Two hours passed, and I had met all the wolves in Chase’s pack, including his father, Arthur. Chase has the same color hair as his father, but he has his mother’s eyes. I can see both of his parents in him. They’re good people, and it’s crazy to think that they’ll soon be considered my family.
“My mother already loves you,” Chase says, squeezing my thigh.
I elbow him in the side. “You sure are nosy.”
Chase chuckles. “If you leave your mind wide open, I’m going to be there.”
I love that I can poke around his brain, too. I feel so much closer to him now.
He drives his sports car into the garage, and we head inside. Evangeline won over the pack and made friends instantly, especially with Sierra and Ayla. They asked her to hang out with them tonight, and she agreed. The pack might not feel comfortable with me yet, but I’m happy they took to Evangeline.
Once in the kitchen, I stretch my arms over my head. I could really use another run in the woods. Before I can even voice it, Chase looks at me and winks. “I think we can make that happen. But first, I need a drink.”
I raise my hand. “I second that. At least now I don’t have to worry about getting drunk.”
Chase smirks. “That’s one night I’ll never forget.” He grabs a bottle of Timberwolf wine off the counter, a Moscato to be exact, and opens it. I reach into the cabinet for two glasses, and he fills each one to the top.
He holds up his glass. “This is to celebrate tonight. I think it went well.”
I clink my glass against his. “I agree. May your pack not hate me for eternity.”
The wine slides smoothly down my throat, the sweetness being precisely what I needed. I’ve tried other Moscato wines that were sickeningly sweet, but Chase’s is perfect. When I finish my drink, I set my glass on the counter and reach for the hem of my shirt. Chase’s eyes flash to his wolf’s as he watches me.
“We about ready?” I ask, lifting my sweater up another inch.
Chase tilts his glass back to finish his wine. “Oh, I’m ready.”
He stalks over and pulls me into his arms, but then I gasp. Someone’s coming. And not just any someone … a royal. Chase stands on alert, his eyes darting to the door. “Who could it be?”
“I don’t know. It’s an unmated royal male.”
Chase hurries to the door and marches out onto the porch. All of the males in the Royal pack are mated. This is someone I’ve never met. I step out behind Chase and watch as a car pulls down the long driveway. The driver has bright blond hair, and the closer he gets, the more I recognize him. I may not have met him, but I know his brothers. They all look alike.
Micah Lyall.
Chase’s grin widens when Micah steps out of the car. “What the hell, man? What are you doing here?”
I don’t know much about Micah since he wasn’t born when I was cast out of the Royal pack, but I did hear he was the sweetest of the Lyall brothers. Micah shakes Chase’s hand and ends up hugging him. “I was in the area,” he says to Chase. “Is it all right if I crash here tonight?”
Chase slaps his shoulder. “Of course.”
Micah’s blue eyes turn to me, and he smiles. I thought for sure he’d despise me just like all the other royals. But, then again, he wasn’t around when I did all those horrible things to his brother.
Chase comes back to me and puts his arm around my waist. “Micah, I’d like you to meet my soon-to-be mate.”
Micah holds out his hand. “I heard everything about you. I got an earful last night when I called to check in on my brothers.”
Groaning, I squeeze my eyes shut. “I promise I’m not as bad as you’ve heard. At least, not anymore.”
Micah chuckles. “I know. You’re all good.”
Opening my eyes, I suck in a relieved breath.
Chase nods toward the house and waves for Micah to follow us. “Come on in. Do you want something to drink?”
“Of course,” Micah says, following us in.
When we get into the kitchen, Chase pours me another glass of wine and grabs a couple of beers out of the refrigerator. “Any luck finding the others?” Chase asks.
Micah takes a swig of his beer. “No. I’ve been searching for months.”
Furrowing my brows, I stare at them both. “Searching for who?”
Micah runs a hand through his hair, and I can see a tiredness in his eyes that wasn’t there a few minutes ago. “Three royals from the former Royal pack. After we were attacked, we split ways for a while. I kept in touch with them, but not long ago, they disappeared.”
Three royals? I’ve seen three royals.
Chase’s head jerks my way. “Kara. Are you serious?”
Micah glances back and forth at us both. “Am I missing something?” But then it catches onto him. “Oh yeah, the blood bond. You can talk to each other.”
Chase sets his beer down and holds up a hand. “You’re going to want to hear this, Micah.”
Micah turns to me, his expression hopeful. “Is there something you know?”
I shrug. “I’m not sure, but I did see three royals when I was in South Dakota. Do you think it could be the ones you’re looking for?”
Micah steps toward me, his heart racing. “Tell me everything. Where exactly were you? Did you talk to them?”
Reaching into my back pocket, I pull out my phone. “It was October, just four months ago.” I scroll to my South Dakota album and hand Micah my phone. He takes it and searches through them. “I was staying at a cabin in the Black Hills. I know it’s not a popular place for wolf packs, so I didn’t think I’d run into anyone there.”
Chase stares at the pictures over Micah’s shoulder. “What are the odds of that? Did you talk to them?”
They both look at me, but I shake my head. “They had their energy hidden. I was doing the same when I came upon them, so they didn’t see me. I hid and watched, wondering who they could be, but I never approached them. It’s been so long since I saw another royal.”
“Was it just the one day you saw them?” asks Micah.
“No. I saw them the entire week. There were two females and one male. I wish I would’ve spoken to them now.”
Micah hands me my phone, grinning with excitement. “That’s exactly who I’m looking for; one male and two females.” His blue eyes bore into mine. “Thank you, Kara. Hopefully, they’re still there.”
My insides warm with his kind words. “Glad I could help. I hope you find them.”
Micah finishes his beer and pats Chase on the shoulder. “I know I asked to stay the night, but I think I should get back on the road.”
Chase takes Micah’s empty beer bottle and tosses it in the trash. “I understand, brother. We’ll walk you out.”
Micah thanked me again before getting into his car and driving away. Chase and I watch him until his taillights disappear.
Chase blows out a sigh. “How in the hell is this even possible?”
I lift my hands in the air. “I don’t know. It’s kind of strange. Do you think it’s the three wolves Micah’s searching for?”
I look over at him, and he shrugs. “It has to be. As far as I know, there aren’t any more royals other than them and you.”
Leaning into him, I rest my head on his chest. “It was lonely being by myself, always having to stay hidden to be protected.” I glance up at him and kiss his cheek. “Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about that anymore.”
Chase kisses the tip of my nose. “No, you don’t. You have a family now.”
Yes, I do … and it feels incredible.