After Honor’s conversation with her dad and daughter, she’d declared she was hungry, so they grabbed their things and went for breakfast in the hotel’s café. While Honor was busy making a custom omelet for herself, he and Jax talked quietly at the table about their plans for the future.
“Do you think she’ll want to live in King permanently?” Holden said in a low voice.
“I don’t know. But if you had a kid, wouldn’t you want to be where she is?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s not like it’s a hardship to live in King. And if it gives Honor a chance to get to know her daughter and reconnect with her dad, I say we should do it.”
“What about Melody?”
Jax stopped spreading jam on his toast. “I think she’ll understand. It’s not like we’d be leaving her all alone. She has her mates, and the pride. And there’s always video chatting and texting. Distances aren’t so distant anymore.”
“That’s a good point.”
Honor joined them, setting her plate down as she took a seat. “Isn’t it a thing of beauty?” she asked, gesturing to her omelet. It was stuffed with ham, cheddar, mushrooms, and bacon.
“Looks great, sweetheart,” Holden said.
“I love omelets, they’re my favorite breakfast meal.”
“I’m a pancake guy myself,” Holden said.
Jax gestured to his plate. “I’m a classic scrambled eggs and toast man.”
No one spoke for a few minutes as they started to eat. Holden was lost in thought, wondering about the future. He wouldn’t mind living in King again. It had been their home until a few years ago, when they’d moved to Ashland because of Melody. He was sure she’d understand if they left because of Honor.
“What will happen when we get to Ashland tonight?” Honor asked.
“Well, James, John, and Rue are going to meet us at the house. We’ll grab some shuteye, and then the pride wants to meet you in the morning for breakfast.”
“The whole pride?” Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open.
“Well, whoever’s around and not at work,” Jax said.
“Do they know I’m not the same person I was before?”
“Absolutely,” Holden said. “Plus, they’ve been listening to us bitch about not being with you for the last seven months. They’ll be happy to see you.”
“You think,” she said.
“No,” Jax said firmly, “we know. The pride knows about the curse and is ready to start over with you again.”
“And then we can go see my dad and Hope?”
“We can leave Friday night after Holden and I get home from work. It’s an eleven-hour drive.”
“Ugh,” she said. “Another road trip.”
Holden laughed. “Yeah, but the one to King is for a very good reason: so you can reconnect with your family.”
She gave him a nudge with her shoulder and smiled. “You and Jax are my family now, too.”
“Yeah, we are, sweetheart,” he said, his heart soaring.
When they were finished eating, they checked out and got into the truck, heading toward Ashland. He and Jax took turns driving, and they made frequent stops to stretch their legs. They took the opportunity of the drive to get to know their mate better, and to give her a chance to get to know them. He’d spent the last few months without her imagining their life together, but already she’d surpassed his expectations. He hadn’t known what to expect when they found her – how she’d react to them or what she’d want their life together to be like. She’d shown herself to be open and honest, curious and sweet. She was quick-witted, with a subtle sassiness that he adored.
And she wanted them. He was still amazed by that. They’d marked and mated her, and she’d been so incredible to be with. Anything he’d experienced in the past was obliterated by their mating. No kiss was as good as the ones he shared with Honor. No other female could set him on fire with a touch of her fingers or a lingering look. He wanted to be that for her, too. It wasn’t always going to be easy to share her, he was certain. He and Jax were best friends, but now they had Honor.
He saw them already falling easily into roles in their new family. Jax was older and a little more strong-willed, while Holden was more laidback. Jax liked to plan; Holden liked to see what happened. Now with Honor and their family, Jax was taking on the role of leader and Holden was happy to be the caretaker.
They’d watched it happen many times over the years with the multiple-matings in the pride: one male was the leader, the other was the caretaker, and the female was the center of their universe. They worked together and lived together, the males ensuring that their female was happy and loved. He didn’t mind letting Jax take the lead, because he was happiest making sure that Honor was taken care of. When they were sleeping after making love, he’d woken to find her skin cold because she’d thrown off the blankets. As he drew up the covers, he marveled at his cat, who seemed to know that she was cold and woke him up to deal with it. It had been his pleasure to warm her up and cuddle her close.
By the time they reached Ashland, he was head over heels for her. He’d already been half in love with her for the last seven months, but he realized that the emotions he’d felt for her had been based solely on finding her, not actually knowing much about her. Now that they’d spent two days together, and had mated and marked her, the connection he’d felt to her since the end of September had strengthened. She was amazing, and he was damn lucky to have her.
Jax parked in front of the boarding house. It was mostly dark inside, except for a dim light on the first floor, in the kitchen. Someone had left the front porch light on as well.
“How did the pride find this place?” she asked.
“Callie, Ethan, and Eryx moved to Ashland first. They live on Rhett and his mate Lisa’s property in a converted barn. James wanted to move here to be close to his kids, so they had a realtor find them a home large enough for him, Grant, Aaron, and their five kids. John, Henry, and Alek stayed behind in King until Jilly turned sixteen and moved out, and then they came here. Before the Depression, it was a wealthy banker’s home. His wife converted it to a boarding house, which helped them make it through the Depression. It’s a hundred years old. We live on the second floor, along with most of the mated groups, including our niece Melody and her family.”
“When we went to Canada, we looked for a similar place, where we could all live together. But we didn’t pick it because we were a family; we wanted to have control over where the females lived. It’s easier to keep an eye on people when they live in the same place.”
“I don’t think James and the others expected so many people to want to live here, but there’s plenty of room. Only my room has an attached bathroom; Jax’s doesn’t,” Holden said.
“I’ve never had my own bathroom,” she said. “The house I grew up in had a bath and a half, and I shared a bathroom with the females. I don’t mind.”
“Are you ready?” Jax asked as he opened the truck and stepped out.
“Yes and no.”
“It’ll be fine, sweetheart,” Holden said as he got out. “We’re by your side no matter what. And there isn’t anything here in the boarding house but the pride and their acceptance.”
Honor scooted slowly out of the truck, keeping her gaze on the house. He and Jax grabbed all their bags and walked with her to the front door. Jax opened it, and they stepped into the foyer. There were quiet voices coming from the kitchen, which went silent as Jax shut the door.
Holden could hear Honor’s heart pounding. He and Jax put their bags down and took her hands, which were clammy and shaking. Holden took a moment to raise one to his lips and kiss her knuckles. “It’s going to be okay, Honor. Trust us.”
“I do,” she said, licking her lips. “It’s just not a place I thought I’d ever be.”
“Well, you’re here with us now, and that means you’re safe. We’d never let anything happen to you,” Jax said.
She exhaled sharply and straightened her shoulders. “I’m ready.”
Holden smiled at her bravery. Despite her obvious fear, she was still going along with them.
They walked into the kitchen and found James, Rue, and John standing on one side of the island. Honor froze in her tracks. He and Jax gave her hands a little tug, and she continued with them to the island.
“It’s been a long time, Honor,” James said. “Welcome to the pride’s home.”
She opened her mouth and nothing came out but a squeak. Her cheeks flushed, and she grimaced. She cleared her throat and said, “Thanks, James. I don’t deserve a welcome, but thank you.”
John said, “This is our mate, Rue.”
“It’s nice to meet you. How was the trip?”
“Long,” Honor answered. “But good.”
“I’m sure you’re tired after the drive, but we’d like to chat for a few minutes before you head upstairs,” James said, gesturing to the table.
“If it’s okay, I would really like to go to the bathroom,” Honor said.
“Of course,” John said.
Holden showed her where the bathroom on the first floor was and returned to the kitchen. Jax and the others were talking quietly at the kitchen table. He sat down, leaving an empty seat for Honor between him and his brother.
“How is she?” James asked.
“Good,” Jax said. “She’s confused and scared about some things. She suffered alone with the females all this time, without anyone to talk to about her feelings and what she learned about her past when her memories came back.”
“Elijah said she has a daughter,” John said. “She’s not like the other females, though, so that’s good news.”
Jax explained about the video chat with Honor’s dad and daughter.
“We’re going to drive to King after work on Friday,” Holden said. “We’ll probably stay for a week or two.”
“Do you think she’ll want to stay in King?” James asked.
“We don’t know,” Holden said. “Right now, she just wants to feel safe and come to terms with her past. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. But wherever she is will be home for us. Here, or in King.”
“I understand,” James said.
Honor joined them, and Rue asked, “Would you like something to eat or drink?”
“I’m fine, thanks.”
“So,” James said, “we want you to know that we fully understand about the curse and the poisoning, and that your behavior up until you were freed from it wasn’t your fault.”
“Thanks. Jax and Holden told me about the curse, and Jilly’s transformation.”
John opened the mountain lion history book that had been given to them by the panther clan, and pushed it across the table to Honor. The page was open to the part about the early history of their people, beginning with the creation of the shifters and the goddess’s love for the lions.
There was silence in the kitchen while Honor read. When she was finished, she sat back in the chair and said, “Maybe she didn’t really love lions as much as everyone thinks.”
“Why do you say that?” John asked.
“She cursed not only the group of females who caused the problem, but all future generations. It’s just a shitty thing to do to people. How many families have been torn apart because of the curse? How many males and females weren’t mated because of it? If that goddess was here right now, I’d give her a swift kick in the shin.”
“A lot of us feel that way,” Rue said. “It’s monstrously unfair that your people are still suffering. I’d suggest you tell the females about the curse, but I doubt they’d listen.”
“I wouldn’t have believed it myself,” she said. “Even when the curse was broken, I still didn’t understand what was happening.”
“We want to know if you think the females will come after you the way they did for Jilly,” James asked.
“I don’t know, and that’s the truth. Of the females in the house, only two were willing to help me. They didn’t do it because they suddenly cared for me, they just don’t care in general and didn’t like the aggravation of having someone kept prisoner in the house. Victoria is the head of the pride now. She’s not as fanatical as Tanya was about getting revenge on everyone, but she’s very pro-female, anti-everything-else, so it’s possible she’ll come for me eventually.”
“We have a lot of security systems in place,” John said. “There are cameras and alarms around the perimeter of our territory and this house, and also the territory where Rhett and the others live. If they come here, we’ll have warning beforehand, but if they strike elsewhere then you might be a sitting duck. It’s best to not go anywhere alone, and always be aware of your surroundings.”
“Okay,” Honor said. “I don’t have a driver’s license, a car, or a phone anyway, so it’s not like I could go anywhere even if I was inclined.”
“You’re not a prisoner here,” James said. “You should feel free to come and go as you wish. Just be smart about it.”
“I will,” she said.
“Maybe they’ll finally leave you alone and stay the heck up there forever,” Rue said.
“One can hope,” she said.
Holden wasn’t sure that she really expected the females would leave her alone, and he wasn’t sure he did, either. But whether they were in Ashland or King, he and his brother would keep her safe, no matter what.
“I think we’re good here,” James said, pushing his chair back and standing. “Most of the pride is going to be here for breakfast in the morning around eight. I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed by meeting everyone, but we’d really like for you to join us.”
“As long as no one wants to throw me in jail for my past behavior, I don’t mind,” she said.
“Not at all,” James said.
They said goodnight and headed to the stairs. Jax and Holden grabbed their bags and carried them up to the second floor. “My room okay?” Holden asked, opening his door and flipping on the light.
“Sure,” Jax said. To Honor he said, “My room is next door, but I’ll sleep in here with you both.”
“Okay.” She toed off her shoes with a yawn.
“I don’t know if this place feels like home yet or not, but we’re both glad you’re here,” Holden said as he stripped.
“I’m glad I’m here, too,” she said.
Jax turned off the light and the three of them climbed into bed, Honor between them. She snuggled into Holden’s embrace, pulling Jax against her back and holding his hand to her chest.
“If I didn’t say it already, thank you for coming for me,” she murmured.
Holden kissed her forehead and breathed in the scent of her lioness, like sweet grass and sunshine. “We’ll always come for you, sweetheart.”
“Just don’t plan on going anywhere for the next sixty years or so,” Jax told her.
“Just sixty?” she said with a chuckle.
“At the very least,” Holden said.