! She has to stay!” Maya demanded. “I won’t let you!”
“She’s an adult, Maya,” Ted told her. “We can’t stop her.”
“Thank you, Dad,” Rosh said softly, and darted off towards the stairs with Arthur to her room.
Giving her parents a weak smile, Arthur followed, climbing the stairs and stepping into her room, then shutting the door behind them. The flowers she had kept on her windowsill were mostly ok, but the ones inside her room were wilting. Sighing, Rosh touched them briefly, and then began to open her closet, pulling out some bags and her clothes.
“I should’ve expected that,” she muttered.
“Why?” he asked, stepping around her room and touching things, mostly strange baubles he’d never seen before or that looked interesting. “Are they normally that way?”
“My mother accusing me of doing something wrong with my father backing me up? Yes,” Rosh sighed, picking out her favourite dresses and pants and tunics, and opening the bag, packing them all in along with a few pairs of boots. “It’s just how my house has always been.”
“Doesn’t seem welcoming,” he mumbled. “Not to you or anyone else. Must not have been an easy upbringing.” Pushing one of the shutters of her window open just enough to briefly peek out, he quickly let it fall back in place. “I assume that’s why Parker wished you good luck.”
“Mmm,” she mumbled, and carried on packing. “You should wait until we meet Leonora’s, though. They’re even worse than mine.”
That didn’t sound good. “I suspect Nate will have his hands full once he returns,” he muttered, slowly approaching her. “Do you need help?”
“Only to help carry my bag,” Rosh told him, closing it up. She slid it off the bed, and gazed around her room. She grabbed a few books, but there wasn’t much else to take with her. “All right, I think we’re done in here.”
As soon as the bag was in her hands, he took it, as well as the books. “We can always come back if you need to,” he said. “We won’t be far.”
She nodded. “You’re right.” She gestured to the door. “Shall we?”
With a returned nod, he followed her out of the room and back down the stairs, carrying her bag and other items. “I hope the exit is smoother than the entrance,” he mumbled.
Ted was busy at the table when he came downstairs, and as Rosh reached the kitchen, she suddenly realised what her father was doing.
“Oh, dad,” she said softly, seeing the packs of dried food and bread being neatly bound in cloth. “Dad, you didn’t have to.”
“You’re my only child,” he said gently. “Of course I was going to give you something.”
Something in Arthur’s chest ached at the sight. It was a clear love a father had for his daughter—a love a parent had for their child that he’d never gotten to experience in his youth with his own parents. And it was something that made him hesitate on interrupting.
Carefully, he stepped closer, clearing his throat. “I will, ah… I will take care of her. I swear this to you,” he said quietly.
Ted stepped around the table, handing Rosh the food packages. “May I speak to you, Arthur? Alone, please?”
Fuck. Arthur’s eyes flicked to Rosh, then back at her father, before he nodded and set her things down on the table. “Of course.”
“Don’t kill him, please,” Rosh said softly, as she stepped outside.
“I promise,” Ted said. When she was gone, his eyes turned to Arthur. “Who are you?”
“I don’t understand what you mean,” the younger man replied with a furrowed brow, his eyes searching Ted’s face. “My name is Arthur. I was just passing through.”
“Bullshit,” Ted snorted. “No one goes through the woods unless they’re trying to hide. Those trees are hiding wolves and goodness knows what else.”
“Wolves are easy to kill,” Arthur quickly retorted. “They are nothing but a menace, that is all.”
“I don’t believe you,” Ted said simply. “We have enough woods-folk in this village that we’d know if someone was killing the wolves, and our sheep have still been going missing, all week. You tell me you wandered through, unharmed, whilst ravenous wolves attack our sheep, and you did so whilst caring for two injured women?”
Fuck. Fuck. He was getting backed into that corner again, unsure where to go or what to do, and it was even worse than the first time. Ted was onto him, and Arthur had a feeling the older man either knew the real answer to his own questions or was approaching the answer at a rapid pace. With one hand on his hip, the other ran down his beard as he sighed, his eyes tearing away from Rosh’s father. “Ask me what it is you truly wish to ask me,” he quietly growled in frustration.
“Who or what are you, and how did you actually come across my daughter?”
The hand on his beard went to the back of his neck, rubbing at it. “I am a werewolf,” Arthur admitted. “Your daughter and her friend grew too close to my pack’s den for comfort.”
Ted stared him down, despite the inches of height between them. “And the rest of your pack? Are they coming into the village too?”
“One more will be accompanying the smaller girl. The rest are remaining on the outskirts,” Arthur said. “My pack has broken up. We wanted to warn you about the two werewolves remaining in the woods. I have no intention of leaving your village vulnerable. We will help protect you should they make the mistake of attacking, but I do not think they will.”
Ted folded his arms over his chest. “Is there anything else you want to confess?”
“I may be able to leave someone here in your village, if you wish. It would be beneficial for your protection, at least for a while, as I cannot promise how long he will stay.” There was a pause, and Arthur glanced over to where Rosh had exited the room. “As for the rest… perhaps it would be best if she were in here, too.”
“Why do you say that?” Ted asked.
“Uhh…” Arthur cleared his throat, debating on yelling for the mother of his pups or not so they could tell her father that she was pregnant. A week after meeting. “Well… she’s, uh…”
Ted’s eyes narrowed. “I see,” he said softly. “Did she want it? Does she want it?”
Arthur bared his teeth. “Why don’t you ask her yourself?”
“I’m not going to ask my daughter whether or not she agreed to it,” Ted said.
“Then why bother asking me?” the werewolf hissed. “My answer would not make a difference to change your mind if you assume I’m lying or telling the truth. My pack has broken up today over these girls and if that is not enough, then I have nothing more to say.”
Ted gave him a long, hard stare. “My daughter comes back after going missing for a week, and you’re angry that I am suspicious of the man she reappears and is eager to leave with?”
“Would you not be angry with the person accusing you of rape?” Arthur countered. “All the while you refuse to ask her about it. I have no influence in her decisions, but she has influence in mine. So, do not be so quick to rob your daughter of her agency.”
The older man fell silent for a moment. “Can you protect her, then?”
“Yes, I can,” Arthur assured him. “And I will with my life, if I must.”
Ted lapsed into silence again. “I am not a young man,” he finally said. “But I do love my daughter. And if anything happens to her, you will not enjoy whatever revenge I have on you.”
“I expect nothing less,” the werewolf replied, “As I will do the same for my own. And for her.”
“I’ll tell the guards what you told me,” Ted assured him.
“I am grateful for that,” Arthur said. “Let me know what you decide on whether you want one of my pack to stay here for a bit to help with protection.”
Gesturing towards the door, the older man nodded. “So long as he’s not likely to make any trouble, we always have space for werewolves in the village. Did she ever tell you we’ve had packs come by at times?”
“She did. Said you weren’t hostile to my kind, but I was wary. Humans tend to shun us or try to kill us, which was why we isolated ourselves in the woods,” Arthur explained.
“It varies from village to village,” Ted said, opening the door. “I’ll give you a few friendly names if you ever find yourself wandering.”
“Thank you, human.” Arthur paused. “Ted.”
—
It had gone better than expected.
If Mason had suspected anything, nothing had been said, and Nate had quietly told Danse what was happening before slipping back out the cave and heading into the woods. Mason had been asleep, according to Rhys, nursing a hangover. That was about the time that Nate realised Mason had stolen from other villages before and kept the spoils without telling them.
What an idiot.
Nate was outside in the woods and bursting into wolf form as soon as he could. There was nothing left in the cave for him, and he followed Leonora’s scent through the trees, tracing it eagerly, almost winding himself as he rushed towards where she was.
The wait was so long, it felt like she’d been standing there for days. She’d tried pacing, even sat on the ground and pulled pieces of grass out of the dirt to occupy herself, but nothing did it for her.
Maybe he wasn’t coming back. Maybe he didn’t want to come back. Or maybe something had happened. Part of her debated marching right back to the caves to find out where he was, but she still ended up just… sitting there. Waiting.
And waiting.
And waiting.
Until soft thuds from someone—or some thing—running through the grass and dead leaves in the distance started to grow louder. Blinking, Parker looked around as she got to her feet, the shadows in the trees making it difficult to see much—but that huge form was unmistakable. The grass in her hand was dropped as she took off running at him, arms spread, a wide grin on her face.
“Parker!” Preston yelled. “Hey! Parker! Get- get BACK here, girl, what the HELL are you doing?!”
There was no turning back now. As soon as she reached him, Parker wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his fur. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Nate shrank back into his human form, clothes clutched in one hand as he clung tightly to her. “Leonora,” he breathed softly, inhaling her scent.
“Holy crap,” Preston said weakly behind them.
Lightly kissing his chest, she turned around to look at Preston, not realizing he’d followed. “Oh. Uh… well. Nate, this is Preston, one of the guards of the village. Preston, this is Nate, a, um… well.”
“Hi,” Nate shot Preston a smile, “there’s werewolves in the forests and a couple of them might be coming over to visit in a bit.”
“That probably could have been done a little gentler,” Parker murmured. “Um, anyway, would you like to put your clothes on so we can go and, uh, get my clothes?”
Nate began dressing with a smirk. “They just saw you run towards a werewolf, I think they’ve been sufficiently prepared.”
“They have, but my parents haven’t. And neither have you,” she sighed while watching him, worry on her face.
“I can handle your parents,” Nate assured her as he pulled his pants on.
“I hope so.”
When he was finally dressed, she took his hand, lacing their fingers together, and led him through the village toward her house. Just as had happened with Arthur and Rosh, there were whispers and murmurs combined with stares and glares. Parker tried to ignore most of it, clinging tighter to his hand while they got to the front door, where she stopped and turned to face him.
“I want to, um… be as quick as possible,” she said. “My dad is probably passed out drunk, but my mom is likely inside. If we can get in and out, that’d be great. The less we have to deal with then, the better.”
Nate leaned down and kissed her gently. “I’ll follow your lead.”
The front door was opened and she stepped inside, trying to remain as silent as possible. The house was quiet, for the most part, except for a quiet meow that greeted her.
“Hi, Max,” Leonora whispered, picking the cat up and cradling it while starting toward her room; she motioned for Nate to follow.
“Where the hell have you been?”
Parker froze in her steps, wincing at the aggression in her mother’s tone, before she turned to look at the older woman—she clearly hadn’t seen Nate yet.
“You’ve been gone for a week, Leonora. Had your father worried sick.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he’s been really worried,” she mumbled.
“First you disappear with your ‘friend’ for a week, then she comes back with some pretty young boy, and now here you are, cradling your cat like you always do. What, she stop wanting you between her legs? Finally find a husband out there?” her mother asked.
Parker’s face was flushed a deep red as she stared down at the feline, stroking along his belly. “It was good talking to you, mom, but I’m only stopping by to get my things,” she said.
“Your things? Where do you think you’re going?” the woman asked.
“I’m, uh… moving out. Surprise?” Leonora said with an awkward laugh as if that would help.
Nate placed a hand on her shoulder silently.
“What, you saying you found a husband? You?” But the sight of someone’s hand caught the woman’s attention and her demeanor changed completely. “Did you bring someone with you, Leonora?” she asked much gentler.
Parker’s jaw tensed, her lip slightly curling before she glanced back at Nate, then stepped a bit further into the house, nodding to him. “Mom, this is Nate.”
“I couldn’t help overhearing, well, all of that,” Nate said politely as he made his way inside. “So we’ll be out of your hair in no time.”
“Leonora does not need to leave. In fact, I would prefer to know who you are since you seem so vested in taking my beloved daughter away from me,” the woman told him.
Sighing, Parker closed her eyes and ran her hand down her face. “You really don’t need to know anything. In fact, I’m almost certain you called me ‘useless’ at least twice the morning before Rosh and I left, so I must not be that beloved to you.”
“Can you go upstairs and get your things or do you need me?” Nate asked. “Because I’ll happily sit here and tell your mother everything whilst you pack.”
Hesitating, Parker eventually nodded and turned to head upstairs to her room, only to turn back around and gently put the cat in his arms, the creature still being cradled on its back. “For good luck,” she whispered with a small smile, then disappeared upstairs.
“Dammit, I can’t make pussy jokes like this,” he muttered to her before she left, scratching the cat behind the ears. His eyes met the woman’s, and for the first time, he looked at her. Her hair was less red than Leonora’s, and her face was covered in freckles. She had a few inches on her daughter and she was much thinner, but she still looked a lot like her. “So, what do you want to know?”
The façade dropped. “Why my daughter disappears for a week, comes back with a new toy that’s clearly twice her age, and suddenly wants to leave home?” she asked, taking a seat in a nearby chair.
Nate nuzzled the cat, and it seemed to enjoy the feeling of his beard. “She disappeared for a week because she followed her friend into the woods and came across a werewolf pack which they originally thought was a regular wolf pack and met me in the process.”
There was clear disgust and judgment on her face. “And were you a part of this—this pack?”
“Yes, and your daughter and I spent the entire week physically intimate,” Nate replied. “And now she’s carrying wolf pups. They grow much quicker than human children.”
“God.” Something washed over her face, removing the disgust and judgment and instead replacing it with disappointment and disgrace. “Where did I go wrong in raising her? It—it must have been that—that girl. Always leading her off to do despicable things and encouraging such abhorrent behavior.”
“I’m sure calling her useless all the time did nothing to cause her to act this way,” Nate said, his voice falsely sweet.
With tears in her eyes, the woman shot a glare at him. “And what do you know about raising children?”
“When I lost most of my pack, I ended up with two boys and a man who wasn’t much younger than me,” Nate told her. “Somehow I managed to raise the boys into fine young men, one of whom is currently the pretty young boy you disparaged earlier. I never called them useless, and I never spoke to them the way you did. I also managed to do this with only one other person to help me, whilst you had an entire village.” His eyes met hers, unblinking. “I’d have loved to have the world you raised your child in, but at least this time I get a second chance.”
A heavy bag tumbled down the stairs, thudding against the wall as it reached the bottom, and Parker made her way down the steps after it—not tumbling.
“Okay, I think I’ve got everything,” she panted.
“Including your legs spread,” her mother mumbled.
“Yes, including that,” Parker replied.
“You should see how big I get when I change into a wolf,” Nate said, giving the redhead the cat and picking up the bag. “Now that was spreading her out.”
“Oh, my god,” Parker whispered, her mother crying out in the background and crossing herself. “I don’t even want to know what else you said to her.”
“Everything,” Nate assured her, heading for the door. “Including last night.”
Her eyes grew wide. “Thank god I’m never coming back here again.”
Nate shot her mother a smile. “Please, never come visit,” he invited, pushing the door open to let Leonora out. “We’d love it if you never came to see us.”
“Get out! Get out of my house!” the woman shouted, her voice carrying through the open windows and door.
“If she hires an assassin to kill you, that’s your own fault,” Parker told him as she stepped outside, letting the cat climb onto her shoulder.
Nate closed the door behind her. “I didn’t tell her about last night,” he promised softly, and quickly led her away. “I just wanted to make her wonder what on earth she doesn’t know.”
Oh. A wave of relief crashed over her. “That’s good. Okay,” she sighed, reaching for one of his hands. “She might have actually died right then and there if you’d really told her.”
“Oh dammit, why did you have to say that?” Nate sighed. “Wait here; I’ll be right back.”
“Nate!” she squeaked, grabbing his arm and clinging to it. “We’re already this far away, do not make me wait any longer!”
Smiling, he nonetheless put his hand over hers, squeezing gently. “Are you all right?” he asked, gazing into her eyes.
“I will be. I’ve gotten used to it, but it was a nice change to not deal with her for a week. And that was… very mild.” Parker shrugged. “But, thanks to you, I have a chance to get away from it.”
“I hope it’s more than just a chance,” he told her. “And don’t worry about her; now that I have her scent, I can tell when she’s nearby.”
“Good, because I don’t want our pups ever meeting her,” she said. “I don’t want her damaging them. I know what she’s capable of.”
“Speaking of meeting people,” Nate’s eyes landed on the cat, “who’s this?” He scratched the cat’s jaw.
“Oh. This is Max,” she told him. “Rosh and I found him as a kitten in a barn a couple years ago. Not sure where he came from, though. Just kind of appeared. No litter or anything.”
“Hello there,” he cooed. “Oh, you’re a gorgeous little man. I think we’re going to get along well, Max. I’m Nate, but I hope you knew that already.”
“Do you think there’s such a thing as werecats?” Parker asked while looking at Max.
“Probably, but I’ve never met one,” Nate said.
“Hey! You guys!”
Nate looked over to see Rosh and Arthur standing not far away, and he led Leonora and the cat over. “Evening.”
“How did it go?” Rosh asked her. “How badly?”
“It could have been a lot worse,” Parker admitted. “Dad was passed out. Nate decided to have a one-on-one chat with mom and tell her, uh… almost everything. In detail.” Her face flushed. “What about you?”
“Well someone screamed about me leaving, but, dad gave us some food,” Rosh replied. “So better than I’d hoped.” She glanced at Arthur. “At least, I think?”
“I think her dad likes me. Or respects me, at the very least,” Arthur said with a shrug. “But I’m often wrong about these things, so who knows.”
“Well you’re not dead and we have food,” Rosh said. “And you brought Max!” She immediately made her way over to Leonora, and started scratching Max under the chin. “Oh, I missed you, buddy! You’re so cute! It’s so nice to see you!”
“I could never leave Max,” Parker grinned.
“Max… is a cat,” Arthur murmured. “We have a cat now. Excellent.” He sighed.
"I for one welcome my new family member," Nate said. "So, where are we headed, Leonora?"
Pulling Max off her shoulder, she briefly put him on his back in her arm again, then shifted him against her side so he was sitting up, almost like her hand and arm were a nook for him to relax. “The lake isn’t too far, just a bit north. There’s a lot of shade around it, from what I can remember, so it’d be a nice place to live.”
“Good. Let’s go, then,” Arthur said, gently nudging Rosh with his arm. But the damned cat was staring at him, and he just pursed his lips, glaring at it.
“Oh come on, Max is lovely,” Rosh chuckled as she reached for his arm. “And he catches rats. Which means one less job for you two.”
“I am better than being a rat-catcher,” Arthur grumbled as he followed. People were still staring even as the group was leaving, though he paid them no mind, for the most part. “If you want to be rid of rats, you will catch them yourself. Or Nate can do it.”
“One day I will introduce you to why we have pets,” Rosh told him.
“Maybe the rats can be your pets,” he suggested.
“Why would anyone want pet rats?” Parker asked as they neared the edge of the village.
“Probably people who aren’t farmers,” Rosh muttered.
Nate’s nose twitched, and he looked up.
There was a small crowd of people by the gate into the village, and for good reason. Four familiar figures were standing around, clearly relaxed, looking like they were waiting, and when the tallest one spotted them, they all perked up.
“Took ya long enough,” John grumbled. “Was getting tired of waiting.”
“You have the least amount of patience among all of us,” Arthur commented, glancing behind him. A woman stood outside the house where Parker and Nate had exited, watching them. “We’re going to a new place nearby, though,” he told them as he stared at the woman for a second before turning back around. “A lake where we can start over.”
“Again,” Rhys sighed.
“Without Mason, this time,” Nate assured them.
“HEY!” a voice yelled, and Rosh turned to see her cousin rushing over, followed by two other girls, with a frown on her face.
“Rashmi,” Rosh said, surprised. “Haylen, Gwyneth. What- are you doing here?”
Rashmi ignored Arthur, skidding over to Rosh. “I heard you’re leaving,” she said, “and I wanted to come with you. You weren’t even going to say goodbye?”
Rosh’s cheeks burned. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I was- sort of trying to get away from- my mother. You know how it is.”
Rashmi shouldered her own bag and nodded. “Well, you aren’t getting rid of me that easily.”
Rosh glanced over at the other two. “You’re leaving with us?”
Gwyneth shot her a small smile. “Let’s say I’ve had disagreements with the church. It’s simply best if I leave.” Her eyes moved past Rosh, and briefly locked onto Richter, who shuffled a little, straightening up.
“I can’t simply stick around the village when all my friends have left, can I?” Haylen asked with a sheepish smile.
“More people can’t hu—“ Parker started.
“You are more than welcome to come with us,” Rhys said as he stepped toward Rashmi and in front of Leonora. Danse grabbed his arm and dragged him back with a grunt.
“Well, alright,” Parker mumbled to herself.
“Wouldn’t hurt to have more pretty faces around,” John added.
Rolling his eyes, Arthur looked at Nate, then Rosh. “Let’s get going, then. So long as you can all keep your dicks in your pants along the way.”
Rashmi froze as the first man stepped forward, and then her eyes fell on the other three. “So… Parker’s mom wasn’t lying? These are your pack?”
Nate scented the air, and looked at Arthur. Both Gwyneth and Rashmi were already flushed with heat, the scent of arousal growing thick the longer they stood there.
Locking eyes with the older man, Arthur cleared his throat, then turned to face the new girls. “Yes. We are a pack. But you will come to no harm if you choose to join us. Parker and Rosh can both attest to how they’ve been… ah, well… treated.”
Parker’s brows raised. She’d certainly been treated well. Very well, in fact. Just… maybe not in the sense Rashmi thought.
“I may have been in the church, but I’m also a keen forager,” Gwyneth told them. “And I was training under the town doctor to become a healer after her.”
Haylen glanced at Gwyneth. “Oh! And I brought blueprints!” Reaching into the basket she carried, a few rolled up papers were carefully pulled out. “You all know my dad was working on saving up to build a new house for us, he just… didn’t get the chance. So, I figured we could use them, instead.” She paused. “But I don’t know how to read blueprints, unfortunately.”
“I do,” Rosh said. “Don’t worry.”
Rashmi nodded, reaching for her cousin’s hand. “So we have… all these men, and us with the brains? We should have a fighting chance, then.”
“It will be nice to have some more civilised company with us,” Nate broke in. “I’m Nate. I’m Leonora’s- well. I’m Leonora’s. Over there is John and Richter. Neither of them bite. Much.”
“A, um, pleasure to meet you,” Rashmi said.
“Likewise,” Gwyneth agreed.
“This is Arthur,” Rosh said. “He’s- uh. Mine.”
“But I belong to nobody,” Rhys said with a hand on his chest as he stepped forward again. “And my name is Rhys. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Ain’t it funny how nice he gets when he wants to fuck someone?” John asked with a laugh.
“What about, um, him?” Haylen asked, nodding toward the tallest one of the group.
“Danse,” Nate told her.
Rashmi looked around the group. “So, what’s the plan? We can’t stay here and keep blocking the exit.”
“Yes. Now that Rhys has sufficiently made a fool of himself, we may leave.” Arthur motioned with his head for them to start walking, and Parker began to lead them again.
Rosh pulled her cousin and the two girls a little closer, not sure how well the werewolves could hear. “They, um, can smell us,” she warned her. “When… we like someone.”
Gwyneth seemed to freeze where she stood. “Oh.”
Haylen immediately looked over at Danse, though it was brief, her entire face flushing. “Oh, god,” she whispered.
Rasmi squeaked. “What?!”
“So just… be, you know, aware,” Rosh mumbled.
“Aware?!” Rashmi gasped. “That’s going to be all that I can think of now!”
Gwyneth patted her hair back. “Oh, I’m going to be fully aware,” she agreed.
“Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop being aware,” Haylen whispered.
“Sorry,” Rosh muttered.
Still, Rashmi shot a look at Rhys over her shoulder. He had his eyes on her still, the corner of his mouth twitching as they locked gazes.
“Is it true that they seduced you in the woods?” Gwyneth asked.
“It was in the caves, actually,” Arthur interjected from a few feet ahead of them without turning around.
She waved her hand at him. “Shoo. Girls talking.”
Rosh groaned. “Look, we’ll tell you- well, not everything, but we’ll… tell you most of it whilst we walk, ok?”
“Do you think you could, you know… introduce us to some of them?” Haylen asked. “I mean, in a way that’s more than being acquaintance pack mates?”
Rosh patted her on the back. “I give you three nights before you’ve fucked him,” she said.