"Finding an old friend is like finding a lost treasure."
~Anthony Douglas Williams

Finn

"What's going on here?" Arya Laroche demanded. She and Ren came strutting onto the scene, both wearing sharp black ensembles. They appeared unusually deadly today. Their auras pulsated with power. Seeing everyone hurriedly clear a path for them, giving them more space than normal, I knew I wasn't the only one who sensed it.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Elsa, Anna, Hunter, and Caleb come out of the house, following their parents. Elsa's eyes were slightly puffy, making me wonder why she'd been crying. Her gaze met mine, and with a slight shake of her head, I understood now was not the time. She would tell me later.

"We have a trespasser," Loren announced when he shifted into a human.

"Please, I'm looking for the Laroches," the newcomer said with his hands up. "My pack, they disappeared, and I don't-"

"Killian?" I blurted out, staring in amazement at my old friend.

"Finn?!" he exclaimed. I rushed up to him, shoving members of the pack out of the way in the process. We embraced in a tight hug, relieved to have someone we know, relieved to have someone from our own pack again. Killian pulled away and looked me up and down in disbelief. "Holy shit, man, I thought you were dead. I thought you were all dead. Is there anyone else here from-"

"No, no one else. Just me. What happened to you? I went searching for survivors, and I couldn't find anyone. How did-"

"I was buried under some rubble, and it took hours for me to get out. What about you? What happened?"

"When I exhausted the search area, I made my way to Colorado to find the Laroches. Thankfully I went onto the right territory. Nearly went into the Stark's. I'd probably be dead if that happened. Why did it take you so long to get here?"

"Some people kept poking around our compound, and I kept them at bay for a few months. I stayed as a wolf until the last few days when I made my way over here. These people wouldn't stop coming, though. I chased them off each time, but they didn't like taking no for an answer. Are these the Laroches?"

"Yeah, yeah, let me introduce you. Man, it's good to have you back!" I exclaimed, hugging him again.

"Finn, you know this boy?" Ren inquired, sounding less angry than his wife had earlier.

"Yes, sir. This is Killian Kennedy. He was part of my pack," I answered.

"Sorry if I smell. It's been a few days since I showered," Killian said sheepishly. "I didn't stop in hotels on my way here, so my showers were in lakes and ponds."

"Come inside, son. We'll let you get cleaned up, and then we'd like to talk to you about some things," Ren said.

"Do you have any clothes with you, sweetie?" Arya asked, her reprimanding tone having transformed into a motherly kindness.

"Just the ones in my backpack, ma'am," Killian said.

"We'll wash those for you and get you some new ones soon. For now, let's get you indoors. Finn, we'd like to speak to your packmate privately if you don't mind. We promise we'll be quick." Arya, although smiling, stated it in such a way I knew there was no point in arguing. She and Ren would speak to Killian alone.

My packmate shared a worried glance with me. I tried to silently communicate to him it'd be fine, but I honestly had no clue. For all I knew, Ren and Arya could be planning on torturing him for information. Not that he had any, but still.

Okay, they weren't going to torture him or anything like that, but they seemed to be in foul moods, and I wanted Killian to stick around. He'd been one of my closest friends in my pack.

"You okay?" Elsa queried, sidling up next to me.

"Yeah," I said, staring off after Killian. "Just can't believe he's alive. I thought everyone from the Nova Pack was dead. It's unreal."

"Well, he's here to stay now. We'll make sure of it," Anna promised, joining her sister.

"You two okay? You seemed upset earlier."

"Let's just say my parents found out a bit about me and Spencer. Anna and I are both in trouble. They don't know you were involved, and we're keeping it that way. We're sneaking off later to go thank Dom and Spencer for saving our lives before our freedom is taken away for the rest of eternity."

"Is that why your mom and dad seemed so mad?"

"Yeah, that would be because of me," Elsa admitted.

"You two sneak out tonight. I'll find a way to cover you."

"If mom and dad-"

"I know I'll get in trouble, but it's worth it. Besides, I have a feeling you'll find a way to see him again no matter what, even after you're punished. You're smart like that. Now get your plans in order. I'm going to pace back and forth in front of your parents' office until Killian is free to go."

The twins snorted in amusement, and Elsa said, "I'm glad you have Killian back. Maybe that means the rest of your pack is out there too."

"Maybe, but I'm not going to get my hopes up. For now, I'll just take Killian."

They smiled in understanding, kissed me on the cheek, then darted back into the house. Hunter and Caleb approached me afterward.

"What was that about?" Hunter asked.

"They were just telling me how happy they were I had Killian again," I responded casually. It was easy to be calm about it because it was the truth. I knew the brothers were trying to pry for more information, but I wasn't going to give anything away.

"Listen, if they say anything about the Starks, let us know. They're already treading on thin ice with our parents. We don't want to see them get in any more trouble," Caleb said, appearing genuinely concerned for his sisters' well-being. But I still wasn't going to oust them. "We're trying to protect them here."

"Yeah, sure, man."

"Thanks. We'll see you later. We're going to see if we can get in on this meeting with Killian."