Chapter 19

Rose

The next few days pass in a blur of healing but also trying to fit in as much time with Sam and Wyatt before they leave. After three days, they head back. And while I'm sad, I'm so thankful for the time I got to spend with them. I didn't realize how much I missed them. I didn't actually watch them pull out because I didn't want to be sad. So when Ava knocks on my door that evening, I stare at her in surprise. "Ava? What are you doing here?"

"Uh, I'm currently living here right now," she says in typical Ava form.

"I thought you were going back."

She shrugs. "I decided to stay." She doesn't look at me, but I've spent enough time with her to know her tells. She did it for me; I'm sure of it. I reach out and hug her tightly. "Thank you."

Ava sighs. "You're being dramatic." I bite back my smile. "Anyway, Cade wants us to come to dinner at six." Her face is projecting exactly what she thinks about that.

"You don't have to go, Ava."

I see the relief on her face. "Okay. I need to do some laundry; I'll see you later."

"See you." I watch her go and wish she would open up to me, but she is a hard nut to crack. I try to make myself look presentable and then make my way over to Cade and Amber's apartment. On the way, I prep myself for asking the question I want to ask. Tonight is the night; I feel it. I just have to be brave enough.

"Hey Rose," Cade says when he opens the door for me. "Come on in."

I follow him inside. "I feel terrible that I didn't bring something," I tell Amber as soon as I see her.

"Oh, don't even worry about it," she says graciously. After I wash my hands, I carry a bowl over to the table.

"What else can I do?" Before anybody says anything, I see Paige come into the kitchen. "Hi, Beautiful girl," I tell her as I kneel on the floor. I'm rewarded with a big smile. "Can I get a hug?" I ask her softly, being sure to keep my distance from her so I don't scare her. After a moment she comes to me and wraps her arms around me, and I'm pretty sure I melt into a puddle of goo. "Thank you! You give the best hugs!" She giggles and skips off.

"You have a way with kids," Amber remarks.

I shrug. "She's just really precious."

Amber beams. "Thank you. I hope you're hungry."

"I am." I feel myself getting nervous and try to remind myself it's just dinner. Hopefully, Amber and Cade will carry most the conversation, and I can just nod and smile. "Thank you so much for having me over for dinner."

"Thank you," Amber says after settling Paige into a seat. "Thank you for all you're doing for our pack, for all you did for me."

I look down, uncomfortable with the praise, and take a bite of mashed potatoes. "Ooo these are really good. You'll have to teach me how to make these."

Amber's eyes twinkle. "I will." It's quiet while we dig into our food, and I glance at the door, wondering if Maverick is coming.

"Sorry Mav couldn't make it tonight," Amber says, giving me a pointed smile. I look down and take another bite.

"Yeah, he's been coming and going," Cade says. "I've got him and several of the enforcers trying to run down leads for this poison." His words have an edge to them.

"Have you figured anything out yet?" I ask.

"No. Paul sent us the results to the blood tests." I sort of hold my breath as I wait for him to say more. He blows out a breath and meets Amber's eyes for a moment. "I'm only telling you this because you're a healer and need to know what you're working with. This can't go outside this room."

"It won't."

"Paul isolated it," he says, and I wait with bated breath. "It's strychnine." He glances over at me and must see that I'm totally lost. "It's lethal to wolves. Well, it's lethal to anybody, but it's used on wolves in the wild sometimes."

"That's terrible! Why?" It's the only word I'm capable of forming.

He shakes his head tersely, and Amber reaches out and puts her hand in his. "I don't know. We also don't know where it's coming from, so we don't know how to stop it or who to stop."

I stare at him as his words sink in. "You think someone is deliberately doing this to your pack."

His jaw tightens. "Yes, and when I find them, they are going to pay."

I sit back in my chair, no longer hungry. Who would do that? My stomach hurts. "I'm...that's so awful. If there's anything I can do, please let me know."

His face softens some. "Thanks, Rose. But you're already helping our pack in a way we can never reciprocate." Nobody says anything for a minute, and I see my chance to ask my question. I take a breath; it's now or never.

"Will you tell me Maverick's story?" I ask quickly before I lose my courage. I can tell I've surprised both of them.

Cade's already shaking his head. "It's Mav's story to tell."

"I know you told me that, but he's never going to tell me. He's never going to let me get close. I can't even get him to talk to me. I just...I don't know. I want to help him somehow. I think."

Cade cracks a grin at that. "You think?"

"Well, you have to admit, the man is terrifying."

"She's not wrong," Amber says as she stands up from the table and puts Paige on the floor and then picks up our plates. I start to stand up, but she motions for me to stay seated. "Tell her, Cade. She, of all people, deserves to know. You know he's never going to tell her. I'll make coffee." She disappears a moment later, leaving me with Cade.

He's quiet a moment, and I wonder if he'll actually tell me. "Mav was nine when his six-year-old sister was brutally attacked by a wolf shifter." I gasp at his words and clench my stomach. "He forced a shift early, but he was no match for the adult wolf." I put my hands over my mouth, and my eyes tear up. He eyes me. "It gets worse. Can you handle it?" I nod because I need to hear this. I need to try to understand the man that is so difficult to be around. "Only a powerful wolf can force a shift that early. His pack knew he would be an alpha one day, and that didn't sit well. His dad beat him daily, partly to punish him for what happened to his sister and partly to beat him into submission. The other adult men tried to beat him into submission as well. Mav was young and angry, and he fought back. He was too strong, and that just made it worse." Amber comes back in with a cup of coffee and sets it in front of him. "Thanks, Love."

"What happened?" I whisper.

"I became alpha of this pack at twenty. Maverick was fifteen. I knew his story from visiting with their pack a few times. They're only about three hours from here. I told him he was welcome in my pack as long as he chose to come under my leadership."

I stare at Cade with a newfound respect. "He wasn't a threat to you?"

Cade gives a dry laugh. "Oh, he's always a threat to me. He could challenge me for alpha any time, and it would be a challenge, that's for sure. But no, I don't worry about Mav. He pledged his loyalty to me, and I don't ever doubt it. I trust him not just with my life but with the lives of my mate and my daughter and my pack." He turns his head to me. "Mav is rough. He's mean and ornery and impossible to get close to, but he'll die for those he loves. He's more loyal than anybody you'll ever meet, and that's why he's my beta and my friend. I know he's hard to get close to, but once you know what he went through as a child, you understand." He shakes his head. "No child should have to go through what he did."

"I don't understand," I say, my voice cracking. "I thought wolf packs were all about family."

"Not all packs. There are some really awful packs out there," he says quietly. "You've been in a really good pack. I wish they were all that way. Dominance trumps family in some packs."

"And his mom?" I ask, not sure if I even want to know.

"She died giving birth to his sister."

There's a heavy silence in the room, and I feel like I'm going to be sick. "Thank you for telling me," I whisper. "I think I'm going to head back to my room, if that's okay." Cade and Amber exchanged worried glances. "I needed to know," I say, cutting off anything they're going to say. I stand up and push my chair in. "Thank you for dinner."

I'm almost to the door when Cade's voice stops me. "Rose." I turn and he stands to his feet and rubs his jaw. "He'll kill me for telling you this, but I feel like you should know, as his mate. He was always too strong, too hated. He never knew love growing up. I know that doesn't excuse his bad behavior. He was never touched in a loving way, never hugged...all he knew was fighting to survive."

The tears are dripping down my cheeks now. "Thank you for telling me and thanks for dinner." I barely get the words out before I head out into the hallway. I wipe my eyes as I walk past the shifter on duty and around the corner. I want to curl into a ball and cry, but I keep moving because there's something I need to do more. I don't stop until I get to Maverick's apartment, and then I knock before I lose my nerve.

Maverick opens the door. If he's surprised to see me, he doesn't show it on his face. His eyebrows rise. "Get lost, Healer?" he asks. I don't say anything, I just step forward and wrap my arms around him. He stiffens. Knowing what I know now, I don't take it personally.

"I'm sorry, Maverick," I whisper.

"What are you talking about?" he demands. I pull back and wipe my eyes, and his eyes narrow. "Are you crying?"

"Cade told me about your past," I tell him, looking him in the eye.

His eyes go cold. "And now you're here to what? Make it all better with tears and a hug?" he asks snidely. He shakes his head in disgust. "It's a good thing you didn't grow up in my pack; you would have never made it. You're too sensitive and way too emotional."

I swallow and nod. "I know; I'm working on it." He goes silent, and I wipe my eyes. Unsure of what else to say or do, I simply turn around and walk away. I did what I came to do—give him a hug. And for now, that's enough.