Most packs lived in cabins on a large stretch of land—some even lived in one single pack house. The home of the Phoenix wolves, however, was built into a cliff. Deep into the expansive wooded territory, the inconspicuous ancient cave dwelling had been increasingly modernized over time. Even when its arched balconies or windows were lit, they weren’t easy to see. As such, it was doubtful that anyone would recognize the dwelling for what it was unless they were looking for it.
Having parked in the concealed parking lot at the base of the cliff, Ryan ascended several flights of steps that were carved into the mountain wall leading to the main entrance. He then walked through the maze of limestone tunnels, taking himself deeper into the mountain, as he headed for the living area. Only as he turned one corner . . .
“Ryyyyyyyaaaaaaaaannnnnn!” A three-and-a-half-year-old came dashing toward him and scrambled up his body like a monkey, wrapping his little arms around Ryan’s neck.
Not good with kids, Ryan awkwardly put one arm around the son of his Alpha pair. It was then that he noticed the object in Kye’s hand. “Um, I don’t think that’s yours.” Kye’s new favorite game seemed to be “let’s see what I can steal today.”
Tao, the Head Enforcer and Kye’s personal bodyguard, rounded the corner and sighed. “That kid is fast.” He held his hand out for the cell phone. “Give it back, pup.”
Smiling impishly, Kye shook his head.
Tao arched a brow. “What did I say earlier?”
“Don’t eat snot.”
“What did I say before that?”
“Don’t pick your nose.”
Tao sighed. “Forget it.”
Kye snapped his little teeth when Tao tried to detach him from Ryan. “No! I want to stay with Uncle Ryan!”
Ryan cleared his throat as the little boy rubbed his cheek against his. Ryan wasn’t good at receiving or giving affection.
Sensing his discomfort, Tao smirked. “Hey, this is what you wanted. When you first heard Taryn was pregnant, you told us you’d be the kid’s favorite uncle. You are.”
Ryan had said it to needle the other males. He knew little to nothing about kids. He was even worse at dealing with them than he was at dealing with adults. Fisting a handful of Kye’s shirt, he dangled the pup in front of him like he often did. As usual, Kye squealed in delight, kicking his legs.
Grabbing the pup by the waist, Tao took him from Ryan. Giggling, Kye squirmed like a cat, stopping Tao from being able to keep a firm grip on him. Then Kye was once again scampering through the tunnels with Tao chasing him.
Ryan continued to the living area, where he found his Alpha pair, Beta pair, and Rhett on the sectional sofa, watching TV. “Rhett, I need you to do a background check on Makenna Wray—she’s a lone wolf.” Rhett was a talented hacker, and there was very little he couldn’t uncover. “And get whatever information you can on Damian Lewis and his pack.”
Rhett blinked. “Um . . . sure. Can I ask why?”
“I’ll explain soon. Just see what info you can find for me.”
As the male left the room, his Alpha female, Taryn, looked up at Ryan. “Who’s Makenna Wray?”
“Isn’t Damian Lewis your cousin?” asked Trey, her mate. “I mean, wasn’t he your cousin?”
Ryan nodded at Trey’s question before answering the first. “All I know about her is that she’s a lone wolf, she volunteers at a shelter for loners, and she’s hoping we’ll accept my younger cousin into our pack.”
Taryn smiled gently. “Ryan, sweetie, I know you’re more of a grunter than a talker, but I need some more info here. How did you meet her? Why would the kid need you? What happened to him?”
Settling into an armchair, Ryan gave them a bullet-point version of the morning’s events. As his Alpha female had rightly stated, he was a man of few words. Although he was detached and unsociable, he wasn’t completely without social skills. He simply didn’t care to be what others would define as “social.” He didn’t believe in fluff talk or that smiling should be his default expression.
People sometimes assumed that he wished he were talkative. That wasn’t the case at all. When he was quiet, it was because he simply didn’t have anything he wished to share at that moment. But his quiet nature often made people feel uncomfortable, even though not everyone who talked actually listened. They wanted to talk mostly to fill a silence.
Having grown up in a house full of drama, he found something about silence very comforting. Words were overrated, in his opinion. They could be used to hurt and scar, and they could easily achieve it.
“I didn’t know there was a shelter for loners,” said Jaime, the Beta female.
“I suppose it’s not something they’d want to advertise, since loners don’t have protection from packs,” Taryn pointed out.
“Did you know Damian well?” asked Dante, the Beta male, as he toyed with his mate’s long sable hair.
Ryan shook his head. “I only met him a few times when we were kids. He was my father’s first cousin, and my second cousin.”
“How did he die?” asked Jaime.