2. Chapter 2

I looked around the room I was in to make sure I had gathered up the last of my belongings. Not that I was traveling much these days. Ever since reporting the Alpha of my pack for a crime, I had been on the run. At least I wasn't alone.

Me being me, I had gone straight to the authorities without thinking it through. I'd still have done it, but I'd have prepared a bit more for what was to follow. At least I was under the protection of the Steelwick Enforcer Pack. If it weren't for them, my lack of planning would probably have already led me to the goddess.

Steelwick was great.

Everything was great.

Except my former Alpha kept finding me.

That was the only bummer in this whole crazy situation.

I had been at the headquarters of the Steelwick Pack for two days now, and they were insistent that I move to my next location. They weren't even telling me what that location was. And I understood why. The fewer people who knew, the better. I didn't know how my former Alpha kept evading capture and locating me, but no pack needed him on their doorstep. I hated that I seemed to bring danger wherever I went. The whole point in reporting his crimes was so that he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else.

"Everything all right?" Matty asked. He carried his youngest in his arms. Matty was the omega of the Alpha-elect, and one of the nicest people I'd ever met. I was sad that we couldn't spend more time together. It was selfish to stay, though, and I'd never push.

I pasted on a smile. "Doing great," I said. "I'm very excited to see where I'm going next."

He smiled and shook his head. "I appreciate your endless optimism. Anybody else in your shoes would be tearing their hair out."

Matty had no idea how close I was to doing exactly that. But what were my other choices? Mope, grumble, and be an ass? Pretending to be happy and excited until I actually was felt like a much better plan than that.

I shrugged. "It's not useful to get all worked up over things we can't control. Besides, you all are doing your best, and I'm not dead yet, so that's a plus." It was a freaking miracle that I was still this side of the grass. These shifters slayed their position, that was for sure.

"Yes, I suppose it is." He smiled like I was hilarious.

I got that sort of reaction a lot. I might as well carry a sign that said "Walker: too talkative, too sunshiny, too much for too many people."

A lot of my life had been about toning down that "too much" personality of mine. It was only recently that I'd had to amp it up and that was more for me that it was for them.

"Nervous?"

I shook my head. I wasn't lying. Staying put was far more nerve-wrecking than being on the move.

"Well, your ride is here. Let's go over to the bakery and we'll meet them, and you can get some treats to go." That was one thing I didn't go without while here—baked goods. They had the best bakers—two of them.

"That would be great," I said, and there was not an ounce of faking. I couldn't wait to see what they had made today. One thing was for sure; it was going to be delicious.

The air was nice and warm, and the sun high in the sky. I wasn't sure how long my drive was, but I hoped it wasn't too terrible. It was no surprise that I hadn't been able to sleep well, with the threat of my old Alpha finding me.

I should've been exhausted and falling asleep easily considering how much running around I'd been doing. But there was something about having a threat to your life hanging over your head that made sleep hard to come by.

If this was any other situation, I'd have created something beautiful to get my mind cleared before bed. But I couldn't ask them to get me my sculpting supplies, not for a short stint here and there. I just needed to suck it up and plan pieces in my head until I could get settled in. Gods, I missed working with my hands.

Opening the door and stepping inside the bakery was a treat in and of itself. Between the scent of the bread baking and the chocolate melting on the stove, my stomach was more than ready to be filled. A man, a prey shifter of some sort, a rabbit if I wasn't mistaken, and another man, whose scent I couldn't place, sat at a table. Both of them had a cup of coffee and a muffin.

I gasped when I realized what the unknown man was. "You're one of the centaurs," I said. No wonder I couldn't scent his beast. I'd never met one before. Heck, most of my life I thought they were nothing but a fairytale and here one sat right in front of me.

The man had long, silvery hair, and in the center of his forehead was a mark, as if there was something there usually, perhaps a horn in his centaur form? I clapped my hand over my mouth. "Was I not supposed to say anything? I heard you all live in secret."

"It's fine. You must be Walker," the prey shifter said. He had that same friendly, amused smile I was used to seeing when I met new people.

"I am. Am I coming to stay with you guys in the forest?" They said it was a special place, but I assumed they meant it was fancy, so secluded and protected that most people would never be allowed to find it, much less step foot in it.

"You are." He smiled. "I'm Marcus. This is Luan."

"Oh, wow. That's kind of brilliant. Hide in the exact place that my former Alpha had been looking to get information on." If he could've found it, he already would have. "That's putting a lot of trust in me. Will it be safe—for you, I mean? You all have families now, right?" I'd heard through rumors that the centaurs were all settled now.

"It will be perfectly safe," Marcus assured me. "We're prepared to have you housed in one of the cabins located near our home. Steelwick will be sending a guard as well. And just for full disclosure, I was with Steelwick before being pulled to find my mate." He reached over and took his mate's hand. "You will be in good hands."

Of that I had no doubt.

"Oh, wow. So I get to go to the centaurs' forest. Is it amazing? I heard that the waters glitter and that gold comes out of the earth and that you have a diamond mines." And I was babbling. Oops.

The centaur, Luan, snorted. "You outsiders and your stories. I assure you there is no such thing. Our water is very clean. I suppose it sparkles because of that. There is no diamond mine. The only things we have pulled from the earth are things that are useful to us. Terran did find that ruby one time, and he made a very nice ring for his mate out of it."

"Well, that is a little bit of a bummer—the no diamonds, not the thoughtful gift. I'm sure it's beautiful no matter what."

"I suppose, if my brother Terran focused hard enough, he might be able to mine some things from the earth. But I can't say that he has actively tried." The centaur pondered that for a moment like he might actually consider trying it.

"So each of you have powers from the elements? The earth, the moon, the sun."

"I don't know that I would call them powers," Luan answered.

Marcus shrugged. "They're kind of like powers."

"Can I see? No, that's rude. I can't ask that. But like, is it rude? I don't want to offend you all, being that I am going to be your guest and you're doing me a tremendous favor by keeping me safe."

Marcus laughed and shook his head. "We'll see. How's that? Let's take it one day at a time."

"Oh, absolutely. I don't mean to impose. I am very grateful to have this opportunity. And any chores you need help with, I can help. I used to cook and do laundry for my pack. Do you have laundry machines, or do you wash them in the crystal-shiny river? Either one is fine with me. I am more than happy to help. Oh, this is going to be delightful."

"You're going to shake this forest up." Marcus beamed at me.

I smiled. Finally, someone who appreciated my bubbly-ness.

"We'll keep you away from Apollo, though. He's a bit of a grump, but you get used to it."

"Oh, I don't wish to impose on anyone… I mean, what I mean to say is, I can turn this down. I don't need to be bubbly. I can even stay quiet and not talk at all if you want. I had to do that in my old pack all the time. Just say the word and I'll stop. I promise."

"You should be yourself, Walker," Marcus said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Now, it's a long drive, and we're already going to get there pretty late. We have some goodies packed for us thanks to the twins."

"Oh, fantastic. I didn't get to try their scones yet."

Marcus smiled. "We have some of those. We should be on our way."

"I'm ready. I have everything I need."