“Where is their pride?”
“Uh, that’s the thing. They’re not from a pride. They’re wolves.”
Sambah stopped at the back of the van. “Why not give them to a pack? There are many—”
“We tried looking into that, but there aren’t any with the capacity to take in this many. And fewer that we would trust.”
“How many are we talking about?”
She flung open the back doors. “Fifteen.”
Sambah craned his neck and peered inside. The children looked warily at him, uncertain of where this trip was taking them, only that they were leaving us. Then he noticed the kids in the back of my truck. “That is a lot of children.”
She turned her back to the kids and walked out of their view. “This was King’s final request. I wasn’t sure at first, but I did a background check on you. Squeaky clean. I wouldn’t be here unless you were our only hope of keeping them together. But there’s something else you should know,” she said quietly. “These kids might grow up with problems due to trauma. They’ve been through hell, and I don’t know what kind of special care they might need.”
Sambah straightened his back and looked upward for a moment. “Then they’ve come to the right place. This is a house of healing. I have more money and more room than a man could dream of.”
Blue and I shared a look before she spoke. “You’ll take them?”
“You sound surprised. Did you think I would turn away orphans?”
“I wasn’t sure you’d want them.”
“Why? Because most of them are white?”
“No. Because they’re wolves. I don’t know how they would fit in with a group of lions, but we don’t have any other options. I got a good feeling coming here, and King swore they’d be safe. Can you give me your word that no one in this pride will ever hurt them? That includes you. They need protection.”
Sambah held her gaze and rested his hands on her shoulders. “I give you my word on my son’s grave that I will never let any harm come to them. When they grow up and choose to leave, they will still be a part of this family.”
“If I find out otherwise, I’ll gut you like a fish. You know I’ll do it.”
He stepped back and bowed. “I would expect nothing less.” Sambah clapped his hands. “Come, children. Gather round.”
Kids poured out of the van and from the back of the truck. Some clung to each other, fear and uncertainty flickering in their eyes.
Sambah bent over and gave them a warm smile. “My name is Sambah Freeman. Can you say that?”
All the kids repeated after him like zombies, and he laughed.
“Yes, but you can call me Father. This is your new home, and I don’t want any of you to be afraid. I am going to take care of you from now on. You’re a part of a great big family with many traditions. We can decide later if you want to sleep in the same room or spread out. But for now, why don’t you join my brother, and he will show you to the kitchen.”
“Oh, they just ate,” I said.
Sambah slowly pivoted. “And did they have pudding?”
That was enough to stir up their excitement. Some of the kids were practically bouncing like little pogo sticks.
Sambah whistled with two fingers, and Joba emerged from inside. He was dressed in royal blue and looked every bit a prince. It made me wonder if the hierarchy in prides was the same as packs.
Joba gave his brother a loaded glance.
“Meet your new brothers and sisters,” Sambah said. “We won’t ask them any questions about where they came from, and I know you’ll inform everyone else of the same. They are a gift from King, and a new beginning for us all. Please have someone feed them pudding, and I’ll be there shortly.”
Joba arched his brows, clearly in disbelief, but only laughed when he looked at all the inquisitive faces. “Come, little ones. Who likes chocolate?”
Each one demanded that they liked it more than the last. Two of the older girls carried the babies, and it was the first time I felt like they were going to be okay. They had a lot to figure out, but they would grow up with all the advantages and hopefully receive special care from the best Relics.
“I can’t thank you enough,” Blue said, closing the van doors. She leaned against the back, her scars on full display beneath the white tank top. “I was losing sleep over it.”
Sambah adjusted his brown tunic and directed his attention to me. “You said you would see if my son had a message.”
I looked to Blue, who answered for me. “I spoke to Wyatt this morning, and he relayed everything. King said he didn’t appreciate you enough, but he hopes that these children will. He really wanted them to come here. He said it was in the fates, and maybe that’s why he was compelled to stay behind. He loves his dear father and always will. That’s all he said.”
Sambah essayed a smile, his eyes glimmering. “If King believes this will strengthen my family and help the children, then we will honor his spirit. Even in death, he was a good man. My heart sings with joy. I think we will celebrate tonight.”
Blue gave him a look I couldn’t discern. “You just found out your son was murdered, and now he’s left this world. How can you look so happy?”
I wondered if he might be insulted by that comment, but Sambah searched her eyes respectfully.
“You can’t let the pain of death steal away the memories of life,” he explained. “That will take you to dark places you never knew within yourself. Perhaps you know those places already. King is not the only child I’ve lost. I’m an old man, and I have outlived seven of my children. Four were little and the others grown. It was more painful to lose the small ones. You dwell on the things they’ll never experience. But as parents, we must honor their souls as they have rejoined their great ancestors on their next journey. Holding on to pain only allows it to fester. It brings nothing. You close off your heart and won’t be able to give back to this world. And what becomes the purpose of your life? You are nothing but a dead tree, struck by lightning but still standing. Hollow inside.” He took a deep breath and looked between us. “This is a day for rejoicing. My son has joined his ancestors in the afterlife on their next journey, and he has bestowed us with the greatest gift and responsibility.” Sambah shook his head and laughed. “Wolves. King always had a sense of humor. He got that from his mother.”
Voices inside the house overlapped in song. The beautiful melody amplified in the quiet space of the woods.
Blue inched toward him. “No offense, but when I first saw this place, I never imagined so much warmth and love would be inside such a cold exterior.”
Sambah tilted her chin up with the crook of his finger. “I find that hard to believe.” He turned away, heading to the door.
“Mr. Freeman?” I called out. “Would you mind if we brought them a visitor sometime? He made friends with them.”
Sambah waved. “Come by anytime, Raven and Blue. You are always welcome here.”
Blue gave me a startled look. “Fates. That was easy as hell. I didn’t think he’d jump on it so fast.”
“King sealed the deal. Did he really say all that? Or was it part of your plan to get on his good side?”