Page 127 of Starting a New Life

Connie bit his lip. “I’m… I’m fine with that. I know you’re not like my brother…it, it just may take a while until that fully registers with me.”

Gray let out a laugh and nodded. “I can respect that.” He turned to me, eyes filled with mischief. “So, Nix, what do you say? Ready to add a couple of kids to the mix?”

Three sets of eyes locked onto me, two with barely concealed hope and one with amusement. Somehow, he’d known what was going to happen. And somehow, he’d known that I’d never be able to tell them no.

They deserved better than me. After all they’d gone through, they deserved more than a jaded mage who couldn’t help but be wary of shifters. They deserved everything they wanted. But for some reason, what they wanted was me.

“Okay,” I said, the air leaving my body. Gray squeezed my hand encouragingly, sending a wave of warmth and love through our bond. I locked eyes with Connie and smiled at him. “Maybe we can learn to trust shifters together.”

He snorted wetly but nodded with tears rolling down his cheeks. “We can try.”

Chapter 26

Gray

Standing in front of a scared mage’s door, a tray of breakfast in hand, was a real déjà vu moment. Weeks ago, I’d stood in front of a different mage’s door, waiting to be invited in.

However, this time around, I wasn’t waiting for my mage to let me in, though this meeting was no less important. Nix had wanted to come, but he was still with Connie and Nick. I felt exasperation through our bond, but also fondness and a sense of pride.

Goddess, I hoped I was making the right decision by taking those boys in. I wasn’t a father. Hell, I didn’t think I was dad material at all and had never expected to have kids—and now I had not one but two teenagers living with me. Teenagers.

I shook my head, focusing back on the wooden door in front of me. Right now, Callum needed my attention. More so, he deserved it. He deserved to be properly welcomed and to be given a proper tour of the house.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door and waited. I knew he was in there; I could smell him. The ozone I now knew to associate with mages combined with notes that made him all him.

He was walking from right to left, turning, and then walking back. Left to right, turn, right to left. My knock had led him to increase his pacing, for his scent to spike with a bit of fear. Not as much as I’d expected.

I knocked again.

“Yes?” he called out, but his voice was barely loud enough for me to hear. As if he might not want to be heard at all. Maybe he was hoping I’d leave him be. If that was what he wanted, I’d do so—as soon as I’d made sure he had everything he needed. That was my job.

“It’s Gray, can I come in?”

Silence. I forced myself to keep calm and wait, even though my patience was quickly wearing thin. Then, after an eternity, the steps picked up again, and a few seconds later Callum opened the door, his face full of distrust and apprehension, his eyes roaming over me, coming to a stop as he spotted the tray I was holding. He quickly stepped aside, gesturing for me to come in.

“I brought breakfast. I hope you like it,” I told him as I ducked so that I fit through the door. “If not, tell me what you usually eat for breakfast, and I’m sure we can arrange something.”

Callum laughed, but it was a bitter, hollow sound. “My usual breakfast is stale bread.”

I grimaced.

Yeah, I hadn’t thought that one through.

Kill, my wolf supplied angrily, and part of me agreed. We should’ve killed Otto for everything he’d done. The welts around Callum’s neck were still red and angry, and I felt my blood pressure spiking. How could anyone think that was okay? How could anyone look at people like Levi or Nix or Callum and think hurting them was fine?

“I’m afraid we’re fresh out of stale bread,” I said with a wink, trying to lighten the mood. “But you’re free to go downstairs and check for yourself.”

Callum cocked his head, his brows knitting in confusion. “I’m free to leave the room?”

Blinding hot rage swept through my body. “Of course,” I burst out, my wolf surging in my chest. “You’re our guest. You’re free to roam and explore. Hell, if you want to check out the local town, let someone know, and they’ll take you.”

Callum blinked at me, opened his mouth then closed it again a couple of times, disbelief clouding his face. “That… would be fine?”

I nodded emphatically, my wolf’s rage heating me up, making my blood boil until a sense of calm settled in my chest, calming not just me but the beast inside me. Nix. I took a deep breath and listened to the calmness he was projecting through our bond.

“Of course. I can give you a tour of the packhouse, if you’d like.”

For a moment, Callum stared at me, completely frozen in shock. “I think I’d really like to get out of the room,” he finally whispered, still blinking rapidly as if his mind was working overtime to work through the simple fact that he could leave his room if he wanted to.