Chapter 16

Scout

Fuck.What's happened?

I'm back, at long last. After so many days of trekking through the wilderness, my heart aching for my mate.

But something's not right here.

The place looks deserted.

I take off toward our bunker at a run. "Mom? Dad?" I call.

But nobody answers.

I locate the concealed hatch that leads to the bunker, lift it up and climb down the steep flight of steps. There's a terrible smell of vomit. I clap my hand over my mouth to stop myself from puking, too.

"Dad?"

"Scout?"

I stop dead. It's my dad's voice. But he doesn't sound hostile and scathing like he usually does. He sounds… relieved?

I dash over to the sleeping area. He's lying on his broken army cot and his face is gray, his skin coated with a greasy sheen.

"Dad!" I yell, my gut twisting. Despite everything, I can't stand to see him like this. "What's happened?"

"Dunno. Think I ate something," he chokes out. "Been sick for two days now."

"Ate what?" I look around the bunker wildly. All the family's food comes in tins or packets, and the use-by dates are probably good until the apocalypse. Either that, or we eat freshly-caught meat.

"Maybe some tuna. One of the tins was weird…" He breaks off with a pained groan. Then he turns his head to puke in the bucket beside his bed.

I swallow hard, fighting the urge to retch.

Okay, I've got this. "Be right back," I tell him. I run to the bathroom, hunt down a cloth and soak it in cold water. I come back and press it to his forehead.

"Thanks, honey." There's something new in the eyes that search mine. "You made it back."

I clench my teeth. I'm not going to get into that now. "Where's mom?" I ask instead.

"She went looking for you all."

I blink. That's not like mom, at all. Does that mean…?

"And Vinny and Owen?"

"Not back yet." He grimaces. He's ashamed. His big strong sons have let him down. I can't help the little flicker of pride that runs through me. I made it back here, all by myself. Yes, I spent a few nights en route, uh, finding my mate, who I'm now missing like crazy, but I navigated the wilderness myself, every step of the way.

I feel heat soaking through the cloth. He's burning up.

"Dad, you've got a fever. Maybe we should get you to?—"

There's the sound of a heavy tread behind me. I spin around.

And my heart bounds in joy.

Orion. Right here in the bunker.

I don't hesitate. I just run into his arms.

My legs wrap around his waist, my arms loop around his neck, and our lips cling together like we're drowning. A deep rumbling sound comes from his massive chest, and that pain in my own chest disappears. My mate and I are together again. Like two halves of one person. I don't need to ask what he's doing here. I think I knew deep down that he was with me all this time.

It's a long, long time before he lets me down to the ground and gently sets me on my feet. Then he takes my hand in his and together, we turn to my father.

Dad's eyes are bulging so much, they're in danger of dropping right out of his head. He runs his tongue between his dry lips. "W-who's this, Scout?"

"This is my mate, Orion. Orion, meet my dad." I blink, surprised at the way my voice resounds around the room. I hadn't even realized until now that it used to be like a mouse's squeak. Now I sound like a—well, like a confident woman.

A well-loved woman, I think, squeezing Orion's hand.

Of course, you are. More than you know.

What?My head jerks up to meet his gaze. "Did you say something?" I mutter.

A smile tugs at Orion's gorgeous lips.

My soul communicated directly with yours.

I gasp. He definitely didn't speak those words out loud. I heard them in my head.

Is this gonna keep happening?I think the sentence real hard.

He grins. You bet. More and more.

Wow, well this is all kinds of awesome.

Finally, I remember that someone else is in the room with us.

Dad is looking at us with confusion and something else—like he's figuring out that he's been tricked out of something. "Are you a prepper?" he says hoarsely.

Orion curls his lip. "Nope."

"Where did you two meet?"

"During my mission," I say shortly. I'm not about to let him give me the third degree.

"You're sick." Orion walks over to him and leans forward examining him closely. "What with?"

"He said he ate a weird can of tuna."

"And you've got a high fever, vomiting. Having a hard time speaking?"

"Yup," dad croaks.

"Feel dizzy?"

"Yeah."

"You've probably got botulism," Orion concludes. "You need to go to the hospital."

"No hospitals."

Orion's eyebrows furrow. "Why not?"

"Because they're not going to have them after the Final Fiasco."

Orion's frown gets even deeper. "Is the Final Fiasco coming tomorrow?"

Dad shrugs in that gormless way of his. Who knows?

"Probably not, right. So, I think we're good." While Orion scratches his beard thoughtfully, I fight back a grin of delight. No one dares act sarcastic with dad, ever.

"I know you have a vehicle, because Scout told me that you used it to dump her in the wilderness."

I see a muscle in Orion's jaw twitch. I understand how much it's costing him to act civil with my father, and my heart overflows with love for him.

"So, I'm gonna drive you to the nearest ER."

"No way—" Dad starts to say, but his words are cut off by a mighty roar.

Orion lays both hands on his own chest, like he's forcing his beast back. "No arguments. You've caused Scout enough misery already. The last thing she needs is you taking yourself out with your own stupidity!"

Tingles run through me. I'm so touched by Orion's protectiveness of me, I could burst.

Orion leans right over my father. "Just one thing I want you to tell me first: Scout won your challenge, yes?"

Dad's lips work silently. "Yup. Yes, she did," he croaks at last.

"So, she's the Alpha now?"

"The what?"

Orion puts his arm around me. "The leader of your clan. Empress of the preppers, whatever you want to call it."

I snigger.

Dad's eyes track back and forth, as if they're moving in time with his brain waves.

"Your two sons haven't made it back yet, have they?"

"No—" Dad gasps and clutches his stomach.

"Scout even took a rest at my place for five whole days, but she still came back first. I think she's stronger than all of you put together."

Dad gives me a long look. "You're right. I've always known it, Scout. That's why I've been so hard on you."

I give a snarl of disgust. "You're a very sad man, dad."

"Say it," Orion presses him. "Tell her she's the Alpha."

"You are, Scout," dad gasps out. "You're the Alpha of us from now on."

I nod nonchalantly. "Okay."

Then Orion hunches over the bed, and suddenly dad is in his arms.

My father who has always been such an overbearing force in my life; a huge, bossy, shouty man. Now he looks so small in Orion's arms. So insignificant.

* * *

We dropdad off at the ER, but we don't stay with him. Orion says he wants to track down my mom before nightfall.

"You're so kind," I tell him.

"For you." He kisses my hand. "Anything for you."

I sigh. "I am kinda worried about her."

"I know."

When we get back to the compound, he strips his clothes off and his bear springs out of him.

Of course, he's going to hunt for her as a bear. That makes perfect sense.

Annnd… it looks like I'm riding on his back.

Climb on, baby, his soul tells mine.

I don't hesitate; I take a little run up, and jump right up.

Oh, my gosh, it feels so good to be on his back. Instinctively, my thighs tighten around his broad body, my legs sinking right into his luxurious fur. I lean forward and wrap my arms around his neck.

Sitting comfortably?

You bet.

And we're off.

His bear goes at a trot, keeping its nose close to the ground, and snuffling all the while. I guess it's already on mom's trail.

After an hour or so, he stops.

She's right ahead. Look.

I peer through the branches, not seeing anything.

Probably better if you go on foot for now.

He's got a point. He hunkers down and I slide off his back.

I walk a couple of hundred yards, and there she is—walking slowly, her feet dragging. She's real tired.

A rush of sympathy goes through me and I run after her. "Mom!"

She gasps and turns to face me. "Scout! Thank goodness!" She bursts into tears and throws her arms around me. "Oh, my baby. I thought I'd lost you forever."

"I'm tougher than I look, mom."

"I know you are, honey. But you were all alone. I knew Owen and Vinny would've stuck together."

"Until they were ready to stab each other in the back."

She draws back and gives me a long look. "You're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, mom."

"B-but when did you get back?"

"Earlier today. Look, I need to get you home, but there's something I need to tell you first…"

By the timewe get back to Orion, my mom is kinda prepared to be greeted by a giant grizzly bear, but she still lets out a gasp of terror.

I don't blame her. He looks fearsome, all glowing eyes and flashing teeth and claws. And I'm so proud I could cry.

I help her onto his back, and I climb up behind her, and we retrace our steps back to the compound, going a little slower than before.

* * *

We spend the evening together.After dropping us off, Orion goes and hunts a couple of rabbits, while mom gets the fire going.

"He's a keeper," she says, when we're alone together.

"I know," I reply happily.

She frowns. "And what good luck that you found each other after your father left you in the wilderness."

"Some might say it's fate," I say, and the mark on the back of my neck—his mark—tingles like crazy.

She gets a dreamy look to her. "He's so big, and strong, and muscular…" She finishes with a shiver.

"Mom!" I protest. I don't want to think about my mom having a crush on my mate.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm just real happy for you." She squeezes my knee. "I can see he's absolutely crazy about you."

"Really?" I know it's true, but it doesn't hurt to hear it said aloud.

"He can't take his eyes off you."

A thrill goes through me. I love being held in Orion's gaze, so, so much.

"You're gonna make some beautiful babies."

"Mom!" Truth is, I can't wait to have his babies, but there are so many things I want to do first.

"Guess what?" she hisses. "You know that man your father tried to marry you off to?"

"Kinda," I say, and I'm not even joking. Since I first laid eyes on Orion, no other man has meant anything to me.

"Well, he's been round here looking for you. Says he made a big mistake, and he wants you back."

I can't resist a little smile. "And what did you tell him?"

"I said, you only get one chance, buster. And you screwed it up." My mom giggles like a schoolgirl. "Then I told him to get the hell out of here and never come back."

"High five, mom." I hold up my hand and she high-fives me enthusiastically.

I tap a finger against my lips. "Actually, on second thoughts—you think you can get a message out to him, and to all the neighboring prepper families to come here in three days' time?"

"What for?" she leans closer, eyes glittering with excitement. For the first time, I get a glimpse of what she might've been like if she'd married someone other than my father.

"All will be revealed," I say cryptically.

* * *

That night,Orion and I go sleep in the forest. There's no way we're staying in the family compound. He clears out a space on the forest floor and makes us a bed out of pine fronds and bracken. I swear it's the comfiest thing I've ever lain on.

Then he strips me bare, and we make love under the stars, just like nature intended.

When I'm finally sated from his attentions, and my eyelids are getting heavy, he shifts into his bear, and wraps me up in his big furry body, and we fall into a deep, blissful sleep together.