“Henry, you’re the best and we can’t live without you!” he exclaims.
Ray snorts, “Or we could just say ‘Get your ass in here’.”
Poor Henry slumps in mock sorrow, “Someday you’ll admit I’m the best.”
“Keep trying.”
I can’t help but giggle at them. There’s definitely sibling affection here, but they look nothing alike, so I’m very curious how they know each other. The application didn’t list any relatives, just that she was living in town and needed help. Henry grins at us before winking and walking out of the room.
“He clearly cares about you,” I mention.
A happy expression appears on her face, “Yeah, he’s been a good big brother-not brother.”
“Do you want to talk about what’s happening in your life? Or we can just spend a few minutes cuddling to see if we’re comfortable with it.”
“I could go for some snuggles.”
I nod and grab a couple more blankets before peeling hers back and sliding under them. I arrange the new ones around us so we’re completely cocooned, only a hole at the top to let air in. Reaching out to her, I pull her in close, and she slides in without complaint, resting her head on my shoulder. That’s how we exist for the next fifteen minutes, and I can feel her slowly relax and calm the longer we go. She absolutely needed this.
four
VIC
Simon places our last cardboard box on the moving truck as I sign the final agreement with our moving company. My eyes can’t help but be drawn to him. He’s got all the Alpha swagger and confidence but none of the arrogance. He and I have been dancing around each other for a while now when it comes to full commitment. There’s no Match between us, and we’re acquainted with each other’s bodies enough to have ruled that out. We don’t want to separate either, though. Pretty sure we have a Pack Pull, but it’s a subject we haven’t brought up yet.
I hand the clipboard back to the driver, and he nods before making sure his associate locks the back door of the truck. It’s reassuring to know that our stuff won’t fly out of the back and scatter everywhere. I’ve heard some moving nightmares, so I appreciate the detail these guys display. The truck leaves our driveway, and I look at our rental house with nostalgia.
“We had some good times here,” I say to Simon.
He places an arm on my shoulder, leaning against me lightly. “Yeah, it was a good place. Especially the sofa.”
“Good thing we’re bringing it with us,” I tell him, eyebrow arched.
Simon grins, “Are you excited about the new house?”
“I’m looking forward to trying somewhere new. Having Josie there helps.”
“Ah, the elusive Josie,” Simon chuckles, “I’ll finally get to meet her.”
“She’ll like you, don’t worry,” I reassure him.
“Whodoesn’tlike me? I’m very likable.”
I turn and give him a skeptical look. He acts impervious to everyone’s opinions, but he struggles to feel like he’s enough. Add on that he’s an Alpha, and it creates more pressure for him to be a certain way, increasing his insecurities. He’s never a disappointment to me, and, if I’m being honest with myself, I’m pretty sure I love him. I need to talk to him soon about the Pack Pull, maybe once we’re settled in Blackford.
“Let’s go,” he says, but before he can take a step, I pull him close and kiss him softly.
“Anywhere with you,” I tell him.
He flushes, and a small smile comes to his face, but that’s all the reaction I get from him. His nerves are riding him too hard. We hop in our cars and start the twenty-hour drive to our new city. Thankfully, the drive is smooth without any problems. We even stopped at the same hotel as the movers, so I know they didn’t get lost. Having all our stuff in just one truck makes me nervous because if it goes wrong, then we have nothing. Next time, maybe I’ll split things up so we have two trucks. Maybe we just won’t move again for a long time. I’m okay with that.
The next day, Simon pulls into our new digs ahead of me, parking his car on the street. I pull up behind him so the moving truck can park in the driveway, and we walk to the door of the rental house. It’s nice, quite spacious, and even comes with a small Omega Suite. Nothing like what you find in the rich people districts, but still cozy and separate from the other rooms. I walk through the first few rooms, finding a note from the rental agency on the kitchen counter.
“Hey, look, we have a welcome note!”
Simon ambles over and steps up behind me, looking over my shoulder at the paper. There’s nothing exciting about the note, just a standard “welcome” message with some directions on where to find local restaurants if needed. A spare key sits with it, and I grab it for my own key ring. They mailed us one to our old space, so Simon got us in with that one.
“That’s nice of them,” Simon comments. His head snaps up when the rumbling of the large moving truck fills the air. “I’ll go direct them. Can you grab our clothes from the cars?”
