Chapter - Lola

Iattempt to steal one of my bags from Richard's Second, Connall, but the redhead shoos me away with a friendly smile. So, instead of carrying my own luggage, I find myself trailing my father's oldest friend out of Ever's portal station holding nothing but my guitar.

I haven't seen Richard since I was a pup. I remember him being larger than life, but I didn't remember him being so…alpha. He stalks across the floor, big strides eating up the distance between the portal and the exit. Thick, muscular legs are clearly outlined in jeans that leave nothing to the imagination. It's not that the cut is meant to be tight; he's just really damn muscular, bigger and broader than most males I know.

A trim waist flares into impossibly broad shoulders, his shoulder blades visible through a thin tee. He's stacked with muscle, tattoos covering both forearms and the back of his neck. Salt-and-pepper hair is slicked back, curling against his nape.

Heat flushes through me. Moons, I'm ogling a man who's basically family and knew me when I was young.

That was a long time ago, though. It's fine as long as I keep my sexy thoughts in my brain and don't say them out loud.

When he grabs the door and swings it open for me with a soft smile, I resist the urge to flirt. Tamp that down, girl, I tell myself, slipping through the door with a thankful nod.

Two centaurs stand in front of the station—a dark-coated male and female with black skin. The male, who I think I recognize, wears a shirt that says—oh my gods—it says, "Spread Cheeks. Not Hate." I burst into laughter, covering my mouth with my hand.

He beams and nudges the female. "Told you she'd laugh."

"Thought you'd flipped that inside out," Richard grumbles.

The female gives me a grin as the male steps forward, leaning down to hold a hand out to me. "Princess, I'm Arkan. We've met at Hearth HQ a few times, but I'm now Ever's Keeper. This is my mate, Hana. Let us know if we can do anything to make your stay comfy."

I shake his hand and dip my head politely to them both.

Hana does the same, gesturing to a basket of food in her hands. "This is courtesy of the town of Ever, a gift basket from our wonderful General Store on Main Street, outside of Shifter Hollow. You can follow Sycamore Street all the way there, if you want to explore. There's a grocery here, too, of course, but the General Store has a wide variety from across the haven system."

"Thank you." Goddess, they've done so much for me already, and while I'm primarily appreciative, regret rears her ugly head. I've put people out, all because I tried to do something for myself.

The guilt comes next, because I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to Leo or the Lobos or anyone other than the castle before we left. I can't even comm him from my watch since the only one who can call between havens is my father. Hopefully whatever room they're sticking me in has a comm disk, so I can message Leo and make sure he's alright.

My fingers twitch with the need to do something, anything to get control over my life.

Richard joins us, pausing next to me. He glances between me and the centaurs. "Let's get Lola to her tree house. She's had a long journey."

Arkan reaches for several of my bags, but Richard shoos him away with a smile.

The alpha places a hand on my shoulder and squeezes, and everything inside me tightens.

That smile.

It transforms him from simply handsome into something powerfully masculine and over-the-top in charge. Dark eyes flash with green and narrow. I can't find a single appropriate word to say when his smile falls, his wolf's emerald shade growing in intensity. For a long moment, he stares. But when goose bumps pepper my skin, he turns toward the street in front of the portal station.

I try not to feel the loss of that focus on me.

Get it together, Lola, you're being weird!I mentally slap myself.

Richard leads the way as Arkan and Hana walk next to me. When shadows swoop overhead, I duck on instinct, but the group laughs together.

I glance up to see two pegasi galloping through the air, their beautiful giant wings beating gracefully. They dive and dance above us before disappearing up into the trees. Goddess, I wonder if they live up there. We don't have any pegasi in Santa Alaya.

Hana chuckles and gestures to the forest around us. "Shifter Hollow comprises nearly a third of Ever's total space within the wards. Unlike many other havens, this one was designed with a forested section specifically for pegasi, centaurs, and shifters. The shifters and centaurs live down here, but the pegasi live up in the treetops." She leans down as if telling me a secret. "There's even a harpy who lives here, so don't be alarmed if you see her. Her name is Celset."

Shock trills through me. A harpy within haven wards is unusual. The solitary, cannibalistic monsters tend to prefer the untamed wilds of the human world.

Hana's laugh tinkles between us. "Ever is unusual in a lot of ways. It's definitely my favorite haven we've lived in."

Arkan reaches over and places a hand at the base of her spine, stroking her coat with deft, elegant fingers.

I smile up at them as we walk along a broad, flat street through the woods. "You haven't been here long, is that right?"

Hana's smile grows tender. "Our cottage sprang up next to the Community Garden a bit over a week ago. Hearth HQ sent us to help Ever's original Keeper when the warlock Wesley continued to target Ever. The Keeper's mate is a black witch. Wesley attacked her last week, and…" her voice trails off.

Arkan looks around his mate at me. "Morgan killed him. I'm told her power was amazing to see. I wasn't there, but"—he glances at Richard—"Richard could tell you all about it."

Richard looks over the shoulder not weighed down by my bags. "It was terrifying, but she's a hero. Abe retired after Wesley's last attack to spend time with his mate."

"Holy moons," I murmur. "That sounds harrowing."

Arkan looks at me again. "This pack lost a member during the attack, Leighton. If Shifter Hollow feels a little somber while you're here, that's why. Everyone is thrilled you've arrived, but you might sense a tender edge to the Hollow."

My heart drops into my stomach. Jogging forward, I put my hand on Richard's forearm, stopping him. He turns to me with a surprised expression, full lips pursed into a flat, thin line.

"This is a horrible time for me to come here, if you're dealing with loss. Let me call Papá, Richard. There is no need for you to focus on me when you should be focusing on your packmates."

Chocolate eyes soften, and he shakes his head. "You're never a bother, Lola. We're happy to have you here." His thoughtful smile returns. "Sobre todo, familia, remember? That's just as true here as anywhere else, and now that you're here, you're part of my family."

He tries to turn and continue, but I grip his forearm harder. "Did Papá know?" My voice is pure steel when it rumbles from my throat. If Papá sent me here not realizing their pack is in mourning, then I should leave.

Richard glances off into the forest, letting out a soft sigh as if he's weighing telling me the truth or not.

After an interminable silence that's probably only moments, he shakes his head. "Marco didn't know." He gives me a serious look, black brows furrowing in the center. "He didn't ask, and he shouldn't have because your safety is his priority."

Richard's skin is hot through his shirt, nearly burning my palm with his heat. Dark eyes sear mine with intensity as he continues, his wolf's green overtaking his natural shade. "You are not a bother, Lola. Leighton's family is well cared for. There will always be space for you, no matter what else is going on."

At his side, Connall nods. "We're good, Lola. We promise."

I can't ignore the guilt and discomfort that rise in my core, nearly choking me with their strength. All of this because I tried to put the music first instead of my people. How many times has Papá drummed ‘pack first' into my brain? We have a responsibility to our people, not our dreams.

I'll never make that mistake again. Shifters as high up in the hierarchy as I am don't get to make those sorts of choices about their lives.

I can see why.

When I say nothing, Richard spins and walks backward, waving his free hand around us. "This is Shifter Hollow's downtown area. The main road, Sycamore, leads to downtown Ever if you go the opposite way. The post office is here, if you need to order or receive a package from another haven. My bar, Bad Axe, will be on your right. I live above it, if you need anything at all."

I look at where he's pointing. The front of the bar is as rustic as it gets, a big neon sign hanging above twin wooden doors with mismatched tree branch handles. Like every other store in the Hollow's downtown, it's built right into the base of gigantic, wide trees so tall, I can't even see the sky.

Above Bad Axe's entrance, a giant rectangular glass box juts out. Another is angled to the side on top of that one. In fact, as I look around, that's true of every second story along the whole street. Angled glass rooms hang out into the street, furniture and art and monsters visible through the clear walls.

I stare in awe at the traditional shifter architecture. I rarely leave Santa Alaya, so I haven't had a chance to see it in person. A potions shop occupies the space next to Bad Axe, and in the glass room above it, a female walks with her hand lifted to her mouth, speaking into her comm watch.

"Little different from Santa Alaya, huh?" Richard winks. "We went old school with the design of Shifter Hollow when Ever was created, but I love it. There's nothing to make you feel connected to your pack like seeing your pack all the time."

"We understand if you want privacy, though," Connall pitches in. "You can blur or solidify the glass with the touch of a button, or the house can do it for you, if you ask. Please don't feel like you have to give us the inside view into your life. We don't expect that."

I'm at a loss for words as the omega a floor above us glances down, notices us, and waves. She seems excited to see our group, speaking rapidly into her comm watch as her hand makes wild motions.

Richard jerks his head to the potions shop. A sign that says "Alkemi" hangs on the glass-front door. Through a giant plate window, rows of potions and crystals are visible. "Alkemi has a potion for anything you need and the owner, Malik, is amazing. And of course, the General Store on Main Street has a limited selection of potions, too."

"It's beautiful," I say, hiking my guitar higher over my back. Is this what it would have been like if I wasn't born the princess? If I was just another shifter omega in a small pack? If the entire haven didn't technically count as my family?

Richard continues his tour as we walk slowly up the street. "We've got the grocery, where you can get supplies." Piles of vegetables are visible through the front window. "There's Pack Gem, your home for all the glittery goodies an omega might want to adorn herself with." He winks a second time.

Shifters' love of beautiful jewelry is well-known—Santa Alaya is full of renowned silversmiths. Wolves come from many other havens to purchase special jewelry in my home haven. I'd have been surprised if there wasn't a jeweler in this one.

Next to Pack Gem, a book-filled window seems mismatched with a sign indicating they sell jewelry.

Arkan looks at me. "The Pack Gem folks moved next door before we came to Ever. My father is currently renting their old space for his books. That location is more of an office right now. Although, you're welcome there at any time. Just know that once you enter"—his tone goes mysterious and dramatic—"you'll be there for at least three hours."

I snort out a laugh.

Richard waves around us, still walking backward. "About a ten-minute walk this way, you'll come to Biergarten, which is a great spot for lunch and brunch. They close down for dinner, though."

My laugh carries on. "So what you're telling me is that at least half of the businesses in Shifter Hollow are related to food? I suppose that tracks."

He beams. "Are we even wolves if food and family aren't every other word out of our mouths?" His expression grows serious. "I'm sorry to say there are no paleteros in Ever, but there's a kick-ass ice cream shop downtown."

I make a faux grimace. "Paletas will always reign supreme, but I suppose I can deal." I like this playful approach to the town tour. For a minute, I can forget the reason I'm here in the first place.

He jerks his head toward the right. "Like most shifter towns outside of Santa Alaya, our homes spiral out from the main street. The guest houses are interspersed with spoken-for dwellings to help make it easier to assimilate." He levels me with that same smile, but I sense something guarded there, something that brings back the pressure in my chest.

They lost a packmate. Now they have to deal with me. All because I couldn't follow the main fucking motto of all shifters.

I stare around at the stark, forested beauty that's so different from home. Huge dark trees soar above us, so tall they blot out the sky. A sense of claustrophobia hits me at not being able to see across town to the bay. My breath comes faster, tension in my chest tightening until I have to force myself to breathe evenly and not look freaked out.

The last day's worth of emotions are hitting me all at once.

Hana glances down at me, clasping her hands at her waist. "Lola, once you get settled, it would be my honor to give you a tour of the remainder of Ever, if you'd like to see it."

I force my lungs to fill with air, plastering a smile on my face. When I turn to the lovely female, my grin widens. "That would be great. Maybe later this afternoon or tomorrow?"

She lifts her wrist, showing me the blue-banded comm watch that encircles it. "Any time, friend. Simply call me. There is no rush."

We walk quietly along a residential street that arches away from the main thoroughfare. It's quieter here, the sounds muffled by the tree canopy. Just like the main road, giant glass rectangles stick out of the trees in every direction. Through the clear walls, shifters are visible going about their daily lives. It's fascinatingly new, and as I observe everything, homesickness hits.

Connall glances over his shoulder at me. "We hope you enjoy the guest treehouse we picked out for you, Lola. Remember, we have no requirements for you while you're here. Enjoying yourself is enough for us."

Some of the pressure in my chest eases at his words, but, like always, that bone-deep instinct to serve hits me hard. What will I do all day every day if I'm not visiting Lupe and the others and spending time with my pack?

Do they miss me?

I think about the last time I saw her. What if nobody told her I was leaving? What if nobody told anyone at all that I'd be back…eventually?

About halfway up the street, we dip between two enormous tree trunks to walk along a moss-covered stone path. Richard slips an ancient-looking metal key from his pocket as we pause in front of a tall, moss-encrusted door.

He shoves it into the lock and twists. The door opens with a groan and a light turns on inside the entryway.

The treehouse creaks, bringing a smile to my face. Her hello is reassuring, for some reason.

Richard stalks through the door and disappears down a short hall and around a corner. Connall follows, but Hana and Arkan pause next to me.

Arkan grins. "Call us if you need anything at all, even if you just have questions. Welcome home to Shifter Hollow."