Page 5 of Back to You
“You know who Cam is, of course,” Toby said.“The mountain next to him is Braden.”
Braden wrinkled his nose.“I’m not that tall.”
“Compared to me, you are.”Toby pointed at the other man.“This is Remi, and next to him, his mate, Pembroke.The last one is Mercer, who you’ll be working with since he trains our guards.”
They all nodded at Ronan except for Pembroke, who waved at him.Ronan was relieved that none of them tried to shake his hand or, worse, hug him.He knew he was safe, but he was still a little wary when it came to physical contact with people he barely knew.
All the people in the room qualified as people he barely knew.Toby and Cam had welcomed him into their pack, and he respected them for that, but it didn’t mean he knew them or that he was comfortable.
He definitely wasn’t.He felt out of place, especially as he watched Toby step next to Cam and Cam wrap an arm around his waist.Cam pulled Toby close and kissed the top of his head, making Toby smile.
“They’re disgustingly happy, aren’t they?”Braden said as he moved closer to Ronan.
Ronan had to resist the urge to step back.This man wasn’t dangerous, and he wasn’t going to hurt him.He wouldn’t be here otherwise.“It’s good that they are,” he murmured.
“Oh, I agree.In fact, I’m incredibly jealous.”
Ronan eyed the man.“You haven’t met your mate?”
“Not yet, no.”Braden glanced at Remington and Pembroke.“But I have hope.”
Ronan didn’t say anything.He didn’t want to tell Braden that he’d had hope once, too.He certainly didn’t want to tell Braden that he’d lost his mate and that his life had felt empty since then.He’d been focused on surviving, and he hadn’t had time to grieve, but now that he was free, the pain felt as fresh as it had been when he’d been told that his mate was gone.
That wasn’t something he wanted to think about right now.He didn’t want to put a damper on the mood when everyone seemed so happy to spend time together.He might be an outsider, but he hoped he wouldn’t be one for long.
“So, how are you settling in?”Mercer asked, thankfully moving the topic of the conversation to something Ronan was more comfortable with.
“I’ve never had a pack, so everything’s a bit overwhelming, but I’m sure I’ll find my footing.”
Mercer nodded.“I understand that.My mate had never had a pack before, either, and he didn’t have much of a family.It took some time, but he’s settled in perfectly.”
Ronan glanced around the room as if Mercer’s mate was hiding somewhere.“You’re here alone?”
“Ryland had to work tonight.”
“My brother works too much,” Pembroke pitched in.“He needs to learn to relax and spend time with his friends and his mate.”
“Your brother’s working for the pack,” Mercer pointed out.
“Doesn’t mean he shouldn’t have fun.”
Ronan looked from one to the other as they spoke.He felt very much like he was on the outside looking in, and for now, he was.He also felt like it would be impossible for him to become part of this family, but that was just because he wasn’t used to having so many people in his life.He and his mate had had people, but it wasn’t like having a pack.
It had been nothing like this.That didn’t mean that Ronan didn’t like it, but he wished his mate could’ve seen all of this.He wished he’d known that Ronan would be okay.
“Dinner’s ready,” Cam announced.
Ronan stayed out of the way as everyone started moving.It was clear that the other people here were regularly invited to dinner because they seemed to know where everything was.They moved with confidence, setting the table as they talked.
“Okay?”Cam asked in a whisper.
Ronan didn’t want his new alpha to think that he wasn’t comfortable.“I’m fine.”
“You know that it’s all right not to be fine, right?You went through a lot.”Cam hesitated.“Reece also told me that you lost your mate.I’m really sorry.”
“Thank you.”
“I’m glad you talked to him.I can’t even begin to imagine how hard all of this has been for you, but Reece is proof that you can find love even after losing your mate.I hope you’ll have the opportunity to do so here.”
