The kitchen was my favorite place. Mackenzie always had food that she would push at me, and at this rate I’d gain twenty pounds before I got back to full health. Her adorable little boy, Cody, would sit next to me and chatter about everything. His favorite topic was the upcoming full moon run. He couldn’t wait to fly through the woods as fast as his many comic book superheroes. He regaled me with tales of his hunting prowess much to his mother’s growing amusement.
The day of the full moon Cody was telling me how he could run as fast as Alex could, when a large hand clapped down on his shoulder. His face turned white and he looked up into the twinkling eyes of Alex. Cody let out a tiny whimper, but Alex just smiled and ruffled the young boy’s hair
“I dare say that sounds like a challenge,” Alex tried to sound gruff, and Mackenzie and I both fought to hide our smiles. “Seems that tonight we’ll have to hold a race. Now, what should the winner get?” Alex tapped his chin thoughtfully while Cody looked on incredulously.
“How about a kiss?” I piped up from my chair, and Alex’s eyes met mine. “If a female wins, the mighty alpha can give her a kiss. If a male wins, I’ll do the honors.” Cody beamed at me and then dashed out of the room to tell the rest of the pack about the upcoming competition.
“You do realize that if I beat him now, he’ll be heartbroken,” Alex pulled me gently to my feet and into his arms. He ran his nose along mine, and I giggled as I pushed him away with my good arm.
“Oh, I don’t think you’ll have to worry,” Mackenzie spoke up from the sink where she had returned to washing dishes. “He’s a fleet footed pup. He might just give you a run for your money, especially if it means a kiss from Zee.”
“And now I have competition,” Alex threw his hands in the air in mock exasperation. He glared down at me playfully. “Why couldn’t you have just stayed in bed like any normal person who tries to battle a tree with their car?” I smiled sweetly at him and he pulled me closer to him. He leaned down and rubbed his nose back and forth against mine again while he looked in my eyes.
******
Alex settled me into a comfortable chair that had been moved onto the front porch for me and covered me with a blanket. I had insisted that I wanted to watch them head out on their run, so Alex had insisted that I needed a decent chair to sit in. He tried to get me to let him stay with me, but I was adamant that he go with the others. He had been jittery all day, so I knew he really wanted to get out. I’d picked up on that little tell early on since I’d been staying with him.
Now I watched as the entire pack gathered in the yard, including the doctor who was running with them as a sort of adopted pack member. They all watched Alex for some sign. The full moon broke through the clouds over the trees and I saw Alex break into a grin a second before a black wolf was standing in his place. The rest of the pack shifted quickly and stood tensely watching the black wolf. They were all excited for the race, but none more than Cody. I laughed as I watched the little grey wolf pup jumping around his parents, eager to start the run. Alex tilted his head in my direction for a moment and I gave him a small wave
Suddenly the beautiful black wolf raised his head and loosed a drawn-out howl to the sky. The rest of the wolves followed suit, harmonizing with his note. He cut off the song and gave a series of short yips. It must have been a signal because the entire pack tore out of the clearing as one. I watched the last of them slip into the woods as silent as shadows.
I sat back in my chair, pulling the blanket tight around me to ward off the chill in the air. The moon hung bright over the trees and the sounds of night broke the silence that had been left in the wake of the wolves. I strained my ears for any sounds of the pack, but I couldn’t hear them. I gave up, instead letting my mind wander.
I hated all the work I was missing, but Lane was so excited about Alex and me tying the knot that she didn’t mind. Her son was picking up my hours until I got back. No matter how often I told her that I was just hurt, in a supposed ski accident while visiting Alex’s parents, Lane would reiterate that there better be some amazing wedding and honeymoon pictures when I returned. Just thinking of Lane’s request made me smile.
Then there was Delilah. I called her daily, but Delilah barely spoke for five minutes most days. She would ask about my recover, suggest that I come home, and find a reason to hang up the moment I declined. It hurt me to not be a part of Delilah’s life. We had been close before we both started dating. Now my only source of information was Jarren, and I hated asking because if felt like I was prying into Delilah’s life unwanted.
Even with work and family, the pack was my biggest change. They had accepted me so easily into their home, except maybe Delaney, who still looked at me with barely veiled contempt. If Alex was around, she would act sweet as apple pie, but the moment he left the room she turned her nose up and wouldn’t speak to me. Tegan claimed it
