Chapter 77

"I thought I told you to just survive for one night!" Kent says shakily. We're crowded in the kitchen - Kent, Brady, Jack, two regular officers, and myself.

"To be fair, boss, we did survive," Brady says. He's slumped in his wheelchair with a blanket thrown over his lap; Kent and Jack had carried him downstairs while I brought the wheelchair. "The Doc here was a real hero - you should've seen her go at that guy with the lamp."

"You didn't see it, either," I pointed out.

"No, but I damn sure heard it. You took that guy out, Doc. Saved my life all over again. When I saw you practically lift that dresser off the ground like the She-Hulk, I thought of proposing to you myself right then and there."

Kent laughs weakly. Jack rolls his eyes.

"You did a great job, Nicole," Jack agrees. "I'm not even mad at you for disregarding both my advice and all common sense to launch yourself headfirst at an armed intruder."

"What was I supposed to do?" I exclaim, raising my hands in a shrug. "Let him kill Brady?"

"Well, in these situations…yeah," Jack says, and Brady gives him a scowl. "But it worked out this time, and let's hope there isn't a next time."

"This place has been compromised," Kent agrees, sounding disheartened. "Damn it, Nick – I'm so sorry. We could still get Andrea in - she eats guys like that idiot out there for breakfast - but I don't want to risk it."

"Nor do I," Jack says, glancing around. "You're too isolated here. Who owns this place, anyway? We need to figure out how we're going to keep this hushed up for now."

"Nicole does," Kent says, and I jump. I look up from my seat at the kitchen table, gaping at him.

"Wait - what?"

"Yeah, this house is yours. I had everything transferred to your name a few weeks ago. I – was going to tell you soon, Nick. It was going to be a surprise. The guys and I were going to put together a little party for you, present you with the deed to the house…I'm sorry you had to find out this way, instead. Not as festive."

"I – I don't even know what to say." My eyes are welling with tears. "Kent, Brady, this is – I mean – I love this house!"

Brady laughs. "We know you do, Doc. We know that you've come to think of this place as a home. And we appreciate everything you've done for us, and we appreciate you. We wanted to give it to you, all official, so that you knew it was really yours."

Jack interrupts before I can say anything else. "As genuinely touching as all this is, guys, we need to focus. Nicole owning the house definitely makes this easier to cover up. But now we need to figure out where she's going to go for the rest of the night, and where Brady can go."

"Brady can come home with me," Kent says. "And I think Nick should go to the Alpha's mansion. It's the safest place for her now, since this base has been compromised. Somebody powerful was involved in finding her here, and not even Andrea is going to be able to patch that up."

"I'll call Marcus," Jack says, taking his phone from his pocket. "Nicole, you go get packed."

Marcus is waiting for us on the front lawn of the mansion, pacing back and forth and basically staring at the phone clutched in his hand. When he sees our car pull up, relief washes over his face, and he runs to us.

"Evelyn, my god," he says, roughly jerking my door open and scooping me out of the front seat. "Oh, my god." He clutches me to him, his face buried in my hair, hands rubbing circles on my back.

"Are you hurt?" he asks urgently. "I'll never forgive myself if you're hurt. You've been dragged into my family's mess, and now look. You could have been killed."

"But she wasn't," Jack says, coming around from the driver's side. "In fact, she was a total badass. Smashed the guy's face in with a lamp. I was impressed."

Marcus glares at him. "I don't need her to be a badass, Jack; I need her to be alive."

"Which she is!" Jack says easily. "Plus, you're wrong, buddy. The main qualification for being a Luna is being a badass."

Finally, Marcus concedes to give a small, weak chuckle.

"All right, all right," he says. "Let's get inside. My father is waiting - he's asked to speak to you alone, Evelyn."

The Alpha is in his office, sitting behind his desk in his pajamas and robe. He smiles at me when I walk in and waves a hand toward a seat.

"Dear girl, do sit down," he says. "I've heard everything - what a terrifying experience. I'm so sorry, Nicole. I apologize so deeply, on behalf of myself, my family, my obviously psychotic estranged brother…" He trails off.

"It's not your fault," I protest. "You've been nothing but excellent to me, Emmett. You couldn't have stopped this."

"No, but it's my family mess that you've been dragged into," he says, unknowingly echoing Marcus's words. "And I am sorry for it. We will do everything in our power to protect both you and your friends."

He reaches into his desk drawer and pulls out a lockbox, which he opens with a key that's hanging round his neck. Inside are mini bottles of whiskey and two small whiskey glasses.

"All completely safe," he says triumphantly. "No one but me even knows they are here, let alone has access to them. Now, after the night you've had, I think you need a drink. I know I certainly do."

Emmett pours out two very generous measures for us and hands one to me.

"You will stay here, of course," he continues. "We've had the guest room made up for you again already. And Anton will guard you 24/7 from now on - no arguments, please."

"None from me," I say shakily. "I'm done being brave, Emmett. I don't think I'm cut out for it."

He smiles at me before going on: "And I think we can find a way to help your friends, too."

"Really?" I ask. "That's been one of the biggest barriers - they're worried that you won't be able to look the other way, if you get officially involved. What they do is illegal, after all."

"It was illegal to be a werewolf until not too long ago," Emmett says dismissively. "I don't love the party drugs that these men peddle, but I love the legal system that punishes them for it even less. As long as we keep things under wraps, which I'm sure we can, there's no harm in me offering my assistance."

"Thank you, Emmett," I whisper. "They're my friends - really. They've helped me so much more than I ever dreamed possible…they care about me more than I ever dreamed possible. They're…"

"Family?" the Alpha asks with an understanding smile.

"Well, yes."

"Family takes care of family here," he says. "And you, my dear girl, are definitely family. Drink up that whiskey and get yourself to bed, and I'll have a meeting with your leader in the morning, if he'll agree to see me.

"Everything is going to work out all right, Nicole. Trust me."

"I do," I say. "I do trust you."

"Good girl," Emmett says, reaching across his desk to offer his hand. I take it, and he gives me a little squeeze. "Don't worry, dear one. Everything is going to be all right."