Savage Urges (4 page)

They all entered a small, bright reception area. It was like walking into a wall of scents. Lion. Tiger. Cougar. Wolf. Hawk. Falcon. Bear. Fox. Snake. The place obviously hosted various breeds. His inner wolf was wary of the strange scents, unaccustomed to being around such a high and varied number.

A bulky, dark-skinned male rounded the reception desk and came forward. There were lockers behind the desk that Ryan guessed were used by the residents. “I take it he’s gone,” said the male, who Ryan instantly sensed was a bear. The male’s eyes softened a little when they landed on Makenna; the intimacy there made Ryan tense. Were they a couple? Something that suspiciously tasted like jealousy settled on his tongue. His wolf didn’t like this situation at all—in fact, he despised the bear on principle.

Dawn nodded before quickly introducing everyone. “Thank you for staying inside, Colton. I know it’s hard to resist confronting Remy.”

“Why didn’t he confront him?” Dante asked Dawn.

“For the same reason Madisyn didn’t: Remy would goad him into a fight, and the last thing we want is the residents of the shelter feeling this isn’t a safe place. Plus, shifters warring in the street would earn a lot of human attention. The last thing we want is to be on the radar of the human anti-shifter extremists.” Dawn took a deep breath. “Anyway, if you want to come any further, I’ll need you to sign in. All visitors and residents are required to sign in and out.”

While Dante obligingly scribbled down the names inside the book on the desk, Ryan read the “Rules and Regulations” sign on the magnolia wall.

No alcohol.

No drugs.

No weapons.

No violence.

No theft.

No breaking curfew hours.

Dawn presented them all with a bright smile. “Would you like a tour?”

“That would be great,” said Taryn.

Dawn talked as she led them down a long hallway. “The building has five floors in all, including the basement. We keep the bedding, food, cleaning supplies, and other such things down there. On this floor, we have the cafeteria, the common room, communal toilets, and some private bedrooms for people with children. Females sleep on the second floor, and males on the third—both floors are like dormitories. I live in the attic.”

Ryan frowned as he realized . . . “There’s magick here.” It seemed to hum in the air.

“Makenna found a witch to imbed protective wards into the walls,” Dawn told him. “If someone means harm to anybody in the building, they can’t get inside without an invitation.”

Such wards couldn’t have been cheap. Taking that and her reaction to Remy into account, it was clear that Makenna was emotionally invested in the shelter.

“How long have you been running the place?” Jaime asked Dawn.

“My mother started it thirty years ago. At first, it was just a day center. Somewhere loners could come to simply sit down, have a cup of coffee, talk with others, and eat a good meal. When she got some funding, she expanded it little by little.” Dawn opened a door on their right, and everybody inside froze. “This is the common room.”

Peeking inside, Ryan noticed that the large space contained a mishmash of things. The sofas were all various colors and styles. Some of the chairs were clunky and cushioned while others were plastic. There was an outdated TV on the wall, some lamps, and a few plants. There was also an old bookcase and boxes of toys in one corner where a few children played. The sight made his chest clench.

One of the children jumped to her feet with a smile of delight. “Makenna!” She ran to the female and hugged her tight.

Makenna smiled. “Hey, Cady.”

“Who are they?” She eyed each of the Phoenix wolves with distrust, particularly the males.

“They’re friends, Cadence,” Dawn reassured her. “Now why don’t you go play? Makenna will come back soon.”

“Can you read to me when you come back?” Cadence asked Makenna.

“Sure thing, Cady. Be good for your aunt.”

A female with hair as thick and dark as the child’s smiled at Makenna.

“I’ll stay here with the little ones,” Zac told Makenna. She knew he didn’t fully trust the Phoenix wolves yet and wanted to watch over the kids.

She smiled. “Thanks, Zac.”

As they continued down the hallway, Dante said, “Fox. That little girl’s a fox shifter.”

Madisyn nodded. “Yep. She and her aunt came here six months ago.”

Jaime cocked her head. “Why?”

Madisyn smiled wanly. “That’s really their story to tell. All I’ll say is that her aunt discovered the pack wasn’t safe for Cady and so she took her away. They’re in hiding at the moment. But Makenna’s in the process of rehoming them.”

Dawn stopped at a door, pulled out a set of keys, and unlocked it. “This is one of the private family rooms. It’s not being used right now.”

She opened the door, revealing a very basic room that contained two sets of bunk beds, a cot, and a lockable wardrobe. Although it was clean and bright, Ryan still found it to be a sad sight. Maybe it was the cot. The idea that a baby would be without a pack or home . . . It wasn’t right.

As Dawn shut and locked the door, Taryn spoke. “Are all the loners here in hiding?”

“No.” Dawn led them farther down the hallway, passing more doors Ryan guessed were also private rooms. “Many are homeless. Some are runaways. Some have been cast out after losing a duel or something similar. And others feel lost after their mate died and just can’t function. It’s possible to find some lone children wandering the streets, sad to say. Social Services often brings lone children here, just as they brought Makenna and Madisyn.”

That almost brought Ryan up short. It hadn’t occurred to him that she would have grown up here. What pack would cast out a pup? Just the very idea made his blood boil. It was practically a death sentence. He couldn’t imagine that a pup could have committed a crime that led to a banishment. Maybe she hadn’t been banished; maybe she’d run away from some sort of abuse. His wolf growled at the thought. The animal’s protective streak had shot to life at the sight of Remy threatening her, and it wasn’t easing.

“The girls became friends quickly,” added Dawn.

Makenna nodded. “Madisyn taught me how to make fire without matches or a lighter.”

The feline smiled brightly. “And she taught me empathy.”

Chuckling, Dawn rounded the corner. “You were both thick as thieves. Always sneaking out to the local hangouts for teenage shifters.” She smiled at Taryn. “They’re so good at sneaking, I wouldn’t have even known they’d left the building if they didn’t always come back covered in bruises after scrapping with the other teens.”

“We went there in peace,” claimed Madisyn. “There wouldn’t have been any fighting if they hadn’t targeted us for being loners.”

“Yes, well, you both quickly earned a reputation for being crazy. Of course, the teens couldn’t complain to their Alphas about you because these hangouts were secret. Their Alphas would have tanned their hides if they knew the juveniles were sneaking out.” Dawn stopped and pushed open a door on their left. “This is the cafeteria.”

To Ryan, it looked like a typical school cafeteria with all the plastic tables and chairs. People sat around, talking and drinking coffee. They nodded at Dawn, Madisyn, and Makenna, but the sight of Ryan and his pack mates made them stiffen. Ryan realized that Makenna had been correct in what she’d said to Remy: loners would never go to a shelter for sanctuary if it were ruled by a pack. They didn’t trust strangers one bit.

As they continued walking down another hallway, Taryn sidled up to Dawn. “Are there any other shelters for loners?”

“Not many, which is unfortunate because the lone shifter lifestyle is a growing problem. There’s only one other shelter in California.”

Dante abruptly stopped, his gaze on something outside. “There are tents out there.”

Ryan looked out of the window, and, sure enough, dome-shaped tents were scattered around the land. Only the children’s outdoor play area was clear of them. More children played out there, supervised by a number of adults.

“Some prefer to sleep outside,” Dawn informed the Beta male. “Sleeping outside allows mated couples to stay together at night. And there are some people who feel safer sleeping in their animal form, so they choose to stay in a tent or sleep on the surrounding land.”

“Do you ever have to turn people away?” Jaime asked as they began walking again.

“Rarely. In emergency situations, we accommodate more by folding up the tables and chairs in the cafeteria at night and setting out some mats and blankets. It’s not ideal, but the alternative is sleeping outside in a box or under a bridge. They’re just grateful to be warm and safe. Especially the little ones.”

Jaime threaded her fingers through her mate’s, as if needing his touch for comfort at the idea of children in such need. “What’s the average length of stay for residents?”

“Most don’t stay long,” replied Dawn. “Makenna does her best to get them a place somewhere. If they have relatives they trust, she tracks them down and the relatives then often take them in. There are some Alphas that are willing to foster or adopt loners, even if they’re unrelated, so that helps.

“However, some want to remain loners. In those cases, I do my best to get them whatever education, therapy, or support they need to find a home of their own and fit into the human community. In the meantime, I ensure they have a bed, showers, meals, a place to do their laundry, and somewhere to store their belongings. When you’re homeless, the simple matter of toilet paper is a luxury.”

“I’ll bet some don’t want to leave,” wagered Dante.

Dawn ushered them all into an office. “The isolation of a loner lifestyle is hard for any shifter. Here, they’re around people who can understand them and who’ve had similar experiences to them. They get mighty comfortable and want to stay. Shifters in packs, prides, flocks, or whatever it may be all lean and rely on each other. That’s part of what makes it hard for loners to adjust to being on their own. I allow some to stay permanently, but in exchange they have to work for me—whether it’s to cook, clean, wash clothes, or something else.”

Dante and Ryan leaned against the wall while Taryn, Jaime, and Madisyn sat on an old, faded leather couch. Makenna perched herself on the edge of the desk that Dawn then sat behind.

“You do good work here,” said Taryn. “I have to admit, loners have such a bad rep that it never occurred to me how hard it must be for them.”

Dawn gave an understanding smile. “It’s easy to forget that they’re not all bad. Most just need help. I do my best to provide that. But I can’t help everyone.”

“Must be hard for you.” Dante folded his arms. “It has to cost a lot of money and energy to run this place. This is a nonprofit organization, right?”

“Yes. I have sponsors, grants, and private donations. The shifter council only gives a minimal amount of funding, but everything makes a difference. Some people—shifter and human alike—are kind enough to donate blankets, supplies, and food. But some, like Remy, just present us with problems.”

Taryn leaned forward. “Tell us about Remy. When did all this trouble with him start?”

Dawn’s expression turned somber. “He first came here four months ago. We were scrubbing off some graffiti outside when he came up to us, all charm and smiles. But it’s like Makenna says, his eyes are cold. He said he admired what I did but that he’d bet it was hard to run the shelter with no protection. He offered for me to join his pack—said Madisyn, Makenna, and any other volunteers would also have a place, if they wanted it. I declined, and he didn’t like it, but he told me to take some time to think about it.

“He came again the following month, made the same speech. Again, I told him no. That didn’t faze him. He was back within three weeks. At the time, things weren’t great. A human who owns several local businesses had begun a petition to get rid of the shelter; said he’s losing business and employees because a lot of humans don’t like being close to a shelter for loners. He got other business owners, humans, and the local schools to sign it.”

“Bigots,” Jaime bit out.

“Yes,” agreed Dawn. “Remy said he’d heard about the petition; said he could provide me with the protection I need from this sort of thing, if only I’d join his pack. He’s right. If this was officially classified as shifter territory, the humans would have no say. And they wouldn’t dare go up against me. But I think Makenna’s right.”

As Jaime shot a questioning look her way, Makenna explained as she swung her legs—legs that Ryan wanted hooked over his shoulders as he pounded in and out of her—“If you ask me, Remy was behind the petition. He wanted Dawn trapped in a corner so he could be her savior and, in desperation, we’d all fall in line. He somehow got the humans riled up; he may have even given them the idea of starting the petition.”

Dante nodded slowly. “I take it the petition came to nothing.”

Dawn waved a hand. “The human court dismissed it. I think it likes the idea that shelters help keep loners off the streets, since they often sleep in their animal form because they feel less vulnerable that way. Humans don’t want us roaming free like wild animals. And, you know, not all humans hate us. In fact, the majority don’t. But those that do hate us . . . well, they can make a lot of noise.” Dawn sighed. “Anyway, we hadn’t seen Remy again until today.”

Dante scraped his hand over his jaw. “I have to say, it’s damn odd that the guy wants to expand his territory in this direction. No offense, but this isn’t the kind of area that Alphas like to claim. It’s rough.”

“That’s why this makes no sense to us,” said Madisyn.

Taryn tapped her fingers on the arm of the sofa. “I’m surprised he hasn’t just tried to
take
the territory. You’re loners; you can’t fight him.”

“The land the shelter sits on belongs to me,” said Dawn. “It was granted to my mother by the council and she passed it on to me, which makes it my territory. No one can take it without my permission.”

“That’s probably why he went running to the council.” Makenna held out the letter to Dawn. “He presented me with this.”