Chapter Six

Raven

“He’s mine. The omega is mine.”

Sutton acknowledged me, not just as a mate, but as his. He claimed me with his words in front of the people who thought I wasn’t worth the air I breathed, people who were important to him.

If they decided to send me to the goddess right then and there, I’d be okay with it. I’d already had my biggest dreams coming into fruition. Sure, I wanted to stay here, to get to know the bear fate put here for me, but I’d understand if they decided that wasn’t to be. I’d been their enemy and actions have consequences.

“How did your jackal know he was here?” Tyrus watched me intently, waiting for an answer.

“I don’t know.” Not the nitty gritty, anyway. “He didn’t—not at first. And then he remembered, or realized, what the scent was—that part’s foggy. It had to do with the healer and the bond splintering away. I don’t understand what all it did especially since Sutton wasn’t there that night.” I was officially babbling.

“What night?” Sutton’s hand was on mine, as if now that he’d scented me, he needed to feel my touch. Which was good, because gods knew I needed to feel his.

“The night they took out my tracker.”

Sutton’s eyes went wide. I wasn’t sure how much of my story he knew, but the tracker seemed to be new to him.

“It was me,” Tyrus said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I was the reason. I’d been with you earlier that day, Sutton. I— it was when you first were back. I must have scented like you.”

It felt like I was missing so much of that story, but this wasn’t time for me to do anything other than listen and if asked, answer any questions. That was it.

It was all chance. No, that wasn’t true. It was all fate.

“Let’s call the others in. We need to figure this out.” Pop Tart was already walking towards the door.

Everyone came back, and the questions started. None of them trusted me. I didn’t even think my mate did. But as I talked, they seemed less fearful. That was something.

“We can leave,” Sutton said, putting his arm around my shoulder. “I’ll take him far away.”

“No.” Pop Tart spoke firmly. “We don’t do that here. We don’t let people leave as a way of avoiding the past. You belong here. You’re one of us now, and for whatever reason, the Goddess thinks that your mate does too.”

The lion growled.

“King, cut it out.” Pop Tart gave him some serious side eye. “You know as well as I do that not everyone has the best start. Your mate was the first to say we should give this man a chance. Raven won’t be here without supervision. We’ll set up a guard rotation.”

That sounded absolutely dreadful, but I kept my face as schooled as possible. I didn’t even breathe hard. This was their pack— or sort of pack. They hadn’t filled me in on the details given the situation. They needed to figure this out without me interjecting.

Just knowing that Sutton was willing to leave with me meant everything to me. I didn’t want that for him, obviously. These were his people.

My mate tensed up, his arm pulling me slightly closers. I looked over at him.

“No. I’m not letting you guys watch him. It’s not fair to you, and my beast is not putting up with it. He’s already not happy that so many of you are in an enclosed space with him.” Him being me.

My mate was a little overprotective. It was kind of hot—not that I should be thinking about things like that now, not when my life was on the line.

“And how are we going to keep everyone safe?” Pop Tart asked, his tone suggested he already knew the answer but was asking more for the benefit of those there, mainly King who hadn’t stopped glaring at me.

“He’s my mate. He’ll be under my supervision. I will not leave him at all.” Sutton punctuated each word.

“You can’t watch him all the time.” King did not like this plan. Not. One. Bit.

“I can. If I need to take a shower, teach a class, or let my beast out? I’ll make sure he’s not unsupervised for any of that, even if it means he’s sitting on the floor in front of the shower.”

I wouldn’t dislike that.

“Either we agree to my plan, or I take him and leave. He’s my mate. It took an immense amount of bravery for him to come here knowing it was a death sentence. And my beast is not willing to leave even a sliver of a chance that the death sentence will be enacted.”

The others all looked to each other, as if having a silent conversation.

“So, what is it? Are you trusting me as a member of your team—trusting that I’ll keep everyone safe and that my mate won’t harm anyone? Or are you telling me you don’t trust me and I’m not worthy of your team? In which case, the two of us will leave and never return.”

“You can’t do that,” Tyrus said, grabbing the back of his neck.

The others nodded, even King.

“You will supervise him— and will stay at the cabin,” someone whose name I didn’t know said. “You’ll make sure that he’s never anywhere alone unless he’s with one of us.”

“Not gonna happen.” Sutton’s hand tightened on my shoulder. The mating pull must have been really working on him. “He will be with me.”

“Then you know your responsibility. And for the record, when you’re teaching, there will be another one of us in there with you—at least for now.” I didn’t know what kind of classes my mate taught, but it made sense that king wanted to protect the children. I would’ve felt the same.

Sutton stood up and grabbed my hand. “Come with me. I need some air.”

And out of the office we went, into a very different unknown than I’d been facing since the day they set me free—but one with a much more promising destination.