Page 3 of Wolves' Midlife Reunion
Nia’s elbow punched into her side and her memories. “Who wasthat?”
“Oh.” Tina blinked. The crowd, the tourists, and the fact that they were short a staff member all came rushing back to her. “Just someone I hadn’t seen in a long time.”
“So, you had to make up for lost time?”
“What do you mean?”
“Come on!” Nia laughed. “You two had your eyes glued to each other.”
“No. It was nothing like that.”
Because it couldn’t be, even though her wolf desperately thought otherwise.
2
“Now, Daddy?”
Dex looked around as they ambled down the path at Salem Woods Highland Park. They’d left the parking lot behind some time ago. It was a rainy day, not the kind that would keep everyone out of the park, but enough to keep most people away. Still, they had to be cautious, no matter how excited she was. “Soon.”
“Okay.” Sage skipped down the path ahead of him, putting one leg out front and prancing along while her arms bobbed in the air. “I didn’t know we were going to the park today, too!”
“It seemed like a good idea to me.” There would be no getting her to rest after the huge day they’d already had at the packhouse, and running around in the woods sounded like a good bet. “Did you enjoy your party?”
“Yes!” Sage pranced back to him and put her little hand in his. She held on tightly as she used his strength to pull her up off the path for even bigger skips and hops. “Everybody came!”
“Of course they did. They’re crazy about you. Just like I am.” He reached over to ruffle her hair.
“No, Daddy!” Sage ducked away and put her hand up protectively. “I like the way Aunt Debbie braided it.”
“She did a good job, didn’t she?” Dex tweaked the end of the French braid instead, where he wouldn’t damage it. He’d done his best to figure out how to style Sage’s hair. His own curls were easily tamed by keeping them cut short and combed back, but she liked her hair long and pretty. ‘Like a princess,’ she’d told him. The hairstyling videos online all made it look easy, but it was still a challenge for him. His twin sister always came to the rescue on important days.
“Can I keep it in for school tomorrow?” Sage asked as she bounced on her toes.
He could just imagine how it would look after Sage had slept on it for the night. The other parents at school drop-off already gave him enough sideways glances, and he didn’t need to give them another reason. “I don’t think it’ll last overnight, but we’ll try to do something pretty.”
“Okay.” She looked around them, even spinning and walking backward for a moment before she looked up. “Now?”
Dex tapped into his wolf senses, knowing that his human eyes and ears wouldn’t be able to give him as much information as he truly wanted. He caught the screech of a blue jay and the chattering of a couple of gray squirrels, but there were no humans nearby. “Yes. Let’s go over here.” He led her off the trail and into the surrounding trees.
As soon as she let go of his hand, Sage was already beginning her transformation. She melted down into her wolf form, dropping forward on all fours as her inner animal took over. Her hands became paws before they even hit the soft leaf litter on the ground. Fur erupted all over her body, and two cute little pointy ears sat atop her head. Her tail was thick and bushy, even if it was still a bit short.
Dex studied her for a moment as she romped, picking up her front paws and then bouncing down on a bug. She snapped at it with her teeth and chased it for a moment. She was changing. Sage no longer had the fuzzy fluff of a young pup. Seemingly overnight, it’d been replaced by a sleeker gray with a bit of white around her muzzle. She was still young, of course, and had plenty of growing to do, but she was starting to look more like a miniature adult than a child.
Sage pounced again, her tail wagging before she bounded back up. She whirled and looked at him expectantly.
“I’m coming,” he promised. Dex ran forward, letting his shift come on the move. He felt the deep, satisfying twist of his bones as they changed their formation, accommodating his inner wolf and leaving his human form behind. There was the stinging itch of fur as it took its place, followed quickly by the feel of fresh air blowing through it. His paws hit the ground, and he bumped Sage with his muzzle as he ran past her and then dashed off into the trees.
Daddy!Sage shouted at her father through their telepathic link and took off after him, her little legs pounding against the dirt.Come back!
You’ll have to catch me!He kept running, moving just quickly enough that she was on his heels. Every now and then, he looked back, just to make sure she was still right there.You’re getting fast!
Someday, I’m going to beat you!she promised.
He was sure she would, and the feeling both lifted his heart and broke it. She was really growing up so quickly. When she was born, everyone had told him and Marie that the days would go by quickly. After several sleepless nights, Dex had decided that they were completely wrong.
Time proved the opposite, though. Even though some days and nights seemed to drag on until eternity, the weeks andmonths somehow flew by with far more swiftness. Sage was always a little taller, a little smarter, a little faster, or a little more observant than she’d been the day before. Now, as they ran alongside each other through the woods, the fresh air in their lungs, he became acutely aware of the fact that there was only so much time left with her. Over a decade, yes, and there would be plenty of struggles, but it still wouldn’t be enough.
I can’t wait until my next birthday party!she told him as she bounded over a twig.
