They walked in easy silence as they made their way to the infirmary. The Talon den was much like the Redwoods’ since the two dens were situated within the same National Park, just on different ends of it. They used the natural landscape as not only protection but also as guidelines for where they built homes and other buildings.
Max began asking Charlotte a bit about council matters since Max was not only a lieutenant but also on the ruling Redwood and Talon council that had been put together a couple of decades ago. Charlotte wasn’t a member, but much of her family was, and he was pretty sure she was in consideration for taking over one of the former Redwood’s roles. As the original council had been made up of people who were now mated within the Packs, it constantly shifted around to make sure the needs of the Packs were met.
When they reached the infirmary, Max said goodbye before trotting off. The man was always in constant motion, and Bram could never understand it.
“I wonder why Shane is still here,” Charlotte said softly.
Bram frowned at her. “What do you mean? He’s a Talon now. Of course, he’s in the Talon den.”
She shook her head. “No, in the infirmary. He’s physically healthy, if a little bruised. He shouldn’t need the Healer as long as he keeps on the path he has been. And you and I are here to help him. I just don’t understand.”
Now that she mentioned it, he was a little confused, as well. The Healer’s home was usually attached to the clinic or infirmary, and generally only housed wolves who truly needed medical care. Shane didn’t exactly fall into that category, and if they were trying to make him feel welcome, cutting him off from the others didn’t seem the way to do it.
“We’ll ask Walker when we get in there,” he said after a moment.
“Ask Walker what?” the Talon Healer asked as Charlotte and Bram passed his office. With so many wolves around, it was truly hard to pick out scents if you weren’t trying, and Walker had even gone so far as to pad his office so it was hard to hear conversations. That made sense, as privacy was vital in Walker’s line of work.
Bram inhaled then, now aware that there was one more scent in Walker’s office.
Shane.
The other man was dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt along with work boots and a belt, but he didn’t look happy to be out of sweats or scrubs.
“We were just wondering why Shane is here rather than somewhere else,” Charlotte answered. She looked around Walker’s large body and gave Shane a smile. “Hi, sorry to talk like you’re not here. The question popped into my mind when we walked inside.”
Shane had been sitting when they’d arrived, but at her voice, he stood, his body long, built, and hard. Bram pushed at his wolf once more. With Charlotte and Shane near, he was going to test his control more now than any time before.
“Walker will have to answer that,” Shane said, his voice low.
Bram met Walker’s gaze, and the other man gave him a pained expression. “Is there a reason he’s being confined here? You asked Charlotte and me to come here to help him, and you want what he can give you, but what are you giving him? He’s Pack, Walker.”
Shane let out a small growl, seeming to surprise himself. Bram couldn’t blame the man. He had enough issues with his wolf, and he’d been born one, not changed like Shane. And the fact that Shane wasn’t truly changed just made it that much harder for the other man. They didn’t know what Shane exactly was, and with each passing day, they seemed to have more questions than answers.
That’s when the light dawned for Bram.
“You’re keeping him here because people are afraid of what his existence means,” Bram bit out.
This time, it was Charlotte who growled.
Walker sighed and ran his hand over his face. He waved at them to come into his office fully. Now, the four of them stood around Walker’s desk—Charlotte angry as hell, Shane resigned, and Bram on the edge of a fury he couldn’t quantify.
“It’s not safe right now,” Walker began. “There are threats against him.” He sighed. “Brandon and Kameron can feel them along their bonds.”
Charlotte let out a curse. “Brandon is the Omega so he’s sensing others are feeling dangerous things. But Kameron? He’s the damn Enforcer. He senses attacks from outside forces.”
“And they’re both sensing something is coming, and it has to do with Shane,” Walker bit out.
“Then what can I do about it?” Shane asked, clearly annoyed with being talked about as if he weren’t in the room. “I’m not going to hurt your people. I refused to do it before, and I’m not going to now.”
“They’re your people, too,” Bram put in. “That’s what I’m not getting, or rather, what I didn’t get until right now. They aren’t worried you’re going to come out and attack them. They’re worried about what you represent. They don’t want any evidence of the serum out there at all.”
Walker pinched the bridge of his nose. “Got it in one.”
“I’ll help you destroy the serum,” Shane said after a moment. There wasn’t anger in his tone, and that pissed Bram off. The other man was giving in because he cared about others, not about himself. Why couldn’t people see that? “I already said that.”