"What does a firehouse in a big city have that I don't?"
"What? A firehouse? Plenty of hoses, and by hoses I mean penis. Something you apparently really need right now. Good Lord, girl. Are you still pining away over that idiot?" Ellen said as she poured a shot.
"What's this?" Paige asked, eyeing the pink liquid.
Ellen shook her head. "It doesn't matter what it is, just drink it. This is a stupid holiday. Let it go."
"Says the female that has a mate to go home to," she mumbled.
"Word to the wise, Paige, no one likes a pity party. I think it's time to move on. You get five minutes to sulk and then I'm calling up the pack and you're getting a date."
Paige sighed. "Fine. You're right. Maybe I'll go for a run, clear my head."
Focusing on life, she forced herself to steady, her wolf sitting at attention. She was ready for a run; she was ready for a mate. Now to just get the human side of Paige on board. Sometimes letting instinct run the show was a much better prescription.
One last thought as she stepped out the back door where the Drunken Rooster let all the shifters change, not that Roswell would be surprised at what lived within the city limits. Still, it was nice to have a safe space.
Paige took off her clothes and folded the dress up, pulling the ribbon from her hair and fastening the fabric around her ankle. She tucked her shoes into the small bench storage box next to the door. She'd come back for those later.
One last thought as she gave into the wolf. She remembered how Tristan had taken a firehouse job hundreds of miles away just to get away from her. Why had she said anything? They'd had the best relationship. Scratch that. Best friendship. All she'd wanted was to change it, take the next step.
Wrong choice, obviously. She gulped in air.
It still hurt. The look on his face as he'd nearly tripped into a bonfire just to get away.
God. All the excitement and happiness from another mating ceremony had gone straight to her head. They'd been sitting there around the bonfire, her leaning against him as he backed against a log. He felt like home and for one brief second she'd thought maybe he'd felt it too.
Her wolf took over, and before another tear could come, she shifted. Letting her wolf take control, they were off and running towards the open space away from town.
2
Tristan turned the key and the throaty purr of his bike stopped. Pausing, he sat there, his hands still gripping the handlebars. If he got off the bike now, he was committed to staying. Well, committed to saying hi to his mom, anyway.
How long had it been since he'd run out in the middle of the night? His mom would either still be holding a grudge, or play the card where you ignore the unpleasantries and move on. Either way, nothing ever got solved. She refused to answer any of his calls, but he'd still left messages monthly. His brother was the only connection to anything going on here.
A couple of years, and yet this town never changed. Ethan, his friend and alpha of another pack, had given him a home and a pack to belong to for a while. The issue was that he'd never truly been home. Kian and Ethan had both been mated, moving on with their lives. He wanted to move on with his own damn life, but he still couldn't get over his best friend. If it wasn't her, he didn't want a mate.
Rubbing at his shoulders, he tried to massage away the pain. What pain was it he wanted to get rid of though? There were a few too many.
"Tristan Lawton, you get your ass in here and hug your mother."
He looked up. There she was. The woman who had high standards. High standards of where Tristan should be in life. She was a perfect example of loving something too much.
"Hey Ma. How did you know I was here?"
She smiled, rubbing her hands in a dishtowel.
"A mother always knows when her baby is home." She came down the rustic railroad tie steps. "My little boy. I'm so happy you finally followed that nose back home. The pack's going to be so excited."
He grunted. "Are they? I sort of abandoned them."
She smiled. "Nonsense. You're not the first pup to challenge the system and find his own way in the world. The pack is always family. Always home."
Swinging a leg over the bike, he got off and met his mother halfway. She seemed shorter, or maybe he was taller. Who knew? It was just nice to be home again, almost.
Tristan swallowed a lump in his throat. Being back with the pack meant he would have to face his past, and damn it if the pain in him didn't radiate out like a balled up explosion.
"So, where is everyone?"
His mom backed up, looking up into his eyes. Man, she looked innocent, but she scared him something fierce. His mom wasn't a female to be bested by anyone, including her own son.
Tristan studied her. Wait for it. Something was brewing in that head of hers.
She cleared her throat and his instinct had a wall going up.
"Well, let's see. Your brother is off showing his pup to hunt. Your sister isn't going anywhere for the next few
