Page 40 of The Werewolf's Deputy
The truck rocked as Emmett crawled inside to join him, wrapping Jonah up in a tight hug. It was exactly what he needed, and he choked on a sob as he buried his face into Emmett’s chest. Emmett didn’t ask questions. He didn't push. He just stayed there, holding him, until Jonah’s tears finally dried and exhausted weighed so heavily on him, he couldn’t keep his eyes open.
He tried to force himself to get up when he felt the truck moving, but Emmett just shushed him and held him close, so Jonah let his eyes close again. The next time he opened them was when cool air touched his face, and Emmett pulled away from him. His breath caught in his throat, and he reachedautomatically, not wanting to give up the one source of comfort he had, but Emmett didn’t go far. He smiled at him, offering his claw tipped hand to Jonah in a bid to join him.
“Come on. You’re safe here.”
“Where are we?” Jonah croaked, too tired to be embarrassed about the way his voice cracked.
“Pack land. We’re going into The Lodge for now, I need to let Ronan know you’ll be staying, then I’ll bring you to my place so you can get some rest. Just a few minutes, alright?”
He didn’t really feel up for being around people at the moment, but he felt like arguing even less. He let Emmett pull him out of the truck, leaning into him when Emmett wrapped an arm around his shoulders and guided him inside.
No one approached them as they came in, though Jonah knew they weren’t alone. Voices dropped to whispers as the room went quiet, and he could practically feel the eyes on him, despite not looking up to check.
“Emmett,” he murmured, fingers tightening in Emmett’s shirt.
“It’s okay. No one is going to bother you right now. Just sit over here for a minute. Miguel’s nearby if you need something. I’ll only be a few minutes.”
He led Jonah to a couch against one wall and physically moved him onto it. Jonah went willingly, too exhausted to fight. He sank into the cushions, staring off into space as he fought to keep his emotions in check. He said just a few minutes. He could handle that. Maybe.
Emmett walked away, and the volume in the room eventually went back to normal levels, the words muffled thanks to his too tired brain being unable to pick up on any conversations. He’d felt numb in the car after a while. That feeling eased a little when Emmett was there, but it came back now that he was gone. He curled in on himself, fighting back another wave of tears.
A whine drew his focus, and when he finally turned his head, a little werewolf pup was staring at him with big brown eyes. He gripped Jonah’s pants leg and tugged, waiting patiently for Jonah to put his feet down before climbing into his lap. The little thing didn’t say anything to him, just curled up against him, but Jonah didn’t complain. The little werewolf was warm, and it helped a little.
One by one, more puppies crawled onto the couch, taking up residence on every available surface they could find. He melted into it, closing his eyes right along with them as the warmth sank into his skin. For just a moment, he felt okay.
Emmett hated leaving Jonah alone, but any visitors on pack land had to be reported to the alpha. And given the amount of clothes in the back of Jonah’s truck, he got the feeling his favorite human would be staying awhile. He didn’t ask, Jonah looked too upset to talk about it, but he made plans for him to stay anyway. Miguel drove the truck back to pack land so they didn’t have to move Jonah before he was ready, and once Jonah was comfortable in The Lodge, he jogged off to Ronan’s home, which thankfully wasn’t more than a dozen feet away.
Knocking on the door, he waited impatiently for someone to answer. He knew Ronan was home, he’d stopped in The Lodge earlier in the evening in search of Harlem, who had been playing with some of the pups. He figured they’d still be awake, it wasn’t that late yet, and after knocking a second time, he heard Ronan’s grumble as he came to open the door.
“This better be good,” Ronan said as he opened the door. He hesitated when he took in Emmett’s expression. “What happened?”
Emmett shook his head. “I don’t know yet. I need your permission for a long term guest. A friend of mine needs a place to stay.”
Ronan huffed, waving him inside. “I’m gonna need more than that, Emmett. Who’s this friend, what’s their connection to you, and how long are we talking?”
“It’s Jonah,” Emmett gritted out, which answered most of the questions without him needing to explain. Ronan turned to face him again.
“Jonah? Did something happen to him?”
“I don’t know!”
He hadn’t meant to shout, he was riled up, and he hated that he had no idea what was going on with his… Jonah. He wasn’t sure how to describe him anymore. They were more than friends, but Jonah still thought they were faking dating. And there was no way he could broach making whatever they were into something real right now. Not when Jonah was so broken.
Jonah’s tear stained face flashed through his mind, and he growled, taking a step back toward the door. He’d gone too far. He needed to go back to Jonah. If Ronan didn’t want him here, he’d just–
A hand on his shoulder stopped his retreat, and magic like warm water spread through his chest into his limbs, settling him little by little.
“Take a deep breath, Emmett. You’re too riled up right now to help anyone. Breathe,” Ronan coached.
Emmett did as his alpha asked, drawing in a few ragged breaths. When he spoke again, his voice was shaken and more uncertain, but determined nonetheless. “I don’t know what happened. He was too upset to explain anything to me. But he smells wrong. Like sadness and heartache. He needs help.”
Ronan nodded once. “Then we’ll help. Where is he?”
“Where is who?” Harlem came out of the kitchen, a frilly apron around his waist and his head cocked curiously. “Emmett? Are you okay?”
Thankfully, Ronan stepped in to explain things to his mate, giving Emmett another dose of his alpha magic to settle him a little more. “He’ll be alright. A friend of his is going through something and needs our help. I’m just going to go check on him. I’ll be back in a minute.”
That got a scowl from Harlem. “If you’re going, I’m not just going to sit here and wait. They’re my pack too, Ronan.”
