Chapter 581: The Place That Chose Them

Jarek was staying with Tarin and Maya, taking on the role of their guardian. His injuries were healing nicely—and fast too.

It didn’t hurt to move around, though he was still advised to take it easy so as not to injure himself and restart the healing process.

He had gotten a stern talk from the healers, warning him not to make the mistake of showing up in the facility with that injury reopened. He had to admit, he was scared of the healers, so he was going to obey.

Tarin too was better now. He and Maya played around the house. When Maya had first seen him, she gave him a tight hug, telling him not to leave her again.

Tarin had promised not to.

Though Owl—Tobias—had sent them to this pack, Jarek was still scared that they would be seen as rogues. That they would be looked down on. And for all his fears, none of that had happened... yet.

Instead, the members of the pack were nice to them, ensuring that they were comfortable. No one stared at them with disgust when they went to the dining hall to eat. No one told them to get out or called them names. Everyone just went about their day.

Honestly, it was quite surprising for Jarek. Even in the black market, rogues were treated with scorn. They were just messengers and thieves. Only a few found jobs—most didn’t.

There was a reason they were rogues after all, and no one wanted that stain on them—well, except Owl.

Jarek felt a tug on his pants and turned to Tarin.

"What is it?" he asked softly. "Do you feel any discomfort? Do you need to go back to the facility?"

Tarin shook his head. "I’m just curious... I haven’t seen Sophia since. I... I want to thank her for saving me."

"Oh," Jarek said. "Um... I don’t know if we can just speak with her... she’s the Luna after all, but I’ll try to get an audience with her so you can thank—"

Jarek didn’t finish his words when his wolf stirred. There were currently two people making their way towards the house, and though he was familiar with their scents, he could not understand why they were coming.

He turned to Tarin and Maya. "It seems we are having visitors. Be nice to them."

He had just finished speaking when they heard a knock on the door.

Jarek swallowed, saying a short prayer to the goddess in hopes that they had not come to send them out of the pack. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

He started thinking of places he could stay with Tarin and Maya—and the others too. Maybe they would go to the south? Or perhaps they would try to battle the snow of Nirvana while they got information about the black market and its new location, or maybe information about a rogue settlement.

The knock sounded again.

"Should I open it?" Maya asked him.

Jarek shook his head and then headed to the door.

He opened it just in time, because the man had raised his hand to knock again.

"For a moment, I thought you were avoiding us," Ronan told him.

Jarek only swallowed.

"Can we come in?" Brynhild asked.

Jarek nodded and then opened the door wider for both Ronan and Brynhild to step in.

"I’m sure you are surprised by our visit," Brynhild said.

"Not really. I was expecting it to happen sooner or later," Jarek muttered.

Ronan frowned at that, and Brynhild mirrored his expression.

"You were expecting us?" she asked Jarek.

"Yeah... sooner or later," Jarek said.

"Why?" Ronan asked him. "Did you suspect we would have something to ask you already?"

"Ask?" Jarek said, confused.

"I don’t understand. You said you were expecting us, so obviously you were expecting us to ask you some things, right?" Ronan asked him.

Jarek shook his head. "I wasn’t expecting you guys to ask us anything... I thought you came to tell us to leave the pack."

"And why would we do that?" Ronan asked him, disbelief clouding his tone.

"I mean... though I understand that you guys helped us... we are rogues."

"So?" Ronan asked him.

Jarek blinked in shock. "Um... rogues are not welcomed into packs like these. We are outsiders... criminals..."

"Has anyone in the pack made you feel unwelcome?" Brynhild asked him.

"Well... no..."

"Did Orion say he was just sheltering you all for now and that since you are ’rogues’"—Brynhild said, using air quotes—"you do not have the right to stay in a pack like this?"

"Well... no..."

"Did anyone here judge you for being an outsider or insult you guys?"

Jarek shook his head again.

"Have you been made comfortable during your stay?"

Jarek nodded.

"Please speak," Brynhild said. "I can’t see."

"Oh, I’m sorry," Jarek told her. "Yes. That’s the answer."

"So then why do you think we would send you out of the pack, especially when you were sent here by one of ours?" she asked him.

Jarek was quiet for a while before he spoke.

"It’s how it normally is," he told them.

It was normal for people not to want them, and so he had rushed to conclusions when the members of the pack had not even pushed them out. The members didn’t treat them like they did not belong, and the Alpha had also not said that they could only stay for a while.

Brynhild sighed loudly. "One thing you should know, Jarek, is that we trust our own. And if Tobias sent you here, then there must be a reason. You worked for him, so we already consider you one of ours. Now get that stupid thought out of your head. Unless you break the rules, no one is leaving. And besides, with the black market destroyed, where the fuck did you plan to live?"

Jarek hesitated. He looked like a child that had been reprimanded.

"I’m not sure we want to hear that answer, Brynhild," Ronan said.

Brynhild shook her head. "Anyways, we came here for something else. I’m just here because Lysander is asleep, and he needs it. We came to ask something—and to know if you guys have any information for us."

"What is it?" Jarek asked.

"What do you know about the corpse plant?" Ronan asked him.