The wolf shifter was Lennox’s mate, and Lennox had no idea what to do with that.

They were in Springfield pack territory because Toby, the Rosewood alpha’s mate, had been taken. Lennox had half a mind to burn down the Springfield pack, but he knew better. He wasn’t the one in charge. Camden was, and he only had eyes for Toby. Lennox understood that, even though he didn’t have a mate.

Well, he hadn’t had a mate until now.

He still couldn’t wrap his mind around it, but he knew it was normal. He hadn’t known his mate until now, and he hadn’t expected to, especially not in Springfield pack territory. He was here to threaten the Springfield pack, to make sure they gave Toby back, not to find his mate.

But it was a relief to find his mate and to realize he was coming home with them. Lennox didn’t know why he was coming, and he wanted to find out. The Springfield pack was his mate’s home. Why was he so eager to live with people he didn’t know?

It made Lennox wonder, and he had a hard time focusing on what he was doing, which was protecting the alpha and his mate. It was why he and his twin brother had moved to Rosewood and why they were staying. Well, in part. Carey had found his mate, and he’d also gotten himself a boyfriend. Lennox hadn’t been surprised. Carey was well-loved, and he’d always been the most outgoing of them both. Lennox didn’t know if he was quiet because Carey was a chatty Cathy or if Carey had become so chatty because of how quiet Lennox was, but it didn’t matter. What did matter was that they weren’t going anywhere. Carey surely wasn’t, not with two men to take care of, and now, Lennox had met his mate, too.

“Lennox?”

Lennox shook himself and looked at Toby. “Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked to hide the fact that he’d been daydreaming.

Toby cocked his head but nodded. “They didn’t hurt me. Owen made sure I was okay.”

It took Lennox a moment to realize who Owen was. Then, he peered at his mate again. “That’s your name?”

Owen nodded without looking at Lennox. “It is,” he murmured.

Lennox didn’t know if he was usually as quiet as Lennox or if he wasn’t talking for another reason, but he hoped for the latter. If neither of them talked to each other, their relationship wasn’t going to be an easy one. Of course, the fact that they were mates didn’t mean they would have a relationship, but Lennox didn’t want to think about that just yet. For now, they needed to take Toby and Owen back home, and that was what they were going to do.

“We should head home,” Camden said, mirroring Lennox’s thoughts. He was nervous, and he wasn’t the only one.

They technically were in enemy territory, even though the Springfield pack alpha wasn’t threatening them. Lennox wanted to take Toby and his mate away, and the sooner they did that, the better he would feel.

They climbed into the car, and Lennox kept an eye out for the Springfield pack. The alpha was still looking at them, talking to John Harris, the man who had taken Toby. Harris looked like his head was about to explode. But so far, the Springfield alpha was holding up his side of the bargain. He wasn’t trying to stop them from leaving. He hadn’t tried to stop Owen from leaving, even though he was his pack member. He was simply watching them, and he looked angry, but Lennox couldn’t say if it was at them or at what his envoy had done.

Kidnapping members of other packs, but especially an alpha mate, was a big no-no. Lennox understood why Harris had done it. Toby was a unicorn shifter, and he had the power of healing with his hands. It was intriguing and lifesaving. The Springfield pack would no doubt have a healer, just like the Rosewood pack did, but unicorn shifters were different. They could heal in minutes. They could heal wounds normal healers were powerless against. Every pack or shifter group wanted one, and the Rosewood pack had two—two brothers. It wasn’t a surprise that the Springfield pack had tried to take one away, not once, but twice. Harris even had the balls to come into the Rosewood pack territory and take Toby, and now, he was going to pay for that.

Lennox hoped the Springfield alpha wouldn’t change his mind. It would mean war between their packs, and no one wanted that, especially not the Rosewood pack. Even with Lennox and Carey there protecting them, it would still be hard on them. They weren’t equipped to go to war with another pack, especially not a big one like the Springfield pack.

There was also Owen to consider. The Springfield alpha probably wouldn’t have allowed him to come with them if he had decided to wage war, but they couldn’t be sure. They had to be careful, just like they always were, maybe even more so. Toby was safe, and Lennox doubted Camden would allow him out of his sight for a while, but he wasn’t the only rare shifter who lived in Rosewood, and that meant Lennox and Carey had to keep an eye on all of them.

Lennox was relieved once they closed the doors and Camden started the car. He held his breath, waiting until they left Springfield territory. Then he allowed himself to relax and peek at his mate.