Nelly walked beside me as Tony led us through the heart of the Compound.
“So…” she said, smiling sideways at me.
“How long have you two been travelling?” “Just over a day,” Jace answered.
“We left our pack last night.” Nelly’s smile faded slightly.
“So…
you’re both rogues?” I nodded.
“By choice.” “Best decision they ever made.” I couldn’t help smiling.
He had this way of saying things that made you believe.
As we walked, more and more people greeted Tony.
“Morning, Tony!” “Who’s your new recruits?” “Need a hand carrying those bags?” He greeted every single person by name.
He remembered children.
Stopped to ask an elderly man how his knee was healing.
Congratulated a young woman on the vegetables growing outside her cabin.
I leaned closer to Jace.
“Does he know everyone?” Jace smiled.
“He started this place.” Tony overheard us and laughed.
“When you’ve lived as long as i have, names just stick.” “No,” Nelly said, nudging him playfully.
“You genuinely remember everyone’s birthday.” “Well…They matter.” Such a simple answer.
Yet somehow…
It hit me harder than I expected.
They matter.
No one had ever remembered my birthday.
Then again…
I didn’t even know when it was.
Eventually we stopped outside an enormous building.
It looked like something from an old country manor.
Stone walls.
Huge windows.
Flower boxes overflowing with colourful blooms.
A wrap-around porch with rocking chairs gently swaying in the breeze.
“This,” Tony announced proudly, “is the main lodge.” He pushed open the heavy oak doors.
The smell hit me immediately.
Fresh bread.
Coffee.
Wood polish.
And something sweet…
Cinnamon.
Inside was beautiful.
Soft sofas sat around a roaring fireplace despite the mild weather.
Bookshelves lined one wall.
People chatted quietly while drinking tea.
Someone was playing an old piano in the corner.
The entire building felt…
Warm.
Not just because of the fire.
Warm because people wanted to be there.
I stood frozen in the doorway.
“You coming?” Nelly asked.
I blinked.
“Oh…Sorry….It’s just…” I looked around again.
“I’ve never seen anywhere like this.” Tony’s smile softened.
“I hope one day you’ll stop saying that.” I frowned.
“What do you mean?” “I hope one day places like this won’t surprise you anymore.” I wasn’t sure they ever wouldn’t.
Tony led us upstairs.
The staircase creaked pleasantly beneath our feet.
Family photographs decorated the walls.
Children.
Birthdays.
Picnics.
Graduations.
Christmas.
So many smiling faces.
I slowed down.
Studying every single picture.
Every frame held something I’d never really had.
A family.
Nelly noticed.
“One day…” she said quietly, “you’ll be in some of those too.” I looked at her.
“What?” She smiled.
“We take photos of everyone.” The thought made my chest tighten.
Someone…
would actually want a photograph of me?
Tony stopped outside two neighbouring doors.
He held out two brass keys.
“These are yours.” Jace blinked.
“Ours?” Tony nodded.
“One each.” I stared at the key resting in my hand.
It felt surprisingly heavy.
“I’ve…” My voice cracked.
“I’ve never had my own key before.” Tony looked genuinely surprised.
“Really?” I shook my head.
“I wasn’t allowed to lock my door.” Tony didn’t ask why.
He didn’t need to.
Instead he simply opened my bedroom door.
“Well…” he smiled warmly.
“You can now.” I stepped inside.
The room wasn’t enormous.
But to me…
It looked like a palace.
A large bed covered in soft white blankets.
A proper wardrobe.
A desk beneath the window.
Books neatly stacked on shelves.
A thick rug beneath my feet.
Curtains that actually matched.
Fresh flowers sat on the bedside table.
Real flowers.
Someone had thought to put flowers in my room.
I slowly walked over to the bed.
Pressed one hand against the mattress.
It sank beneath my fingers.
Soft.
I had never felt anything so soft.
I sat down carefully.
Then bounced once.
My eyes widened.
“It…” I looked at Tony.
“…it moves.” Nelly burst into laughter.
“You’ve never slept on a proper mattress?” I shook my head.
“My bed was…” I hesitated.
“…wasn’t what i’d call a proper mattress.” No one laughed this time.
“Thank you.” The words barely came out.
Tony smiled.
“No thanks needed little tiger.” Across the hallway, Jace suddenly laughed.
“What’s so funny?” I called “You should come and see this.” Curious, I wandered across.
His room looked almost identical to mine.
Except…
It overlooked the a forest.
“Oh…” I folded my arms dramatically.
“So you get the better view.” Jace smirked.
“I do.” “Typical.” “I knew being an Alpha’s son would pay off eventually.” I shoved his shoulder.
“You wish.” We both laughed.
Tony watched us fondly.
“I’m glad you two still know how to smile.” The laughter faded.
I looked down.
“So am I.” Nelly wandered over to the bookshelf.
“You read?” She asked.
He nodded.
“Love it.” She smiled.
“I’ll have to borrow you guys some books.” My stomach tightened.
Books.
Reading.
The familiar knot of embarrassment settled in my chest.
I quietly looked away.
No one noticed.
Except Jace.
Of course he noticed.
He always did.
He caught my eye briefly.
Just long enough to silently promise…
We’ll keep practising.
I smiled back.
One day.
Tony clapped his hands together.
“Right then.” “You’ve had a long couple of days.” “I’ll leave you both to get settled.” “If you need anything…” He pointed downstairs.
“My office is always open.” Nelly nodded.
“And mine.” She grinned.
“Well…except when I’m asleep.” Tony rolled his eyes.
“Helpful.” “I try.” They both laughed.
As they headed towards the door, Tony suddenly stopped.
He turned back.
“Oh…I nearly forgot.” He glanced towards me.
“Lilah?” “Yeah?” “I’m really glad you came.” He smiled that same warm smile he’d worn ever since we’d met.
Then he disappeared into the corridor.
The room suddenly felt very quiet.
Jace sat down on the edge of his bed.
“So…” He looked around.
“This is so cool, we have bloody conjoining doors”, Laughed Jace.
I didn’t answer straight away.
Instead…
I walked over to the window.
Outside, children were laughing as they chased one another across the grass.
Someone was hanging washing.
A dog barked happily.
Wind stirred the trees.
Everything felt…
Peaceful.
Safe.
I rested my forehead against the frame of the window.
For the first time in as long as I could remember…
No one was shouting my name.
No one was waiting to order me around.
No one was angry.
Tears quietly rolled down my cheeks.
Jace appeared beside me.
“You okay?” I nodded.
“I just…” I laughed through my tears.
“I don’t know how to be this happy.” Without saying a word…
He wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
We stood there together, watching the Compound below.
Neither of us spoke.
We didn’t need to.
For the first time in our lives…
We weren’t surviving anymore.
We were finally home.