Page 58 of Sanctuary
“Adelaide’s in here,” Jason said at his side and gestured at the doors at the front of the building. “Duke, will you come back again in half an hour to drop us off down by Raleigh’s?”
“Sure. I’ll let Quin know I need to take off with the truck for a bit.”
“Thanks.”
Then Duke was driving away and Jason was leading him into the monstrously tall building. “Almost done,” Jason said as they passed through the doors. “Then we’ll get you home.”
C H A P T E R F I F T Y
W illie Rose was given a clean bill of health and a bundle of baby clothes and then Ori was free to take her back downstairs, trailing in Jason’s wake. When they got to the front door, they found Duke in the truck waiting, Patton in the passenger seat. Jason hugged Ori goodbye and left after a quick word with Duke.
“Hop in front,” Duke said genially, peering across Patton and out the open passenger window.
Patton got out and took Willie Rose. “How is she?” he asked anxiously.
“Good,” Ori said, and kissed his cheek. “A little small, but Adelaide says she doesn’t see any other problems and she’ll catch up now that we’re here.” He didn’t add that she’d catch up because he would be eating more regularly —Patton had done an amazing job keeping them fed at all, he wasn’t going to lay false guilt on his mate.
“Good. I figured she’d be tough, having you for a bearer.” Patton beamed at them both and climbed into the cab of the truck after him.
Holland met them at the end of a long, narrow street that wound around the edge of the town like a path through the woods. “Quin says there’s another load ready for you,” he told Duke. “And he wants you to come out and have a look at a few trees they picked out, see if they’re worth sawing for furniture.”
“Great! I’ve got a couple more people looking for things. The cradles are popular.” He waited until Ori and Patton had gotten themselves and their bag of baby clothes out of the truck, then disappeared down the road, the truck moving a lot faster now that there was no one sitting in the back.
Holland held out an arm to show them the way. “The house is old, but we had people working on it, making sure that it was in decent shape.” He leaned over to peer at the baby. “It’s furnished and Bram is loaning you one of his cradles for Willie Rose. I’ll send someone to take you to Supplies tomorrow to stock your larder. Raleigh made sure you had enough to get you through until tomorrow.” He turned down a short path that led up to a squat, square house, and headed for the uneven steps that led up to a wide covered porch. Ori and Patton followed him, Ori’s eyes widening as they came closer.
“Is this…just for us?” he croaked.
Holland stopped dead with one foot on the bottom stair. “Of course!” He seemed startled, then the corner of his mouth quirked up. “No point in selling out to the humans if we can’t all have our own places. Come on in.” He winked and climbed the rest of the way up onto the porch to open the front door.
Ori grinned and grabbed Patton, excitement blooming in his heart. “Come on!” He pulled his mate up the stairs and followed Holland inside the cutest little house he’d ever seen. “Willie Rose,” he whispered to the baby as he cuddled her close, “This is your home.” He looked over at Patton and found him spinning slowly in place, gazing at the space their little house had. They were in a large room with a sofa against one wall, a television on top of an old dresser against the wall opposite. “A television,” Ori whispered in awe. Hardly anyone in Perseguir had one—mostly just the alphas, and not even all of them.
Holland tilted his head to one side, watching them with a small smile on his lips. “There’s no signal, and no Internet in any of the houses. You can book computers at the library if you want to search for anything and borrow movies to watch on the TV here. We’re hoping some day that everyone will be able to have it in their homes, but we’re not even sure if we’re going to keep these houses or tear them down yet.” He paused, watching them, then jerked his head toward the back of the house. “I’ll show you the rest, then get out of your hair. Full moon celebrations will start at dusk. Raleigh lives next door—if you want to come, he’ll show you the way there.”
They followed him through into a dining room—an actual room just for eating in!—then into the kitchen at the back of the house.
“Bedrooms are all on the other side of the house. There’s three and a bathroom,” Holland said. He pulled open a door in the wall, revealing stairs going up. “Attic, but it’s small. Watch your head if you go up there.” And another door with shelves behind it. “It’s not big or fancy and there’s going to be workmen over here again to finish fixing the roof. The water works, but the hot to the bathroom still leaks I’m told.” He led them back into the dining room and walked them through the bedrooms and bathrooms.
“I can fix that,” Patton said, leaning over to peer at the taps in the tub.
“That’s good to hear, we can always use people with skills. You trained, or just handy?” Holland leaned against the wall and gazed at Patton with more interest than Ori had noticed him showing up until now.
“Apprenticed, but not completely trained,” Patton admitted. He shoved his hands in his pockets and hunched his shoulders. Ori reached out to squeeze his shoulder in support, though he was pretty sure Holland didn’t care.
And he was quickly proved right. Holland stood up and patted Patton’s other shoulder. “We’ll get you set up to finish your training here, or you can apply for money to go to a human school in the city. It would mean moving into the pack house there, though. You wouldn’t be able to commute.” He looked over at Ori. “You could go with him, if you wanted, but we need to make sure that your pack has given up all claim to you before you step outside walls again.”
“You’re not worried about them wanting Patton back?” Ori asked, surprised.
Before Holland could reply, Patton said, “I’m just a beta.”
Ori stared at him open-mouthed.
Patton shook his head. “I mean, maybe they’d want me because of the plumbing, but it’s you that was being sold to Jordan Bay. You’re the one that really broke all the rules.” He looked over at Holland. “What can we do to keep them from taking him back?”
Holland smiled, and Ori imagined he could see a hint of flames like a full moon bonfire in them. “Well, first thing is to come before the omega council to petition for help. And then we buy him from Perseguir.” He stepped forward and slipped between them. “You two settle in, we’ll talk again tomorrow.”
Ori followed him out to the front door, where Holland paused and turned back to meet Ori’s gaze. “I’m glad to see you again,” Holland said softly. “I hope you’ll be happy here.”
“I’m sure I will. And I missed you.”
