Chapter Fifteen

Rocky hadn’t built anything in a long time. The last time he and Garridan had created anything together was a wooden playhouse in Garridan’s backyard for Bennett. Wolf shifters had murdered Bennett’s parents a few months before, and Garridan had been grieving. Rocky thought Garridan intended to crawl in the little playhouse with Bennett and never come out, as though it were a cocoon of protection. Bandos and Sully had been there too, helping by leveling the area where the play equipment would be.

They all remembered that day. Rocky could tell by the way Sully and Bandos eyed Garridan as if his grief transported him to the past.

Garridan shut the sanding machine down and met each one of their gazes. “It’s different now.”

Sage, Garridan’s mate, sat a little straighter in his chair. He was in the far corner of the room, reading a book. His gaze went to Garridan and his eyebrows drew together.

“Dad?” Bennett, who’d been helping Garridan sand what would be the back of the shelf, stopped too.

Garridan met Bennett’s gaze and smiled. His expression was one of grief. It hadn’t been there when they first had gotten started. “You were little. Three years old, I think. Your mom and dad had just died. The guys came over to help build something fun for you in the backyard.”

Bennett glanced at Rocky and then at Sully and Bandos. “I loved the little house thing. And the swings. I didn’t know you helped Dad build it.”

Rocky nodded.

It was a full circle moment. All four of them had missed watching Bennett grow up, but he’d gotten lucky. Finding a family like the Somersets had to be the work of the gods. The moment in which they were together building something had brought Bennett’s biological parents to life in Garridan’s memory. It was the work of the gods too. It felt like a blessing.

Bennett met Garridan’s gaze again. “It wasn’t good back then?”

“I wouldn’t define it as good or bad. Just different.” Garridan met Sage’s gaze with a smile. “I still grieve the loss of your parents. Time won’t erase it.”

“I like it when you talk about them. I don’t remember much, so I feel like I’m getting to know them through you.”

Garridan nodded. “Your mom would have loved these shelves. She was an avid reader, you know.”

“No, I didn’t.” Bennett had been sanding by hand, getting all the little spots the electric sander might have missed. He went back to it. “What did she like to read?”

“Romance mostly, I think. She liked the steamy stuff.” They talked a bit more about her books. How she had shelves built in the basement of their house. The mood lightened with each story Garridan told.

Sully grinned. “Did she have a book where the main character played a sex game with his mate?”

“Shut up, Sully.” Rocky went back to working, measuring a board to cut it the length they needed. The general rule was to measure twice and cut once, but Rocky had been out of practice, so he took extra care while measuring. “They were talking about something serious. You’re ruining their moment.”

Bennett shook his head and chuckled. “No worries, man. We’ll go to lunch or something. Talk about my parents then.”

Garridan nodded. “I’d like to know what the hell Sully’s talking about.”

Everyone in the shop stopped what they were doing.

Damn it.“Nothing.”

“It’s a reward system,” Sully said and then didn’t say a word afterward.

The statement intrigued everyone. He could see it on their faces. They would start asking questions at some point. Rocky had been around the Somerset siblings enough to know they didn’t let stuff go when they didn’t want to.

Bandos laughed. “You should be so glad Vaughan isn’t here.”

“Amen.” Gabriel and Bennett said at the same time.

Ramsey smirked and lifted his eyebrows, but otherwise didn’t say a word.

Rocky was saved from discussing it further when Shawn came into the shop from the back door. He seemed in a hurry and handed papers to Garridan, who was the closest person to him.

“Ladon told me you guys were here. He wanted to show you this. He should be here soon.” Shawn scowled and closed the distance to Gabriel, leaning against him.

Garridan growled and handed the papers to Bennett, who read them and handed them to the next person. They made their rounds, getting to Rocky.

“Troop movement.” Rocky mumbled.

Shawn nodded. “A lot of them. Could be for any reason. It might not have anything to do with us.”

“Or they could be preparing to invade,” Garridan growled.

Ladon came in the back door, holding Magnus’s hand. Fane followed behind. “So how do we prepare?”

“For what? Something that may or may not happen.” Gabriel might have been playing the devil’s advocate, but he pulled Shawn against his side, wanting him closer.

“It will happen,” Sully said. He met Rocky’s gaze, seeming to be addressing him. “The council expects something big. Fowler’s making noise that seems to contradict it but they think it’s to throw them off.”

Fane spoke up. “We set up a patrol schedule and create an alert system.”

“Thomas can take care of the alert system for the entire clan.” Ladon’s wheels were turning, coming up with possible solutions to minimize casualties. “I’ll call a clan meeting for later tonight. I don’t want everyone to panic but it’s best if everyone stays alert. Echo and Lucas need to be protected at all costs. Henri too.”

Ladon met Rocky’s gaze.

Rocky nodded. “Two guards on them at all times.”

“I’ll go sit with Henri.” Fane closed the distance to Ramsey, kissed him and then left through the back door.

Rocky felt better knowing Fane was with Henri. And then Echo, Lucas, and Wesley were at Mother Estelle’s. If he didn’t know Henri was thrilled by getting the bookshelves, he would have made Henri go to Estelle’s house too, but he couldn’t bring himself to steal Henri’s joy.