Page 44 of House of Kallan
It was then that I realized where I was and last night came back to me. Not just going home with Hawthorn and crashing inamongst all the bodies of my sweet men, but the horrors that came before that.
Technically, it was my day off. I know, serendipitous, right? However, I wasn’t sure when the last time I took a day off was. Could I really take today off right when I was starting to gain the trust of the feral kids?ShouldI?
Then again, I didn’t think they were as feral as we’d initially thought. They were scared and hurt. That made them remain permanently on the defensive.
“You okay?”
I turned at the voice to find all seven men looking at me.
Laughter bubbled up, and I thought I was more tired than I thought. “Yeah. Forgot where I was for a second there.”
“Good to know you don’t often follow strange men home after work,” Toby said, grinning at me.
I glanced at Hawthorn, and we shared a small smile. “It’s not a habit I think is incredibly healthy.”
Hawthorn gripped my hand for a second.
Sighing, I looked around the room for my phone. “I need to call into work.”
“Do you have to go in?” Toby asked.
“I don’t know,” I hedged. “I try to be there for the first few days of new arrivals. And we’ve never had kids in cages. It leaves a sour feeling in my gut.”
“It’s for their own good as well as ours right now,” Hawthorn said. “Please don’t think I’m comparing them to dogs, but canines find their kennels to be their comfort place after a while. I’m guessing those kids were relieved to be put back in their cages after the treatments they suffered.”
“But they don’t belong there,” I said as I climbed out of bed. “Though I completely understand what you’re saying.” I found my phone in the pocket of my pants on the floor. Glancing at my body as I bent to get them, I found I was wearing clothing that wasn’t mine. Bed pants that fit rather well if not a bit loose around the waist, and a long sleeve shirt that was a bit too big.
I smiled as I fished my phone out, loving the feeling of being in their clothes. Even without knowing whose they were. It didn’t matter. There was a part of me that felt right at home not knowing because it just didn’t matter.
Taking a few steps away from the bed, I dialed the primary line and waited for an answer.
“Haven. This is Uri.”
“Hey, Uri. It’s Tatum. How’s everything?” I asked.
“Morning, Dr. Almeida. Everything is completely fine. The new arrivals are sleeping soundly. Our new charges in the third floor orphan wing are quiet and I dare say docile. We’ve made sure they’ve had something to drink, eat, and whatever they need for comfort. One needed a pool, so we took a chance opening their den to give them a little bath, then rearranged them so that he wasn’t spilling water on the two dens below.”
“Dens?” I asked.
“We don’t like that they’re in cages so we decided to give them a bit of a remodel and call them dens. They’re looking a little more homey now, anyway. And the kids seem… more relaxed than they did when they arrived.”
I sighed. Thank fuck. “What about the women? How are they?”
“Most of them are still asleep. I don’t think they’ve slept much since they were taken and now they know they’re safe.” There was pride in his voice that I couldn’t help but feel the echo of in my chest.
“That’s good to hear. Listen. I’m going to take the day off, but call me if something happens. Anything at all. Okay?”
“Don’t worry, Miss Tatum. Everything is fine, but I will be sure to let you know if the ceiling falls or something.”
“Mm,” I answered, and he laughed.
“Honestly, Miss Tatum. It’s all good. But I promise to call in the event of an emergency or if we get word that we have another retrieval.”
“Okay,” I said. “I hope we don’t get another one quite yet. The third floor was the last space and we’re about to max out.”
“Hopefully the rehoming process begins soon,” Uri said, sighing.
I nodded. Couldn’t agree more. Ending the call, I tossed the phone back on my pile of clothes and climbed back into bed. They wrapped me in their arms, and I closed my eyes again. The feeling of contentment that settled around me had me nearly falling asleep once more. Even as the bed jostled and people moved around, I quite happily remained floating in that dozed state.
