Page 42 of Shifter's Homecoming

She settled in to her seat, determined to pray for Trent the entire way.

She would be there soon.

28 - What the Other Trent Did

Trent opened his eyes, a dream of panting next to his wolf all night, dissipating quickly. His wolf was not doing well. In his dream, he’d thought his wolf might die, but there was nothing he could do about it. In his dream, Trent had crawled to his wolf and touched him, and in that instant he had a dream within a dream, one that… Mac from back home had been in. They’d talked of sandwiches… and of Mac’s little sister, and then he’d woken up.

Trent did not puzzle over the dream. If this was the Tranquility that Crew and Dahlia had traveled to, then Mac had a counterpart who lived in this town, and his little sister had survived to adulthood in this world, even though she had not in his real world. During their briefing, Crew had explained the connection again and again to a skeptical Trent, because Trent had not been able to accept that a female who had died in one world could be alive in another. He believed it now. He accepted it now.

Trent was sitting in the chair still, his hands crossed, his feet crossed, his chin on his chest. It was dark outside, but all the lights inside were still on, and it would not be dark for long. Across the room, Rowan slept at her desk, her arms folded, her head turned to one side and resting on them.

Trent got up. He shook out his stiffness. He ignored his pain. He made his way to Rowan. On her desk, notebooks were spread around. The one closest to her hand had his name spelled out on one of the lines, but that was not what drew his eyes to it.

She’d drawn six necklaces this time, all in a row, three angels, two wolves, and a sixth one that encompassed both. This one was hanging from a drawn peg on a drawn wall. The necklace itself seemed in the act of twirling, giving a sense of both the angel and the wolf at the same time.

Trent stared at it for many moments, wishing he knew what it meant. If it meant anything.

When he accepted he might never know, he pushed the notebook aside. He took the pen out of Rowan’s hand. He picked her up in a honeymooner’s carry, cradling her against his chest again. He could get used to carrying her everywhere. If he stayed here, he would.

He took her to her bed and laid her down gently, then settled in to watch over her.

***

Rowan was up in an hour. Trent stood against the wall, arms crossed, watching her.

Her eyes went right to his. “You can have the bed,” she murmured. “I’ve got work to do.”

Instead, Trent followed her out. She went straight to her desk. Once she got there, she seemed confused. She picked up one of the notebooks and held it out to him, seeming about to ask him something, but then she changed her mind.

She put the notebook back on the desk and picked up a few others. But then she picked up the first one again.

“Did you—?” she started.

Trent took the notebook from her hand. The first five necklaces were still there, and the peg and wall were still there, but the drawing of the necklace that had hung on the peg? Gone. Trent examined it closely, looking for eraser marks. Nothing.

Trent held the book to his nose and scented deeply, wishing again for his wolf. He scented … he scented something like he imagined the meadow might smell after a rain storm… if it rained there. It made him think of Smokey, and that made him frown.

Rowan took the notebook from him, acutely careful not to touch him as she did so, closed it with a snap and a slight shake of her head, then placed it back on the desk. No discussion, case closed.

Rowan checked some equipment on one counter, seemed satisfied with it, then disappeared into the bathroom for a bit. When she came out, Trent was staring out the back window. When he turned to her, he caught her staring at him.

She seemed surprised, like even she hadn’t realized she was staring at him. She spoke quickly, as if surprised into it.

“I like it,” she said.

“What?” he growled, then caught himself and tried to speak normally. “What do you like?” He had to know.

“Your face, shaved bare.”

He smiled then, his firstrealsmile since he’d arrived in this messed-up place. His mate liked the way he looked. Warmth infused him from inside. He spoke without thinking.

“We will have beautiful young.”

Rowan turned white. She backed up three steps. Her hands fisted.

Trent realized all at once what that other stupid-ass Trent had done, what basic nature it was that he could not change.

I didn’t want young with her?Trent moaned to his brother inside his head.Why?

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