"Yeah. It was surreal. They all stood there and watched." Emerson leaned more into Angelo's embrace and put his arms around his mate's waist. "I grabbed my backpack and ran out of there as fast as my legs could take me. I ran all day and into the night and didn't stop until I couldn't run anymore."
"How old were you?" Angelo asked with gritted teeth.
"Seventeen. I'd been on my own for about a year and a half, and I'd seen some strange and scary stuff, but nothing like that."
As Angelo rubbed Emerson's back and murmured sweet reassurances in his ear, we all saw the homicidal glint in the eyes of the Angel of Death. The Cold Moon luna was as good as dead.
"I need to report to the king first," Mase said as he met Angelo's glare. "He needs to know what else has happened in the past three years. Once King Julian gives his orders, I'll go with you."
And that was good enough for Angelo, apparently, because he gave Mase a curt nod.
"We need to call him anyway about the other alpha and luna issue we have," Jay reminded us, jerking his chin at Thoreau, whose eyes were fogged over as he linked someone.
Most likely Arch and Wayne, I thought and wondered what he had in common with them other than a love of dirt bikes.
"And he might want to know we found a fox shifter," Ash added, drawing my attention away from Thoreau.
Speaking of, we heard murmurs and footsteps coming up the basement stairs, and Maria bounced in her seat, clapping her hands with excitement.
So much like Posy, I linked my brothers, who hummed or smiled in agreement.
"Poppy!" Thoreau shouted and ran to the door.
Before the rest of us could even see her, he had her engulfed in a bear hug.
"Reau, come sit down and mind your manners," Angelo told him in a soft tone. "You've already met her and none of us have."
"But I just like her so much," he whined, but did as Angelo said.
"Everyone, this is my mate, Poppy Torres," Leo introduced the dark-haired beauty, then went around the room and told her all of our names.
"It's a pleasure," she nodded her head with a little smile. "Thank you for saving my life."
"You're welcome," I spoke on behalf of my brothers. "Would you mind telling us how you ended up being chased by a pack of dire wolves?"
"Well, I am a foxy lady, you know," she said with a flippant grin.
"Oh, my Goddess, another Wyatt," Mase muttered and covered half his face with one hand.
"Watch out, alphas," Leo said with a smirk. "She's got her sassy pants on."
"Oh, honey, all my pants are sassy," she shot back.
"Nuh-uh," Thoreau protested. "Those aremypants and they're not sassy. They're plaid. I wouldn't wearsassypants!"
Maria, Dad, Ash and Wyatt burst out laughing while the rest of us chuckled. The kid looked around in confusion, and I leaned over and ruffled his curls.
"Reau, do you know what sassy means?" I asked with a tiny smile.
"No."
"Good," Emerson told him. "You don't need any sass."
"The wound on your paw— Well, I guess your hand," Angelo said. "Is it healed?"
"It will be by tomorrow." Poppy held up her arm to show the angry-looking red skin covering her left hand up to her wrist.
"Let me do it now, please," he said and went to her. "No reason to be in pain that long."