Chapter 888 Chapter 888
Ena secured the tarp and then moved further down on the roof. Foster had helped Savan and Zach take all the lose pieces of wood off yesterday. She didn’t know where Jesse had gotten a tarp this large, but her aunt’s house was the first one to be fixed when supplies and workers arrived. She paused and looked down at Betty and Leah as they marked out where a garden was going. Harland and Savan were on the roof of another one of the buildings right now. Everyone was doing something. That was something she hadn’t seen in a long time—all of her clan doing something toward the same goal. She smiled. It was good to see.
Foster got out of his van and stretched. He’d been offered a bed in one of the houses but had decided to sleep in his vehicle. Now that she thought of it, she didn’t blame him, the van was probably safer.
Jesse came out of Orson’s house with two cups in his hand. He walked right to Foster and held one out.
She watched them talk for a minute. Foster smiled a few times, making her wonder what they were discussing. She’d been a coward since they brought Orson home two days ago, avoiding any moment they would have had time to talk. She hadn’t told anyone except her aunt that he was her mate. It wasn’t that she was ashamed of him, in fact, everything she knew about him should have had her skipping around like a besotted idiot. He was brave and spent all of his time helping others. Ena just wasn’t sure what it all meant, being mates. Her clan had fallen apart despite the bond people were supposed to have with each other.
Last night, when she’d tried unsuccessfully to sleep, she’d had a few thoughts on what she wanted to do now that the clan was going to be part of the Alliance. After witnessing the lengths they went to help all shifters, she wanted to do something to help that. She wanted her kind to be able to live out in the open again and not have to hide out of worry that something bad would happen to them. Gia had talked about school and all the jobs that people from their world had, and Ena’s clan never had that, at least not that she remembered. Rayne Andrews had told her she could call her anytime for any reason, and she had honestly been debating on calling her and volunteering to work for the Alliance. She didn’t know doing what, but there had to be something she could do to help.
Jesse pointed in her direction, and Foster turned around and looked at her. He wasn’t smiling now. She held her hand up in a greeting and received a nod back before he turned back to Jesse. She didn’t understand men. Blowing out a breath, she focused on pulling the tarp down so she could secure it. There was rain coming later, which at this time of year could easily be more snow like when they drove here after leaving the safe house. She didn’t want the work that had been done to be undone because she was distracted and didn’t so her task correctly.
Deacon came walking up from the road and was motioning around. She turned and looked and saw trucks backing down it. She quickly stapled the tarp down and moved over to the other side of the roof. She wanted to see what had been sent here.
Foster opened the van, grabbed his jacket and put it on. He turned and looked up and her and even from here she could see he wasn’t happy about something. Shaking his head, he closed the door and walked over to the side of the drive.
“Ena.” She looked over her shoulder to see Savan standing beside the house. “Heidi wants you off the roof so you can help unload trucks.” He grinned. “It’s going to eat at her until she knows everything that’s been sent.”
Ena smiled. “Five minutes and I’ll be done.” She glanced at the sky. “Do you think we’ll need ropes over this?”
He looked up and then shook his head. “I don’t think it’s going to be too intense.”
“Okay. I’ll be down shortly.”
Ena smiled at Orson as she walked by the house. He was sitting out front watching everything that was going on. Aunt Heidi kept trying to put a blanket over his legs, which spawned a verbal tussle between them. It was good to see he was himself now and that they were back to being the way they were before he had been taken. They were either best friends or sparring partners. It was hard to tell most time. Their behavior the first day had been concerning with both of them. Her aunt was looking after him, and he let her. Ena felt much better now that things seemed normal.
Setting the box on the porch of Harland’s house, she turned to go back when Nyssa opened the door and came out. She was using an old cane someone had rounded up for her, but she was determined to help.
“They sent everything, Ena, I mean everything.” She smiled. “Bubble bath. I’ve never had one, but as soon as this leg is better, I will be.”
Ena had never had one either, but having the option was something she wasn’t used to. “Aunt Heidi has been admiring the bakeware for twenty minutes.”
Nyssa nodded. “I don’t blame her for that.” She jerked her head toward the door. “Harland has moved the coffee Brewer to three different spots in the kitchen to find the right one.” She sighed. “I can’t believe there’s a group out there just for our kind, and I knew nothing about it. That lady, Gia, said I could take classes on a computer.” She shook her head. “I really would like to know more than grade eight things.”
Ena had never let her opportunity for knowledge slip by. Her aunt and Orson had taken her to the closest library and ordered her books through the mail once she surpassed Betty’s level of teaching. “I think you should.”
Nyssa nodded. “I plan to. There are training programs, too, for anyone who wants to join. Can you imagine traveling all over for the Alliance?”
Ena looked over to see the first truck was empty and leaving. “I plan on doing things, too,” she said softly. Going down the steps, she wanted to see if they would need help with the second truck. A van pulled in and stopped where the other vehicle had been. Savan came over and stood beside her. Six people got out of it.
“Are they the survivors?” He asked quietly.
Ena watched how they looked around. There was something in the way some of them stood there like they needed to be ready to bolt if anything happened. “I think so,” she whispered.
“I didn’t expect two women to come.”
Ena looked over at Betty’s to see her coming outside. “We can put them at Betty’s. She won’t mind the company.”
Savan nodded. “That’s a good idea. Orson wants Zach and I to clear out the old Best house for the men.”
Ena shrugged. “The building is in good condition inside.” She turned and smiled at him. “Our clan may have just grown. Jesse said the ones coming had no clan anymore.”
Savan said he’d. “Let’s hope they’re okay with rough winters and hot summers.”
Ena scoffed and watched the women walk close beside each other. “I think they’ve survived worse, Savan.”
“Hell of a thing that’s been going on.” He walked over toward the men standing beside the van still.
Gia came over and smiled at her. “The second truck is building supplies.”
Ena felt relief. “I don’t think there’s enough room for anything else in the houses, so that’s a good thing.”
One of the new men turned around and then almost ran to Foster. He grabbed and hugged him. Both were smiling.
Gia sighed. “He must have been someone Foster transported.”
“Transported? After being rescued?”
Gia nodded. “Some of them are in such bad shape when they bring them out; it’s hard to breathe and not cry.” She blew out a breath. “It’s so amazing to see them healthy.” She sniffled and then looked around. “Kevan is leaving soon.”
Ena was glad she had changed the subject because after seeing those from Waylon’s she had a good idea of what would be considered bad shape to Gia and she couldn’t go there or she’d be emotional too. “I will have to thank him.”
As if he could hear them talking about him, he came out of Zach’s house carrying his bag. He immediately went over to Foster. Her animal was oddly quiet today like it was pouting or something. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she watched Foster smile and then laugh. There hadn’t been any smiles for her and the only words they had said to one another were short greetings when they walked into a house or happened to be in the same area with others. “He’s very quiet since we got here.” She glanced at Gia. “I don’t understand him.”
Gia shrugged. “Life hasn’t been easy for him.”
Ena looked at her.
“The language difference makes it tough too.” She glanced at them and then turned back to her. “You’re not talking about Kevan, are you?” She grinned.
“No. I meant Foster.”
Gia chuckled. “Foster being quiet is something I don’t understand. He usually never stops talking.” She put her hands on her hips and turned and looked at him. “Have you guys talked?”
Ena shook her head. “No.”
Gia sighed. “You guys should talk. Mates are complicated, at first.” She chuckled. “I can’t even explain it.” She shook her head. “You just have to talk to him, and he needs to stop doing whatever it is he’s doing and talk to you.”
Ena sucked in a breath and then exhaled. “I’ll try.”
Gia put her hand on her arm. “If he runs, be standing wherever it is he going to stop.”
Ena had no idea what that meant, but she nodded anyway because it was the polite thing to do.