Published: June 24th 2023, 2:00:06 pm
It’s easy to tell the medical staff apart from the warriors, the clothes covering their bodies a dead giveaway. They wear complete outfits, a drastic change from the haphazardly thrown-on underwear scrub bottoms the warriors are forced into as they enter the hospital building.
Two nurses stand near the doors to provide directions and hand out clothing, and Caleb ushers us toward the one on the left.
A few wolves are waiting nearby to speak with her, but they step aside once they see Caleb.
“Where were the humans taken?” Caleb asks.
The nurse eyes him, her lips pursed as she tries to decide whether his underwear is appropriate. I’m surprised the wolves even care to dress inside here, but I suppose enough medical equipment and sharp objects are sitting around that they don’t want to risk any injuries from flopping body parts.
Instinctively, even though I know it’s dramatic, I step in front of Caleb. The nurse’s eyes dart back up, and her cheeks turn a bright shade of red. I knew her gaze was lingering, and her blush proves it.
Caleb’s fingers curl around my waist as the nurse spins around and points down a hallway to our left.
“The pediatric ward is just down that hallway and to the right. The overhead signs will guide you,” she says. “The women will be in the examination rooms nearby. King is there already.”
Warriors are on her the moment she’s finished speaking, all rushing to get their questions answered. Caleb and I don’t bother sticking around, and we quickly make our way in the direction she pointed. The hallways are busy, and I wince when my shoulder is roughly bumped from behind by a warrior.
He throws a loud apology over his shoulder as he hurries ahead, his legs carrying him at a pace mine can’t replicate. Caleb usually goes feral when the other wolves get so close to me, but all he does is gently pull me closer to his side.
I have a feeling the warrior was too distracted even to notice who he was bumping into, and he meant no harm.
A lot is happening.
“How many wolves are hurt?” I ask.
Caleb guides me to the right. I have to practically jog to keep up with his long strides, and my arms pump at my sides as I force myself to take in slow, even breaths. Despite our hurry, I know Caleb will slow if he hears me pant.
“Roughly thirty are seriously hurt,” Caleb admits. “HPAW managed to get a small explosive just past the border. Most of our men were able to shake it off, but a few were too close to the blast. We’ve also had a few eardrums explode from the noise machines, but those have been healing within a few hours.”
The wolves’ eardrums are exploding? I knew the noise hurt them, but I had no idea it was that powerful.
“Are your ears okay?” I can’t help but ask.
I’m sure Caleb hasn’t been sitting back while his men fight. He’s being exposed just as much as they are.
Caleb makes a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat. “My ears are fine.”
He’s lying. The way he reaches up with his free hand and scratches the side of his nose is a dead giveaway. People always fidget when they lie, and Caleb is no exception.
I open my mouth, debating whether or not to push, before snapping it shut when a familiar face enters my line of sight. Just my fucking luck.
Jan steps out of a nearby room with a frown, and she rips off a pair of bloody gloves before shoving a loose piece of her brown hair out of her face. The strands cling to her skin, and she tosses the gloves in a nearby bin before aggressively reaching for her hair.
She looks exhausted as she begins to redo her ponytail, but her movements abruptly freeze when her eyes land on Caleb and me.
Caleb seems to realize she’s here at the same moment, and before I can register what’s happening, his bare chest is pressed against my back. Not so much as an inch of space is between us as he wraps his arms around my waist and waddles us forward, the positioning beyond awkward.
Still, having Caleb surround me while we walk past her does make me feel infinitely better.
He’s mine.
“I love you,” Caleb whispers. He kisses the top of my head a second later. “My mate.”
He practically growls the words, and I gulp as I’m quickly ushered down the hallway. Jan stares, her lips twitching as she watches Caleb’s possessive hold of me. I’m sure she thinks she’s got something over me, but I refuse to give her that power.
Kissing is intimate to humans, but it’s nothing compared to how the wolves feel about it, and knowing that Caleb kissed her doesn’t hurt me nearly as much as she likely thinks it does. A female wolf would be devastated, but I refuse to let myself feel that.
Not for her.
It’s a few more minutes of walking before we reach the pediatric ward, and Caleb continues to press himself against me the entire way. I don’t mind, and we settle into a smooth walking rhythm that’s significantly less awkward than it was at first.
“We’re running blood tests to see if we can pair any of the women we rescued with the infants,” Caleb says, pulling me into a bright room.
A bright room full of bassinets. There are about twenty, all with clear plastic sides and thin metal legs.
There’s one nurse in the room, her brown hair pulled into a loose braid and her pink scrubs wrinkled. She’s standing over one of the bassinets, and judging by the wiggling limbs visible through the transparent sides, one of the babies is here.
I glance at the other bassinets, but they all appear empty.
“Where are the others?” I ask.
The nurse looks up and meets my eye. “The women are being put in private rooms down the hall, and the babies are being brought here after theirs,” she explains.
As she speaks, another nurse steps into the room with a wiggling mass in his arms. The baby screams bloody murder, and the man coos as he bounces his way over to one of the bassinets.
Caleb and I smoothly step out of his way, and I watch in awe as the nurse lays the baby down and makes his way to a small counter in the back of the room.
There’s a sink in the center of the counter, and to the left appears to be some sort of mini-fridge. The nurse pulls it open and grabs a small bag of milk before getting to work making a bottle. Is that the stuff they stole from HPAW? It doesn’t look like formula, not that I’ve ever seen any outside of TV and movies, and I highly doubt the wolves have a supply of breastmilk on hand.
“How’s it looking?” Caleb asks.
The female nurse who spoke earlier steps away from the bassinet she’s hovering over. The baby inside doesn’t make a noise, but maybe I just can’t hear it over the screaming of the other. It’s distracting, and I shift my weight from foot to foot as I glance at the male nurse making the bottle.
He looks calm, but I’d be frantic if I were him. The baby isn’t even my responsibility, and I’m getting antsy.
The female nurse approaches the screaming baby, her lips curling into a soft smile as she places her hand on its tummy. Do babies like that?
“Everything is looking good so far,” she says, answering Caleb’s question when the baby below her begins to settle. It’s still crying, but it’s less of a shriek and more of a whine. “Most of them are a few months old, and they’re ticking all the boxes for physical and mental development.”
Caleb smooths his hand down my arm. “And the adults?”
“I’m not sure.” She steps back as the male nurse returns with the bottle. “I’ve been focused on the children.”
The male nurse leans over the bassinet with the bottle, and the second the whiny thing inside sees it, it immediately settles. The man chuckles as he grabs an angled pillow and props it under the baby’s head and chest, sitting it up.
I inch forward, wanting to watch.
I’ve never seen a baby before, at least not in real life, and this is fascinating. The baby wraps its chubby arms around the man’s wrists as it lunges for the bottle, and I press my hands to my cheeks as it lifts its legs and simultaneously kicks at the man’s elbow.
“He’s a chunky one,” the man laughs, noticing my attention. His smile grows as he returns his focus to the baby. “Aren’t you, Bub?”
The baby curls his tiny fingers around the bottle as he drinks, his throat bobbing with every swallow.
I’m obsessed, and I’m so entranced I don’t even notice Caleb’s approach until he plants his hands on my hips.
“Do you want to feed him?” He nudges me forward before waiting for my response.
My heart is pounding, and a cold sweat spreads down my back as the nurses step to the side to make room for Caleb and me. How do you even feed a baby? I’m given no advice as the bottle is set in my hands, and I suck in a shaky breath as I lean over the bassinet.
The bottle is surprisingly warm, and I jolt when the baby immediately latches onto me.
My eyes fall to his hand, and my throat constricts when I see the tiny white markings covering the back of it. They’re so small.
“What’s going to happen to them?” I ask.
Caleb rests his chin on my head. “Wolves are possessive over their children and families, so we don’t have orphanages like humans. There are several wolves who never found their mate, though, and they’ll be ecstatic at the opportunity to raise a child.”
“These babies aren’t wolves, though?”
Would a wolf willingly volunteer to raise a human? Even if they never had their own children, I can’t imagine them being excited about getting a human.
“So? A baby is a baby, Ev,” Caleb chuckles. He reaches around me to prod at one of the rolls on the baby’s thigh.
My lips curl, and a curt laugh bursts from my throat when the baby’s eyes dart toward the large man behind me. He continues gulping down the milk, not at all concerned about the man at least ten times his size prodding at his chunky legs.
He’s in the middle of an important task called eating, and it’s clear he won’t be abandoning it any time soon.
“What’s his name?” I ask.
The male nurse clears his throat. “HPAW gave them numbers, so they don’t have any yet.”
My heart fucking cracks, and I clench my jaw shut before I cry. I don’t want to think about that right now, and I force myself to focus on feeding the baby instead.
I like the feeling of his tiny fingers prying at mine, and something about it makes me want to scream and squeeze every bit of his flesh. It’s just so fucking—I don’t know—cute. I’m obsessed, and I suddenly understand why people like these slobbery, poopy things so much.
“I imagine you won’t split the infants from their birth parent?” I ask. Only three adults were rescued, so there won’t be many matches, but there’ll be a few.
Caleb nods.
“Of course not.”
I swallow past the lump in my throat. “How will a wolf react when he finds out his mate is both a human and a parent of an infant?”
Will they be angry? Will they try to kill the baby as some primates do? I doubt it, but the horrid thought still rushes through my mind.
I watch the tiny boy in front of me, his eyelashes fluttering as he pushes the bottle away so he can suck in a few frantic breaths. It only lasts for a few seconds before he desperately reaches for the bottle again, and I happily push it between his lips so he can continue feeding.
At this rate, he’s going to drink the entire bottle within only minutes.
“The baby will be an extension of their mate,” Caleb says. “It’ll smell like their mate, it’ll look like their mate, it’ll share the love of their mate. I’m not concerned about my people rejecting their human because they come with a second, tiny one. I imagine the wolf will see the child as their own.”
I look at him, wanting to see his face as he speaks. Caleb pulls away to peer down at me, and my tense muscles relax when I see he’s telling the truth.
Would Caleb have it within himself to love a child I had without him?
As I stare into his wide brown eyes, I realize he would. His wolf would probably insist on rubbing against the baby as he used to do with my clothes, covering them in his scent and making it clear to everybody that they were his.
He’d probably insist my child wore an ugly, bright orange traffic cone coat, too.
The doors behind us open, and a new nurse carries in a baby. This one looks younger than the one I’m feeding, and it also appears to be sound asleep as the nurse gently sets it in one of the bassinets in the far corner of the room.
“I need to speak with King and Maverick,” Caleb says.
Oh. I frown, disappointed to leave. The little chunker is only halfway finished with his bottle.
“Why don’t you stay here?” Caleb continues. “I’ll be back shortly, and I like the look of baby fever you’re getting in your eye right now.”
I gasp, embarrassed he’s so loudly pointing it out, but Caleb only laughs before hurrying toward the doors. I glare at him before turning back to the baby before anybody sees how bright my cheeks have grown.
It’s perfectly normal to like babies.
It’s another two days before things at the border begin to settle and the marked humans are finally brought to Caleb’s pack.
I didn’t anticipate HPAW sending so many men to try and overtake the border pack, but they didn’t so much as make a dent. Caleb was prepared, and for every man HPAW sent, Caleb had two wolves to fight them back.
At least, that’s what I’ve heard from the other wolves.
Caleb and I hardly have time to see one another, both of us getting up early and separating until late at night. Sometimes he manages to tear himself away from the warriors just long enough to find Sash and me, shove some food into his mouth, and make weird faces at the baby Sash has stolen for the day.
Most of the time, though, I don’t see him until well after dark.
He and I were given a small hotel room to stay in once we decided we needed to remain in the pack for a few days, and I can’t wait to leave. The bed is too small for us, and the mattress is just slightly too hard to be comfortable.
Sighing, I press my palms over my eyes. I’m exhausted, but Caleb should be back soon. Sash, the humans, and the infants left a few hours ago, and I’m just waiting for Caleb to wrap up his final meetings and drive us home.
Well, back to the safe house we’re now calling home.
Either way, I’m looking forward to it. I miss Caleb, miss seeing him smile and feeling his touch, and this car ride will be a good time for us to reconnect.
I want to hear what’s happening at the border and with HPAW. Sash and I have been beyond busy trying to finalize housing for the rescued humans, so I haven’t had time to chat with any warriors about it. I barely even have time to visit the infants.
Several wolves have requested them, and after spending hours and hours pouring over all the applications, Sash and I have made our final decisions. The new parents will meet us at Caleb’s pack, and I tap my foot against the ground as I glance at the time.
I wanted to see the children goodbye, but at this rate, they’ll be gone by the time Caleb and I make it back.
What’s taking him so long?
He’s probably gotten into another argument with the unmated wolves. They’re angry Caleb’s been delaying entering the rescued humans into the matching system, and several have even gone as far as to travel here to try and plead their case. Caleb isn’t pleased about it, and he’s made it quite clear he wants his people to stay away from the fighting, but they aren’t listening.
I’m learning that most of Caleb’s wolves don’t listen to him.
I’d never admit it out loud, but for a while, I thought it was a sign of weakness. I’m so used to HPAW’s form of leadership that I failed to realize how successful Caleb’s is. HPAW commanded respect and obedience through fear, and it was a dog-eat-dog world. Every man for themselves.
The wolves, though, they act as a family.
They ignore and argue with Caleb because they love him, but the wolves quickly get in line when it becomes clear that things are serious.
When push comes to shove, he has their blind faith.
It’s why the unmated wolves, with the exception of the few older ones who insist on lingering outside the gymnasium, have been giving the humans space. There are so many wolves here, and they could easily push through the four guards who stand just beyond the doors, but they don’t.
It’s a relief. The humans are angry enough, especially since they learned about the babies.
The small blonde who was grabbed by her warrior mate asked to see him shortly after the incident. The wolves were all too happy to fulfill the request, excited by the possibility that one of the humans was accepting their mate so quickly.
Had I been there, I would’ve warned them it was a trick.
It took less than ten minutes for the blonde to juice every piece of information from the frightening warrior, and even less for her to run back to the gaggle of humans and share it all. They went feral once they learned about the babies, demanding the children remain with them.
It’s the angriest I’ve ever seen them, and I’m pretty sure Caleb was going to burst a blood vessel when he heard what his warrior did, but thankfully both parties have settled over the past few days.
The warrior still meets with the small blonde multiple times a day, eager to tell her what’s happening if it means he can spend time with his mate.
It’s clear she thinks she’s a martyr, giving herself up for the group, and the wolves find it entertaining.
The humans still ask about the babies, but after Caleb gave in to the request and ordered the infants to be brought into the gymnasium, it took only an hour for the adults to quiet their demands. It turns out that listening to eleven shrill, high-pitched wailing was enough for them to lose interest in the infants.
I can’t believe it worked, and I’m slightly annoyed that Caleb got the idea after watching me cringe when a baby I was holding began to cry in my arms. It was the first time I ever truly heard one make any noises above a fussy whine, and it was terrifying.
I couldn’t figure out how to make it stop, and it wasn’t until Caleb gently took the small girl out of my arms and moved away that I felt like I could finally breathe.
Despite their sensitive hearing, the wolves spend so much time around children that the sounds of crying go in one ear and out the other.
It must be nice.
“My love,” Caleb says, stepping into our hotel room.
I smile and shove the last of my items into my bag. It’s about damn time. I finished packing Caleb’s bag a few minutes ago and am beyond ready to go home.
“Everything settled?” I ask.
Caleb nods, his broad smile growing as he nudges the door shut and approaches me.
“HPAW’s backed off for now,” he explains. “I’ve sent about half of our men home, and the others will remain here as a precaution.” He takes a few steps closer and wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me away from my bag. “Are the humans en route?”
I nod, silently confirming.
“Have you heard anything about the matches?” I ask.
Of the eleven infants, only two were a biological match to the adult women rescued from the facility. HPAW separated the infants from their mothers so no bond would form, and one was ecstatic to learn her child was alive and she could have him.
The other isn’t showing any interest. She doesn’t want the trauma that she associates with him, which is beyond understandable, but it makes for a tricky situation. Time, and a lot of therapy, might change her mind, and we can’t in good conscience give her son to a wolf only to take him away later because the mother has decided she wants to raise her child.
Sash has offered to care for him for the time being, at least until the mother is in a position to make a definite decision.
“She still doesn’t want Chunks,” Caleb says, using the nickname I’ve given the baby boy.
He was the one I fed when Caleb brought me to the pediatric wing, and I hate to admit he’s quickly become my favorite. He still has no name, but we don’t want to give him one and take the excitement of naming him away from his mother.
“She refuses to so much as be in the same room as him,” Caleb continues.
I sigh, disappointed to hear that. “Have you confirmed with Sash that she’ll take him in for now?”
Caleb clears his throat, and a long silence stretches between us before he speaks again.
“Not exactly,” he admits.
Not exactly? What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Caleb’s expression is unreadable as he smooths my hair out of my face and cups my cheeks. I shut my eyes and purse my lips, preparing for him to kiss me as he always does when he touches me like this, and I huff when it doesn’t come.
Caleb’s still staring at me when I peek to see what the holdup is.
“I think we should take him home.”
My eyes, still half shut, fly open.
“Take him home?” There’s no way I heard Caleb correctly. “Caleb, we don’t even have a home. We have a meeting house with a bedroom to sleep in.”
It’s a cute thought, one I’d love to entertain if things weren’t so hectic in our lives. I know Caleb adores children, he’s made that abundantly clear these past few days, but we’re not in a position to care for Chunks right now.
Most of Caleb’s days are nothing but back-to-back meetings, and I’ve been working hard to fill the role of female Alpha. Sash has given me a full schedule these next few weeks, and I’m going to be spending most of my time with the rescued humans.
I need to make sure they’re adjusting to their new apartments, and I will be running all around Caleb’s pack while I do so.
There’s no way I’ll be able to do that with a baby.
“We don’t have the means or time to care for Chunks,” I say, needing Caleb to understand this isn’t going to happen.
Caleb clenches his jaw, and I can tell he’s gearing up for a fight.
“I want him,” he deadpans.
“Chunks is a being, Caleb,” I say, frantic. I don’t know the first thing about caring for children. “He’s not an object you can claim, or a toy you can pick up and carry around when you’re bored.”
I’ve been watching Sash with the infants these past few days, and she’s a natural. Even though the babies are too young to do much, Sash always manages to find a way to keep them entertained and giggling. They love her, and they practically flock to her.
Chunks will be happy under her care, and she’s got time to spend with him.
She’s been filling the role of female Alpha for a long time now, and the work isn’t nearly as overwhelming to her as it is to me. It’s second nature to her at this point, and managing it with a baby won’t be a struggle.
Besides, she’s told me that she and Cole are actively trying to get pregnant. She’s mentally prepared for the responsibility of a baby. I’m not.
“I am a grown man…” Caleb starts. His tone indicates he’s pre-planned whatever he’s about to say. “I’ve been overseeing thousands of wolves and dozens of packs for years, and—”
I lift my hand, cutting him off. I don’t need to hear his speech to understand he’s a competent leader and will make a good father. It’s something I know and believe down to my bones, but that isn’t enough to change my mind.
This just isn’t going to work. Not right now.
A knock on the door cuts through the room, and Caleb practically fucking bounces as he spins around and yanks it open. I can’t see past his giant frame, and my suspicion only rises when Caleb speaks in a noticeably quiet tone.
What’s he doing?
Just as I move to walk around him and see who he’s speaking to, he reaches out and grabs something. Something with short stubby limbs and drool pouring out of its toothless mouth.
Caleb pulls Chunks into his arms before throwing a large bag over his shoulder and shutting the door.
I’ve been angry at Caleb before, plenty of times before, but it’s never been as intense as this. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been this angry. My blood has never boiled so hot, and I don’t bother hiding it as I glare at Caleb over the top of Chunks’ head.
A second later, the baby is lifted until I can no longer see Caleb’s face.
“Sash shifted and ran back home, and somebody has to drive this little man,” Caleb says from behind the squirming baby.
My hands clench into tight fists by my sides.
“He could have easily gone with the other children, Caleb,” I say. I’m unsure what angle he thinks he’s trying to work, but I’m not falling for it.
Caleb shrugs. “They ran out of car seats.”
Liar.
“But somehow, you managed to secure one?” I scoff and run a hand through my hair. “That’s quite convenient.”
Caleb lowers Chunks, and I resist the urge to look at the wiggly guy as he shoves his pacifier out of his mouth and squeals. He’s entirely oblivious to the tension between Caleb and me, and he happily kicks his feet as Caleb wraps an arm around his belly and holds him to his chest.
“I just like having him around,” Caleb admits. “He was in a meeting with me when the other infants left, so he missed his departure. I didn’t intend for my meeting to run so long, and I wasn’t paying attention to the time.”
I wasn’t aware Caleb was taking Chunks into meetings with him. I bite my lip to stop from smiling at the mental image of him walking from meeting to meeting with a tiny human baby clutched possessively in his arms.
“We’ll drive him straight to Sash’s, I promise,” Caleb continues.
It’s not like we have much of a choice, anyway. Everybody else has already left, and we can’t very well leave Chunks behind.
Besides, I know what Caleb’s trying to do, and I won’t fall for it.
“We’re going straight to Sash’s,” I confirm.
Caleb nods, the baby giggles, and I frown as I grab our bags and throw them over my shoulders.
Caleb is excited.
He walks ahead of me with Chunks, his pace unhurried and relaxed. Despite all the chatter from the wolves surrounding us, I’m faintly able to make out the sounds of him speaking into the infant’s ear. He’s probably whispering his excitement at me agreeing that we drive back together.
I feel slightly guilty for refusing his request to care for the little man, especially after our complicated history revolving around having children, but I stand by what I said. Under normal circumstances, I’d love to take in Chunks, but this isn’t a good time.
We’ve just started a fight with a giant organization that has only ever had one goal—killing the wolves. HPAW’s spent years building up their militia and securing agreements with the US government, and this is only the beginning.
They sent hundreds of men to the border to try and retrieve the marked humans, and even though we know we’re doing this for the right reasons, HPAW is selective over the information they share with the general public. They’ve probably sent the message that we kidnapped several humans and painted themselves the heroes.
It couldn’t be further from the truth, but there isn’t anything we can realistically do to sway public human opinion.
They wouldn’t believe us if we tried, and the US government is no fucking help. They ignore Caleb’s requests to find common ground, and they’ve happily stepped back and let HPAW run the show since the wolves decided to split from the general population and start their packs in what was once Canada.
Caleb spins around and shoots me a broad smile.
“He farted,” he laughs.
What?
“Chunks farted,” he elaborates.
I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed somebody get so giddy over a fart, and I raise a brow as Caleb turns back around and continues leading us to the car. He’s so weird, and I readjust our bags on my shoulder as I remind myself that I’m angry.
Caleb went behind my back, and I know he’s trying to manipulate me into agreeing to keep Chunks. He thinks he’ll be able to convince me during this car ride, but it’s not going to happen.
The car is parked in an empty lot just down the street from the hotel, and I toss our bags in the trunk while Caleb works on getting Chunks buckled into his car seat. Despite my best attempts not to linger and coo over the tiny being, I can’t stop myself from peering over Caleb’s shoulder as he straps Chunks in.
The little guy makes a bit of a fuss, his usually happy grin shifting into an angry frown as his body’s strapped in. For a moment, his face grows red, the telltale sign he’s about to start crying, but Caleb smoothly grabs a pacifier and sticks it between his lips before any noises emerge.
I don’t think it will work, but surprisingly, Chunks settles right down.
His big blue eyes shift between Caleb and me as his straps are adjusted, and I wonder how he feels when he sees us. It must be scary to be surrounded by strangers, but I hope he’s enjoying all the attention he’s been receiving.
HPAW scientists and medical staff aren’t known to be the most affectionate, and I doubt any of the children were receiving love and entertainment beyond what’s critical for physical and mental development.
“He looks mighty handsome in his onesie, doesn’t he?” Caleb asks, double-checking Chunks’ straps.
I gulp, glancing at the dark green fabric. It’s covered in tiny little wolves, naturally, and it is pretty cute. Once news of the infants was spread, several outfits were donated, and almost half of them sport some sort of wolf pattern.
Caleb straightens up and steps aside so he has room to shut the door.
He makes eye contact with me as he does, and a second later, he’s cupping my cheeks and bringing his lips to mine. Despite my anger, I soften into the kiss. I’ve been missing intimacy these past few days, and it feels nice.
“I’m sorry, Ev,” Caleb whispers, pulling away. “I should’ve asked you before offering to drive Chunks, and I shouldn’t have sprung my desire to keep him on you.”
No, he shouldn’t have, but it’s impossible to stay angry when Caleb’s staring at me like the sun shines out of my butt. Sighing, I reach up and push his hair out of his face. It’s getting a bit long, the wavy brown strands falling into his eyes and covering his ears, but I love it.
Caleb shuts his eyes as I run my fingers through his hair.
“Let’s go home.” My voice is quiet, and Caleb nods before releasing me and making his way to the driver’s seat.
The first half of our drive is spent in relative silence, minus Chunks’ continuous babbling, and I find myself relieved when my phone begins to ring. I dig the device out of my pocket, and I don’t hesitate to answer the second I see Sash’s contact photo covering my screen.
“Yes?” I say, bringing the device to my ear.
Caleb doesn’t react, but I’m sure he’s listening.
“I just got home,” Sash starts, sounding faintly out of breath. “I rushed so I wouldn’t be late to pick up Chunks, but imagine my surprise when he wasn’t in the van with the others. I’ve been told Caleb stole him from the nursery and hid in a meeting room until everybody left.”
I shut my eyes in a slow blink, my anger toward Caleb growing. He at least has the decency to look guilty, and he turtles his neck into his shoulders while avoiding eye contact.
“Yeah…” I clear my throat and shoot Caleb a frosty glare for good measure. “Caleb might’ve done that, but we’re on our way back now. We’ll be by your place in about an hour.”
Sash breathes heavily into the phone, and I can just imagine her crossing her arms over her chest and cocking her hip out to the side.
“I’ll be waiting,” she says.
Pressing my lips together, I pull the phone away from my ear and end the line.
“What’s going on, Caleb?” I ask.
Caleb shrugs, trying to brush off my question, before letting out a quiet sigh when he realizes I’m not going to drop it. This isn’t normal, and his behavior is beyond weird. I’m concerned.
“My wolf likes him,” Caleb quietly admits. “And he’s been getting angry with me whenever I pass up the opportunity to have Chunks around.”
I spin and glance at the little man in question. His pacifier sits on his lap, and he somehow managed to kick off his right shoe and sock. His bare foot is tiny, and he grabs his toes with his equally small fingers.
His movements are slow and cautious, like it’s taking every bit of concentration he has to take hold of his foot. It probably does.
“Why?” I ask, turning back to Caleb.
Caleb’s told me before that his title of Alpha means his wolf is more primal than most. It makes him stronger, and it’s what commands the respect of his people. They can sense it in him, and it urges them to submit. Still, I was under the impression they usually operate in union.
“I don’t know—” Caleb’s phone begins to ring, cutting him off, and he quickly checks to see who the caller is before tossing the device into the cup holder. I fish it out, wanting to see.
It’s Cole.
“He’ll call again if it’s important,” Caleb says.
I set the phone back down, and we let it ring until Cole hangs up. He’s probably calling on behalf of his angry mate. I’m sure Sash isn’t happy to hear what Caleb did to Chunks, and I wouldn’t put it past her to demand Cole scold Caleb.
She’s still on thin ice since her banishment, and she admitted to me yesterday that she’s not above using Cole to get her point across.
The air in the car feels heavy as I wait for Caleb to continue speaking.
“You asked me the other day if I think about that night…” Caleb pauses and glances in the rearview mirror, seemingly checking to ensure Chunks isn’t listening. I don’t have the heart to tell him that Chunks has no idea what we’re saying. “That night you asked me to finish inside you.”
My heart thumps painfully in my chest, and I turn to look out my window before giving a curt nod. He admitted that he was embarrassed about it, and then he promptly shut down the conversation. It’s been lingering in the back of my mind since.
“I lied when I said I wasn’t angry. Well, kind of. I’m not, but my wolf is,” Caleb explains. “I can understand the nuances and complicated emotions that went into that evening, but he can’t. He sees things through a much more black-and-white lens, and, in his eyes, you promised him something and then took it away. He’s frustrated and hurt, especially when we have sex, and he’s still trying to cum inside you. It’s why I’ve been avoiding it.”
Has Caleb been avoiding having sex with me?
Things have been so busy that sex hasn’t really been a thought in my mind, and it never occurred to me that Caleb was going out of his way to avoid being with me. I push my hair out of my face as I try to recall the last few times we were intimate.
There have only been two times since that night, the first the day after I was rescued from HPAW and the second when I woke up and practically threw myself at him.
Caleb didn’t seem upset either time, but I suppose he wouldn’t have told me if he was.
“I’ve just been ignoring it,” Caleb continues. “I thought it would eventually go away, but then he saw you feeding Chunks. It was the first time we’ve ever seen you with a child, and my wolf knows Chunks doesn’t have a parent, so he got attached. He thinks the baby is his…ours.”
I slump down in my seat until the seatbelt cuts into my neck, preventing me from sinking further.
Caleb sounds genuinely apologetic, and I can tell he didn’t intend to tell me all this until I pushed. I wish I hadn’t. It’s easier to be angry with him when I don’t understand where his emotions are coming from.
“We can’t keep him, Caleb,” I whisper. “It’s not the right time, and who knows what’ll happen with his mom. She could very well change her mind, and we shouldn’t let your wolf grow more attached in the meantime.”
Caleb nods. “I understand.”
Chunks makes a noise, a mixture between a whine and a grunt, and I sit back up and peer behind me to see what he’s doing. His nose is scrunched and his face is red, and he holds eye contact with me as another quiet grunt slips from his throat.
“He’s pooping, isn’t he?” I ask.
I’m sure Caleb can hear precisely what’s happening in Chunks’ diaper. For once, I’m grateful not to have super hearing, or smelling, and I crack a small smile as Caleb grimaces.
He pulls the car aside a moment later, thankfully just as the scent of poop begins to spread through the small vehicle. I roll down my window, preferring to brave the cold outside air over it.
“I’ll do it,” Caleb says as he sees me reaching for my belt buckle.
He leaves the car running as he steps outside and makes his way to Chunks, and I hate to see the disappointment in his expression as he makes quick work of the diaper. He’s surprisingly good at it, and within what feels like only seconds, Chunks is back in his seat with a clean butt and both shoes secured on his feet.
I watch, selfishly enjoying the sight of Caleb tending to a baby.
If things weren’t so hectic, this wouldn’t be nearly as much of an issue as it is. I’d love to take Chunks home, and I’d love to experience parenthood with Caleb, even if it’s only for a brief period, but it’s just not feasible.
Caleb double-checks all of Chunks’ car seat straps before hopping back in and resuming our drive. I open my mouth a few times, feeling like I should resume our earlier conversation, but I have no idea what to say, so I shut it each time with a quiet click.
If Caleb notices, he doesn’t acknowledge it.
The remaining hour of the drive passes in a blur, and Caleb’s knuckles turn white as we turn down Sash’s street. I know he doesn’t want to give Chunks back, but it’s for the best. Despite what his wolf thinks, Chunks isn’t our baby.
Sash storms out of her house the second we pull into the driveway, and poor Caleb looks like he’s about to burst a blood vessel as she rips open the back door and begins to unbuckle Chunks.
“If you wanted to spend more time with him, that’s fine, but you can’t just go around stealing infants, Caleb,” she scolds, her sharp gaze cutting into the side of Caleb’s head. “It’s inappropriate, and you threw several people into a panic.”
Caleb remains quiet, letting Sash scold him.
“Even Cole said you were out of line,” she continues, jerking her head toward the house.
Cole stands in the doorway, and he presses his lips into a flat line before raising his hand and giving Caleb and me a curt wave. He clearly doesn’t wish to get involved, and I don’t blame him.
Sash finishes unbuckling Chunks, and she tucks him under her left arm while she grabs his diaper bag with her right. The tension between her and Caleb is beyond uncomfortable, and I’m pretty sure you could cut it with a butter knife as Sash throws the bag over her shoulder and unhooks the car seat.
She’s thorough, and she removes any evidence of Chunks from the car before slamming the door shut and storming into her house. Cole follows her inside and shuts the door, and Caleb and I stare at it for a long moment before he turns the car back on and drives us to the safe house.
My clammy palms slide against the steering wheel as I pull into the apartment complex, and I grimace as I lift them in front of the air vents in a sad attempt to dry them.
There’s no reason to be so nervous.
Sash has been handling the daily visits to the apartment complex the rescued humans were moved to for the past week, all thanks to Caleb and his refusal to let me near them until the humans have been deemed safe. He’s terrified they will try and kill me, but Sash finally gave us the ‘all clear’ yesterday.
It couldn’t have come at a better time.
Our safe house is full of wolves from when I wake up until I go to bed, and if I have to overhear one more strategy conversation, I will lose my mind. I did my best to listen and chime in at first, but it quickly became apparent that my assistance wasn’t isn’t as helpful as I like to believe.
All the information I have on HPAW is useless now, and while it was vital in rescuing the humans, that’s about all it was good for.
Caleb, Adam, Cole, and the several other wolves who filter in and out of the house throughout the day have it covered. I’m ready to make myself useful, and I can do that with the humans.
My palms continue to sweat as I pull into the empty lot and kill the engine. Three wolves emerge from the wooded area to the left of the parking lot about ten seconds later, and I roll my eyes as I push open my door and head inside the building.
I should’ve known Caleb would send wolves to accompany me, but three feels overkill.
There are wolves inside the apartment building, and I’d argue that I can hold my own against another human. Whatever training those they rescued underwent with HPAW, I can guarantee I was also forced to endure—plus some more. In fact, I know that to be true.
Every human underwent thorough physical exams before being brought to the apartments, the wolves not taking the risk of an injury or tracking chip going undetected, and the doctors have concluded that most of these humans have only ever had relatively minor injuries.
Despite the hours of forced exercise a day they were made to endure, there’s little evidence that there have been any broken bones or injuries beyond a pulled muscle now and again.
HPAW didn’t crack their ribs as they did to me, nor did they force the humans to fight with fractured wrists or broken toes.
I haven’t trained in months, but I’m pretty sure I could take down one of the humans if I needed to. Maybe even two or three, depending on whether or not they had weapons.
The three wolves Caleb ordered to follow me drop fabric from their mouths before quickly shifting into their human forms and getting dressed. I politely look away, waiting for them to finish. They must hate having to run around with their clothes shoved into their mouths, but nobody’s made a fuss.
They can probably sense how uncomfortable their naked bodies make me.
“Ready?”
I jump, startled to hear a voice so close behind me, before spinning around to face Adam. He’s looking at the apartment building, and his throat bobs as he gradually slides his focus to me.
I raise a brow, surprised to see him here.
“Shouldn’t you be with Caleb?” I ask.
Adam shrugs. “You’re more fun.”
I’m sure that’s not true. Adam loved to complain about me when we were living next to one another, and I’m still slightly suspicious that he only hung out with me because I was Caleb’s mate. He just wanted to leech my food and hear firsthand all the drama.
Maybe our trauma has bonded us, though. He was my rock while we were stuck in the HPAW facility, and I do have to admit I feel significantly closer to him than I did before. When push comes to shove, I believe Adam will always be there for me.
I’d do the same for him, even though he annoys the fuck out of me.
“When are you going back to work?” I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.
Adam’s taken a leave of absence from teaching, but I’m sure his students miss him. Plus, I know he hates the responsibility that working beside Caleb entails. His wolf may technically be an Alpha, the only one who’s even comparable to Caleb’s, but he’s got no interest in the title.
“Don’t you miss it?” I continue.
Adam purses his lips and waves my question away. I suppose it’s not on the list of topics he’s willing to entertain today, and I don’t push as I turn and make my way inside the apartment building. I really want to ask about Bells, but I don’t want to be the one to bring it up.
I worry it’s too touchy of a subject, and I don’t want to upset Adam.
The two other wolves Caleb sent to accompany me follow closely behind Adam and me. I don’t recognize them, but they’re large and practically exude warrior energy. I think it’s their tense posture and shifty eyes. They’re always alert, and always ready.
The apartment doors open to a small lobby, and I follow Sash’s instructions and head up the stairs directly across from the door. She said the common room is only one story up and impossible to miss, and I pray she’s right as I wipe my sweaty palms on my pants and hurry to the second floor.
“What’s your plan for today?” Adam asks. “I was instructed not to let you enter any apartments.”
Of course he was. I wasn’t planning to, but I can’t help but feel mildly annoyed by Caleb’s order, anyway.
“I just want to introduce myself to the humans and make it clear I’m here to help make the transition smoother,” I admit, sucking in a shaky breath once I reach the second-floor landing.
I don’t see the common room in question, but I can sure hear it. Loud chatter filters down the hallway, filling me with relief. Sash said the humans were choosing to spend most of their time together, and due to the smaller size of their apartments, that means they spend most of their days in the apartment common room.
Apparently, the wolves who now live in the building avoid it like the plague, all of them eager to give the humans their space. I shouldn’t be nearly as surprised as I am about their kindness.
If the roles were reversed, the humans would’ve been up in arms about their space being taken up by wolves. They wouldn’t care about the situation, and they’d be demanding their rent be lowered and the wolves be removed.
“Their marks were just scanned yesterday, and Sash said many of the humans were worried about it,” I say, speaking mostly to myself.
My heart pounds as I make my way down the hallway, and I push back my shoulders and straighten my spine before pushing open the door leading to the common room.
Just as I hoped, it’s full of humans.
A few sit on gray couches to the left, filling them up as they watch some TV show. Another group is sitting at a large 8-person table playing some game, and the rest linger about minding their own business. It’s a cozy space, full of comfortable-looking furniture and dark muted colors.
It’s similar to what I’d imagine a retirement home to look like. Not that I’ve ever been to one.
Nobody notices me at first, but the room falls silent when the three giant wolves enter behind me. It’s awkward, and I clear my throat before plastering a smile on my lips and stepping further into the room.
Adam quickly follows, planting himself securely on my right.
I can practically feel the nervous energy pouring off him, but a scan of the room and a flash of bright blue hair clarifies why. Bells stares directly at Adam as she slinks off the couch, her eyes laser-focused on him as she backs up toward a door on the far side of the room and disappears.
Why is she here? Is she living here now? Why didn’t Adam mention anything? Questions continue to swirl through my mind, but I push them aside. Now’s not the time for that.
“Hey, everybody,” I start, speaking to the room. “I know you all have seen me around, but I haven’t had the chance to properly introduce myself. I’m Evelyn.”
The room is painfully silent, but I force myself to continue.
“I’m a human as well…obviously.” I gesture between Adam and me, trying to make a joke about our size difference.
It doesn’t seem to go over well, and I get one pity laugh from the corner of the room. I glance in that direction, shocked to see a male wolf sitting on a small two-person couch. It takes a moment for me to register who he is, but once I notice the small blonde human sitting next to him, I realize he’s the warrior from the gymnasium.
Sash told me the humans had, for the most part, accepted him into their little community. They like that he shares information with them, with his mate, and even now, he sits beside her with a laptop balanced across his knee.
I can only imagine what he’s showing her.
Despite knowing he’s being used for information, he looks beyond elated. He’s wearing a formal, navy blue button-up shirt, probably to impress his mate, and he practically squishes himself against her side. Despite her deep-set frown and the glare she’s shooting in my direction, the blonde looks relaxed.
It’s a far change from the tense postures of all the other humans. They don’t know whether to look at me, the person speaking, or the three giant wolves surrounding me. They’re frightened, but she isn’t.
I fight the urge to smile as I realize that, even if subconsciously, she feels safe around her mate. Wolves are known to be extremely protective, and even if she wants to hate him, she knows he won’t let any of the other wolves get close to her.
“Anyway,” I continue, clearing my throat as I turn back to the room. “I understand how hard the transition here can be, and we want to make it as smooth as possible for you. We’re happy to get you whatever comforts you want, so please don’t hesitate to ask.”
One of the marked HPAW employees we rescued, a tall man with a shaved head and more tattoos lining his arms than I can even count, scoffs and crosses his arms over his chest. They flex, and my eyes instinctively dart to the dark red marking on the back of his hand.
I think he was a nurse, and I have a feeling he’ll be hard to acclimate.
Caleb suggested we show the humans the videos he’s been sent of wolves being tortured and abused, but I want to avoid that. I doubt those abused would want those videos of them being shared. Adam still refuses to so much as mention what HPAW did to him, and I doubt he’d ever agree to let footage of it be viewed.
He’d be horrified, and we can’t do that to those other wolves—even if they’re no longer around.
“Have our marks been added to the database?” the human man asks.
The others nod, looking nervous to hear the answer.
I brush my hair out of my face, slightly comforted when Adam places a hand on the small of my back.
“Yes,” I confirm, refusing to lie. “And several of you had matches.” Chatter immediately erupts, and I raise my voice to speak above it. “Your mates have been made aware, but they’re forbidden from entering the building.”
“Like that’ll stop them!” somebody shouts.
I continue to speak, ignoring it. “We’re putting together files on your mates, and we’ll share them with you as they’re completed. From there, you’ll be given time to review and decide whether or not you’d like to meet your mate. We aren’t going to force them on you.”
The original plan was to let the wolves meet the humans as soon as the matches were found, but after seeing just how frightened the humans are, we decided not to go down that route. They’ve already begun to accept the warrior into their group, letting him hang out in the common room day in and day out, and we’re hoping a slow exposure will be better.
Let them see firsthand how a mate bond works and decide for themselves if they want it.
They won’t like feeling like they’re missing out, and Caleb’s convinced they’ll grow jealous when they see their fellow humans developing relationships with their mate. Eventually, hopefully, it will lead to them seeking out their own.
I hope it works.
We’ll give it a few months, and if there’s no change, we’ll try something else.
The wolves weren’t happy to hear it, but they’re not making much fuss. They’re desperate for their mates to like them, and they’re willing to wait if it means they don’t have to deal with the hatred and anger they see Adam enduring with Bells.
Several humans turn their backs to me, dismissing me from the conversation and the room.
It’s rude, but I don’t blame them.
“Let’s go,” Adam says, his voice low. “Let them process that information alone.”
I chew at my bottom lip, frustrated this meeting didn’t go as I wanted, before giving a jerky nod and letting Adam lead me from the room. I thought the humans would ask me more questions, but they didn’t want anything to do with me.
Objectively I knew that was the most likely outcome, but I was remaining hopeful.
Me, Adam, and the two other wolves make our way outside. The two immediately strip and transform into their wolf forms, but Adam takes it upon himself to hop into the passenger seat of my car. He’s quiet as I climb inside, and he turns the radio up the moment I start the engine.
I take that as the silent cue not to ask about Bells, a topic I’m sure he could tell was on the tip of my tongue, and I shoot him a sideways glance before knocking my fucked up, janky, scarred hand against his.
He snorts and peers at the spot where his mark once lived. His skin healed nicely, but the mark never returned. Mine looks like it was sent through a shredder.
“I’m okay,” he says.
I don’t believe him, and I offer a tight-lipped smile before driving us back to the warehouse.
The minute Cole carries Chunks into the house, I know Caleb will be all over the little man. He always is, and I immediately turn to watch my mate’s reaction. He hasn’t brought up wanting to keep Chunks again, but he’s hopeless to hide his enthusiastic responses to the baby.
Caleb perks up the moment he notices the Chunks, and his arms tense where they’re wrapped around my midsection.
He loves when Sash stops by with Chunks, but he especially loves when Cole brings him in for work. Sash is only ever here for a few minutes, an hour at most, but Cole typically spends most of his day here. He brings a playmat and a few soft toys, and Chunks hangs out happily for hours.
“Morning,” I say, greeting Cole as he adjusts the baby strapped to his chest.
Chunks squeals and kicks his feet, and I give him a big smile and wave before returning to work.
I thought putting together packets about the wolves who matched with a human would be an excellent way to soft introduce them, but I didn’t expect the wolves to send me so much information. Two even took it upon themselves to include their elementary school report cards, which, while adorable, isn’t really necessary.
Still, I’m including everything they sent—even the things that seem useless.
For all I know, the humans will love it. I’d have loved to receive a packet full of Caleb’s achievements, so maybe they’ll feel the same way. I would’ve thought it was cute, even when I was still loyal to HPAW.
Caleb gently taps my hip, a silent request I knew wouldn’t take long to come. He’s eager to play with Chunks, and I stand so he can slide out from underneath me and help Cole lay out the playmat. Poor Cole looks slightly discombobulated as Caleb frets around him, but Chunks seems to love it.
Chunks seems to love everything Caleb does, and I wonder if the baby can sense that my mate is obsessed with him.
“You can leave this here so you don’t have to set it up every time you come over,” Caleb says, smoothing out the wrinkles on the mat.
Cole’s lips twitch, and I can tell he’s trying not to laugh at Caleb.
“Noted,” he chuckles.
I place a hand over my mouth, struggling to hold back a smile as I watch Caleb sit on the edge of the mat and wait for Cole to set Chunks down. I’m surprised Caleb doesn’t take it upon himself to untangle Chunks from the carrier himself, but it seems he does have some semblance of personal space left.
“Can you pull up the interview?” Caleb asks, turning to Adam.
I struggle not to stare at Adam as he wordlessly connects his computer to the room’s TV and pulls up the interview station. He’s been unusually quiet since we visited the humans, which I assume is because of Bells.
He probably only came with me hoping to spend time with her, and I’m sure it was hurtful when she ran away. Caleb admitted privately that she moved into one of the apartments only two days after the humans were brought to the pack, but Adam specifically requested it be kept quiet.
I don’t blame him, and I’ve been trying my best not to pity him. I know he wouldn’t like it.
The TV lights up as Adam’s computer connects, showcasing a human interviewer’s smiling face. He looks like he’s in an office, but there’s clearly a green screen behind him.
I lean back in my chair and cross my arms over my chest as the interviewer’s face shrinks and a second window pops up on the right of his. A moment later, the new window reveals a man’s grave face.
Jack.
He’s one of the humans we rescued that worked for HPAW, and I faintly recall him speaking up during my visit there the other day. He’s wearing a long sleeve shirt that covers his tattoos, and behind him is the couch from the common room. I’m sure all the other humans are standing behind the camera watching, probably in shock Caleb is allowing this to happen.
I’m shocked, too.
A few of the humans, specifically the ones who worked for HPAW and had a life outside the facility, have requested phones to communicate with their family and friends back home. We’ve been letting them, but we should’ve known it was only a matter of time before a news channel caught wind of it and found a way to make contact.
Letting the humans speak publicly is a risk, one that could easily backfire on us. HPAW’s under hot water right now due to their false reports that Caleb is dead and the number of lives they lost at the border. The general population thinks HPAW was thoughtless, and even though they’re still willing to support the cause, they’re annoyed.
Jack can, and likely will, speak against the wolves and put the favor back into HPAW’s hands.
When I heard about the interview, I rushed to put together the file on his mate. It’s a sad attempt to sway him, hopefully making him hesitant to say anything too cruel about the wolves, and I desperately hope it worked.
His mate’s arguably gorgeous, as all the wolves are, and she seems pretty eager to meet Jack if the sheer number of files she sent to my email is anything to go off of. It’s shitty to say, but if her personality and written history aren’t enough to sway Jack, I hope her looks are.
I’m basing this on many assumptions and stereotypes, but Jack’s a young, healthy guy, and I hope that means he’s horny and thinking with his dick. Hopefully, he sees the photos his mate included of herself and feels compelled to be kind so he can get in her pants.
Jack and the interviewer exchange polite pleasantries, and I impatiently wait for the questions to begin. I’m anxious to know what’s going to be said.
Caleb readjusts on Chunks’ blanket to better see the screen, and Chunks takes that as his opportunity to try and climb up Caleb’s legs. He can’t quite crawl yet, but he’s just learning how to rock back and forth on his knees.
I can’t wait until he’s moving around on his own.
The interviewer clears his throat, and I turn back to the TV. It’s beginning.
“Jack,” he says, shuffling a few papers on his desk.
I tap my foot against the ground, impatiently waiting for them to get past introductions and pleasantries. It takes longer than I want, and I hold my breath when the interviewer finally leans forward in his chair and gets started.
“We’re so excited to have you here today,” he says, shooting the camera a well-rehearsed smile. “And we’d love to hear how you’re being treated. Do you feel safe? Are any of the humans injured?”
Chunks begins to fuss, and Caleb quietly shushes him. I run my hands through my hair, beyond nervous to hear what Jack will say.
Jack licks his lips, his eyes darting to somebody behind the camera, before he shakes his head.
“The wolves were rough during the kidnapping, and several of us died, but we haven’t been injured since arriving,” he says.
I cringe. While it’s not exactly a lie, it’s far from the truth. The warriors went out of their way to keep the humans safe, but there’s only so much you can do when people are firing guns at you. HPAW killed the humans, not the wolves.
The interviewer looks solemn, and he offers his condolences before diving right into his next question. I’m sure HPAW gave him a very specific script to stick to. There’s no way they don’t have their hands in this.
“Where are you now?” the interviewer asks.
Jack looks behind the camera again. I wonder who he’s looking at. I’d guess a wolf, but Caleb wouldn’t send a wolf over to intimidate the humans.
Unless it’s the warrior who’s always there with his blonde mate. I’m sure it’s a hassle convincing him to leave her side, especially when she isn’t the one trying to kick him out.
The interviewer frowns. “Is there somebody in the room with you?”
Jack’s gaze darts back to the camera, the man clearly surprised at having been caught. I don’t know what else he was expecting to happen. He wasn’t exactly being sly in his glances.
“I’m with the other humans,” Jack admits.
The interviewer perks up. “Oh? Can we see them? I’m sure their loved ones at home are eager to see their faces and know they’re safe.”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. I’m sure HPAW just wants a head count of who made it out of the facilities alive. The warriors brought back as many of the deceased as they could, and one died during transport.
Jack cocks his head to the side. “The other humans don’t have loved ones. Most of them were taken by HPAW as children and raised within the facilities.”
Oh? I glance at Caleb, wanting to see if he’s as pleased as I am. I doubt HPAW was entirely truthful about who the stolen humans are.
Caleb turns to me, the man always seeming to know when I’m looking at him. A smile toys at the corners of his lips, and he mindlessly pats Chunks on the back as he turns back to the TV.
The interviewer opens his mouth, shock written clearly across his face, before he snaps his jaw shut with a quiet click. He does this twice before figuring out what he wants to say.
“Could you elaborate on that?” he eventually asks.
Jack runs a hand over his shaved head, indirectly drawing attention to his red mark. I wonder if the file I gave him on his mate helped shape his decision on the direction he wanted to take this interview.
“HPAW took most of us in as children,” Jack explains. I wouldn’t necessarily call it ‘taking them in.’ “They don’t know their parents, and they were only exposed to HPAW employees.”
Jack glances behind the camera again, chewing at his bottom lip.
After a moment’s hesitation, he continues speaking. “I agreed to this interview because HPAW has recently launched a new program we don’t agree with. A number of the marked humans under their care were forcibly bred, we suspect in the hope of having marked infants that could be used as a weapon against the wolves.”
I don’t think I’m breathing.
“We don’t care for the wolves,” Jack explains. “And this isn’t to say we’re on their side, but we want to end the breeding programs. We didn’t consent to it, and we don’t believe it’s right.”
The interviewer looks like he’s about to shit himself. I can’t tell if it’s out of selfish joy that he’s getting such a tell-all interview or in shock that this is what’s being exposed on his station.
Either way, I’m sure HPAW isn’t going to be happy.
I never in a million years would’ve thought the humans we rescued would go out of their way to expose HPAW’s wrongdoings, but I suppose forced breeding is enough to put a bad taste in even the most brainwashed minds.
The humans have grown close in the short time they’ve been together, and I’m sure they’ve been sharing their experiences.
Who’s the driving force behind this?
From what I’ve heard, the women in the breeding program are still relatively quiet and withdrawn. I doubt they’d be pushing for action to be taken, at least not right now.
“We have no knowledge of this…” the interviewer says, clearly at a loss for words.
His eyes dart behind the camera, and I imagine he’s probably looking for guidance on how to proceed with this information. There’s a good possibility HPAW has significant sway in the direction of this interview, and I’m willing to bet at least one member of leadership is in the interviewer’s office building right now.
“Is there anything further on this breeding program you can share? Are any of the men or women involved with you now?” the interviewer asks.
“They don’t wish to be in front of the camera,” Jack says, his voice firm. “But I can speak more to it. All the women were from the facility located in—”
Jack’s audio suddenly cuts out, how fucking convenient, and the interviewer clasps his hands on his desk with a frown.
“Jack?” he asks. “Can you hear me?”
Jack’s lips stop moving, and his eyebrows furrow before he mouths the word ‘hello.’ The interviewer repeats Jack’s name before asking somebody behind the camera what’s happening with the audio.
It’s a long few seconds before he grimaces and addresses the audience.
“It seems Jack and his team are having some technical issues,” he says.
I’m willing to bet my last dollar that the issues are not on our end.
“This is bullshit,” I say, turning to Caleb.
He bounces Chunks on his lap before tucking the young man under his arm and standing. Chunks seems to love it if his happy squeals are anything to go by, and my gaze darts between the two men before settling on Caleb.
Caleb makes his way around the table until he’s standing directly behind me.
“Even still, this interview is the best thing we could’ve asked for,” he says, leaning over my chair.
His lips meet the side of my head, and I can’t help but huff as I turn back to the screen. Jack’s image is now flickering, and I fight back an annoyed grunt as it cuts out entirely a second later.
The interviewer hurries to explain that they’re trying to fix the connection, but I know that’s a lie. I hope the humans see through it, too, but I’m not entirely confident they will. Despite what Jack said, their loyalty will continue with HPAW.
Hopefully this will cause issues, but it won’t be enough to change public opinion.
“Give me Chunks,” I say, spinning and reaching for the baby.
Caleb happily sets him in my lap, and I sniff the top of his head as I watch the rest of the botched interview play out. If we’re lucky, this may at least help the humans under our care.
They’ll know their equipment didn’t fail, and when they realize the human news station lied to prevent any more unsavory information about HPAW from getting out, maybe they’ll start to see the wolves aren’t as bad as everybody makes them out to be.
It’s wishful thinking, but a girl can hope.
“Do you like the wolves?” I ask Chunks.
He babbles and drools on my arm, which I take as a yes. He’s been showered in attention and love since arriving, and I’m sure, even in his baby brain, he recognizes it to be good and comforting.
We just need the rest of the world to recognize it.
———
There are about 10 chaps left!!