Page 86 of Shifting Years
He might believe it, but I didn't. The teenage girl on the other side of the thick bush might as well be me, a few years out of Nam. No longer terrified but never relaxed. Her guarded position meant she could see an armored snake slither to her, and it was intentional. She watched and would stay on guard for decades. The bushes weren't a concern, and I suppose that meant she trusted us.
My Omega gestured toward her, silently begging me to agree. All I had to do was nod and he'd ask her to stay… and tear a family apart.
I pulled him into my arms, holding him tight. "She's got my eyes, Mike. Haunted ones. She's not whole yet. But one day, she will be. And when she is, she'll find her own way home to us."
***
Penny spoke carefully from the table as I handed her the muffuletta sandwich. "I've seen her, right?"
Face blindness meant she studied people's fashion and memorized things like bright red hair or pearls around her Alpha. Common sense helped, like knowing Mike was the short Omega fromMike's Place.
"Some people," said Mike. "They love the idea of magic so much, they throw themselves into the paranormal."
"Truman," we said.
"It's not a perfect world," I said. "But turning into a wolf is seeing the world, like you're looking at—"
"—an HD color television after a small black and white?" offered Mike. After I nodded, he continued. "Others like the human world. If she lived here, she wouldn't be a sister to four other girls who needed a pack leader."
"We still see her," I said. "Angel looks younger than most women her age and has a great sense of smell and taste, but she doesn't care for wolf law or obligations."
Like Mike, she became a cook, giving father and daughter a connection. I got to help her with the nightmares. Not as wonderful as baking a cake, but there wassomethingto beingneeded and having her call me 'Papa' once the night terrors drifted away.
Mike's voice cracked. "She put others before herself, even when it cost her. That's how I know she's ours."
***
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Mike
"That's it?" Penny asked, twirling a strand of grey hair around her finger. "You two made it through the eighties and beyond. Guess that means we're all caught up."
"Yeah, and we never get to say this in person to the Alpha or Omega that comes to us," I said. "Everyone expects this amazing or profound secret, but the truth to staying together is appreciating andknowingwhat you got." I looked up into my Alpha's dark, forest-green eyes. "I couldn't imagine a life without him."
He smiled back.
"And compromise. I gave in when necessary, for the good of our—"
His smile faded. "Oh, give me a break. You weren't the elevated one in this relationship. That was me: the soldier. I learned to let things go because I was tired of battles. Meanwhile, you? Still chasing causes like a hippie in '69."
Penny's smirk stopped us mid-argument. Before Todd could even look for a pen, I slapped one into his palm. On paper, he wrote notes for Kim and Jack. If they wanted, they'd know how the story ended.
"But we lived," I said. "Raised two pups and made sure Angel had brothers. She visited as much as she could, and I'll have her see you and Mary next time." I walked over to a filing cabinetand my hand rested on a drawer labeled 'Accommodations'. There were files for shifters with anger problems, others who drank, different sex drives, income levels, and the list continued.
We saved stories for future couples, because one day we won't be here. For now, the deal is to personally help every Alpha and Omega who didn't get along.
I returned to the dining room. Shifters aren't clumsy, but my power sometimes demanded little nudges, like stumbling against Todd. His hand brushed over Penny's open palm, and he shot me a narrow look.
Penny's breathing quickened and she bit her lip. "Oh, gosh. I'm sorry. It's tearing you up something awful!"
She didn't say what he had to do. He already knew. Soon, my mate would have to say goodbye to someone he loved.
***
I cleaned our cabin in silence, doing my best to spare my love any extra stress. If our sons were still around, they could have distracted him so he wouldn't obsess, but it was just us again. This responsibility was mine.
I turned to the mailbox, acknowledging the growing pull. Todd needed something out there soon, but not now. A tall approaching shadow took me out of my daydreams. I leaned back against his hard stomach and chest muscles.
