When The Grave Calls (The Veil Diaries #9) - B.L. Brunnemer Page 0,38
He sighed.
I looked up at him. “He’s still on you about joining a pack?”
“Yeah.” His thumb absently drew circles over the back of my hand.
“What are the benefits?”
He sighed again. “Protection, mentors, wolves to have at my back.”
“What are the downsides?”
He squeezed me a little. “Brody says that in unhealthy packs they try to control your life, including what species you can or cannot date.”
I looked up at him frowning. “Seriously?”
He nodded. “But supposedly, it doesn’t happen in healthy packs.”
“Does he know any healthy packs?” I asked, curious.
“There are several.” He met my eyes. “In Seattle. Massachusetts.”
“Oh.” I tried to keep my voice even. “You’d have to move?”
He nodded. “But I’m not going to join.”
“But it’d be good for you. Right?” I didn’t want to hold him back from doing what was best for him.
“If I joined a pack, it’d be after I graduate,” he said. “So, there’s no point in worrying about it now.”
“Well”—I tried to figure out how to say what I needed to say— “I’m worried you won’t do what’s best for you.”
He let go of my hand and brushed his knuckles along my jaw. “I will, I promise. But I’m also going to think about how it would affect you all.”
I shook my head. “You can’t.”
His eyes narrowed at me as his brow drew down. “Why not?”
“Because it’s your life,” I said softly. “You can’t make the best decision for you if you bring us into that decision.”
He pressed his forehead against mine. “I love you.”
Light and warmth swept through me. “I love you too.”
He pulled back and smiled. “Then trust me to make this decision?”
I chewed lightly on my lip as I thought about it. “Promise me it’ll be what’s best for you and what you want?”
His eyes twinkled with humor and understanding. “I promise.”
“I trust you,” I whispered as he leaned down to kiss me.
A knock sounded on the door.
We pulled away as Isaac poked his head in the door. “Hey, there you guys are.” He opened the door and walked inside with Ethan following.
Zeke came in last with a large bowl of popcorn. “What are we watching?”
“Uh … guys?” This was private time. What did they think they were doing?
Ethan plopped down in front of me and dropped back to lay his head against my knees.
Isaac sat in front of Asher. “It’s boring without you guys around.”
Zeke dropped onto the end of the bed and laid back. He left the bowl on his stomach as he tucked an arm under his head. “Godzilla. Nice.”
“Which version?” Miles asked as he came in and sat on the floor at the foot of the bed.
I turned to the guys. “Guys, we were kinda …”
Asher smiled and squeezed me softly. “It’s okay.”
I raised an eyebrow as the others began talking about the movie. “Are you sure?”
He nodded.
I smiled and rested my head against his shoulder and simply enjoyed being with everyone.
At least until my phone rang.
I checked the number then answered. “Hey, Rory.”
“Hey, kid, listen … I’m in the emergency room.”
It took us longer than I’d like to gather our new bodyguards, stuff everyone into the cars and get across town.
But when we got there, we learned they’d only let me back there. The bodyguards didn’t like it, but eventually agreed to wait. The guys took up spots in the waiting room with Lucy while I went through the door.
By the time I reached his curtained off section, Rory was sitting up in the bed and smiling at the nurse like nothing had happened.
“Dad, will you lay down,” Tara snapped from her chair beside the gurney. “For crying out loud.”
The nurse left the curtained off area, blushing.
Rory was chuckling as I walked in. “Oh, let me have a little fun, Tara. I could have died.”
“Exactly, you could have died. You should be resting, not flirting with the nurses.” Tara shoved her hair behind her ear roughly.
Rory was still smiling when he turned to me. “Hey, kid.”
“What happened?” I asked as I took a good look at Rory. There were a few scratches here and there on his face, a bruise near his temple. Otherwise, he seemed fine.
“Someone ran me off the road. Hit and run.” He shrugged as if it were no big deal. “The car rolled down an embankment, the doctor said I’m fine.”
“The doctor is waiting on tests to say he’s fine,” Tara corrected. “Tell her the rest, Dad.”
I turned to Rory. “What else happened?”
Rory shot a censuring look at Tara before turning back to