Savage Urges (The Phoenix Pack, #5)(13)

Such wards couldn’t have been cheap. Taking that and her reaction to Remy into account, it was clear that Makenna was emotionally invested in the shelter.

“How long have you been running the place?” Jaime asked Dawn.

“My mother started it thirty years ago. At first, it was just a day center. Somewhere loners could come to simply sit down, have a cup of coffee, talk with others, and eat a good meal. When she got some funding, she expanded it little by little.” Dawn opened a door on their right, and everybody inside froze. “This is the common room.”

Peeking inside, Ryan noticed that the large space contained a mishmash of things. The sofas were all various colors and styles. Some of the chairs were clunky and cushioned while others were plastic. There was an outdated TV on the wall, some lamps, and a few plants. There was also an old bookcase and boxes of toys in one corner where a few children played. The sight made his chest clench.

One of the children jumped to her feet with a smile of delight. “Makenna!” She ran to the female and hugged her tight.

Makenna smiled. “Hey, Cady.”

“Who are they?” She eyed each of the Phoenix wolves with distrust, particularly the males.

“They’re friends, Cadence,” Dawn reassured her. “Now why don’t you go play? Makenna will come back soon.”

“Can you read to me when you come back?” Cadence asked Makenna.

“Sure thing, Cady. Be good for your aunt.”

A female with hair as thick and dark as the child’s smiled at Makenna.

“I’ll stay here with the little ones,” Zac told Makenna. She knew he didn’t fully trust the Phoenix wolves yet and wanted to watch over the kids.

She smiled. “Thanks, Zac.”

As they continued down the hallway, Dante said, “Fox. That little girl’s a fox shifter.”

Madisyn nodded. “Yep. She and her aunt came here six months ago.”

Jaime cocked her head. “Why?”

Madisyn smiled wanly. “That’s really their story to tell. All I’ll say is that her aunt discovered the pack wasn’t safe for Cady and so she took her away. They’re in hiding at the moment. But Makenna’s in the process of rehoming them.”

Dawn stopped at a door, pulled out a set of keys, and unlocked it. “This is one of the private family rooms. It’s not being used right now.”

She opened the door, revealing a very basic room that contained two sets of bunk beds, a cot, and a lockable wardrobe. Although it was clean and bright, Ryan still found it to be a sad sight. Maybe it was the cot. The idea that a baby would be without a pack or home . . . It wasn’t right.

As Dawn shut and locked the door, Taryn spoke. “Are all the loners here in hiding?”

“No.” Dawn led them farther down the hallway, passing more doors Ryan guessed were also private rooms. “Many are homeless. Some are runaways. Some have been cast out after losing a duel or something similar. And others feel lost after their mate died and just can’t function. It’s possible to find some lone children wandering the streets, sad to say. Social Services often brings lone children here, just as they brought Makenna and Madisyn.”

That almost brought Ryan up short. It hadn’t occurred to him that she would have grown up here. What pack would cast out a pup? Just the very idea made his blood boil. It was practically a death sentence. He couldn’t imagine that a pup could have committed a crime that led to a banishment. Maybe she hadn’t been banished; maybe she’d run away from some sort of abuse. His wolf growled at the thought. The animal’s protective streak had shot to life at the sight of Remy threatening her, and it wasn’t easing.

“The girls became friends quickly,” added Dawn.

Makenna nodded. “Madisyn taught me how to make fire without matches or a lighter.”

The feline smiled brightly. “And she taught me empathy.”

Chuckling, Dawn rounded the corner. “You were both thick as thieves. Always sneaking out to the local hangouts for teenage shifters.” She smiled at Taryn. “They’re so good at sneaking, I wouldn’t have even known they’d left the building if they didn’t always come back covered in bruises after scrapping with the other teens.”

“We went there in peace,” claimed Madisyn. “There wouldn’t have been any fighting if they hadn’t targeted us for being loners.”

“Yes, well, you both quickly earned a reputation for being crazy. Of course, the teens couldn’t complain to their Alphas about you because these hangouts were secret. Their Alphas would have tanned their hides if they knew the juveniles were sneaking out.” Dawn stopped and pushed open a door on their left. “This is the cafeteria.”

To Ryan, it looked like a typical school cafeteria with all the plastic tables and chairs. People sat around, talking and drinking coffee. They nodded at Dawn, Madisyn, and Makenna, but the sight of Ryan and his pack mates made them stiffen. Ryan realized that Makenna had been correct in what she’d said to Remy: loners would never go to a shelter for sanctuary if it were ruled by a pack. They didn’t trust strangers one bit.

As they continued walking down another hallway, Taryn sidled up to Dawn. “Are there any other shelters for loners?”

“Not many, which is unfortunate because the lone shifter lifestyle is a growing problem. There’s only one other shelter in California.”