30 - Greta


    The little girl clung to Finn as tightly as a ko to a tree branch, her tiny arms wrapped firmly around his neck. She nestled her face just beneath his chin, managing to keep her gaze fixed on me without breaking their close contact. Although her posture was shy and reserved, the expression in her eyes was anything but timid—it carried a strong, almost possessive edge. My inner wolf stirred uneasily, a low growl rumbling in my mind, but I quickly reminded myself that this child had endured so much and posed no threat. Still, the fact that she knew my name caught my attention. That was intriguing.


    "Oh my gosh! I''m so thrilled to see all of you!" Kennedy eximed, barely able to contain her excitement. "Are you hungry? Samuel mentioned you hunted before leaving your camp. Or maybe you''re tired? We''re going to set you up right here with us tonight."


    "I''m hungry!" piped up the youngest boy, and the room erupted inughter.


    "Gabriel, you''re always hungry," teased the oldest girl with a yful grin.


    "Well, Gabriel, you''re in luck. I just stocked the fridge," Kennedy said with a giggle, rubbing her stomach. "I''m always hungry, too. Let''s grab a snack, then you can all get cleaned up and tucked into bed. Sound good?" She extended her hand to Gabriel, who nced at the two older kids for reassurance before gently taking it. "Come on. You all need to eat and shower-the forest tends to make you pretty grimy."


    "Hey!" Seth protested, mock offended.


    "I''m sure your family doesn''t mind, but after a full day of shifting, ying in the forest with these kids, and hunting, you all smell pretty awful!" Kennedyughed again, and we all joined in as she led us toward the kitchen.


    "Okay, so we know Gabriel''s name,” I said, pointing to the little boy whose light brown hair stuck up in every direction. His green eyes darted around the room, absorbing every detail. "And we know Trinity. What about you two? Tell us your names."


    "My name''s Landon, and this is Peyton," the oldest boy said confidently. He definitely had the air of a leader''s child. I hoped he was prepared for questions about what had happened to them. But I was sure Ryker would wait until the younger ones were asleep before pressing too hard.


    "Are any of you siblings? Or did you just stick together to stay safe?" I asked cautiously. Seth and Samuel had given us a y-by-y while they were gone, so I didn''t need all the details again, but I was curious about what these kids would share—or keep hidden.


    "We''re not siblings," Peyton said softly, her voice gentle but steady. "Landon and I train with the same group, and we all went to the same school.”


    "Even Trinity?” I asked, surprised. She seemed too young to be in school.


    "Yeah, she''s really smart, so they let her start early," Peyton exined.


    "Trinity, how old are you, sweetheart?" Kennedy asked as she prepared sandwich ingredients on the kitchen ind.


    "Four,” Trinity answered, clutching Finn''s neck as he tried to settle her on a stool. He looked a little uncertain, clearly unsure how to handle her clinginess. I fought back a smile. Finn was a natural with kids, but situations outside the training grounds seemed to unnerve him just a bit. The image of them together tugged at my heartstrings—they looked utterly adorable. I wished I could give him something like that. Wait-where had that thoughte from? I didn''t want pups. Shaking my head, I turned my attention back to the group. Finn scanned the room for help, but Samuel and Seth just smiled knowingly at him. I wondered what had happened today that left him struggling like this. I''d have to askter.


    Eventually, Finn gave up and settled onto the stool himself, with Trinity still perched on hisp.


    We all settled infortably, eating and chatting. Kennedy, Ryker, and I took turns asking light, surface-level questions to get to know the children better. Landon was the Gamma''s son, which exined his natural protectiveness and his bond with Seth. Peyton''s parents were healers. Gabriel''s father was a warrior, though he never mentioned his mother, which we made a mental note to ask Landon aboutter. Trinity''s parents were responsible for the farnd—a small detail that took some coaxing to get out of her. Her idea of farming was a big barn with many men who worked early mornings. Landon and Peyton helped fill in the gaps when we clearly didn''t understand what she was trying to exin.


    When Gabriel started nodding off while sitting up, we decided it was time to call it a night. Kennedy took Peyton upstairs to shower, Ryker led Landon to Be''s room, and Finn and I took the little ones to our room since it was clear there was no way to separate him from Trinity, even if she was half asleep.