Star Cursed (Zodiac Wolves #2)(46)

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.

He opened the door and led us inside, and I heard the faint sounds of people in the other room. "Since it was just me, I gave most of the house up to other shifters who needed a place to stay, but we can move people around to get a room for you two."

“A room?” I asked, glancing back at Kaden. Is it that obvious?

“Your scents are intermingled, and…” Wesley’s eyes caught on where my shirt had slid away from my neck, and he gestured awkwardly. "I just assumed you would be sharing."

I blushed hard. So he had seen the place where Kaden had marked me. I mean, that was the point of the mark, but I'd never thought my brother, of all people, would see it.

Kaden cleared his throat and stepped forward. “Yes, she’s under my protection, and I’ll be by her side.”

Wesley nodded. "Why don't you head out onto the back porch? I'll get your room sorted, and meet you there so we can talk."

"If it's a problem, we can camp outside," I said.

"No, it'll be fine." Wesley grinned. "Besides, the Ophiuchus alpha is our guest of honor. I can't let him sleep in a tent."

Kaden shrugged, and I knew he'd be fine with it, but as the new alpha, Wesley probably felt he had to provide suitable accommodations. I was just grateful my brother was treating Kaden with the respect he deserved as an alpha, instead of the hostility other packs had shown at the Convergence.

Kaden and I passed through the living room, and I saw some other Cancer shifters sitting on the couches playing video games or reading a book. They were all young, somewhere between ten and eighteen, and I realized their family members must have died at the Convergence. Orphans, like me. Like Wesley.

As we passed by, one of the females looked up from her book, her eyes wide. Then the other four stared at us too, as if they didn’t know what to say. I couldn't tell if they were shocked to see me alive, or wondering who Kaden was, or if they were just being typical teenagers.

I led Kaden out onto the back porch, which was set right on the beach, with the waves only a few feet away. I stopped and breathed it in, then we took our seats on the old wooden furniture that had somehow survived years of weathering. With the waves lapping at the shore and the moon overhead, it was peaceful, and for the first time in hours, I let my body relax.