Chapter One

Charles’s world was gone. Everything he’d known, everything he’d worked for, all gone.

He swallowed as he peeked out of his bedroom door. It was weird to live with people he barely knew, but he didn’t have a choice. It was either that or going back to what remained of his life, and he didn’t think he could deal with that.

There wasn’t a lot he felt he could deal with right now. He wasn’t supposed to be here. He was supposed to be home, getting ready for work and answering texts from his best friends. Rex especially had always checked in in the morning, but he wasn’t anymore.

He was dead.

Charles sucked in a breath and leaned back into the bedroom. He stared at the open door, wondering if he could do this.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to. He was grateful to Chance and Theo for welcoming him into their home and their pack. Without them, he’d be completely alone. His clan had been destroyed, and the dragons who were still alive had scattered. Their alpha had abandoned them. Every survivor had to find a new place to call home, and Charles realized how lucky he was that he hadn’t even had to look. It would have been easy for these people to tell him to fuck off. They didn’t owe him anything, and it was a small miracle that they hadn’t hesitated to take him in.

He rubbed his forehead. Sometimes, the knowledge of how unfair all of this was made him want to scream. Why had the mages attacked the clan? What had the dragons done to them?

Nothing. They hadn’t had a reason, yet they had, and they’d killed a lot of people. Charles had lost his family. He only had his sister left because she hadn’t been a clan member in a while. She’d left the clan several years ago to move in with her husband, and Charles would always be grateful for that. It meant she and her family hadn’t been around when the clan was attacked, which in turn meant that he still had someone.

And he had Mark, of course. Mark was the reason he was here.

“You look like you’re freaking out,” a gentle voice said, startling Charles.

He turned to see that Theo, the alpha’s mate, was staring at him from a little further down the hallway. Charles didn’t know how long he’d been there, but knowing Theo had been watching him made him uncomfortable.

He plastered a smile on his face. “I’m fine.”

“It’s all right not to be fine. Considering what happened, no one expects you to be.”

“I promise I’m okay,” Charles insisted.

He needed to behave as if everything was fine. If he allowed grief and pain to take over, he’d burrow under the blankets and not leave his bedroom for days. He couldn’t afford to do that. This wasn’t his home, and while Chance and Theo and everyone else had welcomed him, they weren’t his family. They weren’t his clan.

As of now, they were strangers who had been nice enough to give Charles a home, but how long would that last? Charles needed to be all right and help the pack. If he wasn’t useful, they might kick him out, and he didn’t want that.

“You don’t have to talk to me if you’re uncomfortable,” Theo said. “But I’m sure we could find you someone else to talk to. Maybe Mark?”

Charles wished he could go back into the bedroom. He stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind himself, wishing the alpha’s mate hadn’t found him freaking out first thing in the morning. “Mark has enough to worry about,” he said.

“He’s not a future alpha anymore. He doesn’t have to worry about the clan. He only has to worry about the people he cares about, and you’re one of those people.”

“He also has a new boyfriend. I’m not going to take him away from Lester.”

“I don’t think either of them would see that as taking him away,” Theo murmured.

Charles was grateful for all the help, but he wished people weren’t always trying to get him to talk about how he felt. How was he supposed to feel?

He felt like crap. He’d lost the only home he’d ever known. He’d lost the house he’d worked hard on for years, his friends and family, and everything else. He had to start from the beginning again, and he didn’t know how to do that.

He had to find a job and a home. He had to decide if he wanted to stay with the pack long-term.

When he thought about all these things, his head and heart hurt, so he’d been trying to avoid it. He wouldn’t be able to do so for long, but for now, he was happier acting as if none of that mattered.

He wasn’t looking forward to having breakfast with Chance and Theo, so he was glad when his phone rang in his pocket. He knew it was his sister, and while part of him was torn about talking to her, he was happy to use her as an excuse.

“That’s my sister,” he explained. “I’m going to answer. This is probably the only time available she has to talk to me today.”

“Chance and I will be in the kitchen. I’m sure Mark and Lester will join us soon.”

Charles nodded and stepped back toward his room. He didn’t bother closing the door as he answered. “Hey.”

“I always think you’re not going to answer when I call,” Charles’s sister said.

There was a slight trembling in her voice, so Charles knew what she was thinking about.

“I’m all right,” he promised.

“I’m glad to hear that, but I’d feel more comfortable if you agreed to move here.”

Charles sighed and sat on his bed. “Allison, you know I can’t do that.”

“Why not? The clan is gone. You have nothing keeping you there except for Mark, and from what you said, he’s happy. I’m sure he wants you to be happy, too, so I don’t think he’s the one keeping you there.”

“He’s one of the reasons.” Mark and Charles had just lost their best friend. Charles thought he might break if he had to let go of Mark, too. It would be temporary, of course, and Mark was still alive and well, but it felt like too much. Charles couldn’t take it, not right now.

Allison sighed. “I just don’t get it. What does the pack have that my clan doesn’t? I’m here, as are your nephew and niece. I know it’s not easy, but we’re your family. You should be with family.”

Maybe she was right, but Charles wasn’t going anywhere. As much as he loved his sister and her family, they hadn’t been close in years. Allison had done the right thing by leaving the clan to be with her husband, but she’d had to move to another state, and between their jobs and everything else, sometimes, they didn’t speak for weeks. Charles loved her, and that would never change, but he couldn’t imagine himself living with her and her family. He didn’t know her new clan, and he’d be a stranger there as much as he was here. The only difference would be that he’d be with his sister, but he’d rather be closer to Mark.

Not that he would tell Allison that. He didn’t think she would understand, and he didn’t want to hurt her.

“Mark is my family, too,” he said. “And he needs me.”

“I need you, too,” Allison whispered.

“And you’ll always have me. I just need to be here for a little bit.”

Allison snorted. “I know that means you’re never moving here.” She sighed. “It’s fine. I didn’t actually expect you to move. I just thought I’d offer and hope for the best. I want you to be safe and happy, Charles. That’s all that matters, and if you can find that with the pack, then I’m all for it. I’m just worried and scared that something is going to happen to you, too. I just lost Dad. I can’t lose someone else.”

Their mother had died when they were children, and while their father had loved them and taken care of them, he hadn’t been very present. He’d had to work hard to support them, and Charles was grateful and would always love him, but it wasn’t the same. It would be easier to get over his father’s death than over the death of Rex because of how much closer he’d been to Rex.

“You won’t lose me,” he told Allison, even though he couldn’t make that kind of promise. “I’m safe. The pack is welcoming, and they don’t expect much from me right now. They know what happened, and they’re giving me time to grieve.”

Allison sniffed. “Just remember that you can always come here. I’ve already talked to my alpha, and she’s fine with it.”

“I promise I will.”

It was good to know that whatever happened next, Charles would always have someone, but he felt he needed to find his way on his own. This was his life now.

Whatever that meant.

* * * *

The bedroom was all Red’s now. He should have been happy, but instead, he missed Matty’s snoring. It had lulled him to sleep for years when they lived on the street, then here in this house. It was weird not to hear it, and Red hadn’t been sleeping well because of that.

He glanced around the bedroom. Well, because of that and because of the many changes in his life. He’d gone from living on the streets with people he considered his family to sharing a home with some of them to watching them finally living their lives. They’d found partners, fallen in love, and were moving out one by one. The house wasn’t empty yet, but Red felt it would be soon, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

Before finding his friends, he’d been completely alone. He didn’t want to go back to being alone, but sometimes it felt inevitable.

At least none of his family was moving out of the pack. They weren’t going anywhere, and neither was Red, even though he was still alone.

They were leaving him behind in a way, but it wasn’t their fault. He wanted Theo, Wade, and everyone else to be happy, and he’d always known they couldn’t stay together forever. It just felt weird and wasn’t something Red was used to.

Tired of moping, he left his bedroom and headed downstairs for breakfast. The house was mostly silent, but he could hear someone walking upstairs. It made him smile. He wasn’t alone just yet, and he knew that even if he ended up being the only one living in this house, he never would be. After everything their little pack had gone through, they were family for life, whatever happened.

Since the kitchen was still empty, he started breakfast for everyone. He was always happy to take care of his family. When his phone rang, he felt even better because he saw his grandfather’s name on the screen. He put the call on speaker and continued cooking. “What are you doing already awake?” he asked as a hello.

His grandfather huffed. “Old people don’t need to sleep so much. What about you? Why are you already up?”

“I’m getting breakfast ready.”

Red had hidden his homelessness from his grandfather. Grandpa Rodney was the only blood family Red had left, and he would rather die than tell his grandfather that paying for the retirement home he lived in meant that Red had to sleep on the streets. He never wanted his grandfather to worry about him, and he would have if he’d found out what Red had done.

But he wasn’t anymore. He didn’t have to hide anything from his grandfather. He had a home, friends, and a family, and he was moderately happy. That was all that mattered, right?

“There’s something in your voice,” Red’s grandfather said. “You sound sad.”

Of course he could tell how Red felt by his tone of voice. “Not sad. I’m just a bit mopey because everyone is finding partners and falling in love, and I feel left behind. Did I tell you that Wade finally managed to seduce James? I don’t think anyone believed he’d be able to do so. I told you how rigid James is.”

Red’s grandfather had never met any of these people, but Red had told him about them so many times that he always said he felt he knew them. Red hoped to be able to bring his grandfather here eventually. It had always been his plan for them to live in the same town, and he was sure that if he asked, Chance would welcome his grandfather into the pack.

But it wasn’t safe. After what the coven had done to the dragons, Red didn’t want to risk it. Until he was sure the pack was safe, his grandfather would be better off at his retirement home.

“You’ll find someone eventually,” Grandpa Rodney said. “How could you not? You’re such a perfect boy.”

Red snorted. “I’m really not. Even my friends don’t think I’m perfect, and they were forced to live with me for years.”

“How perfect you are doesn’t matter. There’s someone out there for everyone, and I’m sure you’ll find your someone soon. Maybe you already have and haven’t noticed.”

Red frowned and tried to think about the people he’d met recently. It was many more than he was used to. He’d never lived in such a big pack, but thankfully, it seemed like almost everyone was happy to have him and his family around. There had been a few grumbles when Chance had made them pack members, but most people had gotten used to seeing them around.

Red couldn’t imagine a life with any of these people, though. It wasn’t that he didn’t want a bear. He didn’t care what kind of shifter whoever he ended up with would be. He wouldn’t even care if that person was human. He just wished to be understood and loved, but he couldn’t see that happening with any of the bears.

His family was out, too. He loved them, but like siblings and family, nothing else. He and Matty had gotten close a few times over the years, but back then, they’d been desperate and in need of comfort. It hadn’t happened since they’d moved in with the pack, and Red didn’t think it would happen again. That part of their life was over, and that was fine.

Red just wished he didn’t feel so lost and untethered. He wanted someone to tell him what to do, like Theo had done for so long, but that didn’t feel quite right, either.

He’d have to find his path in life on his own.

So no one from Chance’s pack and no one from Red’s family. Who did that leave? He supposed he could meet someone in town, but he hadn’t left pack territory often since he’d arrived. He felt safe here in a way he hadn’t in years, and it was hard to let go of that feeling. The pack provided him and the others with everything they needed, but maybe it was time to spread his wings a little bit.

Thinking of wings made him think of the dragon shifters. Mark was with Lester, but one of Mark’s friends—Charles—had moved in with the pack, too, and while Red hadn’t talked to him, he found him handsome. Of course, Charles had more than enough to worry about without adding Red to the mix, which was one of the reasons Red had kept his distance. Charles didn’t need friends right now. He needed his family and time to grieve.

“Is there someone, then?” Red’s grandfather asked. “I can hear in your voice that there might be.”

“I don’t know. I wouldn’t say there’s someone. Maybe the idea of someone? I mean, I like the way this guy looks, but I haven’t really talked to him yet, so I don’t know.”

“You should talk to him. Even if nothing comes out of it, you can never have too many friends.”

That was true. Maybe Red had been looking at this from the wrong angle. Maybe Charles did need more friends. After all, he’d lost a lot. Red didn’t know if Charles had a family somewhere, but he seemed intent on staying here with the pack, where he only had Mark. He had to be a bit lonely, what with Mark being focused on Lester.

Maybe Charles would be okay with making a new friend. Red didn’t expect anything else to happen, but he suspected they both needed someone to talk to.

“Maybe I will talk to him,” he told his grandfather.

“Good. I look forward to meeting him when you decide to introduce us.”

Red laughed. “I’m not making promises. We’ve barely talked as it is, and he might not want anything to do with me.”

“If he doesn’t, he’s a fool. Anyone would want to be your friend.”

Red wished he could have the same faith in himself that his grandfather did, but that was all right. His grandfather had enough faith for both of them.

Red prayed that soon he’d be able to bring his grandfather to the pack. Until then, he’d have to make the most out of what he had and ensure the pack was safe for his grandpa when he arrived.

He had no idea how to do that.

* * * *

Charles needed out. He was glad he’d talked to Allison, and he hoped they could do so again soon, but she’d pushed for him to move, and that had freaked him out a bit. Here, he wasn’t that far from the clan. If he moved where she was, he probably wouldn’t return here ever again, and he wasn’t ready for that.

He wasn’t ready for many things, including breakfast with everyone else. Instead of going to the kitchen when the phone call was over, he went to the front door, eager for some fresh air. As soon as he was on the porch, he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He repeated the action, allowing his body to relax.

The air outside was still warm, but it was getting cooler. Charles loved summer, but there was something about fall and the crispness of it that he also enjoyed. The world was going into dormancy, and he felt he was, too. Maybe by the time spring arrived, he’d be ready to be reborn or something like that.

He opened his eyes and looked at the forest. It was similar to the place where the clan had lived, so much so that sometimes it was almost as if Charles was back there. He hadn’t really been happy, and Mark’s father had been a shitty alpha, but it had been Charles’s home. Not being there anymore was weird.

“You didn’t come for breakfast,” Mark suddenly said from next to Charles, making him jump.

Charles glared at him. “Since when are you so sneaky?”

“Since when don’t you hear me when I call you? I saw you rushing for the front door and called out, but you didn’t even turn.”

Charles sighed. “I didn’t hear you.”

“I got that. Why don’t we head inside for breakfast?”

“You should go, but I’m not hungry.”

Charles could feel Mark watching him. He kept his focus on the forest, hoping his friend would leave him alone.

He should have known better.

Mark had been training with his father to become the next alpha of their clan. He was always up in everyone’s business, as he should be. Before, Rex and Charles had split that duty, so Mark hadn’t been sticking his nose into their business too badly, but now there was only Charles. Thankfully, Mark was distracted by Lester most of the time. The two of them had just gotten together, and it was good to see Mark so happy. It made Charles wonder if he’d ever have that, too.

He hoped so.

“I wish he were here with us,” Mark murmured. “He’d know what to say to get you to come inside and eat something.”

Charles’s heart hurt. Part of him wanted to talk about Rex because he’d been such a massive part of their lives for so long, but another part felt like he might break down if he even said his name. Charles didn’t know which part to listen to, so he kept his mouth shut. If Mark wanted to talk about Rex, Charles would listen.

“But then we wouldn’t be in this mess if he were here, would we?” Mark continued. “I miss him.”

Charles couldn’t stay silent anymore. “I do, too. I never imagined my life without him or you in it, and I don’t know how to cope.”

Mark grabbed Charles’s shoulder and squeezed. It felt grounding.

Charles leaned into the touch. “Lester isn’t going to be jealous, right?” he teased.

Mark laughed and pulled Charles even closer. He wrapped an arm around his shoulders and squeezed him harder, and Charles allowed himself to close his eyes. They prickled with tears that he didn’t want to shed, but he was sure that if he did cry, Mark would hold him through it.

“If Lester found us right now, he’d probably cheer and hug us both.”

“Cheer?”

“He’s been pushing me to talk to you more. He doesn’t know what to do with me when I get all sad and shit. He lost everything, too, but it’s not the same.”

Lester might be happy to leave the coven behind and not have to obey their horrible orders anymore, but that didn’t mean any of this was going to be smooth. Lester had had to leave his entire life behind, just like Mark and Charles.

None of them knew how to deal with that, but they’d have to find a way. Mark and Lester could rely on each other, but Charles had no one.

Well, he had Mark, but he didn’t want to be a bother. Mark and Lester were good together, and, even more importantly, as far as Charles was concerned, Lester made Mark smile. He made Mark forget everything he’d lost for a bit, and that was what Charles wanted for his friend. It was what he wanted for himself, too, but he didn’t know where he’d find it or even if he would.

“I know it’s a lot,” Mark murmured as he let go of Charles. “We don’t know these people, and this isn’t our home. It’ll feel like it eventually, though. We just have to give it a chance.”

“I’m sure it’s easier with Lester by your side.”

“Probably. He’s new here, too, though. We’re finding our footing together.”

But Charles didn’t have anyone to find his footing with. He was utterly alone in a place he didn’t know, and he had no idea what to do about it.

“You should go back to Lester,” he said as he stepped away.

Mark frowned. “I came outside to get you to breakfast. You need to eat.”

Charles wasn’t hungry. He never was these days. At dinner, he forced himself to eat because it was what everyone around him wanted him to do, but it wasn’t because he was hungry. Still, he didn’t want Mark to worry any more than he already was.

“I’m going to go fly. I’ll eat something when I return.”

Mark stared for a moment before nodding. “I’ll leave you a plate in the microwave.”

And he’d no doubt check to make sure Charles actually ate it. Charles was going to have to force himself, but that was all right. Charles wanted to make Mark happy. If eating meant his friend smiled more, Charles would do it.

Maybe flying for a bit would help with his appetite. It burned an immense amount of calories, and between that and the shift, he was bound to be hungry.

Leaving Mark behind, Charles quickly stepped off the porch. He didn’t hide as he stripped. He didn’t have to. He and Mark had been shifting together since they were kids, and they’d seen everything there was to see about each other’s bodies. They’d swum naked in the lake close to their home hundreds of times and had shifted even more often.

In a way, this was familiar, and it made Charles smile as he shifted. He stretched out his wings and raised his head toward the sky, opening his mouth to roar. He thought better of it before allowing the sound out. He didn’t want to freak out the people who were just waking up. The members of this pack weren’t used to living with dragons, and the worst thing he could do would be to scare them.

Instead, he pushed himself upward, taking advantage of the wind to get higher. His wings brushed against the trees by the house, but not long enough to worry him. It took a bit of maneuvering, but soon he was in the air.

He closed his eyes. He still felt lost and confused, and he was still in pain, but in the sky, he could forget about it for a little while. He could forget that not everything was going to be all right.

Right now, that was all he wanted.

* * * *

Carrie was packing her things. Last week, she’d announced she was moving in with her boyfriend, so Red knew it was coming.

It still hurt. It was another member of his family leaving, and even though she wasn’t going far, it was another sign that nothing was as it had been. Red’s life was so different now that sometimes he had trouble believing it was his life.

“I’m going for a walk,” he said as he pushed away from the kitchen table and got to his feet.

Matty blinked at him. “Why? We’re supposed to help Carrie move her stuff today.”

“I’ll help when I return.”

“She might be already gone. I mean, she doesn’t have that much to move.”

None of them did. They hadn’t been able to accumulate stuff while they’d been on the streets, and while they no longer lived that way, it was taking them some time to get used to it. Red was still in the mindset that he could only buy things he knew he would use and that didn’t take up much space. Most of his small pack behaved the same way, but it was changing.

Red was glad.

He wanted to put down roots. He wanted to have a home, his family, and maybe someone to love. The problem was that the biggest obstacle to that was himself. He wouldn’t find love if he stayed stuck in his ways.

“I’ll be back soon,” he promised.

Matty looked a bit worried, but he nodded. Thankfully, Carrie called him from the other room, and after one last glance at Red, Matty left.

Red sucked in a breath. He didn’t want his friends to be worried about him. He also didn’t want to feel like this. They shouldn’t feel guilty because of how maudlin Red was. They had the right to be happy, build relationships, and everything else, and Red wanted that for them.

He just needed a little time.

He left the house before the others could try to convince him to stay. He’d help later, but right now he needed some time and space, and the only place he’d find that was the forest. There, no one would find him if he didn’t want to be found.

He breathed more easily once he was among the trees. He relaxed even more once the house was out of sight. He paused, closing his eyes and listening to the forest around him.

He could hear birds in the trees, a couple of squirrels poking around, and something moving under the leaves on the ground. There weren’t many leaves, but then it wasn’t quite fall yet. They’d drop soon, and right behind them, winter.

Red couldn’t help but wonder how many winters his grandfather still had. He desperately wanted them to be closer, but he couldn’t afford to bring him over when things were so dire. Hopefully they’d find a solution and ensure the pack was safe soon, but it might not be soon enough.

That wasn’t an option Red was willing to consider. He had to believe that his grandfather would be healthy and live for at least another ten years, hopefully more.

He stumbled on a root and reached out, hoping to find a tree to catch himself on. His hand did touch something, but it didn’t feel like a tree. It was smooth and warm, and Red quickly snatched his hands away.

He looked at what he’d touched, blinking when he realized he hadn’t noticed a massive dragon hiding between the trees. There was barely any space for the dragon to move, but they’d wedged themselves into a small clearing, and they seemed happy to stay there.

Red had caught himself on the dragon’s tail, close to their body. As he watched, the dragon rumbled and twisted their head toward him. They blinked slowly. Red couldn’t look away.

He knew dragons. He’d lived with Dustin for years, and he’d seen him shift a few times. Dustin hadn’t liked to shift more than necessary, though. He’d been afraid people would use what he was against him, and while he’d trusted their little family, it still hadn’t been easy for him to let go of his hang-ups. Thankfully, things were better now that he and Houston were together.

The dragon in front of Red wasn’t Dustin. That left only another two dragons, and Red had no idea who it was. It could be Mark, Dustin’s brother, or Charles, Mark’s friend.

Red cleared his throat and held up both of his hands. “I’m sorry I touched you without asking first. I didn’t mean to, but I stumbled and almost fell. I thought I was catching myself on a tree, not a dragon.”

The dragon huffed. A plume of smoke rose from their left nostril, and Red wondered if he was about to be barbecued. Maybe he should shift. He doubted his armadillo skin could do much against a dragon’s fire, but he could try.

Luckily, he didn’t have to. The dragon shifted, and Red was left staring at a very naked man.

A very naked and very single man, as far as he knew. This wasn’t Mark, who was dating Lester. It was Charles, and as far as Red knew, he didn’t have anyone in his life.

Red was a shifter, and as such, he was used to nudity. It didn’t faze him, but he still had to work hard to keep his focus on Charles’s face. He didn’t want to stare or make Charles think he was an asshole.

“You don’t have to apologize,” Charles said. “I probably shouldn’t be hiding here, but I needed space.”

Red nodded. “I can understand that. It’s why I’m here all alone.”

“Maybe I should leave you to it, then.”

Maybe he wanted to be alone, but Red didn’t think so. There was something in Charles’s voice that told him he’d rather have Red hang around a bit longer.

That was fine with Red. He’d been thinking about Charles earlier, and he was curious about the man. He wouldn’t ask the questions he wanted to ask because he didn’t want Charles to be hurt, but maybe they could talk for a bit.

They barely knew each other. Red enjoyed talking to his family and his grandfather, but sometimes, he was afraid of their judgment. He didn’t want them to think badly of him.

But if Charles thought badly of him, Red wouldn’t care—much. He didn’t want to make an enemy out of Charles, and it wasn’t like he had anything terrible to confess, but it was freeing to be able to speak to someone he hadn’t known for years.

“I don’t want you to leave if you don’t want to,” he said. “I said I wanted to be alone, but really, I just wanted space from my family.”

“How come?” Charles asked as he leaned against a tree.

Red couldn’t help but think it was a good thing that it wasn’t winter yet. Charles wouldn’t have been able to hang around naked if it had been winter—though maybe that would have been better, because Red still didn’t know where to look. He might be used to nudity, but usually he and his friends didn’t stand around naked like this. They shifted and got dressed.

That wasn’t an option for Charles. He didn’t seem to mind, and Red didn’t want him to be uncomfortable, so he didn’t say anything. He did notice the long wound down Charles’s side, though. He wanted to ask what had happened, but he already knew.

“It’s hard to see us scattering,” Red said as he sat down on a fallen tree. He stretched out his legs and tilted his face toward the sun that filtered between the trees. “I don’t know if you know the story, but I arrived with Theo and a bunch of others. We were homeless, and for years, we were a small makeshift pack. Theo was our alpha. We were very close during those years, and we still are, but everyone is starting to fall in love and move out, and it’s weird. I’m happy for them, and I want the same, but not having them around all the time is something I’m not used to.”

“I can understand that. I recently lost one of my best friends, and I find myself turning to talk to him every single day. At least you know your family is alive and well.”

“I didn’t mean to sound insensitive or like I was whining. I’m sorry,” Red quickly said.

Charles shrugged. “It’s fine. The fact that I had it worse and lost my best friend doesn’t mean you don’t have the right to feel bad about what’s going on in your life. Changes are always hard, aren’t they?”

Red nodded, but he was wondering if they weren’t also a good thing.

Moving in with the pack had definitely been a good thing. Having his family find people who loved them and leave the house also was. It didn’t feel like it, but Red was happy for them, and what he felt didn’t matter.

Changes were hard, but part of him couldn’t wait to see what happened next.