Page 61 of Dodging Bullets

Every time one of the kids came over and showed Polly something they hadn’t ever seen before, with wonder in their eyes, I saw the guilt leave her a little more.

Max was talking to a little boy who was looking up at him with amazed, wide eyes, and August was talking soothingly to some of the older kids. His Omega pheromones would relax them, even if they didn’t realize it. The haunted look in the eyes of the older girls was worrying, and I wondered if we could pay someone to end the rest of the Leaders in their jail cells.

It wasn’t perfect, but at least now, everyone had a chance to heal. To live.

Henry appeared beside me, a baby attached to his chest in one of those carrier things. I wasn’t quite sure how they’d managed to convince Child Services to let them all stay together, but from what Henry told me, the sweet older Beta couple we’d met at the front door had agreed to run this place as a grouphome until everything got sorted out, including determining everyone’s family lines. They seemed happiest together, so I couldn’t fault them for their decision.

The baby on Henry’s chest was sleeping soundly. “How are you coping?” I asked softly, and the young Alpha shrugged.

“There’s good days and bad days. The guilt can be a lot—the guilt we were too slow, that this is all too much…”

I patted his back gently. “Polly feels the same way.”

Henry looked down at the baby on his chest. “But this little one will never know living inside those walls, or doing chores so they’re allowed to eat when they’re four, or being beaten for asking questions. This little one will be happy, as long as they don’t send him back to his parents.” There was anger there, a trauma that would only heal with time and a lot of therapy.

“You did that,” I told him softly. “You gave them freedom.” I cleared my throat. “Have you decided what you’d like to do after this is all over?”

His eyes slid to Nim, who was laughing with Polly. Those two had barely been out of touching distance this whole time. “I’m not sure.”

“Aren’t you?” I asked him lightly. “You’re always more than welcome to come and live with us, or we can set you up in your own place nearby. You can bring whoever you like with you too. There’s room for all of Polly’s family.”

Finally, the little girl on the swing sighed. “I’m hungry now. Can we have ice cream?” She directed it at Henry, who raised an eyebrow at her.

“Will you eat all your dinner, Ari?”

Ari contemplated his words, then nodded. “Yep.”

“Even the vegetables?”

The girl screwed up her nose. “Are we having sprouts? I hate sprouts.”

I lifted her off the swing. “Me too. Don’t tell Polly. I think they’re gross,” I said conspiratorially, and the little girl swung furtive eyes in my Omega’s direction.

“They taste like farts.”

I nodded solemnly, and Henry rolled his eyes. “There’s no brussel sprouts.”

Ari grinned widely. “Yay! Then I promise to eat my dinner.”

Yeah, I wasn’t convinced.

“Go and ask Mrs. Wilson, but if she says no, that’s final. All right?”

With a squeal that seemed to rally the other little ones, she torpedoed into the house. Henry shook his head. “Mrs. Wilson won’t say no. She looks at them like they’re lost little puppies and they’ve already scented her weakness.” He gave a bitter laugh. “We got lucky. The Wilsons are kind and haven’t tried to take over the parenting role. I know Nim and the others felt better that they weren’t going to be relegated to being children themselves, or shut out of the only life they’ve ever known.” He turned back to the house. “I’ll keep your offer in mind. I don’t think Arkansas has anything left for any of us.”

He disappeared inside the house, and I went to find my Omega. All these kids had made me a little clucky, although we’d never had a conversation about kids. It didn’t matter to me if we did or didn’t; I was just happy that Polly was ours. She was more than I ever thought we’d have.

Thirty-Five

Polly

Iwas cross-examined for three days during the trial of the Leaders and the elders of the Homestead. Apparently, they might have been shut off from the world living the prepper life, but their investments had continued, earning them a healthy amount of money to buy great lawyers. Lawyers who tore holes in my story, even when there weren’t any. Lawyers who tried to shift the blame onto everyone but the people who’d created and led the Homestead. Except for Leader Malakai. He was a conveniently dead scapegoat.

They might try and wiggle out of it—especially the trafficking charges, when it came to me—but there was a multitude of evidence about all the terrible stuff they’d done.

By the time we left Arkansas, I never wanted to go back. I never wanted to leave our Packhouse, or my Alphas, ever again. I felt raw, like every nerve ending had been set on fire.

The guys had closed ranks, and for the week after we returned from the trial, we’d done nothing but justbe. We slept in the nest, ate in bed, watched movies on a sea of blankets in the media room, and I felt like I surfed from chest to chest. It was what I needed, what my soul needed, and I felt myself unwind.

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