Wesley’s eyes glimmered with tears of his own, and he let out a strained laugh. “I could ask you the same thing. Last I heard, you disappeared from the forest without a trace after the Convergence. I thought the Leo assholes had gotten to you, and we searched all over for you. But we had to run before the Leos came back and looked for the rest of us.” He looked me over as if seeing if I had any visible wounds. My mind flew to the bite mark that Kaden had given me, but if he saw it under the collar of my shirt, Wesley didn’t say anything. He patted my shoulders with both hands, as if feeling the solid weight of me underneath him, and the grin on his face was the best thing I'd ever seen. Then he pulled me back into a hug. "Thank the moon you're alive. How did you get away?"
"It’s a long story.” That was an understatement. It would probably take me all night to tell him everything that had happened to me over the last few months.
When I pulled back again, Wesley was looking over my shoulder, his eyes fixed on Kaden, who had come down the deck to stand behind me. Wesley's grin disappeared, and I wondered if he remembered Kaden from the Convergence.
Remembering my manners, I gestured toward Kaden. "This is Kaden Shaw, alpha of the Ophiuchus pack. Kaden, this is my brother, Wesley."
Wesley tilted his head, studying Kaden. "I can see we have a lot to discuss." He motioned for us to follow him. “Come with me."
Wesley led us away from the dock and down the road into the main part of the island, where all the houses were located. The island wasn't very large and most of it was beach and forest, but there were a few small shops in one area, plus some vacation homes along the water and on the hills above it. It was the perfect hiding place for a pack looking to get away from other shifters—especially since very few people knew it existed outside of the Cancer pack.
Wesley began talking as we walked, and I kept up beside him, with Kaden lingering just a bit behind, still listening but doing his best to not intrude. “Many of the wealthier Cancer pack members have homes here,” Wesley explained, mostly for Kaden's benefit. "Both for vacation, and for shelter in case of an attack. I never thought we'd need them, but here we are." He flashed me a grin. “Remember how we used to dare each other to sneak inside the other houses?”
I shook my head at the memory, a smile on my lips. "Yes, although I was never brave enough to do it. But you did, almost every time. I can’t remember how many seashells I lost to you during bets.”
“Turns out it was a good idea since I knew how to get into all of them.” He went quiet for a moment. “After the Convergence, I moved the pack here in case the Leos decided to come finish the rest of us off. The pack members are all sharing the houses, making sure everyone has access to a kitchen and a bathroom. Some of the houses are pretty packed, but we're safe here at least."
It hit me then—my brother was the Cancer alpha now. He was the one making the decisions and shouldering the responsibility for the entire pack. I'd hoped and prayed for such a thing for most of my life, for a time when the pack would be free of my father and in my brother's capable hands. I'd just never expected it to happen this way. Or this soon.
“What do you do for supplies?” Kaden asked.
“We had years’ worth of supplies stocked in the lighthouse," Wesley said. "My dad was prepared for an attack from the Leos at any moment, and he turned this place into the ultimate shelter. Plus we can fish for food, there are chickens and goats at a few of the houses, and we have weapons stockpiled too. If the Leos ever actually found us here, we would be able to defend it easily."
For once, I was glad for Dad's hatred and paranoia, though I wasn't surprised. The Cancers and Leos had been at war on and off for my entire life, and well before it too. Dad had always expected an attack, he'd just never foreseen it would happen at the Convergence.
"How many of you are left?” I asked as we walked along the path leading up to our house.
“Not enough,” Wesley said, his face turning grim. “We lost so many at the Convergence.”
I remembered all too well. The shock and fear when Dixon had murdered our father felt as fresh as if it had happened only yesterday, and I could still hear the screams and growls of the Cancer pack being slaughtered all around me. No matter how much time passed, I wasn't sure I would ever get over what I went through that night.
“Here we are,” Wesley said, shaking me out of my thoughts.
I looked up at the familiar light blue two-story house with the white wrap-around porch and felt a smile tilting my lips up. So many memories were stored in this house, and most of them were happy. It felt strange being back without our parents, but I supposed this was Wesley's house now.