Page 90 of Knotting Autumn

Welcome to the Pack

The guards nodded to us as we exited the cabin, and two fell into step behind us. Mia kept glancing back at them nervously, but James moved to walk behind her, serving as a barrier between us and them, and she relaxed.

Thorne walked beside him, and I could feel his eyes on me, watching my reactions. This wasn’t how I imagined visiting Thorne’s pack, and the tension was getting to me.

The wooded area was quiet, and I only spotted a few people walking between cabins and the buildings closer to the fancy main house. A long, low building made mostly of glass sat in an L shape.

“This is the security office,” Mia said. “All our client work and our pack security is based in there. It’s two stories, and half is underground, obviously,” she said, smiling sheepishly.

“And past that, there’s a clubhouse. It’s got a movie screen, games like pool and ping pong, and some old video games. A lot of us have newer personal video game consoles in our homes, but it’s fun to play those classic games together with pack mates.”

“That sounds great,” I conceded.

Her eyes brightened. “Yeah, and then the dining is all in the pack house. Come on.”

Pushing open a back door, Mia led us into the mini-mansion. A wide hallway opened to a dining room that held five long tables. Everything was cabin chic, with an antler light fixture hanging in the center of the room and wood planking along the walls.

“It’s takeout for dinner tonight,” James said. “We should grab food while we’re here.”

An archway led to a commercial kitchen, all polished steel and black cast iron. We stopped just inside, and two women in aprons looked up.

“Dinner for two and dinner for three?” Thorne asked.

“Thorne!” the older woman said, rushing forward to hug him. She was barely five feet tall, and the contrast of looming, broad Thorne embracing the tiny older woman was heartwarming.

“We missed you so much. You can’t leave your family like that,” she said, pulling back and swatting him.

Thorne ducked his head. “I’m sorry, Auntie.”

“Who is this?” She squinted at me. “Did you bring back a mate?”

“Yes, this is Autumn. Autumn, this is Auntie Joanne.”

Stepping forward, I raised my hand to shake hers, but Joanne seized me in a tight hug.

“Thank you for taking care of our sweet boy,” she murmured, squeezing tighter. She was shockingly strong for someone who looked so frail, but she was probably a werewolf, so I shouldn’t be surprised.

“Tell me you’re back to stay,” Joanne said, turning back to Thorne.

He nodded, his mouth curving into a grimace. “Yes, I think so. But I’m concerned about Cole. Hunter dragged him back.”

Her demeanor shifted, her back straightening and her expression tightening. “Yes, I brought him breakfast this morning, and he is not doing well, but I think he will be okay. Especially now that you are here.”

She paused, her gaze tracking to me. “You smell like him. Are you…?” She trailed off, her silver eyebrows arching in question.

“Um, yes, well…” I babbled, having no idea how to explain something like that to a grandma.

“Autumn is mated to me and Sawyer, and Sawyer is also mated to Cole. So yes, they are newly together.” Thorne said it without hesitation, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

I held my breath, waiting for this grandmotherly figure to pass judgment. Instead, she patted Thorne on the cheek. “Well, I’m very happy for you all. And not one bit surprised. You’ve always been close.”

James held up the to-go containers, a smirk on his face.

“This was lovely, Joanne, and we’ll make sure he comes back to see you soon,” Mia said, jerking her head at Thorne.

Joanne tittered, shooing us out the door. James and Mia crossed the dining room ahead of us, and I leaned into Thorne.

“So dideveryonehere think you’d end up with Cole somehow?”