Around a mouthful of food, she reminded her mom how she’d met the
young man. When Harmony managed not to explode she got more details that
contained the red flags of “super nice”, “awesome smile” and “really friendly”.
She knew trouble when she heard it described. But she withheld judgment. If
anything, she’d learned to trust her elders. She’d ask Aunt Willow about it
tomorrow.
Grinning to herself at all of her things to do tomorrow, she
wondered if she wasn’t turning into Scarlett O’Hara. “I’ll think about it
tomorrow when I’m at Tara.”
“Tara? Who’s Tara, Mom?”
The laughter that burbled out felt so pure, so clean that
she nearly cried. “Just an old movie reference, honey. Want to help me clean or
do you want to crash early?”
The huge yawn she got in response told her everything. Her
daughter zigzagged from high energy to crashing into long naps. That combined
with the metabolism increase had been her first clues that Rain was going to be
Moon-Called. But that wasn’t a for-sure thing. She remembered her own
metabolism increase. It had included all the bouncing back and forth. She waved
her daughter off as she picked up the plates. “I can do this. Bed for you.
School tomorrow.”
After the kitchen was cleaned to her satisfaction she moved
down the hall to the far room to look in on Rain. It wasn’t that she didn’t
trust her. It was more the years of training by Tom. All those years of
wondering if he was going to try to steal her child had left her perpetually
looking over her shoulder. Not even here did she feel completely safe. After
all, he’d fooled most of the tribe once.
Most. She shook her head as she eased the door shut on her
peacefully, if strangely contorted, sleeping daughter. That child could take up
more space in a bed.
She thought about that shifter boy, Keme. What would she do
if he was another Tom? Her thoughts drifted back in time to what her great-uncle
had said.
“Just because you were born to the People doesn’t mean you
stay of the People. That one doesn’t smell right, nishimis . Just doesn’t
smell right. But the Alpha says he can stay.”
She still remembered her shock at Pete’s spitting on the
floor when he’d said “the Alpha”. That was the first time she’d ever seen him
disrespect the Alpha. Of course, that wolf had been aging and sick. She’d heard
later through her cousin Rose that he’d actually stepped down, leaving the Pack
leaderless until Micah had come onto the scene. She really didn’t know all the
details about the gap in leadership.
She sighed. Washington, DC, politics were child’s play when
compared to a res full of shifters. Take the People, add a twist of Pack issues
to get a seriously Machiavellian event when it came to leadership change. But
they had a good one now. She smiled, remembering the warmth of Micah’s hugs.
And Olivia’s too. They’d even let her hold their son. They’d made her feel a
true member of the Pack.
Then her traitorous mind went straight to how Gareth had
made her feel. Her nipples hardened. Her belly softened. She swore her whole
body was ready to betray her by running out the door to find that sexy wolf.
She forced herself into her own room where she curled up under the quilts.
Somehow hugging a pillow just didn’t make sleep come any easier.
When sleep did come it brought the dreams. She had them
often. Cold, black trees raked at a steel-gray sky as she ran. Her breath came
in short, sharp pants accented by the slap of her bare feet on cold ground.
Always she ran toward the moon but the trees held her back. Behind her came the
sound of his ugly anger. Curses pulsed out from him almost as if he chanted as
he chased her.
She held her infant child, trying to protect her from the
clawing tree branches, but she could see the thin lines welling up with blood
on Rain’s tender skin. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to get
away. Away from him. Away from Rain’s father.
young man. When Harmony managed not to explode she got more details that
contained the red flags of “super nice”, “awesome smile” and “really friendly”.
She knew trouble when she heard it described. But she withheld judgment. If
anything, she’d learned to trust her elders. She’d ask Aunt Willow about it
tomorrow.
Grinning to herself at all of her things to do tomorrow, she
wondered if she wasn’t turning into Scarlett O’Hara. “I’ll think about it
tomorrow when I’m at Tara.”
“Tara? Who’s Tara, Mom?”
The laughter that burbled out felt so pure, so clean that
she nearly cried. “Just an old movie reference, honey. Want to help me clean or
do you want to crash early?”
The huge yawn she got in response told her everything. Her
daughter zigzagged from high energy to crashing into long naps. That combined
with the metabolism increase had been her first clues that Rain was going to be
Moon-Called. But that wasn’t a for-sure thing. She remembered her own
metabolism increase. It had included all the bouncing back and forth. She waved
her daughter off as she picked up the plates. “I can do this. Bed for you.
School tomorrow.”
After the kitchen was cleaned to her satisfaction she moved
down the hall to the far room to look in on Rain. It wasn’t that she didn’t
trust her. It was more the years of training by Tom. All those years of
wondering if he was going to try to steal her child had left her perpetually
looking over her shoulder. Not even here did she feel completely safe. After
all, he’d fooled most of the tribe once.
Most. She shook her head as she eased the door shut on her
peacefully, if strangely contorted, sleeping daughter. That child could take up
more space in a bed.
She thought about that shifter boy, Keme. What would she do
if he was another Tom? Her thoughts drifted back in time to what her great-uncle
had said.
“Just because you were born to the People doesn’t mean you
stay of the People. That one doesn’t smell right, nishimis . Just doesn’t
smell right. But the Alpha says he can stay.”
She still remembered her shock at Pete’s spitting on the
floor when he’d said “the Alpha”. That was the first time she’d ever seen him
disrespect the Alpha. Of course, that wolf had been aging and sick. She’d heard
later through her cousin Rose that he’d actually stepped down, leaving the Pack
leaderless until Micah had come onto the scene. She really didn’t know all the
details about the gap in leadership.
She sighed. Washington, DC, politics were child’s play when
compared to a res full of shifters. Take the People, add a twist of Pack issues
to get a seriously Machiavellian event when it came to leadership change. But
they had a good one now. She smiled, remembering the warmth of Micah’s hugs.
And Olivia’s too. They’d even let her hold their son. They’d made her feel a
true member of the Pack.
Then her traitorous mind went straight to how Gareth had
made her feel. Her nipples hardened. Her belly softened. She swore her whole
body was ready to betray her by running out the door to find that sexy wolf.
She forced herself into her own room where she curled up under the quilts.
Somehow hugging a pillow just didn’t make sleep come any easier.
When sleep did come it brought the dreams. She had them
often. Cold, black trees raked at a steel-gray sky as she ran. Her breath came
in short, sharp pants accented by the slap of her bare feet on cold ground.
Always she ran toward the moon but the trees held her back. Behind her came the
sound of his ugly anger. Curses pulsed out from him almost as if he chanted as
he chased her.
She held her infant child, trying to protect her from the
clawing tree branches, but she could see the thin lines welling up with blood
on Rain’s tender skin. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to get
away. Away from him. Away from Rain’s father.
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