Page 57 of From the Shadows
“I would have,” Diego admitted. “But words from a friend reminded me who I am.”
“Then I’m thankful to that friend.”
He turned to Ranna. “Thank you for saving our asses,Princess.”
She snarled. “You fuckingtoldhim?”
The man bared his teeth. Not nearly as impressive as a wendigo’s, but they weren’t bad. “You should not be fighting at all!” he bellowed. “Your parents forbade it after sending me to heal you.”
“My parents don’t control my destiny. Only I do that. I stand with my friends—my family—first, last, and always. I don’t know why they can’t see the good we’re doing here, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop doing it.”
“They’ll send someone for you, to bring you home where you are meant to be. Especially after you came so close to dying just days ago.”
She grabbed him by the shoulder and propelled him forward, forcing him to see the carnage. “Look! These were people who had lives, hopes, dreams. And it was stolen from them, just like they stole it from my friend. I don’t know how my parents could turn a blind eye to it, but I sure as hell won’t! Humans aren’t perfect, the Spirits know, but neither are we, especially if we’re willing to ignore the suffering of others.”
“That wasn’t what I meant, Princess.”
“Then tell me, Jakar, whatever did you mean?”
“As I said, your parents will send someone for you. If you’ll have me, I will stand by your side and keep you safe from them.”
Ranna held up a hand, showing off her wendigo claws. “I don’t need to be ‘kept safe.’ I’ve been fine on my own for years.” Her eyes darted toward Diego. “Ever since I was saved by my friend.”
Shit. He’d almost forgotten that night. He’d fled from the house, needing to be away from Jeremy for a bit, because as much as he hated to admit it, he was becoming fond of the kid. He was out for a run, trying hard to outdistance his own mind, when he saw her. She looked to be twelve or so, and she was rummaging in the McDonald’s garbage can, wolfing down burgers that had been thrown away after they closed. He could hear the snarl, see her ripping into the food. He knew she wasn’t human, but at the time, he couldn’t tell what she was. As he got closer, she sniffed and lifted her head, her gaze snapping toward him, her teeth bared.
“Easy, kid. It’s all right,” he soothed. “My name is Diego Ramirez.” He let his fangs drop and showed them to her. “I’m not your enemy.” He crouched down, doing his best to seem nonthreatening. “Having a tough go of it, huh? If you’re looking for a place, you can come with me. I work with some people who’ll help out. We can find you somewhere to stay, so you won’t have to dig in the garbage for food. We can get you clothes to wear. And, no offense, you can take a shower. Or maybe a bath. Trust me, you kinda need it. What do you say?”
It wasn’t but a few moments later he found his arms filled with a sobbing girl, who babbled incoherently. He contacted Empatia and told her he was bringing the kid home with him. Ranna came to the house and was enfolded in the dysfunctional family they’d built. She’d told them she ran away because her parents refused to let her leave the home, demanding she have no friends. From what Empatia said, the story was mostly true, so they gave the kid refuge. Supernatural communities weren’t like humans. They didn’t have all the laws and regulations about helping. If someone was in trouble, you helped because you could.
And thus, Ranna became part of the group. She trained with them, becoming a killing machine in her own right. She could hold her own against anyone on the team by the time she was eighteen, when she told Diego she was ready to go out with them. Since that day, he’d never seen her as anything other than a warrior. To find out she was a princess? That surprised him, but not as much as it should.
“Ranna? Or would you prefer we call you Princess?”
She snarled. “Depends. Do I need to kick your ass to answer you?”
Diego chuckled. “Look, you are whoever you say you are. No one can make that decision for you, okay? Whether you choose to be a hunter or royalty, you will always be one of us.”
Her face scrunched up, and just like she had all those years ago, she hurled herself at him, hugging him tight. Only now she was big enough to pop his spine. “I don’t want to go home,” she admitted. “I have siblings, so it’s not like the line of succession will end. I do good work here. Helping people, busting heads. It’s what I was born to do. Not be pampered and told that I need to remember I was above the common people. I never once in my life thought of anyone at the house as ‘common.’ My parents have their noses so far up in the fucking air, they can’t see that.”
Diego barely remembered his parents. Vague, fleeting snatches of memories of a beautiful woman, her laughter bold and vibrant, being spun around by a man, tall and dark, and loving her with everything in him. Those were the memories he held in his heart.
“We see you, Ran. You’re our family too, and we will always see you.” He looked over at the other wendigo. “And if you care at all for her, you’ll understand that too.”
“Oh, Diego, this is Jakar, our shaman.” She smiled. “And the fact that you’re the shaman for the tribe is exactly why you can’t stay here. They need you.”
“They can find another,” he promised. “I need….” He turned, his cheeks red.
“You need Hal,” Ranna said quietly.
Hal? What the hell.
Jakar nodded. “He drives me nuts, but I’ve come to care for him a great deal.”
“It’s called love, idiot,” Ranna chastised him.
He frowned. “Fine, I love him.”
“Wait. Where have I been?”
