Page 1 of Back to You
Chapter One
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RONAN WASN’T ENTIRELYsure why Reece, of all people, had been asked to show him around pack territory.He wasn’t sure why anyone needed to show him around pack territory.He’d been here a few weeks already, and he knew where most things were.
Of course, things were different now.He was officially a pack member.He was going to start working for pack security in a few days.He wasn’t just a guy the pack had rescued anymore.He was one of them, so maybe that was why Cam wanted him to know where everything was.
Either that or he’d talked to his brother.
Ronan hadn’t been able to stop thinking about his conversation with Bryson.It was even harder with Reece standing next to him, gesturing at the buildings they were walking past.
Ronan didn’t care what people did in their bedrooms or how many people they did it with.It wasn’t the fact that Reece was dating two men that had caught his attention.It was the fact that Reece was dating two men after losing his mate.
Ronan swallowed.If he started thinking about his mate, he might start crying, too, which wasn’t something he wanted to happen right now.This was supposed to be a happy occasion.He’d finally found a place to call home.He was safe, and he would never have to worry about getting kidnapped and tortured again.If something happened to him, the pack would step in to protect him.He’d never had that before, and it was a relief, but at the same time, it hurt.
“You know, we don’t have to do this now if you don’t feel up for it,” Reece said.
Ronan blinked.He really hadn’t been paying attention, had he?“I don’t want to be a bother.“
“You’re not a bother.You’re a pack member.”
“It doesn’t mean that I’m not bothering you.I’m sure you had better things to do today than show me around, especially when it wasn’t necessary.“
Reece gave Ronan a crooked smile.“You tried telling Cam that, didn’t you?”
“He waved me off and told me that since I was officially a pack member, I deserved an official tour.”
“That’s Cam, all right.”Reece’s expression softened.“I know it might be hard to believe, but he cares about you.He cares about all of his pack members, but he has an especially soft spot for rare shifters.”
Ronan nodded.“Because of his mate.”
“I mean, he cared about our pack members before meeting Toby, too, but yeah.Meeting his mate and understanding how hard life is for rare shifters is what pushed him into making our pack a safe place for all of you.He wants you to feel at home here.He wants to help, even though he’s not always sure how to do so.I’m glad you went along with it.”
Ronan hadn’t felt like he had a choice, but he didn’t say that out loud.He was still too new to the pack to fully understand how the relationships in it worked.It was clear that everyone respected Cam, but some of the people here talked to him as if he wasn’t the alpha, but rather a friend.
Ronan knew that he was.From everything he’d seen, Cam was close to a lot of pack members, and they did consider him a friend before they considered him their alpha.It was slightly confusing, but Ronan had never lived with a pack, so maybe it was normal.
“So, when Cam asked me to do this tour with you, he also asked me to ask you a few questions.”
Ronan grimaced.“He could’ve asked them himself.I’ll answer what I can, though.“
“It’s nothing bad.He just wants to get to know you a little better and for you to feel comfortable here.”
“I’m listening.”
Ronan wasn’t sure how long it would take him to feel comfortable here.He liked that he was safe, but he was still missing a massive part of his life.His mate was gone, which had caused him more pain than being stuck in a cage and auctioned off several times.Nothing could hurt as much as losing his mate.He didn’t think he’d ever get over that, even if he tried.
He hadn’t.Ronan’s heart was gone.It was a miracle that Ronan was still standing.
“So, Cam wanted to know if there was anyone you might want us to welcome into our pack, too.”
Ronan knew where this was going.He’d only told one person that he’d lost his mate, and that person was the alpha’s brother.He wasn’t sure Bryson was the type of person to gossip, but Ronan hadn’t told him to keep the fact that his mate was gone secret.Bryson might have mentioned it because he thought that Cam knew, or maybe he’d been worried.
It was odd to have people care about him.Even before Ronan had been dragged into his cage, he hadn’t really had anyone.The most important person in his life had been his mate, but before meeting him, Ronan had been alone.He didn’t have a birth pack.Most rare shifters didn’t, but he’d been especially lonely.His parents had been killed when he was little more than a teenager, and he’d survived on his own since then.He’d been afraid to let anyone in.
He still was.
This was his pack now, though.If he wanted to truly become one of them, he’d have to trust them with parts of himself.His mate deserved to be remembered.He didn’t deserve to become a secret that hurt Ronan every time he thought about him.
