Chapter 895 Chapter 895
Foster watched Ena pace over to the edge of the shelter for the second time while they waiting for Jesse to come. Leah sat off to the side, her posture stiff, but her face didn’t show that she was ready to take flight, so he guessed that was her normal state. He didn’t talk to her much because he was afraid of triggering her and having to fight off Evanna or Minn.
He stood leaning against the pole, holding the canopy up. Crossing his arms over his chest, he looked around at the others.
The rescued women sat with Nyssa, and he noticed that Harland stood behind them. That was good. He was staying close. He hadn’t paused when Ena had taken off, but he did see the terrified look on the women’s faces after the gunshot. He didn’t know where they’d been rescued from but knew enough that it was awful for them, and it would take a long time for them to relax anywhere they were.
The men that had been rescued were staying together too. He knew why they stuck together and didn’t mix with the women. He’d been on enough ops to know what kind of life they had lived. It was either to serve their captor and keep the women in line or, he imagined, die. He could see the scars on the one’s neck who didn’t have his jacket zipped all the way up. They would be around his neck for the rest of his life. Every time he looked in the mirror, he’d remember what he’d been through. Not that they needed a visual he was sure they’d never forget entirely.
Nodding to no one, he looked at the ground. If that wasn’t reason enough to continue doing what he did, then he didn’t know what else could be. He looked over to see Ena looking around at the others. She was his mate, but he also had committed to do a job with the Alliance. He blew out a breath. He had decisions to make too.
Jesse came walking toward them. “Sorry about that.” He nodded to Zach as he passed him. “I wanted to get the team that does security set up on route. They’ll install cameras around the land perimeter that will alert you if anyone is on the land.”
“Isn’t that something,” Heidi said and smiled. “Can we get one at the road too?”
Jesse nodded. “They’ll put cameras wherever you want.”
Ena’s aunt looked pleased with that.
Jesse came over and stood beside Foster, then looked at Ena. She cringed but moved to the center of the shelter.
He watched her square her shoulders and stand taller when she stopped. “I wanted to talk to everyone.” She gave her hand a shake. “Earlier, I couldn’t have found words to speak, but I’m a little more settled with a bit more brain function now.” She looked around. “I haven’t decided if I’ll accept the alpha job yet because I need to know that’s what everyone wants. I’m not going to spend all my time butting heads with any of you if I do this.” Foster noted she looked right a Savan when she said it. His expression didn’t change. “It’s going to mean a lot of changes—” She looked around, “But our whole tiny piece of the world needs a complete overhaul, so getting used to things being different won’t be so bad, right?” A few nodded. She turned and looked at the women and then the men. “Thank you for coming to help fix this mess up.” She gave them an awkward smile. “I’m sorry. It’s been busy here since you arrived; I don’t know your names.”
One of the men stood up. “I’m Faris.” He nodded, and the way he stood made Foster think he was afraid to look anyone in the eye. “I was held for fifteen years.” He looked at the sky for a second. “I like it here.” He sat back down.
Foster figured he must have been about fifteen when he was taken. At that age, he was still messing around and driving his parents crazy.
Another one of the men stood up. He didn’t avoid any eye contact and stood very erect. “Everyone just calls me, Mo.” He nodded and looked at the man that sat down. “Faris and I were with the same group and we watched a holding house.” He sat back down.
Foster glanced at Jesse, and neither of them needed to say a word; they both knew about those.
The third man stood up. “I’m Reggie. I was at a camp for boys for eight years and then was moved to a house before the Alliance got me out of there.” He sat down.
The last man stood up. He was taller than the others but looked like he hunched, trying to make himself smaller. “I’m Pascal. I was sold to be a pet. I lived in a pen in my wolf form for most of four years.” His speech was a little slow and made Foster think it was because he wasn’t used to talking. “They got bored and sold me to someone else and then the Alliance found me.” He looked at Jesse and nodded.
Jesse nodded back to him. “I transported him,” Jesse said quietly.
The first woman stood up and then sat back down. “I’m Melony.” She held the hand of the other woman. “I was taken when I was eight.” She didn’t look anywhere except at Ena. “I lived on an island until I was fifteen and then I was moved to different houses.” She looked down at the woman’s hand she held. “When I was older, they wanted to breed me.” She looked at Ena again. “Because breeding more to sell is easier than catching us.” Her voice shook. “I have a son out there.” She licked her lips slowly. “If he’s ever found, can he come here too?”
Foster looked at Ena. Her eyes were glistening. “Of course. He’d be very welcome.” She looked over at Foster, and he remembered what he had told her to do. He went over and sat on a crate that was in front of her. She looked at him and nodded.
“Thank you for sharing that, Melony.” Her voice was rough.
“I’m Karlee. I had twins before my first shift. I don’t know where they went, but they would be four now.” She leaned closer to Melony.
“If they’re found, Karlee, they will have a home here with you.” Ena held her chin up as she said it.
Karlee wiped at the tears on her face. “Thank you. I want to stay. I want you to be my alpha.”
Ena looked at Foster, and her eyes were filled with tears.
He held her look and then nodded.
“Before anyone else says anything.” She cleared her throat. “You all should know that I am going to be going away from time to time.” She turned toward Orson for a moment. “I’m going to help the Alliance free more of our kind.” She shrugged. “Any from our community, no matter what clan they’re from.” She took a breath. “Orson has said he will be my second if I take on alpha, and I need everyone to know that I trust him with everything. I always have.” She looked around. “If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have the Alliance here now.”
“That’s not all true,” Orson said. “When I was taken, you wasted no time getting a hold of the Alliance and bringing a team to come get me.”
The newer people looked from him back to her.
“I just finished what you started, Orson.” Ena shrugged it off like it was nothing.
Foster looked around and there wasn’t one face in the bunch that had any doubts or unkind expression.
“You should be alpha, my girl. Go off and save more shifters. I’ll watch over things when you’re gone.”
Heidi stood up. “I’ll take you as my alpha. Lord knows none of us can keep up with you, so I think you’re the one to do it.” She looked over at Betty.
Betty didn’t get up, but she put her hand in the air. “I’ll take you as my alpha.”
Zach grinned. “I’ll take Ena as my alpha.”
“Yes.” Nyssa smiled. “I want you as alpha.”
Harland nodded. “Best choice is you, Ena.” He looked over at Savan.
Foster was surprised to see the smile on Savan’s face.
“He’s not wrong,” Savan said and nodded. “You should be alpha, Ena.”
“We’ll stay if you are the alpha,” Faris said, and the other men nodded.
Foster glanced at Ena. She was shocked they had all done that. He glanced at Jesse, who was smiling with his arm around Leah beside him. “I guess, Jesse, all that’s left is for her to accept it.”
“That’s right,” Jesse said.
Foster looked back at Ena; she gave him a wide-eyed look. He smiled and nodded, trying to encourage her to do it.
“Uh, thank you, everyone.” She puffed out her cheeks and blew out the air. “I guess I’m going to be alpha.” She scoffed. “I have no idea how to be, but it looks like I’m going to learn?” She looked at Orson and then her aunt before turning to Foster and holding his look. Her expression screamed what have I done, but it made him smile.
He stood up and started clapping.
A few seconds later, everyone there was clapping, and Ena stood there smiling, but her eyes were like a deer in headlights.
When the clapping slowed, Jesse smiled at her. “I’ll tell the king he has a new alpha to welcome to the Alliance.”
Ena put her hands over her cheeks and nodded. When she lowered them, she looked at the others. “I think we should have a dinner to celebrate.” She motioned to Karlee and Melony and then nodded to the new men. “Celebrate freedom and choices.”
Foster couldn’t hear if she said anything else because of the loud cheers. He went over and stood beside her. “You look like you want to run away.” He said close to her ear.
She gave him a big fake grin and nodded. “Because I do.” She blew out a breath. “What have I done?”
Foster looked at the happy people. “You just ensured the protection of your clan.”