Chapter 18

Levi

Waiting was boring.

So.

Fucking.

Boring.

Turning around, I paced through the dining hall, then headed through big, double-winged doors into another hall-like room and stopped in front of a glass front that overlooked the packhouse's yard. A vegetable garden stretched from the edge of the patio right to the edge of the forest and was surrounded by a wooden fence with white flower pots hanging over the top. The green stuff in them was probably herbs, not that I could say that for sure from this far. Well, to be honest, it was highly unlikely I could say it for sure, even if I was standing right in front of the pots. I wasn't much of a cook… or biologist.

A group of kids ran across the lawn, their laughter and screeches filtering through the windows. A couple of wolf pups chased after them, yipping and growling. A few steps behind them, a bear cub emerged from the woods and gave chase. To me, it appeared to be younger than the wolves, but easily towered over them.

I snorted as a small fox kit came barreling from the side and jumped right onto the bear's back. I could swear the fox was grinning from ear to ear.

"I could spend hours standing here and watching the kids play, you know?" a voice said from right beside me.

I flinched and whirled around to face whoever had managed to creep up on me. Grabbing my chest, I tried getting my heart beat back under control while I mustered the man in front of me.

He really shouldn't have been able to get as close to me as he had without me noticing. The guy was easily in his eighties and was walking with a fucking cane. Which meant that I'd been more engrossed in watching the pups and cubs and kits play than I'd realized, or shifters had the ability to sneak up on unsuspecting humans even if they needed a cane for walking.

"It looks like a lot of fun," I told the man with a smile.

He nodded. "Gray certainly made this pack a great place for kids… well, for anyone, really. His father, the Alpha before him, had started the process of opening the pack up as a safe haven, but under Gray it really thrived. Of course, with people having those pesky phones attached to them twenty-four seven, word gets out far more easily than it did during our days." Shaking his head, he extended his hand. "Martin's the name. I'm one of the Elders. Well, the eldest, really. As in, the oldest person in the pack."

I chuckled and shook his hand. "I'm Levi. I'm…"

"Rhett's mate, I know." Martin nodded to my neck. "And I see you two finally made it official. I told the other Elders I'd probably bite the grass before you two had pulled your head out of your asses. In my time, this whole waiting and courting business wasn't a thing. Then, of course, interspecies-mating wasn't a thing either." A hint of sorrow clouded his eyes, and he turned his head to look outside the window to watch the pups play. "Anyway, congratulations on your mating. Does that mean you're moving to Balwood? I hear you weren't from around here, and I really hope you're not planning on stealing our Rhett away."

I snorted. "I don't think I could."

Martin shifted his weight, resting a lot of it on his cane before turning his head back to me. "Don't make any mistakes, pup, your mate would follow you to the end of this earth. If you wanted him to move, he would."

I swallowed; the weight of his words, the honesty in them, hitting me full force. Rhett really would move for me. On some level, I'd already known that, but the extent of our bond baffled me time and time again.

Having so much power over someone would take time getting used to.

It was a big responsibility. Something I had to be aware of because the last thing I ever wanted was to hurt him.

"That's not what I meant," I told Martin and shook my head. "I meant, I don't think I could ever steal Rhett away from here because it'd kill him. He loves this place, this pack . He'd be miserable elsewhere."

Martin nodded in approval, but still raised his eyebrows at me. "Yet you're still living at the Inn, right? A little bird told me all your belongings were still there."

Snorting a laugh, I raked my hand through my hair. "A little bird called Mave?"

Martin made a zipping motion in front of his mouth. "I can't name my sources. Besides, it's just an observation."

"But it's something people noticed?"

Martin shrugged, his eyes tracking a small… holy shit, was that a lion? "Pack's like family. We're always up in each other's business. You'll have to get used to it. Besides, people care for Rhett."

I swallowed and nodded, remembering the icy cold that'd spread through my body when Rhett had thought I wasn't going to live with him. His fear.

I rubbed that spot in my chest where I felt our bond the most. Fuck. I hadn't realized it was such a big deal. I certainly didn't want others to believe I was taking Rhett away from the pack. Or that I didn't take our mating seriously. And, more importantly, I didn't want Rhett to think that. Not even for a second.

I swallowed a lump in my throat and wrapped my arms around myself as a shiver ran down my spine. The thought of Rhett possibly doubting my commitment to be his mate… it sliced through me like a dagger stabbing me right in the gut.

"I care for Rhett, too," I told Martin. He was watching me, an unreadable expression on his face, but not a hostile one.

It was the truth. I cared for Rhett, far more than I'd ever thought possible after a few short weeks. He was my mate—and such a good person.

I thought about all the times he'd given me space. All the times he'd reassured me I had options. All the times he'd made sure I was comfortable.

Straightening my shoulders, a plan formed inside my head.

It was time I was the one to reassure my mate and make sure he felt secure in our bond.

And I already knew exactly how to do that.

My heart was beating frantically inside my chest and sweat gathered at my temples. I grabbed the steering wheel tighter, my clammy hands made a little squelching sound around the leather I was holding onto for dear life.

Maybe my plan hadn't been that great after all.

A giant truck came barreling towards me on the opposite lane, and my nerves spiked, my hands twitching to turn the wheel to avoid crashing into the truck, even though the rational part of me knew I was in my lane and everything would be fine.

The truck passed me with a whoosh, and the street ahead of me was, once again, empty. Void of any cars.

Which was probably for the best.

A quick glance at my phone and my navigation app told me I'd reach the Inn in about two minutes. I honestly couldn't wait for it, and when I finally pulled into Mave's driveway and stopped the car right in front of the entrance, a gust of air left my lungs.

Holy shit. I'd actually driven a car. Not just a car, but a ginormous truck. Holy fucking shit.

Resting my forehead on the steering wheel, a mix between a sob and a laugh escaped my throat and tears sprang into my eyes.

I'd done it.

God, I hated driving so much. Like so, so much. As in, this was the first time I'd driven a car ever since I'd gotten my license back when I was sixteen—which was five years ago.

It took me a while until I got my hands to let go of the steering wheel. Rubbing my face, I took a deep breath.

You'll have to get used to this , a voice inside the back of my mind said. You're about to move to the middle of nowhere.

Fuck my life, my brain was right.

But one step at a time.

First, I'd go in and pack my stuff. Then I'd check with Rhett if they'd caught Alistair yet. If they hadn't, I'd drive to his—our—place and unload the few belongings I had here, and then I'd drive back to the packhouse before he noticed I'd ever left.

A smile tugged at my lips as I imagined the surprise on his face when he'd realize I'd sneakily moved in with him.

The thought of happiness lighting up Rhett's features was the thing that managed to calm me down enough for me to climb out of the truck and head into the Inn.

Warm air laced with the smell of wood smoke and maple hit me straight in the face as I opened the front door, and the last bit of tension drained out of my body, leaving me utterly exhausted and excited at the same time.

In a couple of hours, I'd be in my new home with my newly mated soulmate—and I planned to shut the world out for at least twenty-four hours. We deserved time to ourselves. We deserved a mating-night.

"Levi, is that you?" I heard Mave shouting from the back office. Seconds later, she came rushing to me, her face tinged with worry as she pulled me into a fierce hug. "Sweetie, what are you doing here?"

I reveled in the warmth of her hug for a moment, then made a step back. "I'm just here to get my stuff."

She smiled one of her signature motherly smiles, but it was soon replaced by a frown. "I get that. But why are you here now? Don't you know your manager is out there looking for you?" She placed a hand on my cheek, her blue eyes filled with concern. "I really don't think you should be out alone right now. I thought you were at the pa… ahh… community center."

I frowned for a second, but a look at the armchairs next to the fireplace clued me in on why Mave was being so vague. The professor was engrossed in a thick, antique-looking book. He appeared to be unaware of his surroundings, but you could never know.

"I was, but I thought it'd be nice to surprise Rhett by moving myself in with him."

Mave sighed and grabbed her chest, hearts in her eyes. "Oh, that is so sweet of you. But he wouldn't want you to take the risk while your manager is still out there. And rightly so. He seemed… off. A bit unhinged."

Swallowing heavily at the genuine worry and care in her words, I tried to give her a reassuring smile. "I thought about that, but seeing as Alistair was already here, I figured coming here was low risk. It's not like I'm running around town with a neon sign above my head. I'll be here for a few minutes, then I'll be back on my way."

Mave pursed her lips. "I don't like this, sweetie."

"I'll hurry, okay?" Placing a hand on her shoulder, I gave her my biggest smile. "In a few minutes, I'll be on my way and it'll be like I've never been here in the first place."

"And you'll drive right back to the community center? Without any detours?" Mave asked.

I hesitated. On the one hand, I really wanted to stick to my plan and sneakily move myself in with Rhett if I had the time. On the other hand… I looked into Mave's worried eyes, and a sliver of doubt wormed its way into my head. What if Rhett failed to see the romantic gesture for what it was? What if he'd see me leaving the packhouse as putting myself in danger and taking unnecessary risks?

"Fine," I conceded with a sigh. "I'll just grab my stuff and then I'll head right back to the community center."

Mave nodded. "I think that's a good idea. Don't get me wrong, Levi; I think your idea of surprising Rhett by moving in with him is lovely, and I'm sure he'll love it. I'm just worried."

I nodded, then turned to the stairs. "Thank you for caring about me, Mave. I'll hurry."

"I'll go and fetch a few cookies for you."

"You're the best," I shouted as I started climbing up the stairs.

"I know," she shouted back.

Ten minutes and two trips down the stairs to beg for trash bags because I didn't have any suitcases later, I emerged from my room for what would be the last time—without trash bags. Instead, I was pulling a big suitcase with a floral design printed onto the hard shell behind me, curtesy of Mave who'd loaned me the suitcase.

I took a deep breath as I pulled the door closed behind me. The clicking sound of the lock engaging echoed through the hallway, and a wave of nostalgia hit me. I'd only stayed here for a couple of weeks, yet it felt like the end of a stage of life. My stay here had been me entering a whole new world, and now I was spreading my wings to fully embrace the new world—and the new life that lay ahead of me.

"That's it, I'm done," I shouted as I climbed down the last stair and set the suitcase down next to me.

"So am I, Levi," a male voice spoke up. The menacing tone sent a shiver down my spine, and it took a few seconds for my brain to register that I actually knew the voice. I'd just never heard it sounding so downright evil.

"Alistair!" I gasped, whirling around. My eyes landed on him—and the professor he was holding hostage, an arm slung around the man's waist and a knife pressed to his throat as if we were in some kind of movie or crime show.

"I've been waiting for you, Levi," Alistair snarled, his eyes darting through the room, never quite managing to focus on anything for more than a second. The hand in which he was holding the knife was shaking badly. Holy shit, I needed to do something, or he'd end up cutting the professor's throat by accident.

"Okay… let's just head outside and talk, then," I said, trying to remain calm even though I felt anything but. Rage was pulsing through my veins, igniting every cell in my body.

Right in front of me was the man who'd abandoned me in the wilderness. Who'd left me there to die.

"Lead the way." Alistair nodded his head, his hand tightening on the knife. The professor trembled in Alistair's grip, his eyes wide, sheer terror written all over his face. He was holding on to Alistair's arm, as if he was going to try to pry it away from his throat, but it looked like he was more clinging to it in fear.

My heart constricted with guilt. I was the reason he was in that situation. This was on me, and I needed to make this right.

"Sure, no problem," I said, stalling to come up with an idea to get Alistair to let go of the professor. "Why don't you let the professor go and we can go outside and talk things out like grown-ups? I'm sure we can come to an agreement. We did pretty good on compromises when negotiating my contract, right? So, I'm a hundred percent sure we can come up with something. Just let the professor go."

I had no idea what kind of agreement that could be. Then again, I wasn't entirely sure what Alistair even wanted from me. I hadn't done anything wrong.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Alistair bellowed. "I'm not letting go of my leverage. We're going to go outside— all three of us —and then you'll do a livestream. You'll tell everyone you're okay, and that I didn't do anything wrong. You'll apologize for the misunderstanding and tell people you're still my client. Got it?"

I started shaking my head, but caught myself in time to nod instead. Don't do anything to rile him up , I told myself, forcing my breath into an even rhythm.

"Sure. Whatever you want. Look, along the hall, there's the door leading outside to the patio. Mave always has nice lawn chairs out. We can sit down and talk, and everything's going to be fine."

I was rambling.

Dammit.

"Lead the way."

Taking a deep breath, I braced myself, then started walking down the hallway. The back of my neck tingled, my hairs rising. Alistair was behind me. He had a knife in his hand. If he pushed the professor off him, he could attack me and I'd never see him coming.

Oh, my fucking god. Alistair was behind me with a knife in hand.

The words kept playing in my head like a mantra of doom, shattering every ounce of calm I still possessed, leaving me a trembling, anxious mess.

But then again, no one had ever prepared me for a situation like this.

"Here's the door," I said, nodding towards the wooden door that was clearly labeled as an emergency exit for everyone to see. But I couldn't keep quiet. I needed to do something. I needed to come up with a plan.

Great. And what are you going to do while he's holding someone hostage at knifepoint?

Cold air hit me straight in the face, shocking me back into action. I took a deep, calming breath and opened the door wider to let the pale light of dawn filter into the well-lit hallway.

I could smell the forest. Could smell a hint of the sea in the distance, the salt almost tangible to me. And if I tried really hard, I could swear I was able to hear the waves crashing against the beach. Then again, it might just be the blood rushing through my ears.

"Sit down!" Alistair demanded, kicking a foot in the vague direction of a group of wooden lawn chairs.

The professor squeaked and grabbed Alistair's arm harder until his fingernails dug into my former manager's skin.

It was the first sound I'd heard the professor made, I realized, and tried to catch the man's eyes, silently asking if he was okay.

A stupid question because someone with a knife pressed up against their throat usually was decidedly not okay, but I still needed to show I was there. That I'd make things okay.

Before Alistair could freak out about me not sitting down fast enough, I dropped down in the chair closest to me, then instantly wondered if I'd just made a huge mistake.

Did this give Alistair the upper hand?

Kind of, right?

If I wanted to attack, I'd have to get up first, which would give him time to prepare for an attack, and… yeah. I definitely wasn't the type to jump him while he had a hostage.

"Can you please let the professor go?" I asked again, silently apologizing to my former fellow Inn-mate for getting him into his mess. He blinked at me twice behind his thick glasses, which I took as him acknowledging my apology. "Please. I promise I'll do everything you say, but the knife at his throat is making me nervous."

"Nice try," Alistair snarled, red blotches raising on his cheeks and neck. "I'm not letting him go until you made that video. No, make it a livestream. I want you to tell people live on camera that I didn't do anything wrong."

Holy shit, he was truly insane.

You can't argue with crazy, I heard my mom say with a giggle. In my memory, she ruffled my hair and nodded.

I couldn't remember what that conversation had been about, but I remembered that sentence, and holy shit, did it ring true right this moment.

No arguing.

Just agreeing.

Maybe someone would see. Someone from the pack. Someone who knew Rhett and me, someone who'd realize I wasn't filming of my own free will.

My eyes darted through the woods stretching behind the Inn, hoping like hell I'd see an oversized wolf emerging from the trees, but if there was someone there, they were staying firmly in the shadows.

"Okay, I'll go live for you, okay? No need to hurt the professor." Damn, I should've asked for his name. What was wrong with me? We'd spent weeks under the same roof, yet I didn't even know his name. Weren't you supposed to make kidnapping victims look human? How could I make Alistair see the professor as a person if I didn't know anything about the guy besides his reason for being here?

Which I only knew because Mave was highly suspicious about the guy.

Mave!

Oh fuck.

Where was Mave?

Had Alistair hurt her? Was she calling in reinforcements right this second?

I barely caught myself in time before I started craning my neck, trying to get a glimpse of her through the windows.

She'd know something was wrong. She'd be able to scent Alistair. She'd be able to call Paul or Gray or Rhett—if she was conscious.

Please let her be conscious.

"I'm going to reach inside my pocked to get my phone, okay?" I told Alistair, holding both my hands up to show him I didn't mean funny business. "I'll slowly reach into my pocket and…"

"Yeah, yeah, you'll grab your phone. I heard you. Now hurry the fuck up."

I did just as he said and pulled my phone from the pockets of my jeans while fighting the urge to call Rhett for help.

I couldn't risk it while Alistair had the professor.

"Here it is." I held it up and turned it on. "I just need to log into my Insta and…"

I didn't get to finish the sentence.

A low, threatening growl came from the side of the house, then a gangly grey wolf emerged, ears flattened against its skull, eyes firmly trained on Alistair.

I heard the professor drawing in a shaky breath, his hands digging even more desperately into Alistair's arms.

But I had only eyes for Alistair. I was aware of the big wolf, but I knew it wasn't a threat. The wolf was pack. Family.

"Don't hurt me," Alistair said, his eyes wide as saucers. He held up the hand he'd had previously slung around the professor's waist, as if he was trying to placate the wolf. "You're a good puppy, right? You're not evil at all."

The wolf growled, baring a set of very sharp teeth.

"Good puppy." Alistair kept rambling, his attention solely on the wolf.

That gave me an angle.

Careful not to draw attention to myself, I slowly rose to my feet. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I wanted to be ready.

The professor caught my eye. The trembling had stopped. If anything, he looked less terrified than a few minutes ago. Hello? He was still being held at knifepoint and there was a giant, snarling wolf mere feet away from him, but for some reason, he looked almost… happy?

No.

I was misinterpreting something.

The wolf—I'd put my money on it being Mave—snarled once again and lowered its upper body as if it were preparing for an attack.

"Take him!" Alistair screamed, shoving the professor away, right at the wolf.

I didn't think. I lunged.

A scream tore from my throat as I threw myself at my former manager, tackling him to the ground.

He was bigger than me; he easily outweighing me by forty pounds, but I had the element of surprise on my side. We hit the wooden patio with a dull thud, and I grappled for the knife.

White hot pain seared my palm as my hand closed around the blade, but this was my one chance. My one chance to get the upper hand before Alistair's brain caught up with what was happening.

So instead of letting go of the blade, I clenched my teeth, ignored the pain and pulled.

The knife flew through the air, hitting the patio with a clattering sound. I didn't dare look for where it'd landed. No. Alistair wasn't armed any longer, but he was still dangerous.

I wouldn't let him hurt anyone.

Drawing my hand back, I balled it into a fist and rammed it into Alistair's face.

He screamed.

Blood gushed from his nose.

He squirmed beneath me, bucking his hips like a bull trying to throw off his rider.

I punched him again. And again, and…

"Levi!"

Rhett's voice filtered through my haze, and then there were strong arms pulling me back.

A cacophony of screeches, growls and snarls filled the air, combined with quiet sobs and sniffles. Above it all, Paul's voice rang clear as he told Alistair that he was under arrest.

It took me way too long to realize I had my eyes closed.

I opened them and my gaze immediately fell on a giant black wolf standing next to Paul, his teeth bared, eyes blazing with fury while one growl after the other rumbled out of the depths of his throat. He was the biggest wolf I'd ever seen in my life, even bigger and broader than Rhett.

The raised hairs on his neck almost gave the impression of a mane, making the wolf look kind of… regal. Like a king. Not the king of the jungle or the king of the savannah, but the king of this land. King of the forest. An Alpha .

"Holy shit, that's Gray?" I whispered as I took the black wolf in.

Rhett snorted, his arms tightly wrapped around my waist. "Impressive, right?" He dropped his head and buried his face in the crook of my neck, a tremor running through his body.

"I'm fine," I said while awkwardly trying to turn in his arms.

"You're bleeding," Rhett answered. A second later, his whole body tensed and he sprang into action. "Oh goddess. You're bleeding. We need to get you to the hospital. No, we need to get Jasper here."

"It's just a cut," I said. "It doesn't even hurt that much."

At least it hadn't while I hadn't been thinking about it. However, the pain slowly filtered through my adrenaline rush, a white-hot, sharp pain.

Dimly, I was aware of the warm blood running down my arm, dripping down my elbow.

"We need a doctor!"

"Aaaaand that's my cue," I heard Jasper say, just a second before he came into view. He stepped out onto the patio, a big backpack slung over his shoulder, and hurried over.

"What did you do?"

"I disarmed someone."

Jasper nodded, grabbing my bleeding hand and uncurling my fingers.

"Why does it look like you grabbed a blade?"

Behind me, Rhett started growling, chest rumbling. His white-hot anger surged through me and made me gasp.

I wisely refused to comment further on the situation. Honestly, I wouldn't have been able to say anything anyway, because Jasper started cleaning the wound and it took everything I had to stay still and let him do his job while agony wound its way up my arm.

What a truly shitty evening, I thought as I turned my head and buried it against Rhett's shoulder and tried calming myself down by inhaling his unique scent.

Exhaustion crashed into me like a tidal wave. My eyelids drooped. I wanted to go home. Now.