Page 39 of Rehabilitated

“I cleaned up,” Ansel says, plopping down in the chair next to his brother. “Everything is back to normal there.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” I protest.

Ansel smiles. “Yeah, I did, sis. You two have been through enough.”

I smile shyly at him. “Thank you.”

“That’s what our pack does. It’s what family does,” Russo whispers. “They’re there when you need them.”

“I’m going to have to get used to that.”

“You will.”

I yawn. “I’m ready to go home now.”

“Do you guys need anything else?” Ansel asks.

Russo shakes his head. “No. Not right now. Thanks, brother.”

“Of course,” Ansel answers easily. “Go get some rest, you two.”

I wave as Russo leads me out of the cabin and over to his car. He tucks me into the passenger seat, and my head lolls against the window as we drive home.

“How are you feeling?” Russo asks.

“Tired.”

“I meant everything that happened,” he clarifies.

“Oh.”

Russo reaches for my hand, lacing my fingers through his. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, mate.”

“Me too,” I whisper. Tears fill my eyes. “I-I feel bad, but I’m relieved. I’m happy that they’re gone and can’t hurt me anymore. Does that make me a bad person?”

Russo slams on the brakes, veering over to the side of the road. A second later, my seatbelt is undone, and I’m dragged onto his lap.

“Hey, no,” he says softly. “They were the bad people. They chose to hurt an innocent kid. They chose to abuse you for years. Don’t feel bad about them being gone. The world is a better place without them in it.”

“My head knows that, but some part of me still wishes there had been another way.”

“We could have called the cops, but you would have had to go through a trial, and they could have told the world about shifters.”

“No one would’ve believed them.”

“We couldn’t take that chance. Plus, what would’ve happened if they’d ever got out? They would have come after you again. They said as much. They were never going to stop.”

“I know,” I whisper.

“They can’t hurt you or anyone else, Ever. That’s a good thing. Just focus on that.”

I nod, resting my head against his shoulder.

“I wish I could have taken care of it for you. I wish you didn’t have to kill them with me,” he admits.

I wrap my arms around his barrel chest. “We’re a team,” I say simply.

He presses a kiss to the top of my head. “Yeah, we are.”