would be trapped down in the basement, but everyone else would be kept safe. There were a few emergency protocols if a member of the pack was locked in with the newly bitten, and so far, it had served them well.
But if Kai’s reports were right, they were about to have more new wolves than they could handle. He wasn’t sure how they were going to manage all this, but it wasn’t Liam’s job to figure it out.
All he had to do was keep the pack safe, hold their territory lines, and protect. He’d fought for those he loved every day of his life, and he had no intention of quitting now when things got a little bit complicated.
It was still a million times better than the way things had been before.
Liam trotted over to the bathroom and tilted his head toward the shower before leaving her to get undressed. He went for the wardrobe and pulled out a towel before Noah intercepted him.
“Why don’t you shift back, you big oaf?” his twin muttered, stacking everything Zoe might need.
Liam gave him a look that clearly said, you know why.
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of that tiny thing.”
He growled and pulled the clothes from Noah’s hands with his teeth.
“Yea, yeah, we probably should be,” Noah said with a tired laugh. He patted the top of Liam’s head like the patronizing asshole he was. “But hey, she’s alive. You didn’t think that was even possible two days ago.”
That was true. He huffed and blocked the doorway to the bathroom, glaring at his twin so he’d get the message. Back off.
Noah lifted his hands in surrender, grinning at Liam. “All right, all right. I’ll make sure we have all her stuff back in her room.” He turned and disappeared down the long hallway, smelling relieved despite all his teasing.
They’d both been terrified of what would happen if Zoe died. Liam may not have wanted a mate, but he certainly didn’t want her to die, and if she did there was a good chance his wolf would lose his fucking mind.
Noah would have lost Liam and neither of them could afford to lose the other, not after everything. Whatever shred of humanity they had left was because they had each other.
Shoving the door open made Zoe curse and she glared at him as he set the towel and clothes on the sink within reaching distance. Without looking at her, he sat in the doorway facing the hall.
It was stupid and she didn’t need him to guard her, but it kept his wolf calm to know exactly where she was and that nothing and no one would be able to get to her without going through him first.
She took her sweet time and Liam lay down, resting his head on his paws as he watched the hallway. How were they going to handle all the new wolves? Was Kai planning on offering them all a place?
It was a lot to think about especially since it was going to change the dynamic of their pack. With their past it had felt impossible to move on until they’d started finding their mates. For some reason it had made sense as each new mate joined the pack.
But these weren’t mates, they’d be newly bitten wolves who needed training and purpose. There was a chance some of them could be Olivia and Noah’s mates, but he doubted that was the case.
Luck had never been on their side, but maybe that was starting to change.
“Now what?” Zoe demanded, looming over him in flannel plants and a large sweater. Her hands were planted on her hips and she glared down at him like he was purposefully getting in her way. “Are you ever going to shift back?”
Did she want him to?
Liam shifted then and she squeaked when she saw he was naked underneath her. He watched her try to back away, stumbling over his legs. Before she could fall, Liam caught her, grinning down at the sassy woman in his arms.
“I thought you wanted me to shift,” he teased, leaning in.
Zoe’s lips parted in surprise when she looked up at him, her hands on his bare chest. Liam didn’t like how right it felt for her to be in his arms, but he’d wanted to surprise her enough to see what she really thought of him.
For a second there was a slight blush across her cheeks and then she realized the position she was in and he watched as indignation flashed