As soon as I got back to the cabin, I grabbed my clothes and slipped them on. Stark should be arriving shortly. Will Raelynn be with him? That’s what I’d like to know. The thought of seeing her again makes me smile. It’s been so long.
My phone is on the counter, and I notice several texts from my brothers, asking if I’ve made any progress. I start to text them back, but my cell rings, and Colin’s name appears.
“Hey,” I answer.
“Dude, I just heard from Stark. You found him.”
I laugh. “That was fast. He said we were going to call you together.”
“Yeah, well, I told him I was going to kill him for not keeping in touch. I’m just glad he and the girls are okay.”
“Me too,” I agree.
“Oh, and get this. Did you know he has a private investigation business with Dany and Raelynn? They’re making bank hunting people down.”
So that’s what Stark meant by saying they were slammed with work. Tracking people comes naturally to shifters. I can see how they’d be making a lot of money by doing that. Honestly, the profession sounds like fun.
“Stark said we had a lot to catch up on. Guess he was right,” I say, a laugh rippling from my throat. “They’ve taken up with the Black Hills pack. Ever heard of them?”
“No, but Stark talks highly of them. So I’m assuming they’re good people.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him about the alpha being a black wolf, but I keep it to myself. There are natural black wolves in existence, so it shouldn’t be uncommon to see a werewolf be the same. However, I still can’t shake the uneasy feeling in my gut.
“Stark is happy he found them,” Colin adds. “He’s fought off rogues for years who kept trying to get the girls. Now, he has a whole pack watching out for them. Ever since the girls have been living among them, they haven’t had any issues. We all know what that’s like.”
“Yeah, we do.” It wasn’t that long ago when an alpha abducted faith. Dark magic was used against me, so I couldn’t protect her while she was stolen right from me. I had never felt so helpless or angry with myself in all my life. In the end, we won, but it wasn’t an easy victory. “How is Faith?” I ask Colin. “I need to call her, but I’ve been too wrapped up in my search.”
Faith is Colin’s sister, and they’ve grown super close now that they’ve found their mates, who happen to be brother and sister. “Faith’s doing good,” Colin claims. “She asks about you all the time, wondering if I’ve heard from you or not. I already told her you found the others. She’s ecstatic about getting to see Raelynn and Dany again.”
“Hopefully, she’ll get to see them soon. I don’t know if they’ll be joining the Royal pack. Did Stark say anything about it?”
Colin clucks his tongue. “Nope. It’s his choice, though. If he wants to stay with the Black Hills pack, that’s up to them.”
I don’t see why they’d want to when all the royals are in Wyoming. We are their true family. “I’ll talk to Stark more about it tonight.”
“You do that. I’d love for them to join us.”
I can hear Stark’s car approach, so we end the call, and I quickly text my brothers and Faith to let them know everything is well.
I step out onto the front porch and breathe in the frigid, frosty air. The sky is clear, allowing the stars to shine like bright diamonds in a sea of darkness. Stark’s headlights shine through the trees as he gets closer, and he slowly pulls his midnight blue truck in beside my car.
My focus lands first on Dany, who waves excitedly and gets out of the truck. “You still look the same, old man. How old are you now? Two hundred?”
I bark out a laugh. “I’m a hundred and fifty-five to be exact, smartass.”
Dany opens her arms and closes them around my neck. “It’s been a long time, Micah.”
She squeezes me hard, and I let her go to take a good look at her. Like all the other royal females, she has bright blonde hair, but her eyes are a rare light green like Stark’s. “Yes, it has been a long time,” I concede. “You’re not seventeen anymore.”
Dany chortles. “Definitely not. I may still look it, but after two decades in hiding it can make you feel thousands of years older.”
I bob my head in agreement. “Yeah, it’s been tense on my end as well.”
Stark crosses his arms over his chest. “Colin told us what happened with Faith and how she was taken. The Royal pack has been through quite a lot of shit the past couple of years.”
“You got that right,” I admit. “The world thought Faith was the last royal female. Nobody knew Dany and Raelynn existed.”
Dany’s expression saddens. “I hate Faith had to endure that kind of stress. We were able to stay under the radar until we ran into the Black Hills pack.”
I glance back and forth at both Stark and Dany. “And do you trust them?”
A host of emotions crisscrossed over Stark’s face, and I could see the seriousness in his eyes. “I do. You’ll meet them all tonight. The pack is gathering at Soren’s house.” He backs up toward his truck and smiles. “Come on, you’ll like them.”
After getting in the backseat, I shut the door. “Is Raelynn going to be there?”
Dany turns to face me from the front seat, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Have you thought about Raelynn much over the years?”
Stark begins to back out of the driveway and looks at us both curiously. It’s obvious he doesn’t know what transpired between Raelynn and me all those years ago. Dany, however, is another story. I have no doubt Raelynn told her.
“What am I missing?” Stark inquires.
“Yeah, Micah,” Dany teases, “what is my brother missing?”
And just like that, I’m thrust back into my memories, back to that night I’ll never forget for many reasons. Raelynn and I had taken a walk in the forest. It was the first time we’d gone off on our own. She was eighteen at the time but always wise beyond her years. She used to love hearing stories of my past at how the world was before technology took over. Then, she kissed me out of nowhere, and it caught me by surprise. I remember how it felt to be close to her like it was where I was supposed to be. She tasted sweet like apples and honey. I wanted more, so I returned the kiss and held her tight. But then, a blast of dark magic tore us apart as the Yukons began their attack. I had to get to Faith and protect her, so we separated ways, and I haven’t seen her since.
Dany’s grin broadens, and I huff. “I take it you know the story?”
She giggles. “Of course.”
Stark, still confused, waves his hand for us to continue. “I’m waiting.”
Dany clears her throat. “I’ll just get to the point then. On the night the Yukons attacked, Raelynn and Micah kissed. She had the hugest crush on him. It broke her heart when we had to leave.”
There were times I wanted to find them, but my priority was Faith. I had to think of her and her safety.
Stark tips his head back and bellows, “How the hell did I never hear about this?”
Dany bounces her shoulders. “It was a long time ago.”
Stark focuses on the road. “Well, let’s not mention any of that to Soren.”
My stomach pits into tight coils. “Why does it matter if he knows?”
Stark and Dany stare at each other for a split second, but then Dany looks at me. “Soren is Raelynn’s true mate. The signs appeared a few days after they met. Guess you can say we don’t want tension between you two. You’re both alphas.” She blinks a few times. “Can you see the problem?”
Everything makes sense now. That’s the reason why they’ve stayed with the Black Hills pack instead of joining the royals. “I see,” I acknowledge. “What happened between Raelynn and me was many years ago. A lot of time has passed since then.” I turn my attention to the window and peer out. “Is she at Soren’s house already?”
“No,” replies Stark. “One of her clients needed help. I don’t know how long she’ll be.”
A feeling of disappointment settles in my chest. I really want to see Raelynn again.