Page 12 of Witch Undecided
Chapter Four
Vita Pack was a community of houses built on acres of farmland. We drove past horses and cows grazing in fields, past a schoolhouse and a playground filled with children.
“How many wolves in your pack?”
“I’m not sure,” he said. “A hundred in total I think, but the active pack is twenty-five strong. We patrol in units of five on rotation. The rest of the pack are civilians, and everyone has a role in the running of our community.”
“And can they leave?”
His mouth tightened slightly. “This isn’t a prison or a cult, Cora. Wolves are free to stay or go, but we’re not like other outliers and this is our home. It always has been. We always come back.”
There was something in the way he said that, a hidden meaning, but despite our connection, I didn’t know him well enough to decipher it.
I sat back and let it go for now, instead focusing on the world outside. “It’s beautiful here. I can’t see why anyone would want to leave this fresh air for the pollution of the city.”
“This is home,” he said softly.
Home. It sounded so warm and cozy. I’d had a home with Fee but then she’d found a new home with her guys. A purpose that didn’t include me, not really, no matter how much she’d said it did. But now I was here, mated to three dire wolves, and this…This was going to be my home for the next century.
When would it feel that way?
We turned off the main road onto a narrow track bordered by majestic trees, then rolled onto woodchips and leaves bordering a two-story sprawling farmhouse with a wraparound porch. I wasn’t sure what I’d been expecting from the Vita Pack house, but it wasn’t this gorgeous building that looked as if it belonged on the cover of a country homes magazine.
Nerves never really bothered me, but right now they were making themselves known, like, hey, you thought you had us under lockdown, right? Well, guess who was wrong?
“Leif, are you sure this is okay? Isn’t everyone in mourning?”
Leif sighed and twisted in his seat to face me. “Yes, we mourn the loss of our alpha, but we also don’t let it stop us from living. My mother was adamant she wanted to continue with her plans to introduce you to the pack. This was her responsibility as alpha female. Once it’s over, she and her mate will retreat to mourn the loss of their alpha.”
Of course, his mother would have been a breeder for Arne,nothis mate. “How long has your mother been mated?”
“Fifteen years. I have four half-sisters, who you’ll get to meet, if not today then soon.”
“And do you…get on with your stepfather?”
“Leo is a good man, the perfect mate for my mother. He was always kind to me growing up.” Leif shrugged. “But I’ve always been closest to my mother.”
So, this was important. I needed to make a good impression, and why did I care if she liked me or not?
Don’t answer that.
I unlocked my door. “Okay, let’s do this.”
Leif usheredme into the house and a hallway filled with so many wonderful aromas it had my stomach doing a happy dance in anticipation. The floor was dark wood, and the walls were a neutral magnolia. There was no time to take in much more than that, because Leif took my hand and tugged me gently down the hallway.
“Just be yourself,” he said.
“Always am, soyoushould be more worried.”
He chuckled. “Trust me, Cora, I’m not worried about this at all.”
My heart stuttered as we entered the kitchen, cottage-style, bright, and cozy with sash windows and pretty yellow blinds, wooden countertops, and knick-knacks and plaques hanging on the wall. This room was huge and warm, bathed in sunlight streaming in from the many windows.
This room was a beating heart, filled with soft laughter and the clink of cutlery.
This wasn’t the house of mourning I’d expected. This was a happy home, and I wanted to be a part of it.
Two round tables laden with croissants, jams, hams, chicken, ribs, and fruit were set side by side, and several women sat around them drinking tea.
