Wolf's Pack (Wolves Next Door #3) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,83

out because he thinks this place changed me." He looked at his new friends desperately. "You all just make me feel like it doesn't matter what I am."

"Hey," I said, walking into the room. "Sam, Theo, Nikolai? I know you three are new to our ways, so let me make this very simple. At any time, for any reason, you can talk to your Pack Alpha. As Ian's beta, I'm nothing more than an extension of him. Talking to one of us is the same as talking to all of us. Our responsibility to you is to protect you and help you in any way we can, for the good of the pack. It's not to out you, to hold you back, or anything else. It's to guide you toward the best decision. At any time, you can talk to any of us, and that includes the Alpha Female."

"My mom," Gabby told them.

I nodded. "So, if you're not ready to tell your parents, the other members of the pack, or anyone else, we won't make you. We're also here to listen, stand with you, or anything else you need, ok?"

"Kinda like a priest?" Samantha asked. "You know, confession and advice with a side of moral support?"

I chuckled at that. "Well, I promise I don't feel like a priest, but yeah. It's a lot like that. Now, dinner's almost done. Come down when you're ready. I'll handle the gaggle of adults who already know too much. Your secret will be safe with us so long as it doesn't endanger the rest of the pack."

"Thank you," Nikolai breathed, and beside him, Theo nodded in agreement.

CHAPTER 26

* * *

The kids ended up staying pretty late. Well past midnight, at any rate. I didn't last that long, but Trent and Pax promised they'd keep an ear out for them even as the pair fell into bed with me. Seth gave me a long kiss and said he should probably help Ian. After that, I remembered nothing until I woke to the smell of bacon the next morning.

Everyone except Samantha had gone back home. Still, Trent and Pax were up and making breakfast for their girls. I staggered into the kitchen and was handed a fresh cup of coffee, then told to sit down until at least half of it was in me. After I started sipping, I got the update. Theo's parents started blowing up his phone sometime around midnight, wanting to know where the hell he was. From there, things had gotten tense, but it had been handled. Olivia and Nikolai ended up taking Theo to his new home around two. Roman and Xander left not long after. Sam and Gabby, however, had stayed up even longer giggling, and they weren't any better now.

"So," Gabby said, "When Theo's dad told him to get his ass home or else? Theo took a selfie kissing Nik, and sent that as his answer. His dad kinda lost it."

"Gabby," I said, not wanting her to make light of what the boy was going through.

"Mom, really?" she shot back. "The man is pissed off because Theo's gay. He said they'd get him 'help.' As if it's something he can just fix! No. So, Nik kissed him, Theo took the pic, sent it, and I'm pretty sure they're a couple now."

I just nodded, knowing I wouldn't win this. "And Lev doesn't know that Nikolai likes boys, right?"

"He's bi, Mom," she said. "So, no, he didn't tell his dad. He kinda doesn't want to mess things up now that they've just moved in, especially since the foxes are getting the last of their stuff this weekend."

"Today, right?" Samantha asked.

Gabby nodded. "Zaria goes to school with us on Monday. So, if you're in one of her classes, make sure she's ok?"

"Promise," Samantha said.

Pax put a plate of food on the counter in front of me. "Which one of this crowd are you with, Sam?"

"Uh..." She looked at Gabby desperately. "None of them?"

"Sam doesn't want to date," Gabby said. "She doesn't have to, either."

"I was just trying to count heads," Pax assured her. "Do you identify as asexual, demisexual, or just not into that much hair?" And he waved the girls to get their food.

"Lame?" Sam offered as she headed into the kitchen. "I don't know, Pax."

"Well, you're not lame," Trent told her. "The rest? You'll figure it out, and we don't actually care."

"In truth," Pax said, "I'm mostly worried that adding another girl - like that fox - to your little