14. Fugitive

Fugitive

Larken

T he weeks after the birth of Hiroshi and Tate's babies were a blur to me, and they weren't even my kids! It didn't stop their parents from roping both me and Micah into feeding, changing diapers, and even bathing the cubs.

In that house, it was all hands on deck, which was fine. I just ended up learning a lot of new skills.

A major downside was how my time with Dalton was drastically cut short. There hadn't been time to slip away during the celebration for the babies where they received witch and demon blessings and a proper welcome into the pack. Both of us had too much to do, so we were going through a dry spell. Or at least, I hoped he was. Part of our friends with benefits agreement was that we didn't sleep with anyone else.

Navigating this new path, one without the council leadership, had us all floundering. From our brief sexting sessions, I knew Dalton was buried under paperwork as he helped Dakota and Roan go through pack membership applications, managed a new system for pack tithes, and handled everything else he was responsible for on a daily basis.

At least we still talked. I think I would have felt adrift without our chats. It wasn't quite every day, neither of us were that needy we had to maintain constant communication. We were sometimes on different rotations, but it helped keep me sane when I was floundering.

Being a part of Roan's family after my feelings for him was strange. If the house had an open secret, it was my old crush. Now part of the past, for sure. I wasn't sure when my feelings for Roan had changed. Somewhere around the time he met Hiroshi and dropped everyone, or when I saw him become a dad. No, it was Dalton who had turned those romantic feelings into something platonic, familial, for Roan.

Dalton had slipped into my heart and stolen it.

I don't know when it happened. Slowly, over the time we'd spent together, he became more precious to me until it was him I thought of when I woke up each morning.

Whatever crush I had for Roan had vanished. Not transferred onto Dalton. What I felt for the raccoon shifter was deeper than anything I'd ever felt for my wolf friend. Dalton had me tied up in knots. He knew me in ways Roan would never. Not just physically, he'd taken the time to listen to my stories. He asked about my day. Knew what I liked. We had the same sense of humor, outlook on life, and only had ourselves to rely on. One day, I wanted him to feel like he could rely on me.

Until he became my friend, my something more, I didn't realize how lonely I'd been.

Beside me, my phone rang. I answered with a grunt, tired from a night helping Hiroshi and Tate with the babies.

"Hey, Lark, I know you're stretched thin, but could you come to the gate for a bit?" Deke asked. The man sounded harassed. Knowing the Head Enforcer like I did, he wouldn't have asked me if he hadn't tried everyone else.

"You got any of those energy boosting potions like they have at Heatwave?"

Our local heat club, where omegas could have their heat serviced safely, was Heatwave. There the betas used potions to form knots so alpha-averse omegas could get relief. They also used energy potions because servicing omegas could be exhausting.

Deke chuckled. "That bad, huh?"

"Jewel is a literal angel. Maddox is the sweetest. Noah, though. Well, he drank his milk so good, but puked all over himself and me when I was burping him. Baby vomit is disgusting, man."

"Yeah, it really is. I'll get you a potion if you promise to get a decent night's sleep. You know Xavier will happily do an extra night."

I thought about the older alpha, Roan's dad. He had shown up when it was most important and had really put the work in, making a space for himself in Roan's life. Xavier had come around to the unconventional set up. He seemed to love it, actually, since it gave him three new sons and grandchildren out of it.

Xavier had tried adopting me into his family, but it was too weird for me. I couldn't let myself be parented by him after losing my loving parents and Karina. In my heart, it felt disrespectful of the sacrifices they had made to keep me safe.

"Sleep? I can promise that. We've got elves on duty right now. I was supposed to be taking a nap."

"Sorry, Lark." He was more apologetic than I'd ever heard from him. "Sam ate something that didn't agree with him. Can you replace him at the front gate?"

"Sure thing. Leave the potion there for me. I'll run over there now."

"Thanks!"

Relieved I could help Deke and wasn't in for a dressing down, I changed into my guard uniform, left a note for whoever got home first, and ran across the compound to the guard hut.

Sweetwater was a shifter friendly town not too far from the port city of Northarbor. From what I'd been told, as long as there was a town in Sweetwater, there had been a shifter pack there. No one knew if the town was named after the family, or the family after the town. Just that there was no town without the pack.

We mostly lived in a sprawling gated compound, which held a lake where they got most of the water for the cider production, and woodland for the shifters to take their alter forms.

So many shifters in one place could be a problem, but the Sweetwaters had learned from other successful packs to create a safe haven for the omegas set apart from alpha influence. They carefully guarded that area and usually only allowed mated alphas, betas, and, of course, omegas to access it.

Each of the gates to the compound had to be about ten feet high, each topped with barbed wire to prevent easy climbing. There was a hut next to the gate where we would watch for approaching vehicles. Beside the gate was a doorway which would only open with a numeric passcode, which changed frequently. The door let us through the gates to check paperwork.

Sam was looking green when I arrived. "Thanks, Lark," he managed, before scurrying away. I picked up his shed clothes as he took to his wolf form to get home faster. Maybe his wolf would stop him from vomiting in the rose bushes.

Inside the hut, a potion bottle waited for me, the passcode written on the label. I memorized the number, drank the potion down, grimacing at the taste, and destroyed the code. Then I settled in for a long, boring shift.

I'd brought this on myself.

I jinxed the shift by thinking that I'd be bored.

It was the only explanation for what I was witnessing.

Coming up the path, naked, were three people, all looking to be in different stages of distress.

Reaching for the radio, I called it in. "We have three unknowns at the gate. Shifters." I caught their scent and amended it. "Birds."

"Hostile?" Deke replied.

"Unknown."

"Give me a rundown. "

"Naked. On foot. Two females. One male. Alpha and two omegas by scent. One female and the male are injured."

"Okay, I'll ask Aldrin to come take a look at them. Bring them up to the house."

"The gate?"

"I'm sending down a team. Grady and Trey will help you escort them to the house. I'm not putting alphas around unknown omegas."

I must have made a scoffing noise. I was an unknown alpha to those omegas, yet Deke was trusting me around them without question. "We'll talk about that later. Get them up to the house. I'll have Axel and Chase meet you."

By the time they got into hearing range, I was out of the hut and onto the road, ready to meet them.

"Here," I used the softest tone I could while holding out blankets. "I thought you might like to cover up a bit."

"Please, we need sanctuary," the oldest omega pleaded, a faint Spanish accent tinging her tone. Given the resemblance, they had to be a family. They all had golden brown skin and deep, glossy brown hair, with eyes the color of milk chocolate.

The alpha and the younger omega shared the same slightly hooked nose and square jaw, the pairing making them look arresting. Both were attractive in an unconventional sense. They had to be siblings.

"We can give you that once you prove you mean the pack no harm."

The alpha studied me. His mother glanced at him for guidance. He nodded. "Thank you," she whispered before she fainted.

I caught her before she could hit the ground, earning me a growl from the alpha.

"Here, you take her," I urged him. If she was his mother, he had to be wary of a strange alpha holding her, especially in such a vulnerable state.

He nodded, then tried to take her prone body, but his arms couldn't even support her weight. They trembled, and he stumbled, pride likely the only thing keeping him standing.

"You're too injured. Please, let me carry her for you," I offered gently. The situation was so tense. An injured alpha was dangerous, made more so in this situation by the vulnerable omegas.

"Mateo!" So that was the alpha's name. "Please, let him carry Amá. Lean on me. You're barely on your feet as it is."

Reluctantly, Mateo handed over the still unconscious omega.

"Could I ask what your injuries are? We have a healer coming, but it would be better if they could prepare. "

Getting anything out of the stoic alpha was going to be a task. Thankfully, it wouldn't be my problem. As soon as I could offload these people, I was heading for a nap. Maybe I would track Dalton down and see if there was time for an orgasm or two before I went to bed.

Okay, that was maybe callous, but I was tired!

Mateo didn't answer my question. The unconscious omega couldn't, so that left his sister.

"We are exhausted. During our flight here, we were attacked, so there are injuries from the fight. Our mother was pushed past her limit. For many days now, she has cried and worried over us. We grieve. We will survive."

"Thank you. Nothing broken?" I used the pack link to give a status report to Deke.

She shook her head. "Just our hearts."

There wasn't time to go into that minefield.

At the gatehouse, the team waited for us. Grady and Trey were there to help with the omegas, alpha enforcers to take the gate. Mateo watched us carefully as I helped support him up the road to the mansion.

Upon our arrival at the house, Deke quickly ushered us into the library.

"Aldrin is ready. Once everyone is taken care of, I'd like some answers. "

"We will provide them if you promise us sanctuary." Mateo's mouth was set in a grim line.

Axel took charge. "You will have it provided you aren't here to cause problems for the pack."

"I'll make sure of that," Chase said with a faint smile. His ability to detect lies was perfect for these kinds of situations.

The healer made quick work of pushing his ability into their mother. She woke with a start, though soon calmed, maybe sensing she was safe from further harm.

My gut was telling me these people were innocent and not here to cause harm. They had nothing to their names. No clothes, money, anything. These were desperate people who had come to us for aid.

Once they were all checked over, given various potions and something to wear, the questioning began. I missed my chance to slip out and stayed standing by the door, though it was unlikely any of them would try anything.

"I'm Axel, Second for the Sweetwater pack. Could you explain why you require sanctuary?"

The siblings shared a look, then Mateo spoke.

"I am Mateo, my sister, Nova, and mother, Sofia. We are former members of the Northarbor aviary."

The entire room went on edge with those words .

Mateo gave a bitter chuckle. "Yes, we hate them as much as you. Likely more. We worry they've killed my sister's mate."

There was a sharp intake of breath. James rushed forward and caught Nova as she fainted.

"Sorry, it is all too fresh." Mateo's eyes never left his sister as James and Aldrin worked to revive her. "They did not want them to mate. They are, were, fated, but we hope she may not fade since their bond is so new."

"Let me guess, a mixed mating?"

"Yes," Mateo said, nodding.

Chase gave a sympathetic wince. Already I knew these people were going to get the sanctuary they hoped for when they arrived on our stoop.

"Can I ask what you are?" Grady asked in a soft voice. "They often banish shifters they deem less valuable. You must be something they don't have. The Alpha is like a collector."

"You are correct. We are yellow-headed caracaras." At our blank looks, Mateo continued. "Under the same family as falcons. Very common in our native Venezuela, according to my mother."

His mother smiled. "My children were born in Arizona. We came to Northarbor when my mate got a better job. There were more opportunities in the area for my children. Nova is just twenty-one and the fated mate bond presented in a raven shifter—" She broke down, unable to continue for the tears she wept.

There wasn't all that much more she had to say. We'd already taken more shifters from the aviary than any other group, all thanks to their bigoted beliefs.

Shifters could not dictate who their fated mate was. Not everyone found theirs. They were supposed to be celebrated, not punished.

"Cool," Trey remarked. He was looking at Grady's phone. "We googled your type. Just as pretty in bird form." He gave Mateo a lascivious grin.

Grady elbowed his mate. "Not the time to be flirting."

"Please," Sofia begged. "My husband stayed behind to help us get away. There's a chance he and Ricky, Nova's mate, could still be alive. We have to have hope The Luna will protect them. Can you help us?"

Axel, Deke, and Chase moved to the other side of the room. There they talked in voices so soft we couldn't overhear. Using the pack link would have been rude.

Deke took charge of the situation when they returned to the rest of the group.

"This is what's going to happen. You are all going to rest and recover here. We will find you somewhere to stay in the compound. With Mateo being unmated, he cannot stay with his sister and mother. They will be safest in the omega compound. "

Sofia's crying resumed. Nova looked too shell-shocked to even respond. Mateo only frowned.

"Mateo can stay with us," Grady offered. He elbowed Trey. "We have plenty of room."

"The whole family can come," Trey added, sharing a look with his mate once more. "I'm sure they would rather stick together."

Mateo studied the pair. "That is very kind. I accept your offer."

"Alright," Deke said, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "We have a contact in the aviary and some friends in the pride who might be able to get info on your dad and mate, then if they are still alive, get them out to safety. We will give them sanctuary here." He spoke directly to Nova. "In the meantime, I'd like you to see Janet. She is our Seer."

Going to the Seer was the fastest way to get information. She would know things Deke's contacts couldn't. Unspoken was the implication that Janet would tell us if it was worth trying a rescue mission, or if Nova was likely to survive. Such a new bond meant it was possible.

"I'm not making any promises," Deke continued. "We'll do what we can."

Axel leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "You have sanctuary here, for as long as you need it. Until you swear to our alpha, you will be escorted everywhere around the pack. Living with Grady and Trey is fine, but they are responsible for you until then. Don't let them down."

"We have bond breaking potions," Aldrin offered. "To rid you of your pack affiliation to the aviary."

"Please!" they all begged. The action made the last of the tension in the room dissipate.

"Okay, follow Grady and Trey. We'll get you some more essentials soon. Please eat and rest. Grady, I'll get Winter to make you a care package."

The bird shifters trailed beside the betas easily, Trey keeping a line of flirting going between him and Mateo. The alpha had more pressing things to think about, yet still managed a wink for the pair, so maybe they'd found the alpha Dalton told me they were looking for.

Axel moved around the room, giving orders. He finally got to me. "Larken, go home. Get some rest."

He didn't have to tell me twice. It was only when I climbed into bed I remembered I was going to see Dalton. Regret weighed heavily on me in the moments before I fell asleep.