Chapter Thirteen

I woke up next to my mate, having just had a dream walk. Only it wasn't Tyrus I had shared it with. I wasn't really sure it was a person at all. That made the entire thing even more complicated.

For some reason, I got it in my head that since I was mated, my dreams would all pretty much reach out to him, whether intentional or not. So, when I first realized I was on the grass in a place I'd never been before, I looked for him, felt around for him. He wasn't there. As far as I could tell, no one was.

It wasn't like the dreams I had before. The lack of people was huge, but it was more than that. Something about this place felt wrong, dangerous. Had it simply been a nightmare, I'd have brushed it off, but this was a real place, and someone or something brought me here. It was my job to figure out why.

In the distance was a building. By all indications, it was abandoned. Nothing about the place hinted at it being inhabited, but there were people there at one time. The old sign with missing letters suggested the mountainside ski lodge had closed decades ago. And the old ski lifts? The wires that ran the chairlifts up the mountainside were either missing or hanging down, snapped in two.

"Go back to sleep, love," Tyrus whispered. "We still have time before breakfast."

It was so sweet that he was sleeping here with me. He didn't have to. He had his own room with his own bed. It meant so much to me, probably more than he knew.

"I just have to do something real quick," I whispered. I climbed out of bed and headed toward the bathroom, grabbing a notepad and pencil along the way.

I needed to get my dream out on paper before it faded away. I sketched it, trying to incorporate every detail I could pull from my memory. I wasn't the best artist in the world, but I was pretty good and, when it was complete, it resembled my nocturnal destination to a T. Sketching it out was better than trying to describe it in words. I'd have missed far too much.

My hopes that putting it on paper would help me figure out the importance of the old lodge were squashed. I was no closer now than I was when I woke up. There was a tiny chance that this was nothing but a normal dream, that the place didn't exist. My gut, however, told me that not only was it real, but it was important. Right now, it was nothing more than a scene and it would stay that way until I could figure something else out.

I tore out the paper and folded it up and went back to my sleep spot, leaving the notebook back where I found it. Sliding the paper under my pillow, I lay there and listened for my mate's breathing, trying to see if he was still awake and when I determined he was, I whispered, "Good night," and allowed myself to fall back into slumber.

When it was time to get up, my mate's phone made sure I knew it. I was on kitchen duty today. They hadn't said I had to do kitchen duty. In fact, they told me I should take my time and adjust to the place first. But I wanted to give back, and this was one way I could do so.

I hadn't dreamed during the last few hours of sleep, so I woke up fairly refreshed. After getting cleaned up, I checked the kids to make sure they were starting to get up and got breakfast going. I made my kids' favorites, baked French toast and bacon. The ovens weren't big enough to cook for everyone all at once, and I had to work in batches, which was fine. My biggest worry was that the others might not like what I'd prepared. I grabbed a bunch of cereal out of the cupboards and sliced up a few melons. Worst-case scenario I could throw some toaster waffles in for those who were picky. One thing was for sure; anyone going hungry was doing so by choice.

There were many more kids here than I was used to cooking for, plus omegas and Tyrus' crew. I'd call them a pack, but they never did. The closest I heard from them was family.

I loved how everybody was working together to help give the kids everything they needed. The biggest obstacle, aside from time, was that this warehouse had a lot of square footage, but it really wasn't designed for this many people to live here. There weren't enough bathrooms, and the kitchen could sure use doubling.

Something had to give. They either needed to find a full-time living space for everyone or invest in a second kitchen and some plumbing. Probably a mixture of both.

Hutch helped get things ready and, between the two of us, we were ready when the kids came in to eat. The food was a hit with everyone. It was reminiscent of being back at Shifter House with the kids and I all eating together, chatting about what our day was going to bring, telling stories of things they did the day before, and asking what was for lunch before the dishes were completely cleared.

I loved this time together, but this could only be a layover for the kids. They needed to find real homes with families who could love them and give them the undivided attention they needed. They needed forever.