Rick stared at Sam with all the hatred he could muster. After a moment he looked around, wondering and actually afraid others would leave. “We’ve lost our alpha and you take this moment to act like you’re too good to stay around? Go on, leave. You’re just a dog with no home now. Our family is safe here, and will be safer without Jaii here to cause fights. We have a place to live, and more allies than you’ll ever have. We don’t need you as an enforcer, Sam.” Hopefully reminding others of the physical securities in the Claymore pack would help them stay. It was all he had at this point.

*****

The car halted to a stop as Vera slammed on the brakes, Jaii speaking to yet more people she didn’t know. “I thought Sam was staying behind to pick up anyone else, “she commented, turning around to face the others. The SUV was getting full. Hopefully nobody was leaving a car behind, because having more than one would be wise.

“A- a bone? No,” she said sternly, though Vera cracked a smile. This certainly was an odd group of shifters, she’d give them that. “Sam can take care of anything else or any other people that want to leave. We ready?” the female asked, looking back once more before the back wheels spun in her effort to leave quickly.

The drive felt long. Vera kept the window down, and eventually had someone text Sam the address. “If you want to listen to music or something, you’re welcome to it,” she told Rhea, not caring about the radio herself. All Vera wanted was time to think. She’d come to their pack to merge into their own, and now she was driving a small part of the pack, including the alpha’s son and their pack healer, away to untouched territory. She was still attached to her own pack, but how long would that stick? They may want to become a part of her family, but Vera would warn them against it. Her father didn’t seem much better than Jaii’s.

Eventually the pavement and city turned to fields and small houses, and finally a single, one way dirt road. It went past a white fence that once probably kept horses off the road. Anxiety filled Vera as they pulled up into a wide, open yard that had acres of land in every direction, a white house with blue shutters, a huge porch and a screen door in front of them. It had the main floor, an upstairs, and a concrete basement that was mainly used for storage back in the day. A few oak trees were planted on either side, but the flower bed around the house obviously needed tending. Dried leaves and dust would be everywhere, they would come to find out.

Vera parked at the side of the house, quickly shutting the engine off and jumping out. “Like I said, there will be furniture in here but it needs cleaning. The entire place does.” Even as she spoke, she noticed a broken window on the second floor. “Jaii, how are you holding up? Rhea, I’m sure there’s a couch right inside that you can lay him on.” 

Inside the house would be a large foyer with an antique light fixture above. To the right was a large dining area and an old style kitchen. To the left was a large, roomy living room, the only thing missing being a television. If one walked straight they would find another doorway into the kitchen and a room that was probably for laundry and more food storage beneath the stairs Further down the hallway was a study, bathroom, and a couple bedrooms. 

The beautiful wooden staircase that was just a few feet away from the front door they would call come in led up to more living space, including the a master bedroom, more spacious rooms, full bathrooms, and a library or playroom.